SATURNS IN SNOW
JOHN OPAL
this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
ej...@winternet.com
I live and work in Minnesota. Travel to and from work with my 1994
Saturn SL2. I have had no trouble with it in the snow. In fact it
handles better in the snow than my prvious Forf Taurus and my d.a.
(domestic associates) Ford Escort.
From my desk to yours.
Bill Gillam
>> I purchased a 1995 Saturn SL-1 (auto. trans. and standard tires)
>>this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
>>have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
>>acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
>>traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
>>weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
My wife's 93 SL-2 gets around fine in the snow we get around the
Seattle area. Goes over the local passes no problem. Does not have the
traction control, still does fine.
We just ordered her 96, with traction control, so I'm looking forward
to trying it out in the white stuff!
Bill
tw...@albany.net
> I purchased a 1995 Saturn SL-1 (auto. trans. and standard tires)
>this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
>have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
>acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
>traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
>weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
I live in upstate NY, and we get a good bit of snow, so I figure I'll
put in my 2 cents.
The traction is pretty good in snow and ice. If there's heavy buildup
of packed snow, well, a Saturn is like any other car in its size
class, but it's not worse.
They do handle a touch better on fresh snow that hasn't been packed
down to boilerplate than most other vehicles do.
Last winter, when we got hit with about a foot of snow overnight, most
of the cars on the road (besides snowplows) were Saturns. I was one of
them. Personally, I wouldn't drive on snow unless I had to, but my
Saturn handled quite well on it. I did notice that in the cold my
brakes squeal like crazy though. It's rather annoying.
Just remember to check the treads on your tire sometime soon. Woudln't
want to be driving through snow on bald tires.
Oh, I own a 92 sl2 and a 95 sl1
Ted
Anybody know anything about the "Saturn Teddy Bear" that's getting
passed from state to state? It sounds like a cool idea and I'd like to
write a small article on it for the newspaper, if I could find out any
info about it.
Karl Brace
>
> I purchased a 1995 Saturn SL-1 (auto. trans. and standard tires)
> this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
> have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
> acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
> traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
> weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
My 93 SW1 has given me no trouble commuting every day in New England for
the past 3 winters on the stock tires. Two of those winters we got
80-100 inches of snow, and my commute is on winding back-woods roads
that don't get plowed as well as the highways. My wife's 92 SL2,
however, was not quite as good, but it was all in the tires - after we
put 4 Dunlop (??) snow tires on it her car was a bit better than mine in
the snow.
My old 1980 Chevette with snow tires was not as good in the snow as my
SW1 with stock tires. Without snow tires the Chevette was downright
scary in the snow. Your SL1 should handle very much like my SW1.
Karl
br...@cadsrv.enet.dec.com
93 SW1 5-sp 42,000 miles
Michael Edelman
: I purchased a 1995 Saturn SL-1 (auto. trans. and standard tires)
: this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
: have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
: acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
: traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
: weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
You should have gotten the ABS/Traction Control option. I've had this on
an SL1 and an SW2 and it makes for a great winter handling package.
--mike
JOHN OPAL
<br...@cadsrv.enet.dec.com> writes:
>
>My 93 SW1 has given me no trouble commuting every day in New England
for
>the past 3 winters on the stock tires. Two of those winters we got
>80-100 inches of snow, and my commute is on winding back-woods roads
>that don't get plowed as well as the highways. My wife's 92 SL2,
>however, was not quite as good, but it was all in the tires - after we
>put 4 Dunlop (??) snow tires on it her car was a bit better than mine
in
>the snow.
>
>My old 1980 Chevette with snow tires was not as good in the snow as my
>SW1 with stock tires. Without snow tires the Chevette was downright
>scary in the snow. Your SL1 should handle very much like my SW1.
>
>Karl
>br...@cadsrv.enet.dec.com
>93 SW1 5-sp 42,000 miles
I guess you really know why I'm concerned. I live in western new
england and remember the 90" 1993-94 winter. I also had a chevette and
camaro that were terrible in snow. The corolla that I had prior to the
saturn was the best.
Alan M. Bookmiller
(JOHN OPAL ) wrote:
> I purchased a 1995 Saturn SL-1 (auto. trans. and standard tires)
> this past May so I have yet to experience its perfomance in snow. I
> have noticed that it is quite easy to spin the front tires with minimal
> acceleration, so I am concerned that this will translate to poor
> traction in ice and snow. What have you experiences been with winter
> weather driving compared to other car you have owned?
My Saturn is not the best in snow. I've been stuck several times. They
make a "radial " snow chaim (actually like cables) you may want to buy a
set for your saturn.
Alan
MarioN 285
a future in consulting. After dealing with winters around here, proving
that we are pretty tough, we can explain winter driving to anyone. And
Saturn, whether my wife's '93 or my '95, get the job done in snow, ice,
slush and all the other junk that winter throws at us.
Mario
'93 SL1
'95 SW1