I lived in N. Idaho for a couple of years and my car handled fine as long as I didn't have to climb any hills. I had a U shaped driveway with a slope to it but I kept the car in the carport and would gun it to get out the driveway. That worked fine until the snow plow came along and piled snow in front of my driveway, I was stuck until I got a snow shovel.

 

When i bought my 7 in January, the winter had been pretty mild so i didn't feel like i had anything to fear...then a week later it snowed badly. It had been 3 years since i had last DD'd a RWD vehicle (last was a Jeep Cherokee with busted 4WD), and the first time i'd ever driven a manual in the snow. Believe me when i say that having a clutch makes it a LOT easier to keep your traction if you want to, but you have to slip it a lot for smooth shifts and 'launches' if you want your wheels planted.

 

Thanks for these links, I didn't think to look for winter driving ~_~

 

As long as you are not trying to go up steep hills and mountains without extra weight in the hatch you should be fine.

 

i live in connecticut, where driving a jeep is scary in the winter (its all hills and curves)

i fear i may have to invest in a cheap 4wd car for the winter (old subaru wagon maybe?)

also, my driveway is ****** scary, after driving stick for a month, i still sometimes stall getting out of there (you have to stop of a really really steep hill)

i should also add that I regularly spin my tires getting out of that driveway on dry pavement

 

This is how my gxl handles the snow...



But to be honest i have a lot of hills around where i live, and i've never had snow tires on it. My cj5 handles this **** a lot better. In the heavy rain it handles well though, just dont be a jackass and drive with a heavy foot on days like that.

 

Yeah, not in my plans at all . I just goto college up in Rochester, NY. So no major traveling during large snow fall, jsut like <5 mile trips around town for grocery shopping, going to work, etc. I would basically drive it as little as possible in the winter, put a car cover over it on days it snows, and baby it when I do have to drive.

My major concern and my purpose for making this thread is to find out if the RX-7 is really that much worse than other FR vehicles (240sx, ae86 gt-s, bmw 3 series, etc). In my search for a new car, the only negative about an RX-7 has been so many people saying they're deathtraps in the snow. I just wanted to seperate truth from opinions.

 

deathtrap for novice, pot of gold for pro who knows how to handle.

 

Heh, i live in somewhat of a depressed area in the topographical sense, so no matter what route i take to work, i've got a semi-steep hill to go up. Only once have i had to deal with unplowed roads on my way up the one on my direct route, and in 2nd gear at just about idle, any throttle would have the rear end swaying back and forth.

As to the deathrap, i doubt any of those people have driven an MR2 in any of the above conditions with all seasons. Don't have to worry so much about spinning tires when trying to get going, but when a turn comes up you better know how to treat an MR with respect or that lamp post is going to be in your lap.

 

Yeah but technically your supposed to stay in one lane around a corner, and just the back wheels still counts.

j/k i know what you mean tho. It prolly would do fine with a little more weight and suitable tires.