How hard is it to drive a RWD car in the snow?

[BCYL]

I am considering getting a used Mazda Miata, but I live in Vancouver... Well we don't get snow storms like they do on the east coast, but we do get some snow in the winter months and a fair bit of ice... so my question is, how hard will it be to drive a car like that during winter? My commute to work consists mostly of highway miles... Thanks!

Also, anyone know if these cars are reliable? I have heard those miata engines are very reliable, but wanna get a 2nd opinion... If I do end up getting one, it will be one with around 80,000km on it...

 

[iamwiz82]

miatas are super light, and are RWD, which is never a good combo in the winter

 

[ElFenix]

i looked on carpoint for reliability, since 1995 it seems they've been bulletproof. about driving on ice with rwd... well, i dunno. traction control helps a lot but a car with 50k miles on it might not have it (too old)

 

[GL]

Bro-in-law drove a Miata through the winter. He put two huge metal plates in the trunk in the winter and outfitted the car with winter tyres. He said it handled well. Of course, without this it sucks. I've driven in a Miata in a snow storm and it was scary - slid around all over the place.

 

[GasX]

I drove a 67 mustang in some big snow storms with little trouble. The key is putting bags of concrete in the trunk. It evens out the weight balance and works like a charm. How much room in the Miata's trunk?

In my mustang I would have a full size spare and 3 sixty pound bags of concrete. A Miata would need less.

 

[aimn]

RW drive works just fine. Thats all I had growing up! Of course, front wheel seems to get around in the snow better. Put weight in the trunk (sand/ice) and you will be just fine.

 

[sohcrates]

add weight + snow tires to a RWD and you can go ANYWHERE

 

[blueghost75]

i think if you put weight in the back it would work, just like everyone else is saying. i drive a big truck, and just the other day it was raining. I went around a corner, and i intentionally took it a little fast, to see if i could get a little sliding action. there were not any cars nearby, either. i got more than i expected, i accelterated as i rounded the corner, and since the rear wheels were already fishtailing a little, accelerating made them spin out, throwing me into a skid. i corrected it quickly, but it scared the $hit out of me because i was going like 20 mph sideways, looking right at the curb in front of me!!

i am sure driving in ice would be worse. i do have 4wheel drive, though, so i am sure that would help in ice/snow.

 

[BCYL]

Well the miata's trunk is not that big, but I think i can fit a couple of bags of rocks in there fine...

The one I am looking to get is a 94... so don't know about the reliability issue...

I am still considering if this is a good move... I really love the miata, but it's not really practical and kinda expensive...

Thanks for everyone's quick reply!

 

[ElFenix]

er, oops, read it wrong, its been since 1993.

heres the 1994

 

[Thegonagle]

It's fun if you know what you're doing, and have good tires. I drove around a Volvo 240 for awhile last winter and had little trouble, but I wouldn't want to drive something much lighter with RWD. You don't want to add too much weight to the trunk, or you'll permantly collapse the rear springs, like my in mom's Volvo. DOH!

My personal opinion is that you shouldn't have a convertable up north if you can't afford a winter beater. It's a kind of blasphemy to drive with the ragtop up and expose it to the salt and crap. That's just my opinion, you can call me wrong.

 

[Cyberian]

<< er, oops, read it wrong, its been since 1993.

heres the 1994 >>



Damn good car if the only problem they could come up with is spark plug wires!

 

[Pacfanweb]

Not too hard if you drive like you have some sense. (and put some weight in the trunk, get some chains, and you'll go anywhere you need to)