The Chrysler Minivan Fan Club Forums banner

Town & Country in snow/ice

44K views 40 replies 19 participants last post by  jgiurleo 
#1 ·
Quick question for those that might have some experience. I''m from Seattle and we''re right in the middle of some nasty weather-we just had 4-6 inches of snow and now, we''re heading in to some super cold temperatures- mid 20s for the highs! Unusual for Seattle! Anyway, what we are dealing with (mostly on side streets, but on some arterials as well) is a great deal of compacted snow that has turned to ice. Can anybody tell me their experiences driving in such conditions? Will my "brand new" 2008 T&C handle it well, or should I just forget about it!? I''m probably not going to get chains (would not need most of the time), and it''s just got the standard tires. It''s front wheel drive, obviously, so that''s totally a good thing.

I guess I''m turning in to a bit of a chicken in my old age! But really, I don''t want to hurt it! I love that thing!

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Joel from Seattle
 
#2 ·
I would expect the Gen 5 vans to perform at least as well as our Gen 3 and Gen 4 vans have, and that's a good thing. Here in New Hamster we get more than our share of snow, cold and ice (either the kind that falls from the sky or the kind that forms after a few freeze-thaw-freeze cycles). Regarding chains, unless they're required on some of the roads you drive on, I wouldn't bother; your van should be able to handle your winter conditions with relative aplomb.
 
#3 ·
Snow and Ice on the roads?

Quick question for those that might have some experience. I''m from Seattle and we''re right in the middle of some nasty weather-we just had 4-6 inches of snow and now, we''re heading in to some super cold temperatures- mid 20s for the highs! Unusual for Seattle! ....Joel from Seattle
YES, unusual for Seattle. We had snow once in Tacoma in the 2+ years I was stationed at Ft. Lewis but it melted within a day or 2. You do NOT need snow tires in Seattle unless you drive on hills during the rare times when snow falls in Seattle.

I have NOT had snow tires after leaving cold, icy Logan, Utah in 1963 but did have studded snow tires on my Volvo while we lived in Laramie, Wyoming but have NOT had snow tires or studded tires since 1975. :thumb:
 
#4 ·
Let me ring in...
up here... in the artic of Toronto, ON...
where we are next to bankrupt and the city can not afford to clean the snow...
this is our second winter with our T&C - it is okay... but obviously if you want better control get the snow tires. The problem we have is the side streets get about 2 feet to 3 feet ( because of the wind effect ) of snow before the cities even come once to plow or salt... so unless we have to go out... we stay in...
but you should be fine..
it will probably melt in Seattle before you know it..

Our problem is it stays until spring... then we have mountains of grey/black ice crusty snow banks to slide in to.. :)
 
#5 ·
UPDATE:
so i ventured off in the 15 cm of snow today..
oh my God...
I felt like a rally driver... my brain is completely mush and my forearms are sore.. :)

get the winter tires...
LOL
what a day.... i am exhausted
 
#6 ·
Yes, if you plan on driving for some period in the snow. You will need winter tires. Last year we didn't put any on the van, this year we did. HUUUUGE difference. Do it.
 
#7 ·
SNOW TIRES!!!! He gets snow a few days a year!

I grew up in North Dakota where we got a bit of snow, now I'm in Iowa where we get a lot of ice. Our front wheel drive vehicles do fine with good all season radials.

The van will do better than an infrequent snow/ice driver will..... Slow, easy, plenty of follow and stopping distance, and a lot of caution.
 
#9 ·
Consider getting your existing tires siped for about $50. A good compromise for the occasional snow needs - and best overall for wet seattle. Probably no need for dedicated set of winter tires/wheels - unless you go into the mountains frequently...

-Jim
Have you or anyone you know ever had your tires siped? That's interesting... never heard of that before.
 
#11 ·
It's funny to see all these owners talk like the all-seasons will actually cut it in real winter conditions. Maybe the first year, but subsequent years you are putting yourself at risk of a crash. All-seasons just do not have the supple compound that is needed when the temps drop to below zero. The rubber gets hard and you lose traction. Let alone the actual tread depth after 2 years driving on them, those all-seasons become 1 season -Summers.
 
#13 ·
Interesting comment. That said, I beg to differ. It's more than a bit hilly here in southern New Hampshire, and we get more than our fair share of snow (three of the last six winters have featured ten feet or more), and by later tonight we'll have had some 26" in a three day span. Even with all of that snow, and even though I have a pretty fair amount of experience driving cars shod with winter tires, I've got to say that with a good set of all-season tires (i.e. Michelin HydroEdge, Goodyear TripleTred, Cooper CS4 Touring, Yokohama Avid TRZ, to name a few), you can easily go three or four years on a set of tires without losing too much winter traction (which is about all one could say about pretty much any winter tires as well).

Case in point, we live on a street that has an 8% grade (and our driveway is a 9% grade), and I managed to get 65,000 miles out of the set of Goodyear TripleTreds mounted on our 1998 before they became too shallow to deal with snow covered hills (they would easily have gone 75,000+ had winter not been looming large). The TripleTreds mounted on our 2003 are at about 55,000 miles and heading into their fourth winter, and while they don't have quite the bite they had when they were new, they're still able to easily handle the often snow covered winding and hilly roads that we have around here.
 
#12 · (Edited)
In NE IL area, my routine for the last two vans: new performance all-seasons for first winter, then sipe before starting second season. Ride 'em out for another two, and judge where they're at...

I've found the siping is improves wet & dry traction, and helps some in the snow(better then nothing). I have noticed no premature/unusual wear over about 30K miles on two different sets. A bit more roar/noise.

Still, they're not dedicated snows. While no tire can make miracles happen - if you have to be on the road, (commute, long or short) and want at least some measure of grip to work with - get snows tires appropriate for your climate/needs. (for me: 3-4 months snow, good plowing (main roads generally clear to pavement within 24 hrs), lots of salt, no regular commute - I can avoid/delay the worst conditions).

-Jim
 
#14 ·
all season tires work just fine in snow. besides, this car is front wheel drive. you should not have issues driving in snow and ice. then again, if you are a bad driver then this point is moot.

i have had plenty of front wheel drive cars and never had issues in the snow with their default all season tires. i was cutting through 1 foot of snow without much problems. just keep your speed down and do not slam on the breaks while you drive in a straight line at all times.

now, my subarus with their awd are the king in snow and they have all season tires.
 
#16 ·
it is people like you that are the first to crash or mis - read road conditions. ;)
as Gumby said.. " to each his own"
Enjoy your subarus.... - false security.
 
#15 ·
To each his own I guess. There is a reason that certain provinces are mandating 4 winter tires during the winter season. As I said, all-seasons are not meant to be used in heavy winter conditions. Low temps are a tires' enemy.

In any case, I suppose it all depends on the area you are in. If you get snow but hardly any low temps for extended periods of time, then I guess all seasons will suit your needs. Great!
 
#18 ·
To each his own I guess. There is a reason that certain provinces are mandating 4 winter tires during the winter season. As I said, all-seasons are not meant to be used in heavy winter conditions. Low temps are a tires' enemy.
I'm not sure where you've gotten that factoid, however, sub-zero temperatures have no more affect on good all-season tires than they do on winter tires. The only tires that I've ever had that DID have an issue with cold weather were the summer performance tires that I've had on various cars. The issue here is the rubber composition, summer tires use rubber compounds that have little or no silica, allowing them to grip very well in warm weather. The problem is that low silica rubber compounds turn very hard and non-compliant when freezing temperatures are encountered. All-Season and Winter tires on the other hand have significant amounts of silica in the rubber compounds, and that silica allows the rubber to remain supple even in temperatures down to -46°F (the coldest that I've ever driven a car fitted with all-season tires), and probably colder.

Some folks say that those of us who opt to run all-season tires in the winter are driving inherently unsafe vehicles due to the difference between the grip of winter tires vs. all-season tires when there is snow present. I find comments like that a bit questionable. Why? Because even in the snowiest areas, snow is only present on the main roads a relatively small percentage of the time, and when the roads are dry or simply wet, all-season tires have the grip and handling advantage.
 
#17 ·
Personally, I've never owned a set of winter tires. And here in Winnipeg, snow and ice are a way of life from mid-late October to about mid April most years. I have driven on all seasons for as long a I've been driving (about 13 years or so) and hmmm, no accidents. I've even driven delivery vans with bald tires in winter and still no accidents.

Winter collisions are caused by people driving too fast for conditions and not allowing enough stopping distance. And the only thing that those people having winter tires will accomplish is: getting to "too fast" speed alot sooner.
 
#20 ·
I have used all season tires successfully through lots of Winters. I have proper Winter tires, from two years ago, (near new all season with a mud and snow symbol on them took me through last Winter, so I didn't use the Winter tires) for my Van which I will use again this Winter.
Any tire (Winter or AS) that is over 50% worn is a risk, for Winter driving, in my opinion.
 
#24 ·
You can go to various sites like this Goodyear site and compare dry traction, wet traction, snow traction and compare that data to your driving needs. http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyeartireselector/results_tire.jsp?mrktarea=Passenger
You can have the best tires in the world, but if you get over confident or over drive them, there will be trouble.
Points to ponder:
- The Van has a long wheel base which is a big attribute in a sliding situation and will have less tendency for the back end to want to become the front end. (My Jeep, being of short wheel base, is very tricky and needs much more attention when turning and braking.)
- The Van is fairly high so it is less likely to get "hung up" compared to a "closer to the ground" vehicle.
- There is a tendency to over drive 4WD vehicles and vehicles with "super grip" tires.
- Braking is just as, or more important than, going forward.
- In real slushy freezing salty conditions, all tires tend to fill up and become like slicks.
Bottom line is regardless of which tires one uses, Winter or All Season, knowing their limits and not overdriving them is key to safe / successful trips.
 
#25 ·
Bottom line is regardless of which tires one uses, Winter or All Season, knowing their limits and not overdriving them is key to safe / successful trips.
I absolutely agree with that statement. The way someone drives is the most important thing.

To me, the bottom line is that I want the best traction I can get in snow and ice and snow tires give me that. The difference between all season and good snow tires can be very significant.

I figure for a little extra in tire cost per year, that I'm playing it safe. It has probably kept me from having a few accidents over the years that wouldn't have been my fault. Sometimes other drivers who aren't driving cautiously may cause you to have to swerve or stop fast. In that situation, wouldn't you want the best tires you can get? You can control how you drive, but not the other drivers on the road.
 
#26 ·
When I lived in Pennsylvania (30 years ago when almost all cars were rear wheel drive), I put a set of snow tires on the rear of my car only. Now I live in California and don't have any need for snow tires. My question is, do you put snow tires on the front wheels of a FWD car, all wheels, or rear wheels (seems silly). Just curious.
 
#28 ·
Snow tires should always be put on in sets of 4. Regardless of RWD, AWD, 4WD or FWD.
 
#30 ·
New snow tires are different than those sold in the old days that everyone remembers for their rear drivers. Those old tires were just modified offroad truck tires.

I have all seasons on my van and on my current daily driver. I would really like to have a set of snows on either one. My old snows from my departed daily are on my son's car.

I have to say that the snow tires are a great improvement in traction and are worth the extra money.

Not all snow tires are created equal. Some are harder compounds like the Pirelli Winter Carving which is what is on my work van. They have about 30,000 mi on them and still have decent tread. They are not (nor have ever have been) nearly as soft or as siped as the cheapies (Firestone Winterforce) on my son's car. The softer compound really helps on the ice. I used these when I was travelling weekly to and from Sioux Falls. (about 300 mi)
 
#32 ·
I'm a firm believer in using winter tires if you drive in areas with lots of snow/slop and/or very cold weather. While I do agree all-seasons can work and will get you where you want to go, I figure why not use the best tires you can for winter driving?

The other advantage I've found by using dedicated winter tries and alternate rims is you save the OE aluminum wheels from the harsh and corrosive environment of winter roads. They use a ton of salt around here and one winter I kept the stock wheels on my previous car. Come spring time the wheels were permanently corroded in several spots. Never again.
 
#33 ·
I've been hearing for years that alloy wheels can develop cosmetic corrosion due to harsh winter environments; however, I've never seen it happen on any car I've ever had. Specific to our vans, with the exception of the brake dust discoloration, the wheels on our 1998 looked cosmetically perfect when I traded the van in after 10 winters and 170,000 miles. After some 116,000 miles, the wheels on our 2003 are similarly discolored but otherwise unaffected by winter road conditions, however, that van is only just now entering its 6th winter. The thing about the wheels on our 2003 is that they will most likely get replaced next tire change, not because of their cosmetic appearance but because of the fact that they are developing rim leaks due to the crappy chrome plating of the alloy wheel.
 
#36 ·
I just got down to southern CA from Issaquah and let me tell you that I would have been SCREWED without chains! I am so glad that last minute I decided to get them. For $50 its a no brianer! I drove most of the way in snow and ice and in the ice the van is impossible to get stopped or started these tired are simply not for the weather. we have had snow every year for the past many in Issaquah so I don't see the big deal in spending the money for the chains.

By the way we saw 7 accidents on the way down ALL of them were AWD vehicles with the exception of one 4wd pickup truck. The people with AWD seem to think they are invincible because of it and well they were all upside down in the ditches.
 
#39 ·
We got our first snow/ice storm this past week and I have to say, the stability and traction control program on the T&C is really pretty darn good. It's a front drive and it gets going as well as the 2007 4WD RAV4 it replaced. Plus the stability does a good job of bringing it back in line when the tail starts to step out. I think the tires on it now are all seasons, but from previous experience, snow/ice tires like blizzaks or wintersport 3's or the like would make a world of difference. I have a MINI cooper as well that I change tires on each season and if I try to drive it with the summer tires, it won't even get started, if I put the winters on, it's no problem. AWD/4WD systems will help you get started in ice and snow, but they won't help you stay stable or stop, snow tires are the only think that will help you there.
 
#40 ·
AWD/4WD systems will help you get started in ice and snow, but they won't help you stay stable or stop, snow tires are the only think that will help you there.
So true.
Now, if one side hits slush and the other side doesn't, dragging the vehicle sideways, what is the best feature for control in that case?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top