In July, I traded my 1996 Toyota RAV4 with 242,000 miles for a new 2011 Fit Sport automatic.

The RAV was always good to me and being 4 wheel drive went well on snow and ice, but as we know, 4WD helps you go, but doesn't stop or corner any better.

Last night we got our first snow of the winter, just about an inch, so nobody did much plowing making it a perfect test.

I drove up to the end of my street and hit the brakes well before the stop sign. Surprise number one, the anti-lock brakes kicked in. They sounded and felt like I stopping on a very rough road, but they really stopped me. (this is my first car with anti-lock brakes, skid control, remote entry, an alarm, no ash trays, and a factory installed CD player, so I'm easily impressed)

Traffic was heavy and slow on the main drag through town so I had to wait longer than usual for an opening. Finally it came and I hit the gas. The intersection was icy and the wheels started to spin, then the skid light came on, and the car quickly accelerated and merged into traffic.

I pulled in to the next parking lot and tried skidding around in circles to see how it really handled, I don't know what the anti-skid stuff does, but it seems to work.

I must say, I have never felt so secure in a car driving on slippery roads.

 

Get some snow tires if you you intend to travel in deeper snow... the car handles great with snows on.

 

I live in Cali and we never have snow but it does rain from time to time. I hope the car prevents skidding in the rain like they do in snow.

 

Mine has done great with toyo proxes on (summer tires)

 

My first car with stability control was a 2001 BMW 330ci. The first time I drove it in snow/ice really shocked me. I was coming off the highway onto a curvy exit ramp and started to slip. It felt like nails popped out of my tires and dug into the pavement. It was an incredible feeling of control!

 

The single most disappointment I have w/ my 2010Sport M/T is the lack of VSA. In order to get the feature one needed to buy the A/T with Navi option, in other words the toop of the line Fit. Now it's standard on all models, why? Our government requires it.

VSA is a great feature.

 

The single most disappointment I have w/ my 2010Sport M/T is the lack of VSA.

In order to get the feature one needed to buy the A/T with Navi option, in other words the top of the line Fit.
Now it's standard on all models, why? Our government requires it.

VSA is a great feature.

 

You call that snow??? That ain't no stinkin' snow!!!

Come to CT where you get 100 inches in a month... Now, that's snow. What you have here in your picture is what we call a "dustin'."

 

Yeah I hear ya, but we don't get snow like that (unfortunately, cause I love it). The area in the pics these were taken in gets a lot more snow even than where I actually live. I don't know about your terrain around there but we have lots of mountains which means it doesn't take a lot to make it very dangerous.

If it were up to me, I'd live in Truckee, Ca. where my aunt & uncle live. Right at Lake Tahoe...during the winter, they get snow by the foot.

 

Most of the state of CT is rolling hills with a few ridges of steep terrain that criss-cross the state. I, personally, live on one of those higher areas that gets the snow. I get lots of snow when most of the southern part gets very little. Last year we had record snows... one month, my house saw 100 inches in a month, which is normally months worth. Houses were caving in by the dozens every day.

Unlike you, I am sick of snow... from years of back-braking shoveling.

I use snow tires on my Fit because of the hills in my area and put them on when there is the first weather prediction of the stuff.

 

I'd like to see that much snow, just not with houses caving in, that's no good. I'd trade places with ya for a while if I could to get my fill of snow, haha.

 

Oh man - a wish to get a 'fill' of snow. Only reason folks like it is because it's a pretty white. After a while you realize it nothing more that frozen mud... though folks up in the hills around my area like a solid cover in the winter to keep the septic fields from freezing and the footings on the porch from heaving.

 

Yeah, It's funny that we like the snow up here for it's insulation properties. They say for those with septic mounds to let the snow lie untouched (don't even play on it as that will pack it down more) so that your leach fields don't freeze. The more snow, the better for that situation.

We're in the beginning of windshield wiper up season right now so often when I arrive at work, there's a row of cars with the wiper blades up. I've got General Snows on the 15" integra alloys and this will be year two for them. no issues last year, none this year... so far.

~SB

 

I had a 2009 Sport that I totalled, and I just picked up my 2012 Sport. I'm in Ct, and I plow snow commercially so I'm out in the worst weather in my car and my truck. The Fit is a great car, but lousy (really, really lousy) in snow. Worst car I've ever driven in snow, and I also have a lowered Miata on wide Toyo Proxes tires. The Miata feels like it has 4 wheel drive compared to the Fit.

I love the car, but snow tires are in order if you live up North. I have Blizzaks on the way...

 

I live in the hills of CT. I think the Fit is great in snow, but only with snow tires. I have some SUNNY snow tires on my 09. The OEM tires really stink. As for the worst car in the snow was my 1966 Rambler. They even used the car in a national commercial in the 60's to show how bad cars can be on slippery surfaces.

 

Wilbur - keep us informed of your experiences in the snow with the Blizzaks.

I just got my new Fit Sport AT on December 18. Also, have a 03 Honda CRV I use for snowing around (and keeping the deer population thinned out). Anyone know of any good deer repellers?

 

Oo

This will be my second winter in Chicagoland with my Fit. And you guys know Chicago can be just as bad as most other cities in winter states (not counting the 18 FEET a city in Alaska received in recent weeks).

I think the Fit is fine... considering I dealt with last winter's blizzard on OEM Dunlops. I drove the day after the worst of it came down (even then was pretty heavy). I could feel the bottom of the car scraping snow... and yet, I was driving faster (or simply leading the way) most of the time.

Now I'm on wider Contis... so I'll have to see the effect of 205s vs 185s. Not to mention I also lowered my car via Swift Springs. hum...

 

By the way, you wanted to know how Traction Control (VSA) works, Georget?

If one of the two front wheels doesn't have traction, it will just spin and all the power goes to that wheel (not a great system, but it really old technology that has to do with differentials allowing the car to corner).

If the computer senses that one of the wheels is spinning very fast and the other is nearly stopped, the VSA system uses the anti-lock brake system to brake the wheel that is spinning. This forces the differential to send the power to the wheel that is stopped and get the car moving again.

You'll only get into trouble if BOTH front wheels get stuck. Hasn't happened to me yet (fingers crossed). I left a Subaru AWD wagon behind for my Fit. Been a mild winter, but the little bit of snow I've gotten --- the car has handled very well.

 

^^^+Rep- Good post+^^

it wont let me... some one hit him

 

I live in Seattle, Seattle is built on 7 hills, when it snows... with our especially heavy wet snow that gets packed and is slick as snot, FWD does not fair well. I just drove my '12 FIT Sport home Friday and have yet to drive it in snow.
But I did own an '89 Civic LX for many years and the only way you could get around comfortably was with STUDS. FWD cars SUCK trying to get traction going up hill because the weight transfer is all wrong. Unless of course you turn them around and go up hills backwards (WV Theory) then you have a fighting chance. If you live in flat-lander territory and you have the dry snow that blows around....as long as you don't start pushing snow with your bumper, I am sure you can get around just fine

But for me here with the wet snow that packs into compact snow/ice in no time... I have an AWD CR-V with Nokian WRG2's. If you think you can drive in the snot we call snow here...bring you FIT and your summer tires and see how far you get (my FIT will be parked safely in the garage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsJLVub50Aw