Do you practice sliding your car in winter?
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Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 938
From: Toronto, ON, Canada
Do you practice sliding your car in winter?
For those of us in snow country, do you practice sliding your Fit in the snow and ice?
I happen to enjoy sliding my Fit when the road is snow and ice covered. You need to do it in a safe area, clear of cars and other obstacles. Pick up speed, turn the wheel left or right, and grab a handful of parking brake. This will lock up the rear wheels, allowing you to slide the car. You can learn to control your speed and the amount of hand brake in order to be more accurate with the amount of slide.
I find that with a little bit of practice, when it does snow and the road gets slippery, I am less concerned about the lack of grip. I have 4 Michelin X-Ice3 wint3er tires, with really good grip.
Just a note that if you have passengers in the car, they may be a bit freaked out. They will tell you this later, when the car has come to a complete stop and you have reached your destination.
I happen to enjoy sliding my Fit when the road is snow and ice covered. You need to do it in a safe area, clear of cars and other obstacles. Pick up speed, turn the wheel left or right, and grab a handful of parking brake. This will lock up the rear wheels, allowing you to slide the car. You can learn to control your speed and the amount of hand brake in order to be more accurate with the amount of slide.
I find that with a little bit of practice, when it does snow and the road gets slippery, I am less concerned about the lack of grip. I have 4 Michelin X-Ice3 wint3er tires, with really good grip.
Just a note that if you have passengers in the car, they may be a bit freaked out. They will tell you this later, when the car has come to a complete stop and you have reached your destination.
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 189
From: Ontario, Canada
Yup. Although my 2018 freaks out when you pull the parking brake while moving. You can also do a Scandinavian Flick but the stabilty control kills the fun. I love driving in the winter but only when there isn’t anyone else on the road. 
The Fit is fun in the winter and on snow tires very stable. We drove home last night in a storm and it was great. However it’s not quite as fun as my 2006 MX-5 was in the winter. It’s more fun being able to slide a car with the throttle.
The Fit is fun in the winter and on snow tires very stable. We drove home last night in a storm and it was great. However it’s not quite as fun as my 2006 MX-5 was in the winter. It’s more fun being able to slide a car with the throttle.
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 515
From: Over There
Yes. If I think it's icy or slippery, I'll do a hard brake test, mash the throttle, skid etc.
After, of course making sure it's safe to do so.
I like to feel how the tires interact with the conditions. Knowing and feeling the limits of your tires in snow and ice is important.
After, of course making sure it's safe to do so.
I like to feel how the tires interact with the conditions. Knowing and feeling the limits of your tires in snow and ice is important.
on snowy roads when i have to make a sharp turn, my hand is always on the e-brake just in case i need to encourage the back to swing out a little bit to make the turn. 
considering ive been a RWD driver for many years, rotating the rear is really not that big of a deal. plus, fwd butt-slides arent nearly as fun..
considering ive been a RWD driver for many years, rotating the rear is really not that big of a deal. plus, fwd butt-slides arent nearly as fun..
Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,074
From: Oregon
Do I practice sliding?-No actually I don't.
But I just have a standard, where if conditions are too bad, I don't drive.
Unfortunately, YOU can be the safest, most prepared driver on the winter road, and all it takes is one OTHER person in a vehicle to ruin your whole day. It's the other drivers on the road that I want to avoid.
Also, even in a wide open space, with no danger of hitting something...
I don't want put the odd, forces of gravity and torque extreme slides or spinning can create.
The Fit is not an off-road vehicle. IMO...it's suspension as it comes from the factory, is pretty much tuned and designed for the demands of regular, pretty standard driving.
It really isn't purpose built for donuts in a parking lot, or horizontal slides.
That being said, I certainly can see the advantage of being familiar with how your vehicle might feel or act IF you slide in snow or ice. BUT...
My approach is to simply try to avoid, slipping or sliding in snow or ice.
If you want to do it?
Well...I suspect it's being done more for the "fun" of doing it, and not really for any educational benefit it might create.
For me? I want to maintain a good healthy concern for a lack of grip. In most REAL driving conditions, on shared roads...sliding ends up being a very, very bad thing.
But I just have a standard, where if conditions are too bad, I don't drive.
Unfortunately, YOU can be the safest, most prepared driver on the winter road, and all it takes is one OTHER person in a vehicle to ruin your whole day. It's the other drivers on the road that I want to avoid.
Also, even in a wide open space, with no danger of hitting something...
I don't want put the odd, forces of gravity and torque extreme slides or spinning can create.
The Fit is not an off-road vehicle. IMO...it's suspension as it comes from the factory, is pretty much tuned and designed for the demands of regular, pretty standard driving.
It really isn't purpose built for donuts in a parking lot, or horizontal slides.
That being said, I certainly can see the advantage of being familiar with how your vehicle might feel or act IF you slide in snow or ice. BUT...
My approach is to simply try to avoid, slipping or sliding in snow or ice.
If you want to do it?
Well...I suspect it's being done more for the "fun" of doing it, and not really for any educational benefit it might create.
For me? I want to maintain a good healthy concern for a lack of grip. In most REAL driving conditions, on shared roads...sliding ends up being a very, very bad thing.
Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 109
From: DFW
Yup all the time. IMO, it's a good idea to understand how the car reacts in inclement conditions to potentially get used to it. A few minutes in a parking lot wouldn't be enough time, but a few hours you could pick up a few things on what not to do if the situation ever arises.
Yup all the time. IMO, it's a good idea to understand how the car reacts in inclement conditions to potentially get used to it. A few minutes in a parking lot wouldn't be enough time, but a few hours you could pick up a few things on what not to do if the situation ever arises.
Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 109
From: DFW
I've hooned a time or two 
btw - if you do find a parking lot, first gauge your stopping distances. Once you've can confirm you have plenty of stopping room. Think of common practical scenarios to play with. You basically won't be pulling the e-brake down the road. Try threshold hold braking coming to a stop, e.g. icy patches in front of the stop sign. If its large enough feel what understeer feels like, drive in a circle and gradually increase the speed where the front end of the car starts to plow, and anticipate how to correct it. If you have cones, do some slaloms. And get used to how the car reacts to an evasive maneuver.
btw - if you do find a parking lot, first gauge your stopping distances. Once you've can confirm you have plenty of stopping room. Think of common practical scenarios to play with. You basically won't be pulling the e-brake down the road. Try threshold hold braking coming to a stop, e.g. icy patches in front of the stop sign. If its large enough feel what understeer feels like, drive in a circle and gradually increase the speed where the front end of the car starts to plow, and anticipate how to correct it. If you have cones, do some slaloms. And get used to how the car reacts to an evasive maneuver.
Nah... location & traffic permitting (I.E. - NO ONE around), I practice all the time rain or shine with the Fit since its pretty much driven twice a week outside of autocross. Sadly, I seldom see snow in my area and even then the GD doesn't go due to either having Yokohama AD08Rs or Maxxis VR1s on.
The CR-Z is fun to toss around with the Conti DWs on near freezing temps. She's got about as much roll as Precious (fixed that last Saturday
) but the little pudgy thing can dance.
The CR-Z is fun to toss around with the Conti DWs on near freezing temps. She's got about as much roll as Precious (fixed that last Saturday
) but the little pudgy thing can dance.
Member
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 224
From: godfrey, il
When I was learning to drive my older brother took me to a parking lot and had me purposely slide the car - to get the feel of it. Now I slide every vehicle I drive in order to get the feel.
It is a necessary exercise to becoming a good driver.
It is a necessary exercise to becoming a good driver.
Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 543
From: metro chicago
This exactly ... after my cars are broken in, I do a series of "torture tests" to find the car's limits. Bad weather panic stops from 65-70 mph, violent lane changes, high-speed turns, etc. I came close to rolling the Fit twice in that first winter but now I know EXACTLY how it handles.
Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,074
From: Oregon
Sorry, but in most cases I don't buy that sliding the vehicle in an empty area is a great exercise in snow/ice driving safety.
Look at all we go through to try to ensure we do NOT slide. That is, spending hundreds of dollars on snow tires, chains. Or buying all wheel drive vehicles or 4 wheel drive vehicles.
I'm convinced in most cases those heading out to empty parking lots on snow covered days to do donuts...are doing it because they think it is fun, not because 45 minutes later they think they are so much better prepared for winter driving.
Since I think the dangers of winter driving most often include OTHER drivers hitting you. Plus even if you DO go into a slide, in a normal driving winter environment, you often have no time or room to employ any Winter Yoda Wisdom as to how to "safely" slide. You just often hit the car parked 2 feet away.
I think assertions that this is a ritual of great value in winter safety a self embraced fallacy justifying the fun of driving around a empty parking lot sliding around on ice and snow.
Look at all we go through to try to ensure we do NOT slide. That is, spending hundreds of dollars on snow tires, chains. Or buying all wheel drive vehicles or 4 wheel drive vehicles.
I'm convinced in most cases those heading out to empty parking lots on snow covered days to do donuts...are doing it because they think it is fun, not because 45 minutes later they think they are so much better prepared for winter driving.
Since I think the dangers of winter driving most often include OTHER drivers hitting you. Plus even if you DO go into a slide, in a normal driving winter environment, you often have no time or room to employ any Winter Yoda Wisdom as to how to "safely" slide. You just often hit the car parked 2 feet away.
I think assertions that this is a ritual of great value in winter safety a self embraced fallacy justifying the fun of driving around a empty parking lot sliding around on ice and snow.