I'm seriously thinking about purchasing a Fit. How does it handle in the Midwest snow.

Thanks

 

pretty well. the first day i had mine was the first day we got any snow in the area, and it was relentless for the rest of the winter.

the only problem i had was on ice, but you'll get that in any car.

 

I was raised in Canada and my Hondas were always great in the snow. I think the narrow tires actually help, but you have to get some good snow tires (none of that all-season crap).

 

This will be my first winter with my Fit - dreading not being able to wash it and keep it clean! Do you recommend snow tires or do the stock tires do OK in snow. We normally do not have that bad of a winter and I live very near to the main roads. I only live 2 miles from work and it is all level no hills driving.

Cat :x

 

It doesn't sound like you need anything special, I would just be careful. However, I tried to save a few hundred dollars last winter by not buying snow tires for my VW Jetta, and it ended up costing me over $700 for a reconditioned wheel, new wheel bearing, and new tire. The damage was from sliding into a sidewalk quite slowly on a hill with only a couple of inches of snow on it. It was a pretty steep hill on a sharp turn, but still.

 

studded tires work very well, no hassle of chains

 

Haven't had it in the snow yet, but I certainly will as we get loads of snow here.

My first car was a 1988 Pontiac Firefly and if the Fit handles the snow like it did, it will be fine. That car NEVER got stuck (and that was with all seasons), except for the time I came around a corner that had just been cleared and I put the car up on the sidewalk into 2 feet of snow going sideways at about 60 km/h The best part was 4 of us just pushed it back onto the road, LOL.

Anyway, I'll be a lot more careful with the Fit. The only thing I'm slightly worried about is the ground clearance, but it will be no worse than the hundreds of Civic's that are around here. I actually like light cars and snow as they don't seem to dig in quite as much and they can tend to "float" a little bit more instead of having to plow their way through snow.

I suspect I'll also put on some Michelin or Nokian snow tires just to be sure. I had never used snow tires before, however, I was quite happy with the Nokian's we put on the Jetta last year. They made a BIG difference on the heavy snow days.

 

The Nokian's I put on my car have done an incredible job in the snow and ice for the Fit with no problems at all in both Northern (Sudbury) and Southern Ontario conditions.

 

Good info. Definitely getting snow tire this winter. I'm looking forward to being able to start in 2nd with an auto trans - not possible on my last car.

 

We had some snow/ice storms up here this winter that were pretty severe, and the Fit handled fine in them on the stock tires. This year, my car (and the tires, naturally) are a bit older, so I might look into getting some nice winter tires. I'd say it depends on the snow. If you expect to have a lot of snowy weather with a thick accumulation, winter tires might be best, but for a handful of snowstorms that aren't too over the top, the all-seasons should be okay.

Given your commute, it might not even be necessary for you to get winter tires - I'd just take it really easy when it does snow.

Wish I lived two miles from work

 

snow tires are not really for "snow", they're made mostly for "cold"..

a regular tire will get hard in sub zero temps and will lose traction very easily where the snow tire rubber will stay soft pr pliable to much colder temperatures.

get basically the same tread on an all season and a snow tire.. dump a foot of snow in -20c weather and see which one starts slipping and sliding immediately (if you can actually leave the driveway with the all seasons)

don't forget to change the tires as soon as spring comes around.. or when temps are regularly above freezing.. they wear quickly when it gets warm.. that and they squeal everywhere heh.

if you live in an apartment or condo with underground parking ask first if they allow studded tires (since they can be hell on the concrete finishes), this is assuming it's even legal where you live.

 

I took my Fit to LaCrosse Wisc last winter for a wedding, and a HUGE snow storm shut down most of the town. It took me an hour to dig my car out of the hotel parking lot the next morning, but I had to drive into town to return a tux. There was almost no traffic in the entire city because of the deep snow. I was absolutely amazed that I made it in and out of town, especially with the low clearance. But I did, indeed, make it! My last vehicle was a 4x4 pickup truck, so this little Fit gained a lot of respect from me on that trip! In a nut shell, it performed better in the snow than I would have thought.

 

Good timing on the thread, because Tire Rack is running a special on snow tires w/ rims. If you buy 4 Blizzak snows mounted on 14" black steel wheels you get a pre loaded $50 debit card in return. The Blizzaks mounted on the wheels cost just under $500.00 with shipping.

Anyone have them or have experience with snow tires on our cars?

 

Don't live where it snows; that will solve your problem. People are not meant to live where cavemen couldn't make it.

You will get new problems to replace that one, don't worry. When you move down here where it's warm, you will be able to post questions and comments about the Fit's wimpy air conditioner. Right, KittyFit?

I think KittyFit has left the building. Too bad, I like her.