Driving in the snow...

[NIKwoaC]

Thought I'd share my winter driving experience this morning...

So today I had planned on changing the Fusion's oil (the DD), but I only have a one car garage at the apt. Thinking it wouldn't be an issue to put the Mustang out in the cold for a few minutes while I put the Fusion in the garage, I started to back the Stang out the door. AS SOON as the rear tires hit the 1/4" layer of snow in the parking lot it went COMPLETELY USELESS...

I don't ever drive the car in the snow, and it has summer tires (well worn BFG G-Force Sports) on it obviously, but I had no idea it would be that bad. I couldn't even limp it into a spot OR back into the garage, so the car stayed half-cocked in the middle of the lot where it finally slid to a stop. I mean the car wouldn't even BUDGE under its own power. I had people waiting on me to move so they could leave, haha.

20 minutes later, and with the help of my roommate I finally had it back into the garage. Needless to say, the Fusion will be getting its oi changed at Jiffy Lube in the winter from now on, haha.

 

[1991notchbackLX]

as soon as a single snowflake hits the damn ground here in NY my car will not move an inch... it'll move sideways just fine though

this was when my car was still stock... i don't want to find out how it will be after the h/c/i

 

[Mustang5L5]

Mustang + Summer only tires = going nowhere.


I remember last winter i parked my GT in the street and they declared a state of emergency so i had to get it back in the driveway...which was 30 feet away.

It took me 30 mins to get it into the driveway! I couldn't move at all! You would think i was just revving in Neutral!

 

[Beasty306GT]

Mustangs arent made to drive in the snow...why even try it

 

[ryan218]

i drove my 88 5.0 in the "blizzard" of 08 here. 20 inches of snow. i had no problem with it. snow tires and kept a full tank it. never again though!

 

[LiquidGT]

I did it once a few years ago expecting the highway and city streets would be plowed the day after it snowed, but apparently all of the plow trucks in the county were broke down or something; they're usually on it but not that time. This was back when I had an AOD and a stockish engine, the KDWS' helped too I guess.

I had to drive ten miles to get home in 1/4 snow that was still falling last year, but this time I had a h/c/i and a T5, that was OK. If there's a good amount of snow on the ground like in 'the time of no plows' then I can forget it. lol Generally I try to avoid driving the stang in the snow or salted wet roads.

 

[5.0Torx]

i drive mine in the snow. It gets interesting sometimes but im 4 winters down now and still alive to talk about it. you defintely have to know your are and plan your uphills so that you can maintain momentum safely. oh and the braking is scary sometimes. slow and steady wins the race!

 

[millhouse]

Mustang + Summer only tires = going nowhere.


I remember last winter i parked my GT in the street and they declared a state of emergency so i had to get it back in the driveway...which was 30 feet away.

It took me 30 mins to get it into the driveway! I couldn't move at all! You would think i was just revving in Neutral!

+1 !!!!

I once made the mistake of trying to transport the stang to storage a bit late in the year (with low tread nitto’s). With less than ¼” of packed snow on the grounds and a very slight incline I got stuck in the middle of the freaking road!!!!! I couldn’t go forward or backwards….and had to call in the Calvary to push me backwards! What started off as a 3 mile trek turned into a 5 mile one…as I had to change my route to avoid any change in grade!

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

One winter my 95 GT with HCI and Procharger was parked in the street. Nice day, but that night we got 1 foot of snow. It got plowed in the street. I cleared the snow away, and it took me 1/2 an hour to back it up 20 feet and then up the driveway. Then once in the driveway upon letting out the clutch, I get sideways on the neighbors lawn and that was with no foot on the gas either.

IT sucks bro, just park it and drive the Fusion...

 

[1990Coupe]

Its scary times driving a stang in the snow. Even with some snow tires or all seasons. I had to drive home from work with my old 86gt. I was 18 and going 5mph was a scary thing! Change in grades are the worst. Especially when everyone infront stops and you are just stuck there on a hill and can't move!

 

[NIKwoaC]

Mustang + Summer only tires = going nowhere.


I remember last winter i parked my GT in the street and they declared a state of emergency so i had to get it back in the driveway...which was 30 feet away.

It took me 30 mins to get it into the driveway! I couldn't move at all! You would think i was just revving in Neutral!

Its definitely all about the tires. The BFGs I have actually come with a warning not to use them in the winter.

Before the Fusion I drove a Crown Vic through 5 Indiana winters, which is obviously a torquey, rwd vehicle. I loved driving the Vic in the snow, it was unstoppable with decent all season tires on it, and you could always get it moving in the right direction... Whether it be straight of sideways.

One winter my 95 GT with HCI and Procharger was parked in the street. Nice day, but that night we got 1 foot of snow. It got plowed in the street. I cleared the snow away, and it took me 1/2 an hour to back it up 20 feet and then up the driveway. Then once in the driveway upon letting out the clutch, I get sideways on the neighbors lawn and that was with no foot on the gas either.

IT sucks bro, just park it and drive the Fusion...

Oh yea, like I said, the Mustang never gets driven in the winter (and for that matter, almost never in the rain). After this weekend, I remember why. The Fusion has done really well in the snow so far, but I miss having a rwd vehicle in the winter time. The Vic was a blast. At least the Fusion has an e-brake.

 

[1990Coupe]

So the fusion has been decent in the snow?

I'm curious because in the next 6months to a year i'll be purchasing something new to replace my Jeep, and i wanted it to be ford honestly. Something that would handle winters OK. I was leaning towards an escape or explorer, (used of course) but I like Fusions and if they were OK in the snow, i'd consider one.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Yea, that's always been my thing, I'll only buy Ford. Kinda why I gave you such a hard time about the Scion in the other thread. But that's about what you can expect on a Mustang website, right?

The Fusion is great, my only complaint is, like all other fwd cars, it can under steer in the snow if you don't know how to drive it. It really only wants to push when you're trying to accelerate, so you have to give yourself more time when you're turning from a stoplight or something. You can get AWD Fusions, but I believe that's only a V6 option, and I hear the V6 sucks on gas.

If you're looking into a used Fusion, here is my experience shopping for them:

Sunroof cars can be as much as 3K more expensive than a similar solid-top car. Its a nice option, but I opted to save my coin for other things.

The sports appearance package is pure sex and available for the 4, but again, its a bit pricey, and hard to find used.

Stick shift is out there, if you feel so inclined, but again, harder to find. I went AT.

The used 4 bangers are often low-option cars. I had a hard time finding a decent 4 banger with alloy wheels, a disk changer, and other niceties. Almost all the 6s are LOADED.

The Mercury Milan sister car is really nice, and can be had for just a couple grand more. I test drove one, the interior is pretty classy, but the car feels the same.

 

[1990Coupe]

haha yea i know. I really would "like" to stick with ford, but if i had to venture off i wouldn't mind either. I don't have a high budget because i'm currently in the mist of buying a house.

What type of gas mileage are you getting with yours?

 

[NIKwoaC]

24 in the city, but I've seen as much as 33+ on long trips. I have a heavy right foot, too.

Steeda actually makes all sorts of performance parts for these cars. I'm tempted to put a K&N and an exhaust on it and see what the gas mileage goes to. But then again, I'm enjoying having a car with a silent exhaust, haha. That and after I let my sister drive it a week ago, I need to put money into body work...

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Fusions are nice cars. They sell the hell outta them around here. A guy on my local board owns a dealership and leases and sells them to everybody. They are great cars. My aunt even owns one.

 

[1990Coupe]

I may have to consider one as a daily driver then.. The lack of space and no 4wd is what bothers me a little bit. The fact that im buying a house, and currently have an SUV is awesome for just chucking something in and going. But the car would be nice...

Maybe an escape is better suited for my needs, I know they make them as a 4cyl (same engine as fusion i think). That wouldn't be too bad, better then the 18mpg i get currently!!!

 

[NIKwoaC]

When I bought the Fusion, gas prices were at 4$/gallon; believe me, I wanted a truck. I was in love with the idea of putting a lift on an Explorer Sport Track with a 4.6L...

But I'm definitely happy I bought the Fusion, its more practical in the long run, and leaves more in the budget for speed parts. The trunk is actually pretty decent, and the whole rear seat folds down at the flick of a lever.

 

[fiveohlxhatch]

My AWD 3.0L V6 AWD Fusion was hitting around 670Kms to a tank driving it hard. I loved it and would not hesitate to buy one. My only complaint was the lack of shift control as it only has an L(1-3) and D(4-6). If they could get some sort of "auto-stick" in there the car would be perfect.

I've been stuck with Mustang plenty of times because I didn't want to put it away before the snow fell. I had a really close call at the car wash one day as the temp had dropped and the parking lot was a skating rink. Glad to hear you got it back inside where it belongs.

 

[Turkey Sammich]

I made it a suicide mission one year to do it. Nothing better than driving buy in a lowered mustang seeing guys in 4x4's stuck on the side of the road, and the look on their faces are priceless.