patela

Ok, so I know snow season is over (almost - sorry Denver), but the question remains: What is the experience of people who have driven a c2 in the rain/snow.

Why do I ask? I've been looking for a car for a loooooooooong time, and I'm getting tired of looking. I had originally intended to find a C4, but since all of them are either red or out of my price range, none have materialized in my garage.

Why do I want a c4? The 993 will be my only car. I live in SF, and 4 months of the year it rains. Everyday. Also, I like to go snowboarding in Tahoe, and given my work and weather conditions, this generally requires some degree of spontaneity.

What do I do right now? I drive an a4 quattro with ultra high performance all season tires. Gets me to the mountain and back just fine. If there's a blizzard, I'm not going.

So, the question is -- can I get away with a c2 and UHP all-seasons (yes, I know they will diminish the performance - I will worry about this when my street driving skills outrun the capabilities of the car) or winter tires for half the year, or should I really keep holding out for a c4 (looking for a c4 coupe in the mid-twenties, preferably blue or green).

Thank you for your attention to this pressing dillemna.

jhummel68

In the rain the car does just fine. I drive mine in the rain. Obviously, you don't want to drive it like you would when it is dry. As far as the snow, you may want to hold out for a C4. If you are going to be driving after a light dusting that might be OK in a C2. If there is a build-up of snow or ice on the road you will probably want the 4WD.

bluejam

Get a C4. After a short snowfall here in Portland, I barely made it around the block in my C2. Regular tires, but still.

polaris 993 sport

I have a set of bliztecks or what ever Michelin calls them-non studded. They grip on ice and snow. I have used them with no issues in the snow, other than high mounds of snow-the car drives great. For rain get the stickiest tire you can afford and enjoy the water. Drove the same car for years in Hawaii with over 250 inches of rain a year. The 993 handles great in the rain, your driving habits have to change accordingly.I enjoy driving all four seasons,

leosayer

I've driven in torrential rain and in temperatures -5c and the C2 has coped fine on 'summer' tyres.

On ice and snow - it's positively dangerous. Never tried winter tyres.

colo993

Hello from Denver!

I have driven my C2 in the snow on several occasions. I have a nice set of snow tires for my car and haven't been stuck yet! Generally I try and avoid the snow but there have been occasions when I had to drive my car in it. I have found that the backend of the car can get away from you when accelerating in the snow so I tend to go slowly around corners. The weight of the engine on the back tires can be your friend and your enemy in the snow!

Good luck finding a car.

Paul

johzev

Drove my C2 from Michigan to New Jersey and back last Thanksgiving. For the trip I installed blizzaks. We hit all kinds of conditions; rain, ice, slush, and heavy snow. The car handled great in all but the worst conditions. The blizzaks are sticky so really help. The only thing you need to avoid with a C2 is deep snow, I'd say 3 or more inches on the road. At that depth the fact that the car is relatively light tends to cause issues with stability.

ljugete

Even my Cayenne S with "Summer tires" is dangerous to drive in the snow (don't ask, I learned this the hard way)!

Dedicated "Winter tires" are the way to go (the difference is night and day). I agree that a C4 would be optimal in your situation though.

Good Luck!

fast_freddy

Drivability in the snow is more in the tires and the weight bias/balance of a 911 than C2 versus C4. The winter I ran my C4 with Blizzaks, unless I made a point of driving like a fool, the fwd aspect didnt "kick in". Blizzaks are terrific tires and 911's have incredible mechanical grip that frankly I think that in all but the most extreme cases it's kind of redundant. Unless you are driving the car into the Sierra's on a routine basis I think a C2 is more than adequate in SF. However, in the colder months I would use a more winter biased tire. If you drive on pure winter tires like Blizzaks in warmer (50F+) temps you will go through them like Kleenex.

jwdwight

My '90 C4 was my daily driver for 4 years.* I live in a ski resort at over 9,000 feet with plenty of snow.* I put Michelin Alpins (cna't remember the exact model but it was a snow tire) on it with no studs. I am not a fan of studs and they aren't necessary with today's tire technology.* Never got stuck or had a problem in the snow. The only tough condition to look out for is deep slush because the smooth underbody wants to ride up on the slush. You need to change the way you drive the car in the winter but it is still a ton of fun.* The C4 is the ultimate SUV!!!* I wouldn't be afraid to have a C4 as my only car even with winter conditions.

jwdwight

By the way, the Michelin Alpins will last much longer than the Blizzaks. I used my Michelins year round and got over 30,000 miles out of them. My parents have the car right now and hey still have he same set of tires on them and they have ways to go....wouldn't be surprised to see them reach 40,000 miles. Plus they provide better winter and summer performance than the Blizzaks.

95C4VanIsle

I have a C4 with winter tires and have driven in snow and colder temperatures with rain. I did more driving in snow during the winter the first year I got the car (we had a fair amount of snow) which was a blast. It performed better than our Pathfinder when the snow hadn't accumulated too much. We had less snow this winter but more salt on the roads, so less driving.

A C4 is great in the snow up to a certain depth. It is useless in anything over 3-4 inches, probably less if lowered and following a relatively unplowed road with semi's in front of you creating ruts wider than your car, unless you attatch a plow. It also performs well, but less so in slush, but your driving habits change as well, you just go slower.

I'm sure a C2 with snows handles very well as others have stated. Bottom line-drive accordingly and have winter tires.

Best of luck on your purchase

sdcabrio

What's wrong with red?

Tango635

Here's one in Nebraska http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

Edgy01

Personally, I think the 4WD aspects are highly overrated. Suggest you spend the money you save on a 2WD on seriously good Michelin Alpin tires and have at it. You will be amazed at how well these 2WD cars handle in the snow, because all your weight is over the drive wheels. I have been doing this for decades, with no problems!