I've been in the market for a 6MT G37S for a few months now, but the snowy weather of New England is holding me back from fully committing to the purchase. It's unfortunate that they don't have a 6MT AWD package for the pre-2011 G37S'.

So.. what are your experiences with driving in the snow? With and without snow tires? Would you consider buying the 6MT if you lived in a snowy area?

Thanks!

 

i have been in the automatic g37x (awd) and it rides like a charm through the snow. if you are definitely sure you want the 6MT, id suggest definitely going with snow tires when needed..

 

How much do the snow tires help?? do you see a big improvemnt?

 

snow tires make all the difference in the world for rwd cars. do a search and you will find tons of posts about it. while there may be a debate about which snow tire is best, it's a consensus that they are needed

 

I've driven my 6MT in three Ohio winters. I know you New England fellas always tell us midwesterners that we don't know what real snow is, but I can say we had 2ft+ on the ground for three months last winter. The first winter I did it in my OEM summer performance tires... DISASTER! Curbed 3 rims, couldn't stay on the road, you'd be smarter to ride a bike than do that. I ran Blizzak LM-60's on a second set of stock 19' rims last winter, and I LOVED them. They're squishier and their dry performance isn't anything to go whipping around corners, but on wet pavement, packed snow, ice, and slush, they were more than adequate. I actually feel like I'm in better control of my 6MT with Blizzak's than my 2000 4Runner with DuraTracs.

 

Andrew hit it spot on. I drove my G home for Christmas in a Colorado winter. W/O snow tires you WILL have an accident if you are not extremely careful. However if you get good snow tires you will have no problems whatsoever.

 

^what he said. snow tires are pretty much a must with rwd cars.

 

My impressions of last winter driving with 19" snow tires:
Great traction in fresh deep snow (4"), good handling at medium speeds.
On ice, taking off, had to be very careful releasing the clutch so as to not spin the tires. From 1st gear to second, car was very skittish on acceleration, started to over-steer but immediately felt the front tires gripping and corrected the skid within 1 car-length.
Coming to a stop: In deep snow, no problems, tires kept the car straight. On compacted snow/ice had to use the engine (downshift) while keeping the front wheels straight. I practiced a few times in a shopping mall's parking lot, early on a weekend morning. Pavement had been snow-cleared but there was a good inch of hard compacted snow/ice. Taking the car to 50 KPH (30 MPH) and slamming on the brakes: ABS worked well in that I came to a stop within a 100 meters but the car was all over the place.
Discovered the art of drifting withour using the hand-brake

 

Back in the day, I bought an old Toyota Celica for a winter beater. It was a manual trans and RWD (believe it or not, they haven't always been FWD cars) and I used it throughout one of the worst winters in NY history. The car had a set of those old school deep lug snow tires and it was an absolute tank. Virtually unstoppable. So I agree that true snow tires will make all the difference in the world when it comes to driving a RWD car in the snow.

 

I have a 6MT G35 sedan and have driven it in lots of snow. Only driven through unplowed parking lots with my summer tire 19's and it was ok, but I would not attempt driving on the roads with summer tires.

For winter driving I use 18" performance snow tires, they handle beautifully in dry weather and are outstanding in light to moderate snow. I have pushed them into heavy snow use and they work pretty well, however you do have to be very careful and also keep in mind that ground clearance is a big limiting factor.

Even though I was quite pleased with how well the 18's handled, I recommend going with 17's if possible and definitely going with a thinner tire. My 18's are stock 245 width and tend to float on top of the snow.

Also, heavy weight in the trunk makes a WORLD of a difference in getting those rear tires to bite down. I was having lots of trouble getting traction in heavy snow, even with snow tires. After adding 200lbs of weight in the trunk my car really stayed planted.

 

ok so for those with G37 coupe

1) Do you have extra set of rims with snow tires and did you change it every winter?

2) Can i still drive with my summer tire on winter when there is no snow on the ground? because i'm not planing to drive my G37 when it is snowing or if the snow is on the ground... but i might be driving my G in the winter when there is no snow on the ground. So im not sure whether i need the snow tires or not... Does the cold temperature has any effect on summer tires?

 

i will drive my 6mt with all seasons in front and the best witer tires i can find in rear and i will be good for what i have to do and if there a snow fall forget it not driving the G

 

g37bs u could be on freeway then all of a sudden snowfall cause the road to be icy it can happen within 5 minutes so that can be dangerous summer performance tires in cold weather is like driving on hard plastic tires

 

Driving in winter with summer tires is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

I drove 4 winters in a 6MT G coupe (G35 and G37) and 1 winter in a G35 sedan 6MT. Trust me, winter tires will save your life and don't even think about trying your luck without them. Michigan has bad snow storms, but nothing can top the NE.

IMO, I'd rather drive a RWD vehicle with a manual trans in the snow with good winter tires than anything else. Once you learn all your vehicle's behavior in the snow, you will have more control over the G than you would a typical SUV with 4WD.

Plus you don't have to sacrifice gas mileage of having the AWD model.