I am currently looking to get this 2013 Infiniti G37s coupe. A friend mentioned that I should probably invest in AWD instead of just RWD. I live in New Orleans, so snow isn't a factor for me on s day to day. I am more concerned with slippery roads and fishtailing on wet roads. I was reading that getting the proper tires may help out with this problem. I just need help!! Thanks =)

 

South of the Mason Dixon line, AWD becomes less popular due to the weather conditions not necessitating it. Good tires will help and i would look to weigh the pros and cons of either a really good UHP all season tire, or a UHP Summer tire.

It is AWD and not Four WD so i don't think in the G it's on all the time. I think it only activates when needed. That said, and if that's true, it may not be worth the extra 250 pounds or the 1 or 2 MPG you loose with AWD.

 

^yes, this is true. Infiniti's AWD system can shift up to 50% of the power to the wheels if it detects slippage. Also, only one thread is necessary for this.

 

Is there one set of all season tires that's better then another for wet weather conditions?

 

Tirerack has great reviews on all of this. Its more of a personal preference with most people on tire compound, road noise, wear, price etc. I have the RWD coupe, it gets a bit rough if you're getting on it in the wet, fun but scary at times especially some cornering when the back naturally wants to kick out. But I have summer tires on so that has a lot to do with hindered performance in the wet.

 

^^ Andy is spot on. I would add that for most of the tires they sell they also have video reviews of tires by group (i.e. UHP A/S, UHP Summer, Winter ,etc.). Your sure to find one that includes your tire.

I went through this exercise not too long ago and just from memory i seem to remember the Continental's in the UHP A/S category were best in wet conditions but give up a little performance.

 

I'm on the East Coast and snow and rain are a consistent problem here so AWD was a must. The loss of 1-2 mpg hurts a little, but if you get the G37xS the car feels and looks exactly like a RWD G37S, with the power going mainly to the rear wheels unless you need it elsewhere. If you are worried about slipping, the last thing you want is a RWD car unless you can drift srs.

 

AWD is nice in the snow... but keep in mind that a RWD car with snow tires is going to be better than most AWD cars on allseasons.

The big disadvantages to AWD are:
1) Weight
2) Steering feel
3) Height (the AWD sits about half an inch higher).

 

I disagree with Varjo.
No matter how good tires you have, RWD cars cannot be better than AWD cars.
I am not saying that AWD cars would not slip in the snow at all.
AWD still works better than RWD in snow.
I think the most probelm with infiniti AWD is that cars sit too high lol.
They look like trucks!!!!!!!

 

1) If you were worried about weight you should have bought a 370Z
2) strut tower brace and sway bars fix this.
3) who keeps their car at stock height.


My opinion as to the biggest disadvantage of the awd is the lack of a manual transmission option.

 

I see we can't help but take the newb question bait the newb threw out there. Arguing over AWD and RWD!?!?! Guys! You are better than this! You know better!!!!!

 

get an rwd and come join the vq krewe in new orleans

 

Doesn't matter if you disagree or not. Winter tires in winter conditions are superior to awd on no-season tires. AWD may get you going better but they won't help you much when turning and the won't help at all when stopping. And as best I know stopping in winter is one of the most important things around.

As a matter of fact most summer tires will also outperform most no-season tires in the wet as well. I don't know how cold it gets in NO but if it doesn't get below 45F i'd strongly consider summers.

 

AWD isn't needed in New Orleans.. It's more of a want than a need. I personally drive a 2010 g37s coupe RWD and live in New Orleans. Slipping isn't really a concern to me, unless I'm doing it on purpose. Hope this helps!

 

^^what he said

Summer Tires > AS in almost any condition above 40*, including superior wet weather performance.

While this is from 2009, it is still illustrative of the performance differences in Winter, AS and Summer tires

Tire Test: All-Season vs. Snow vs. Summer

Wet Test Results
As with the snow test, it takes a purpose-built test surface to get meaningful and accurate wet test results. What's needed is a large flat VDA with a special asphalt formulation and a water-delivery system that can maintain a uniform depth of water (the approximate thickness of a quarter), so there's a consistent coefficient of friction across the entire surface.

We find it at Arizona Proving Ground (APG) near Phoenix, formerly a Volvo facility and now branded as Ford. Its pristine micro-pool looks gorgeous on this May afternoon as the surrounding mountain peaks, little fluffy clouds and spring sunlight reflect in the glassy surface.

It turns out we can test everything to and from 60 mph here, so for brevity's sake we'll stick to a discussion of those results. Those who want to can find the 40-mph results on the accompanying charts.

Acceleration testing provides the first surprise, as the all-season tire trails the pack with a 15.4-second 0-60 run. The snow tire's 12.7-second effort for 2nd place is significantly better, but the summer tire tops them all with an 11.9-second performance, over 20 percent quicker than the all-season tire. In fact, the all-season tire began encountering trouble near 40 mph, where it had been only 0.4 second behind the summer tire's performance when hydroplaning and wheelspin paid a visit.

Things are much the same when braking from 60 mph. The summer tire's 157-foot stop is the shortest, the snow tires come up 2nd at 181 feet and the all-season tires lag further behind in a flurry of ABS activity on the way to a distance of 215 feet, some 58 feet longer than the summer tire.

On the wet skid pad the summer tire smokes them once more, even delivering a little tire squeal as it churns out 0.81g — a figure many car-tire combinations can't match on dry pavement. The winter tire trails with a 0.71g run characterized by noticeable squirm, presumably from the side loads acting on the numerous sipes in its snow-biased tread pattern. That said, it still bests our all-season tire, which once again brings up the rear with a disappointing 0.65g showing.