When was your 1st time driving rear-wheeled and in the snow?

[tranquility]

Today was actually my very 1st time. I've driven front-wheelers all my life until I got the Z4. Must say that it wasn't so bad, as long as I kept restrained on the gas pedal. However, I could see how the car could go sideways/act snake-ish if I did go crazy on the gas. How was your 1st experience and any pointers?

Btw, is it basically pointless to use anything but 'normal' in snowy conditions?

[skier219]

I wouldn't even take my Z4 (or any RWD sports car on summer tires) out into the snow, but then again, I have an AWD SUV as an alternate vehicle and it's the obvious choice in winter weather.

In my opinion, the Z4 would be hopeless on the stock tires. You can improve the situation markedly with proper winter tires, but there are still better vehicle choices than a RWD sports car with low ground clearance.

[tranquility]

Ya, I know. It's my only car and I have winters on.

[juhap]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Today was actually my very 1st time. I've driven front-wheelers all my life until I got the Z4. Must say that it wasn't so bad, as long as I kept restrained on the gas pedal. However, I could see how the car could go sideways/act snake-ish if I did go crazy on the gas. How was your 1st experience and any pointers?

Btw, is it basically pointless to use anything but 'normal' in snowy conditions?

Once you get more comfortable with the idea you'll realize that it's pretty much impossible to get your car go sideways unless you tell the computer to back off. I drive with the DTC switched on all the time (unless I want to use cruise control) and even then I'd have to drive like a complete idiot to get into any trouble with the snow. And believe me, I've tried. It'll give you more leeway, but no so much that you'll wrap your car around a telephone pole. It's a different story if you switch DSC off, because then you really are on your own. Find an empty parking lot and start experimenting

As for the Normal/Sport/Sport+ setting, I don't think that makes that big a difference. I always use Normal, because the roads are in such a poor condition in winter.

[ChuckB]

Love driving the Z4 in the snow, as long as it is not too deep. Always run in the sport mode and fully enjoy steering with the gas pedal. I find the the Z4 very predictable and easy to slide around corners and get back under control on slick roads (within reason). I do have the BMW winter tire package with 290 wheels and SottoZero tires and they do work pretty well, so I don't miss my old FWD Honda at all (except for the trunk *******.

[richard in NC]

My 1st time with RWD in the snow was 1976 in a '68 Dodge Monaco, a big tank compared to todays cars! I lived in northern Ohio at the time and got plenty experience driving in the snow. With winters (possibly studded at the time) it could go anywhere. It had posi-trac that helped.
In the 80s I had FWD. In the 90s, I had two AWD Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4s. They were incredible in the snow. For the few times a year it snows in NC I didn't even bother with winter tires.

Since owning BMWs in the 2000s I have had 2 cars, the 2nd usually better for winter (Dodge Neon, BMW X3, and now an X5). The X5 has become my primary car and the Z4 a "fun" car. Although it gets better MPG so I drive it to work a lot but the Z4 will stay parked when it snows since I have the X5.

[mcbeee]

1972 winter, every day. Going to tech school in my 1962 Hillman

The only fwd cars then were the Toronado, maybe the Riviera and possibly the very first Honda civic if it was out then. Everything else was rear wheel drive except of course the four wheel drives.

[mstevens]

My first time would have been in 1978 in the midwest during the worst winter in memory.

It's not even difficult to get a Z4 sideways (or backwards) on snowy roads. Last night on brand-new stock summer tires every time I used the throttle the back end tried to become the front end. The comment above describing those tires as "hopeless" is putting it mildly.

I really can't stand front-wheel-drive cars, but there is a bit of a knack to driving high-HP RWD cars in the snow. As others have posted, it can be a lot of fun. My old Z4 was my daily driver through the last 7 New Hampshire winters. The only thing it had difficulty with was deep snow because it has no ground clearance to speak of.

[HerrK]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Today was actually my very 1st time. I've driven front-wheelers all my life until I got the Z4. Must say that it wasn't so bad, as long as I kept restrained on the gas pedal. However, I could see how the car could go sideways/act snake-ish if I did go crazy on the gas. How was your 1st experience and any pointers?

Btw, is it basically pointless to use anything but 'normal' in snowy conditions?

1972 driving to school in my 67 Mustang. Take your car out to a big empty Mall or school parking lot. One you know - no parking bumpers or center islands. Slide it around with and without traction control. Then you will learn how the car reacts and how to get out of a mess on the roadways.

[tranquility]

Thx for the advice re parking lots. I'm trying to think of a good place to learn more about the car and the diff settings. Should be fun.

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Just go easy on the gas (as you properly found out). Been driving rear wheel drives all my life except for my company cars that always have been AWD's.

Best is to adjust to driving conditions and always keep your distance between the car in front of you and you be okay. Also remember the rule (on any traffic light make sure you see the wheels of the car in front of you ... if you cannot see the wheels you are TOO close ... that is if someone hits you in the back then you hit the one in front of you you know the guy in front of you will hold you responsible). Then you knew all that right

Happy winter driving we did have more snow today

[CeEl]

About 14 years ago. Mazda Miata MX5 with 6 speed manual. It did have anti-lock brakes and a rear differential -- but that's about all the aid it offered. I did put on snow tires of course. Lived in a small town North of Munich. It also helped that others were used to driving in the snow.

I had been driving FWD cars before then, with automatic transmission.

With the MX5, I had always been used to use the engine breaking a lot. Big mistake in the snow. Luckily, nothing happened, but I did have a bit of an adrenaline shock finding out the hard way that braking with the pedal or using the engine really are the same thing on slick roads and can send you sliding accross the road.

Once I got the hang out of it, I felt actually quite comfortable driving on winter roads. Not sure if all the other drivers felt the same with me on the road ...

Best advise: winter tires, slow down and drive as if you don't have winter tires or electronic aids.

[mcbeee]

Originally Posted by Rolf-Dieter

Just go easy on the gas (as you properly found out). Been driving rear wheel drives all my life except for my company cars that always have been AWD's.

Best is to adjust to driving conditions and always keep your distance between the car in front of you and you be okay. Also remember the rule (on any traffic light make sure you see the wheels of the car in front of you ... if you cannot see the wheels you are TOO close ... that is if someone hits you in the back then you hit the one in front of you you know the guy in front of you will hold you responsible). Then you knew all that right

Happy winter driving we did have more snow today

Rolf, that's basic old school driving instruction ??? Nothing to do with driving a rear wheel drive...on snow or asphalt.

Step on the gas , drift it and find out how to correct and control it in , yes , you guessed it ...a large open empty space like a parking lot.... Roundabouts are good fun too ...

[cdeslandes]

I drove my 1984 E30 through several Boston winters in the early 90's. I had all-season tires on so getting out of parking spaces was "interesting" to say the least. Driving wasn't so bad as the car was so underpowered.

More recently I had a Lexus IS350 from 2006 to 2008 and did many miles on the snow with Blizzak tires, same as I now have on the Z4. Good winter tires make more difference than FWD versus RWD.

It's all about remembering that SNOW = SLOW!

[Silver-Bolt]

Since about 1980. Lived in Alaska for two years and owned a Rwd car and not once put snow tires on it. Up there we had snow on the roads for about 9 months a year.

[Drjoeb]

Drove for 6 years in 5 series. They handled well for rear wheel drive, off course DTC was on all the time though.

[tranquility]

I'm confused about this DSC and DTC: they can only be on 1 at a time, right? So in default mode for *normal* and *sport*, it's DSC and default for *sport +* is DTC. If I try to switch DSC back on when in *sport +*, it'll just switch back to *normal*. DSC is still advisable for winter/snow driving, unless I get stuck, then I should use DTC to spin the tires to hopefully get unstuck.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. What are the advantages/disadvantages for DSC and DTC?

[cdeslandes]

Originally Posted by tranquility

I'm confused about this DSC and DTC: they can only be on 1 at a time, right? So in default mode for *normal* and *sport*, it's DSC and default for *sport +* is DTC. If I try to switch DSC back on when in *sport +*, it'll just switch back to *normal*. DSC is still advisable for winter/snow driving, unless I get stuck, then I should use DTC to spin the tires to hopefully get unstuck.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. What are the advantages/disadvantages for DSC and DTC?

DTC is traction control. It only controls wheel spin under power.

DSC is stability control, which includes DTC and adds compensation for oversteer/understeer.

If I'm not mistaken:

In Normal & Sport modes you have full DSC.

In Sport+ mode you have a "lite" DSC which is DTC unless you're in real trouble at which point Stability kicks in, allowing for some fun driving with limited tail slides but no tears.

You can switch to DTC only with no Stability control but also without the other settings of Sport+ (more aggresive steering, accelerator & shifting) by hitting the Traction button. Can be useful when driving in deep snow without having DSC freaking out and shutting your car down.

You can also disable DSC altogether by holding the button for 10 seconds; which means you're back to the early 1990's.

[cdeslandes]

Originally Posted by CeEl

About 14 years ago. Mazda Miata MX5 with 6 speed manual. It did have anti-lock brakes and a rear differential -- but that's about all the aid it offered. I did put on snow tires of course.

^ Best way to learn how to really drive.

Originally Posted by CeEl

It also helped that others were used to driving in the snow.

^ What would I give to have real drivers like that on Connecticut roads..

Originally Posted by CeEl

With the MX5, I had always been used to use the engine breaking a lot. Big mistake in the snow. Luckily, nothing happened, but I did have a bit of an adrenaline shock finding out the hard way that braking with the pedal or using the engine really are the same thing on slick roads and can send you sliding accross the road.

^ That, and staying in 4x4 is the undoing of many Cherokee, 4WD pickup and other "true" 4WD (not AWD) drivers. Especially when going downhill!

Originally Posted by CeEl

Best advise: winter tires, slow down and drive as if you don't have winter tires or electronic aids.

^ YES!