Problems with my yaris in winter

[jrenter]

I just wanted to see if anyone else had problems with their Yaris on the snow and ice? I'm from Alberta Canada where we get a fair amount of snow and ice. Right now though the snow has melted and the ice has stuck around! I live in an apartment building and can barely get out of our parking lot safely without my yaris sliding all over the place. Should I put more weight in the trunk to weigh it down a bit? What's the best option? I do have snow tires on my car but even trying to get out my parking lot, I'm doing maybe just above the 10/km hr mark on my speedometer and I can't control the car at all.:help:

[MUSKOKA800]

I've found my ice radials to be the ticket.
Most tires, even some all-seasons, can negotiate snow. Few tires can cope with ice / hard packed snow with confidence.

[Forrest]

I just wanted to see if anyone else had problems with their Yaris on the snow and ice? I'm from Alberta Canada where we get a fair amount of snow and ice. Right now though the snow has melted and the ice has stuck around! I live in an apartment building and can barely get out of our parking lot safely without my yaris sliding all over the place. Should I put more weight in the trunk to weigh it down a bit? What's the best option? I do have snow tires on my car but even trying to get out my parking lot, I'm doing maybe just above the 10/km hr mark on my speedometer and I can't control the car at all.:help:

Isn't your landloard/apartment owner responsible to keep the parking area safe? If someone gets hurt, he gets sued. You and your neighbors should all complain.

[Bob_VT]

Alberta, Canada...... what snow/ice tires do you have on the Yaris? If you are running stock tires......... don't.

[Doug007]

Bailout wrote about these last year and I bought a set. Very effective in snow and ice as well as easy on/off:

http://www.spikes-spiders.com/

[Return of the Yarii]

^^PK must be the only one who DOESNT have problems on snow and ice. The OEM tires (RE92's) are horrible in winter. This is now my 2nd Chicago winter w/the Yaris and learned my lesson after the 1st one to buy a dedicated set of winter tires (bought a set of 4 Winterforce tires from TireRack this year) and honestly they made a world of difference. Chicago got hit very hard this winter and I was able to navigate even the worst snow and ice covered roads w/the snow tires on with ease.

[fearturtle44]

Do not put weight in back of car. Defeats the purpose of Front Wheel Drive. Also, the Yaris is not a snow/ice car. 4WD are snow vehicles. No vehicle is good on ice.

No compact car is going to get good grades for winter driving.

Just have to drive more slowly, take your time on turns, and watch out for the other drivers.

[Dorkinheimer]

Don't add weight to your car, you'll lose 5 mpg or more.
Maybe your tires are inflated too high.
Get winter tires, the rubber is softer and has a better grip on ice.

[blktiger60]

Bailout wrote about these last year and I bought a set. Very effective in snow and ice as well as easy on/off:

http://www.spikes-spiders.com/

Spike Spiders are $500 a set - not an option for me.

[blktiger60]

^^PK must be the only one who DOESNT have problems on snow and ice. The OEM tires (RE92's) are horrible in winter. This is now my 2nd Chicago winter w/the Yaris and learned my lesson after the 1st one to buy a dedicated set of winter tires (bought a set of 4 Winterforce tires from TireRack this year) and honestly they made a world of difference. Chicago got hit very hard this winter and I was able to navigate even the worst snow and ice covered roads w/the snow tires on with ease.

A few weeks ago we got SIX feet of snow in less than 14 days. I took off my customs and put back on the stock wheels and tires. I didn't have any problems driving on them.

[blktiger60]

Just so you know, I bought my Yaris in Denver last winter and drove it home, 1600 miles over several moutain passes. The worst one being the one just outside Jackson Hole Wyoming, 7% grade packed snow and ice and snowing at the time I drove over it. I was following two SUV's that never did pull away from me. I did do a bit of a "drift" around the first hairpin corner because I was traveling too fast to not slide. Still, having had many years driving in winter conditions I didn't see this as a problem, I just slowed down a bit.

[rcturner]

Mine does well in the snow but is really bad on ice.

[REM]

Mine does well in the snow but is really bad on ice.

Yeah, before I got snow tires I got stuck in a parking lot and ended up putting it in N and pushing it out of the parking lot. I did it all by myself; an advantage to having a small car. :laugh:

[ddongbap]

I could swear theres a post about this every week.

Solution: I'll get some tires with those spikes like the football shoes have. The metal ones.

[Dbeau]

Wow another Yaris owner in Alberta !
Anyway its my first winter here in Calgary and I have the sedan with winter tires. The only issue I have found is that the car is so damn light and the motor included doesn't really weigh the front wheel drive enough to get traction on a start. Kinda got to be easy on the throttle to get goin but once moving..all is good.
But to be honest you sorta get used to it and do it without thinking about it.

[glhsracer]

I found winter driving on the original tires wasn't too good either. I would think this is a common problem of any light weight car with road tires. When it gets too deep here in Michigan I drive my Tacoma 4x4 truck. I know it is kind of wimping out but it is much safer for me and those around me.

[Yaris Hilton]

What's the best option?

Move south. Far south. :smile:

[47_MasoN_47]

Move south. Far south. :smile:

w00t! Yaris Hilton knows how it is. Snow is one of those things that most people from around here haven't seen other than on TV lol.

[Liltoaster]

I am kinda curious to see how my car will be in the snow this year.... Got some studded snow tires and going to raise the coilovers all the way up too lol

[jambo101]

The original tires on my 08 sedan were Goodyear summer tires,i wouldnt dream of trying to drive in winter with them,Bridgestone Blizzaks work well.

[devinlamothe]

Going from OEM to any snow tire you will notice a difference. I changed to X-Ice (I believe, don't remember exactly) and I noticed a HUGE difference, especially in heavy snow.

I remember last winter I was able to get out of our street while a Ford F150 was stuck!

[ellenbetty]

I drove FWD vehicles over the past 22 years in all types of weather. Never got stuck in snow. I do shovel the snow out before trying to pull the Yaris out of it's parking space.

Back when I had my Horizon, I tried larger snow tires with chains. Tire chains damaged wheel liner. Plus larger snow tires rubbed the wheel liners. But I did not have off sets. (New concept to me). If weather is bad I just stay at home shoveling snow. The weather here in OH is milder than ON. Salt works most of the time.

[blktiger60]

Ya.
Had some fun so far this winter. Twice now I found myself fishtailing down the freeway at 60+ in the snow. Both times I was lane changing and got caught in the little berm between lanes, took a good 400 yards to correct and travel straight again. Running Champiro IcePro's ( http://www.gtradial-us.com/en/CHAMPIRO_ICEPRO.html ) on the front and some old used ones on the back. Pretty sure the reason I washed out was due to the old ones on the back. Will be buying new IcePro's for the back next winter.
The wife has IcePro's all the way around on her Accord and she doesn't have problems. I recommend them.

[nookandcrannycar]

w00t! Yaris Hilton knows how it is. Snow is one of those things that most people from around here haven't seen other than on TV lol.

:laugh: Yeah, I think Cloudmont is the only ski area in Alabama....and it is barely in Alabama. Just a few miles from the border.

[nookandcrannycar]

Ya.
Had some fun so far this winter. Twice now I found myself fishtailing down the freeway at 60+ in the snow. Both times I was lane changing and got caught in the little berm between lanes, took a good 400 yards to correct and travel straight again. Running Champiro IcePro's ( http://www.gtradial-us.com/en/CHAMPIRO_ICEPRO.html ) on the front and some old used ones on the back. Pretty sure the reason I washed out was due to the old ones on the back. Will be buying new IcePro's for the back next winter.
The wife has IcePro's all the way around on her Accord and she doesn't have problems. I recommend them.

:eek: I hope you are quite experienced at this.

[instantninja]

If your winter tires are able to accept studs get them studded. that would be relatively cheap.

[blktiger60]

:eek: I hope you are quite experienced at this.
Well, when its not planed its always a bit hair-raising but ya been driving in the pacific northwest since 1975. Mall parking lot 360's/720's country road drift hunting etc. The wife was with me both times. She didn't make a peep. Gravel roads act alot like snow if you give it enough gas and exaggerate steering.

Much more fun in a rear wheeler, like my MR2.

[edmscan]

Just wanted to comment .. I live in Edmonton. So .. this winter I have fish tailed my Yaris twice now. It was not quite a 360 .. but scary all the same.

I have been driving in winter conditions for 35 years, so not like I am not used to it.

I am a very slow cautious driver. Once .. it was maybe 20 km/h (12 mph), the other time about 15 km/h (9 mph). Both times .. on icy roads. The back end .. was by my door, first one side then the other.

I thought the car was going to roll, especially the first time. It is not a good feeling.

The Yaris .. is definitely very temperamental on icy roads, it is fine in snow.

I do not have all season tires, I have all weather tires (hybrid tires .. designed for all year driving).

I have not had as many issues in the last 2 years then what I have had this year.

But I have recognized now the conditions where the Yaris has issues, I am very aware of what they are now and are extra cautious now.

Some people still drive like it is summer .. but I usually read about those *** on Twitter.

The problem here .. the city grades the roads, but that actually makes it worse, as they are very slow to put sand on the roads. It is actually much worse than driving on the snow covered roads.

If they have sanded the roads .. no issues at all. But .. freshly graded (and no bare road to be seen), and you are in trouble. It is exactly like driving on a skating rink. You can tell .. the roads are just a solid white color.

[blktiger60]

Ya.
Had some fun so far this winter. Twice now I found myself fishtailing down the freeway at 60+ in the snow. Both times I was lane changing and got caught in the little berm between lanes, took a good 400 yards to correct and travel straight again. Running Champiro IcePro's ( http://www.gtradial-us.com/en/CHAMPIRO_ICEPRO.html ) on the front and some old used ones on the back. Pretty sure the reason I washed out was due to the old ones on the back. Will be buying new IcePro's for the back next winter.
The wife has IcePro's all the way around on her Accord and she doesn't have problems. I recommend them.


Not so much as a wiggle since I got the IcePro's

[Pokey]

["The problem here .. the city grades the roads, but that actually makes it worse, as they are very slow to put sand on the roads. It is actually much worse than driving on the snow covered roads["

Same in Winnipeg. We affectionately call the street grader a "Street Zamboni"
Polishes those roads so nicely that the Yaris (and any other car) is like a curling rock

[IllusionX]

["The problem here .. the city grades the roads, but that actually makes it worse, as they are very slow to put sand on the roads. It is actually much worse than driving on the snow covered roads["

Same in Winnipeg. We affectionately call the street grader a "Street Zamboni"
Polishes those roads so nicely that the Yaris (and any other car) is like a curling rockWinter tires? I have no issues with plown streets. Better than getting stuck.

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[Pokey]

I have winter tires.

The challenge is at -20 the ice becomes very hard, and if graded it is literally a skating rink. At -10 no problems as the salts softens everything.

You get used to it and adjust your driving accordingly.
or you end up in a snow bank, or around a pole.

[IllusionX]

Extreme cold is normal. Reduced adherence.

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