Driving in the snow with my Yaris 2014 LE

[Eforno]

So a week ago I was driving at night while it was snowing. There was already a good inch of snow on the ground, and I had to drive up this steep hill. I lost traction, I was stuck in halfway up the hill, and my Yaris was just sliding to the curb. I'm running on the stock all-season tires, Goodyear Assurance, I believe. Can anyone give me tips on driving up hills in snow and driving in Winter weather in general? I live in central New York, so snow here can get pretty bad, but as a college student that's living 320 miles away from home, I can't afford to buy winter tires, nor do I have any place to put my other tires at. I'm considering to buy chains, but they're really expensive too.

Thanks.

[LTHatch]

Have you tried turning off TCS on your Yaris when you get stuck? It worked for me when i used to get stuck on those horrible stock tires. That will only go so far though, if it gets as bad as you say than snow tires may be the best fix.

[phaznet]

Aren't chains illegal? I guess it depends on which state you're in perhaps.
I too am on all season tires. Even a few cm of snow can make it tricky to go up hills, especially from a full stop.
Are you driving manual or auto? If manual, try shifting into a higher gear to prevent the tires from spinning. Accelerate slowly. Start braking well ahead before making a full stop. Don't be aggressive.


Best investment would be winter tires, IMO.

[bronsin]

Tires make all the difference driving in snow.

Im suprised your car did so poorly with the stock tires. I had Bridgestone tires that came with the car and the Firestone tires I have are a huge improvement. But I could get around even in 10 inches of snow. (if the road was plowed)

Im guessing you arent terribly experienced driving as a whole. I would get an experienced driver to test drive your car in the snow and see what they say. Im thinking they wont say its that bad.

Maybe they could give you some lessons.

Good luck and tell us what happens!

[nortonfb]

If you have virgin snow somewhere at the edge of the lane, that will give you better traction. Also on an incline, you may be better off backing up on the shoulder if it's
real slick. Turning off traction control is correct and gentle use of power.
If there are furrows in the snow, you may find zig zagging or crabbing may buy you some traction. You can try running a little less pressure for a larger contact patch.
Norton

[sex]

Put the car in low gear and drive steadily up the hill. If you find you're losing grip then it won't be so safe to continue

Check autozone for chains. They're the cable type instead of full chains. $40 or so

[fourbangingfun]

Try to drive with the "big picture" in mind. Think about the entire road ahead of you, how the traffic fits in with the road, and how you fit in with the traffic.

Avoid coming to complete stops when on an upward angle or hill. Move at a steady chugging pace. If you start to feel you wheels spinning, cut back on the gas pedal - don't hammer it. Zig zag your front wheels if you're spinning bad, sometimes that can help gain traction.

Think logistically - can I drive around this hilly area to get to my final destination, even if it's a longer route.

Lastly, just slow everything down and leave space with vehicles in front of you.
This is gives you more time to react and reducing your chances of anything bad happening.


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[Eforno]

Yeah, I'm a pretty new driver so I don't have much experience. I drive an Auto. I'm getting mixed information here. Shouldn't I use the highest gear when going uphill on snow?

[bronsin]

Yeah, I'm a pretty new driver so I don't have much experience. I drive an Auto. I'm getting mixed information here. Shouldn't I use the highest gear when going uphill on snow?

No you want to be in 2 or even 1 if the going is tough. Leaving it in 2 should cover most situations IMO.

[Eforno]

I don't have a tachometer in my yaris, and from curiosity, how fast can I go in 1st gear, 2nd gear, and 3rd gear? As in the maximum mph speed for each gear? Also is it safe to downshift while car is in motion? As in like shifting from 3rd gear at 60mph to 2nd gear?

[Jcp123]

I'm taking notes. In 14 years of driving, I really haven't had snow but for twice. And next year I am probably moving to NY State. Bleagh.

[adio51]

I purchased 4 studded cooper weathermasters for the winter, and the few storms we have had I haven't had any problems in ice or snow. It made a huge difference over my having my kuhmos on. If your going to be dealing with a lot of snow it's always wise to get some snow tires, because it's better than getting in an accident and having to pay your insurance deductible. I paid $451 out the door for mine

[cparker]

That's one of the bad things about front wheel drive. They're not too good at driving up a steep hill in slippery conditions. There's so much weight transfer to the rear going up a hill, that there's little weight on those front tires. If it's safe, (not a busy road), try driving in reverse up the hill, which has an opposite effect, putting much more weight on those drive wheels. I did this many years ago in my little 84 Dodge Colt, and it's surprising how well that works, especially if you have traction tires or devices.