How does your Yaris handle in the snow? - Toyota Yaris Forums

Jfoofoo · 09-10-2006, 04:31 PM

With summer coming close to an end.. I am starting to worry about winter.. and driving in the snow has never been fun for me. I am used to drive my old 4 runner and now the big switch to Yaris.. I want to get some feed back on people who have drove in the snow with it already and their feed backs..

Thanks

Katana · 09-10-2006, 04:44 PM

Well the weather decided to surprise us in Greece, and on January 2005 it snowed heavily!So, I had the chance to drive the car on snow.It handles nice, but you have to be careful with the gas(FF transmission) and with the ABS that is easily enabled.

pennystocks · 09-10-2006, 04:57 PM

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e1=yes&place=0

Thats wat i'm probaly gonna get this winter. Had snow tires on my aurora last year, it was nice.

featherz · 09-10-2006, 07:52 PM

I can't use snow tires up here, we are required to use chains and then I drive down the hill to drive where there is no snow. So I am still looking for the best and easiest tire chain for the Yaris. Thinking about Spike Spiders but I hear they are a bit fragile. thoughts?
I traded in an old 4x4 Jeep Wrangler for my Yaris because we do have another 4WD car and I drive so much, but I often think I made a mistake. We only get moderate winters MOST of the time (SoCal Mountains) but even with a small amount of ice I am worried about safety.

fnkngrv · 09-10-2006, 09:08 PM

This is what I received from RONIN one of the Sales Guys here in the forum and I hope it helps you....about the same as if you put good studded snow tires on here in Maine:

Re: tire chains / straps
The snow chain for 185/65/15 tire is 396.00 + shipping. It will take 2 to 3 weeks to have it. Sorry for the late reply.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fnkngrv
Quote:
Originally Posted by RoninMax
Is It this one?

captainzerocool · 09-10-2006, 10:40 PM

What is snow? I am also confused about this "Ice" you speak of?

daq421 · 09-10-2006, 10:49 PM

This is a thread I'm gonna follow.. The Yaris is 100Lbs lighter than my wife's Miata so I imagine it's pretty sketchy in the slick.

And did I see a nearly 400.00 dollar quote on those chains a few posts ago?
That seems a little steep to me. ( but then I live in California, what do I know about chains?)

-Peter

07WYarisRS · 09-10-2006, 11:19 PM

The yaris handle the snow great. A lot of it has to do with the good balancing, lack of torque/power and skinny tires.
Automatics are always better in snow then manual transmissions but with practice the manual Yaris is easy to drive in snow as well.

I've owned many FWD and RWD cars/trucks and the Yaris is one of the best with my Laser at a close second. The yaris gets a top spot because it has ABS my laser has 4 wheel disk/non abs so it extremly easy to lose control. Before that I had a beretta and it was decent in the snow but agian no ABS so stopping or control in slush and ice was LOW.
My last truck was an s-10 with $800 snow/ice tires, LSD 3.43 gearing, 300 lbs of cement blocks in the back and the yaris will whip circules areound that truck with stock all seasons in the snow.

If you ride in a lot of snow, a good set of snow tires for the front is a good idea and if you change up come april they should last you 5 seasons or more. If you can afford it 4 snows is even better but because the front does 90% of the stopping and 100% of the drive, that is by far the most important.

$300 or even $400 for tires chains is just stupid. Buy a properly sized set of implument chains for a fraction of the cost and in most cases more durable.

Katana · 09-11-2006, 03:02 AM

I completely agree with you.It all has to do with how many months the snowing period lasts.

Violin · 09-11-2006, 06:22 AM

I had a set of chains for my Miata that I got for under $100. It turned my rear wheel drive sun lover into a serious winter driving machine.

We had a storm from hell that dumped 6-8 inches of snow just before turning to freezing rain in time for the evening rush hour. The major Interstates were literally impassable. Thousands of people were stranded on the highway overnight. I slapped on my chains and went over the mountain on back roads. People with 4WD were flashing their lights and honking at me because they thought I was insane. I got home no problem.

I'll have to pick up another set.

Katana · 09-11-2006, 06:46 AM

You had choose a good set of chains and an even better set of hands!!!

Jfoofoo · 09-11-2006, 11:34 AM

hehe.. I don't need to drive over the mountain or lots back road to get to work. Work is only 7 miles away and most part is on Major highway. I was only worry about the light weight. I guess I should be ok for the winter consider most folks up in Canada has little to no issues with their Yaris in the snow.

Katana · 09-11-2006, 12:01 PM

Yeah don't worry about that.

stuffy · 09-11-2006, 07:20 PM

Quote:

I wish I could give some feedback on this issue, but my Yaris was garage stored last winter...And it will be the same this winter I'm afraid...

geez echo hrs, that's some hardcore love of an economy car!

here is a previous thread on this subject:
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=623

Pars · 09-11-2006, 08:13 PM

My Yaris is only a few month old, so no winter driving. But, I have pushed it to the max in the wet. Given how it behaves in the wet, I suspect handling and braking will be good, but take-off traction might be an issue as well as climbing steap hills.

When winters come around, I'm going to mount my old Nokia Hakkapolita snow tires (they've already seen 7 winters of use and used to be mounted on my old Civic). I doubt the Yaris will be as good as my old 98 Civic Hatch in the snow, but if it comes close, I'll be impressed.

featherz · 09-11-2006, 08:50 PM

How durable are those $400 chains? And where do you get them? I was thinking of spikes spiders, but I keep hearing they are not durable if you are driving where there might be dry 'patches'. I do need chains and my husband refuses to put on the standard types - he wants 'easy apply'. GoClaws don't come in the right size per their website and the 'autosock' looks cool but I doubt the CHP will pass it. And I'm in California as well, btw. :)

Katana · 09-12-2006, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pars

My Yaris is only a few month old, so no winter driving. But, I have pushed it to the max in the wet. Given how it behaves in the wet, I suspect handling and braking will be good, but take-off traction might be an issue as well as climbing steap hills.

Yeap, these lasts points are the ones who need attention.

Pars · 09-13-2006, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katana

Yeap, these lasts points are the ones who need attention.

We'll just have to wait and see until winter hits. And unlike Greece we do get alot of snow up here in Canada...can't wait for the snow

btw, I like'd your video on tube.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7mk3nUk3V0).

09-10-2006, 04:31 PM	#1
Jfoofoo Drives: 07 Yaris HB Meteorite Metallic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 90	How does your Yaris handle in the snow? With summer coming close to an end.. I am starting to worry about winter.. and driving in the snow has never been fun for me. I am used to drive my old 4 runner and now the big switch to Yaris.. I want to get some feed back on people who have drove in the snow with it already and their feed backs.. Thanks

09-10-2006, 04:44 PM	#2
Katana Drives: Yaris LB 1.3lt 06 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Under the hood! Posts: 1,124	Well the weather decided to surprise us in Greece, and on January 2005 it snowed heavily!So, I had the chance to drive the car on snow.It handles nice, but you have to be careful with the gas(FF transmission) and with the ABS that is easily enabled. __________________ It's not the ride, it's the rider!

09-10-2006, 09:08 PM	#5
fnkngrv Mr. 155 and climbing View User's Garage Drives: Seriously Modded 07 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: In The Hotbox Posts: 4,742	This is what I received from RONIN one of the Sales Guys here in the forum and I hope it helps you....about the same as if you put good studded snow tires on here in Maine: Re: tire chains / straps The snow chain for 185/65/15 tire is 396.00 + shipping. It will take 2 to 3 weeks to have it. Sorry for the late reply. Quote: Originally Posted by fnkngrv Quote: Originally Posted by RoninMax Is It this one? __________________ Team Tiamat Racing on Facebook Youtube Channel: Team Tiamat Racing *Class record holder in Land Speed @ 154.5mph for 1.5 mile and 145.5mph in the mile in the F (2.016 to 3.014 L), G (1.524 to 2.015 L), and H (1.016 to 1.523 L) classes.*

09-10-2006, 10:40 PM	#6
captainzerocool CAMRY FTW! View User's Garage Drives: Camry LE V-6 (225,000+ miles) Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Huntsville, Ala Posts: 108	What is snow? I am also confused about this "Ice" you speak of? __________________ I drive a Camry. I have no imagination.

09-10-2006, 10:49 PM	#7
daq421 MPG is the new cool Drives: 07 Yaris sedan (silver) Auto Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Livermore, CA Posts: 116	This is a thread I'm gonna follow.. The Yaris is 100Lbs lighter than my wife's Miata so I imagine it's pretty sketchy in the slick. And did I see a nearly 400.00 dollar quote on those chains a few posts ago? That seems a little steep to me. ( but then I live in California, what do I know about chains?) -Peter __________________

09-10-2006, 04:57 PM	#3
pennystocks View User's Garage Drives: 07 Civic Si Coupe(Black Pearl) Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 159	http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e1=yes&place=0 Thats wat i'm probaly gonna get this winter. Had snow tires on my aurora last year, it was nice.

09-10-2006, 07:52 PM	#4
featherz Drives: 2007 Liftback Yaris Bayou Blue Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Lake Arrowhead, CA Posts: 23	I can't use snow tires up here, we are required to use chains and then I drive down the hill to drive where there is no snow. So I am still looking for the best and easiest tire chain for the Yaris. Thinking about Spike Spiders but I hear they are a bit fragile. thoughts? I traded in an old 4x4 Jeep Wrangler for my Yaris because we do have another 4WD car and I drive so much, but I often think I made a mistake. We only get moderate winters MOST of the time (SoCal Mountains) but even with a small amount of ice I am worried about safety.

09-10-2006, 11:19 PM	#8
07WYarisRS HardlyDangerous Drives: 09 Yaris LE, H/B, auto Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ridgeway Ontario Posts: 573	The yaris handle the snow great. A lot of it has to do with the good balancing, lack of torque/power and skinny tires. Automatics are always better in snow then manual transmissions but with practice the manual Yaris is easy to drive in snow as well. I've owned many FWD and RWD cars/trucks and the Yaris is one of the best with my Laser at a close second. The yaris gets a top spot because it has ABS my laser has 4 wheel disk/non abs so it extremly easy to lose control. Before that I had a beretta and it was decent in the snow but agian no ABS so stopping or control in slush and ice was LOW. My last truck was an s-10 with $800 snow/ice tires, LSD 3.43 gearing, 300 lbs of cement blocks in the back and the yaris will whip circules areound that truck with stock all seasons in the snow. If you ride in a lot of snow, a good set of snow tires for the front is a good idea and if you change up come april they should last you 5 seasons or more. If you can afford it 4 snows is even better but because the front does 90% of the stopping and 100% of the drive, that is by far the most important. $300 or even $400 for tires chains is just stupid. Buy a properly sized set of implument chains for a fraction of the cost and in most cases more durable. __________________ The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

09-11-2006, 03:02 AM	#9
Katana Drives: Yaris LB 1.3lt 06 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Under the hood! Posts: 1,124	I completely agree with you.It all has to do with how many months the snowing period lasts. __________________ It's not the ride, it's the rider!

09-11-2006, 06:22 AM	#10
Violin View User's Garage Drives: 2007 Yaris LB Auto Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,592	I had a set of chains for my Miata that I got for under $100. It turned my rear wheel drive sun lover into a serious winter driving machine. We had a storm from hell that dumped 6-8 inches of snow just before turning to freezing rain in time for the evening rush hour. The major Interstates were literally impassable. Thousands of people were stranded on the highway overnight. I slapped on my chains and went over the mountain on back roads. People with 4WD were flashing their lights and honking at me because they thought I was insane. I got home no problem. I'll have to pick up another set. Last edited by Violin; 09-11-2006 at 06:57 AM.

09-11-2006, 06:46 AM	#11
Katana Drives: Yaris LB 1.3lt 06 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Under the hood! Posts: 1,124	You had choose a good set of chains and an even better set of hands!!! __________________ It's not the ride, it's the rider!

09-11-2006, 11:34 AM	#12
Jfoofoo Drives: 07 Yaris HB Meteorite Metallic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 90	hehe.. I don't need to drive over the mountain or lots back road to get to work. Work is only 7 miles away and most part is on Major highway. I was only worry about the light weight. I guess I should be ok for the winter consider most folks up in Canada has little to no issues with their Yaris in the snow.

09-11-2006, 12:01 PM	#13
Katana Drives: Yaris LB 1.3lt 06 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Under the hood! Posts: 1,124	Yeah don't worry about that. __________________ It's not the ride, it's the rider!

09-11-2006, 08:13 PM	#15
Pars Drives: 07 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 418	My Yaris is only a few month old, so no winter driving. But, I have pushed it to the max in the wet. Given how it behaves in the wet, I suspect handling and braking will be good, but take-off traction might be an issue as well as climbing steap hills. When winters come around, I'm going to mount my old Nokia Hakkapolita snow tires (they've already seen 7 winters of use and used to be mounted on my old Civic). I doubt the Yaris will be as good as my old 98 Civic Hatch in the snow, but if it comes close, I'll be impressed.

09-11-2006, 08:50 PM	#16
featherz Drives: 2007 Liftback Yaris Bayou Blue Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Lake Arrowhead, CA Posts: 23	How durable are those $400 chains? And where do you get them? I was thinking of spikes spiders, but I keep hearing they are not durable if you are driving where there might be dry 'patches'. I do need chains and my husband refuses to put on the standard types - he wants 'easy apply'. GoClaws don't come in the right size per their website and the 'autosock' looks cool but I doubt the CHP will pass it. And I'm in California as well, btw. :)

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