Help My Plan My Mid-Life (Car) Crisis.
July 16, 2018 5:24 PM   Subscribe

I've loved Mustangs for as long as I can remember and have the opportunity to purchase a beauty of a 2013 Mustang GT this week. In order to afford it, however, I will (almost assuredly) have to make it my full-time ride - but the Mustang is a rear wheel drive car and I live in Southern Ontario (where we most definitely get snow every winter). Can I make this work?

Here's a LOT of info - I'm not sure what's helpful.

To be clear - this Mustang is not a collector's car, so I am not worried about winter driving in the sense of preserving it. I accept that there will be salt and crud involved here. My goal is to drive the hell out of it for about a decade and be grateful that I had the opportunity to do it.

I am worried about whether a rear wheel drive will leave me stranded, get me stuck in a ditch, or otherwise be wildly unsafe. I don't want to have to sell it mid-winter or scramble to find a new car to drive in January.

I've been driving a Kia Rondo for the past 6 years with 'all weather' tires - no issues in the snow other than light slipping when it's really bad out. I wouldn't say that I'm a nervous winter driver but I am a cautious one.

I live in a city that is reasonably well-plowed/sanded/salted but the snow around here often falls quickly and fairly deeply - meaning that I can't expect to drive on well-plowed/sanded/salted roads consistently (about 85% of the time). I live near the top of a pretty steep hill, and I'd honestly say that it's the worst part of my drive in the winter.

On any given day, I drive around 20 kms (12 miles) for work or less - I can choose between highway or city roads for most of the driving that I do. My annual mileage, for work + personal combined is about 10,000 kms (6,213 miles). I've calculated that the gas will be slightly more (and the insurance is a whopping $8 extra per month!)

The Mustang is an automatic with 'sport mode' that allows for some manual shifting. It has a non-opening (fixed) panoramic roof - meaning that it's all glass, with a sunshade - not a convertible.

I have driven sports cars before, including two with very large and powerful engines, but never in the winter months. I would expect to spend the next few months getting comfortable with the Mustang under dry, ideal conditions, to have a better idea on handling for the winter.

Do I just need to put some winter tires on, fill the trunk with kitty litter, and all will be good? Is it a terrible idea to even consider this? Any advice or cautions?
posted by VioletU to Travel & Transportation (18 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You'll be fine, rear-wheel cars used to be the norm and they had the crappiest suspensions you ever saw. Just adapt your driving when it's slippery out.
posted by Admiral Viceroy at 5:30 PM on July 16, 2018 [3 favorites]


Yes. I drove rear-wheel for years as a teenager and it was fine. You probably want to invest in snow tires. I don't think a loaded trunk helps that much, just don't hit it hard off the line if the ground is wet or snowy. Heck, don't hit it that hard after a summer rain either. But it's not super dangerous, it just requires a little care. If you hit the gas too hard all you'll do is spin in place.
posted by GuyZero at 5:39 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


On the plus side, you can pull wicked donuts in the winter in a big empty parking lot.
posted by GuyZero at 5:45 PM on July 16, 2018 [7 favorites]


Totally doable. You'll want good snow tires though.

My advice - buy an inexpensive set of rims - get them smaller if you can. If the car has 18 inch wheels, try to find 17s that will fit. Then get tires the same diameter as stock. This gives you some extra sidewall - and allows you to increase traction by airing down the tires if you need it.

Anyway, having the snows on their own rims means it much easier to swap them out, and you can run a higher performance tire in the summer on nice rims that won't get thrashed by the salt and ice.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 6:01 PM on July 16, 2018 [5 favorites]


I drove a Mustang GT in Michigan winters for six years with no snow tires or chains or nothin'. Just get used to the acceleration before winter starts and you'll be fine.
posted by Etrigan at 6:29 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


A relative of mine has been driving six-cylinder Mustangs through all four seasons of Ontario weather for years. There was a fox body (okay, that as a four), there was a 2002, now there's a 2014. This person has done major commuting with the cars. The last two have been used in 200+ km (roundtrip) daily commutes down the 401.

This person puts weight in the trunk and snow tires on steel wheels. Apparently the 2002 was slightly better in the winter than the newer model, but the new car has been just fine. One trick is that sometimes (counterintuitive as it seems) is to shut off the traction control when things are getting a bit slippery. I believe this person usually does it on hills. This may be something you need to play with once you get your own car.

Now admittedly, this person is a really, really good driver--one of the best I personally know--but as Admiral Viceroy said, at one time everybody drove rear wheel drive cars all year round. Also, if it makes you feel better, it seems to me that I've seen a growing number of drivers in Mustangs over the winter doing the same 401 or QEW-based commutes that I've been doing myself.

Personally, I was happier keeping a RWD car as my summer ride, and sticking with FWD for my daily driver, but that's just my personal preference.
posted by sardonyx at 6:32 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


What rear does it have? I have had the 2005 Mustang, v6, with solid rear axle that is my daily driver since I bought it new. I live on Long Island, where we get our share of snow. I have been fine, even in 4-6" of snow. Granted, I have a manual transmission, which I prefer for slippery times, but I really haven't driven an automatic long term, or as my primary... ever. I would go for it, but I would prefer a manual transmission.
posted by kellyblah at 6:42 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


+1 on winter tires and adding weight to the trunk. Try to keep it as far forward in the trunk as possible, though. A full tank of gas adds a fair amount of weight over the driven wheels too. Stability control makes RWD cars much less of a handful than they used to be back in the day. If you're a bit ham-fisted with it, the tail will sometimes step out a bit on my RWD BMW, but the stability control + a bit of counter steering makes it very easy to catch.
Haven't found the need to shut the traction control off, but if you need to do that as a 'getting unstuck' measure, be sure to turn it back on to reduce your chances of losing control at higher speeds if you hit a slick spot.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:54 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: kellyblah, I believe it's SRA - but that's only based on my limited knowledge of the model years. I had always sworn that I'd never buy a Mustang unless it was manual - and then I met this one and suddenly I'm considering it.
posted by VioletU at 7:13 PM on July 16, 2018


It's already been said, but the acquaintance I know who drove a Mustang through winter conditions bought a couple large bags of road salt and stowed them in front of the trunk where they would be out of the way most of the time, available if needed and mostly to put a little more weight to reduce rear tire spin getting started when it's slippery out.
posted by meinvt at 8:11 PM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


You'll probably be okay if you're not one of our fellow Canadians who tailgates & makes jerky spastic lane changes in crappy weather.
posted by ovvl at 8:36 PM on July 16, 2018 [2 favorites]


Honestly, I think you will be fine, even with the SRA/auto transmission combo. I happen to prefer manual, so that I have the option to start off in a higher gear. Do you have the ability to work from home or take mass transit if there is going to be a day where it is going to be storming for hours on end?
posted by kellyblah at 7:55 AM on July 17, 2018 [1 favorite]


In addition to snow tires, make sure you take the opportunity to practice the first time you get a good solid snow. Find an unplowed parking lot and spend some time figuring out how to maximize traction, how to handle oversteer, etc.
posted by craven_morhead at 7:57 AM on July 17, 2018 [1 favorite]


I should say my relative's daily driver Mustangs have all been automatics, if that helps to ease your concerns.

Now the situation isn't identical as you're looking at a eight-cylinder so you're going to be dealing with a bit more power and an even heavier front end, but you're also driving a fraction of the distance, so I'm sure you'll be fine. (I should also mention I made a typo in the year of one of those cars, the latest one is actually newer than that, but that doesn't really matter.)
posted by sardonyx at 8:29 AM on July 17, 2018 [1 favorite]


Your life will be much easier if the mustang in question comes with a Limited Slip Differential. In my experience, Ford's Traction control plus open differential plus winter equals frustration sometimes when trying to ascend icy hills and or driveways. A LSD will make this much more manageable (and more fun in those big snowy parking lots too!).
posted by some loser at 11:31 AM on July 17, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thank you all SO much - you've taken a huge weight off of my mind here. I'm taking the car to my mechanic tomorrow for a good check-over before committing to anything - fingers crossed!
posted by VioletU at 4:45 PM on July 17, 2018 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Last update - I bought it! Will be picking it up on Monday after work - and will have a few months to get used to the handling before the snow flies. Thank you for all the insight and advice!
posted by VioletU at 6:30 AM on July 19, 2018 [2 favorites]


I'm sure you'll love your purchase. That colour will definitely make it easy to spot in the parking lot. Good luck with your new ride.
posted by sardonyx at 10:57 AM on July 20, 2018


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