MKZ handling in the snow and ice
- Thread starter RollinLS
- Start date
Lincoln Luebbe
Dedicated LVC Member
Is your MKZ AWD?
It iced near Dayton Ohio pretty bad yesterday, but my wifes MKX got plenty of traction (AWD). And when we had 14 inches of snow learlier this year, it handled just as good as my old Navi did in 4WD, honestly. No vehicle is really "good" in the ice though, especially stopping.
Now my LS on the other hand... I couldn't break 30 mph or my rearend wanted to start coming around sideways. It was like a solid sheet of ice all the way home.
It iced near Dayton Ohio pretty bad yesterday, but my wifes MKX got plenty of traction (AWD). And when we had 14 inches of snow learlier this year, it handled just as good as my old Navi did in 4WD, honestly. No vehicle is really "good" in the ice though, especially stopping.
Now my LS on the other hand... I couldn't break 30 mph or my rearend wanted to start coming around sideways. It was like a solid sheet of ice all the way home.
Our MKZ is FWD. I took our 2wd Durango down the same road. It drove fine. The MKZ just seem to skate a lot. I have driven several FWD cars before. Just never had that kind of skating feeling in any of them. Guess its something the wife and I will have to get use to.
Hootowl
LVC Member
Hey there...
Probably the top upgrade for snow and ice driving to improve traction (and safety) is to switch to winter tires. They are specificly designed for snow, slush, ice and low temperatures. Most folks choose to mount them on separate wheels instead of demounting and remounting with the season changes.
For example, a friend of mine lives in the Colorado mountains where they get 150+ inches of snow and lots of subzero temperatures. Heck, I was there a couple of summers ago and drove in 6-inches of snow in July when I climbed a pass a few miles away. Anyway, he drives a a nicely offroad modified 4wd truck but when winter hits, off come the BFG AT/KO tires (not a slouch in the winter in their own right) and on go the Nokian winter tires.
Slower is better when the ice and snow hit. It sounds like too much throttle may have been a factor in your first experiences with the MKZ? Front wheel drive is usually pretty good for straight ahead traction although it certainly will not stop any quicker so that can lead to a inaccurate sense of security.
Again though, tires are the main thing to focus on.
Hootowl
Probably the top upgrade for snow and ice driving to improve traction (and safety) is to switch to winter tires. They are specificly designed for snow, slush, ice and low temperatures. Most folks choose to mount them on separate wheels instead of demounting and remounting with the season changes.
For example, a friend of mine lives in the Colorado mountains where they get 150+ inches of snow and lots of subzero temperatures. Heck, I was there a couple of summers ago and drove in 6-inches of snow in July when I climbed a pass a few miles away. Anyway, he drives a a nicely offroad modified 4wd truck but when winter hits, off come the BFG AT/KO tires (not a slouch in the winter in their own right) and on go the Nokian winter tires.
Slower is better when the ice and snow hit. It sounds like too much throttle may have been a factor in your first experiences with the MKZ? Front wheel drive is usually pretty good for straight ahead traction although it certainly will not stop any quicker so that can lead to a inaccurate sense of security.
Again though, tires are the main thing to focus on.
Hootowl
Lincoln Luebbe
Dedicated LVC Member
Yeah, now that I think of it I wasn't impressed with the Michelins either.
Concep29
LVC Member
The Michelins where so bad in the rain I replaced them at 12K. Night and day difference.
Warden
Dedicated LVC Member
No problems in the snow here. Stock FWD MKZ with stock tires. Had about 60" of snow so far this year in Boston.
No problems going up and down major hills. Felt comfortable and safe the whole time. Of course the FWD makes for interesting turns when you punch it.
A bag of sand over the rear axel and i'm good.
Loving the e-brake. Make handling turns much easier.
I take it to empty industrial parks and race around the parking lots. Great way to learn to snow drive.
No problems going up and down major hills. Felt comfortable and safe the whole time. Of course the FWD makes for interesting turns when you punch it.
A bag of sand over the rear axel and i'm good.
Loving the e-brake. Make handling turns much easier.
I take it to empty industrial parks and race around the parking lots. Great way to learn to snow drive.
Hootowl, I am about 20,000 miles short of 1 million miles logged at work. I have driven in every kind of weather imaginable. If you count my personal miles, I am WAY over a million miles.
I guess I need to get some different tires. I am NOT a fan of the Michelins.