Last week, my girlfriend and I took a trip from central NJ to Lake Placid, NY. Transportation was my 2015 MX-5 Grand Touring with the soft top, shod with Michelin Xice3 snow tires in 195/55R16 mounted on Enkei YS5 wheels. While I have been in NJ for about a year, each time there was snow in the forecast, I was traveling out of town for work. Was the NC Miata a capable winter driver?
On the first half of the drive up, temperatures remained slightly above freezing, and the roads were clear. Around the drive's midpoint, rain and temperatures began to fall, resulting in extremely slick conditions. Traffic slowed to about 30 MPH. The Miata was unphased: The only indication of ice underneath was when I added a little too much throttle, causing traction control to engage. The rain stopped, and the salt trucks made their rounds, allowing traffic to get back up to speed. After hours on I-87, I turned onto 73 West for the final leg of the trip. Aside from blowing snow and pitch blackness, the gently undulating highway trip was uneventful to the B&B in Lake Placid. The Miata climbed the steep, snow-covered driveway without issue.
The next day, temperatures were just above freezing, and rain fell steadily. Temperatures soon dropped, causing everything to be coated in ice. I fell more than once walking from the top of the driveway down to the sidewalk. Thankfully the Miata was confident on its wheels, and it had no trouble navigating the icy hills.
Wednesday morning, conditions were clear, and precipitation held off. I traveled to a few hiking trails, and the Miata was right at home on the curvy roads just outside of town, taken casually at 5/10ths. As we headed to Whiteface Mountain in the afternoon, snow began to fall steadily. Parking lots had plenty of accumulation, and the Xice3 tires floated on top without hesitation. On the way out, I switched off traction control, sending up a few snowy rooster tails.
Snow steadily fell overnight through Thursday morning, and the salt and plows could not keep up with the accumulation. There was a 4 - 6" icy mush blanket on every road surface. The Miata didn't threaten to become stuck, but driving became a bit sketchier, presumably as the tread blocks clogged. When I stepped out of the car at one point, the tires looked like white Hoosiers. We began the 300 mi drive back, and the first 150 miles were more of the same: Continuous snow, thick slush on the ground, and speeds between 20 and 50 mph. On I-87, snow finally became rain, and the last half of the trip was relatively easy.
Overall, I was totally happy with the Miata's performance. It did not threaten becoming stuck at any time, and remained composed regardless of the conditions under foot (tire?). Perhaps there was a reason I did not see a single other sports car on the road, though. If I lived in the area, being able to haul winter gear would be advantageous. Hauling around ski or hockey gear for one person may be possible, but I suspect that hauling for two would be highly inconvenient at best. I didn't see any days above 40 degrees in the forecast, so the top would likely stay latched shut for many months at a time. At least in NJ, there are occasional clear, 40 degree+ days that allows the top to be lowered.
After clearing off the car: Good enough.
After Cleaning off the Salt Spray. I did not want to capture the before picture.
