Roadster as a DD?

So, I've got my Slowbalt, and the loan on it is coming up real soon. Now I'm torn on whether I should just keep it and drive it till it stops, or grab something I can have a little more fun with.

Looking around, it seems that similar cars are grabbing ~7500 (2.4l/5spd/sunroof). This brings me to my dilemma: I've always wanted a roadster some sort - be it a Sky/Solstice, Miata, S2000, Z4 (Fat chance), etc. - and it's now in my reach.

The big question is: how well would a roadster work as an all weather DD? I'm not expecting any of these kinda cars to plow through 4 feet of snow like there's nothing there, but how would they handle a foot or less?

My Miata did really well in the 1" or so that we'd get occasionally in nashville.

It's all about the right tires.

yes, miata is the answer for this one....maybe not one as old as an NA

Miata?

Sawzall+ Cobalt is the answer here...

Floppy chassis FTW???? not what I'd expect

In reply to Keith Tanner:

So 30" super swampers? Got it.

In reply to novaderrik:

Well, that's one way to solve my helmet hitting the headliner.

Ok, it might be a budget buster, but a 996 Carrera 4 will plow through any weather as long as the ground clearance is OK, isn't as bad on maintenance as you'd think, can be found for pretty reasonable prices (probably similar to a good AP2 S2000 or Z4), and even has vestigial back seats. Oh, and it's about as high performance as you're gonna get in any reasonably affordable drop-top. Nice to be in with the top up, too.

Rxbalt wrote: The big question is: how well would a roadster work as an all weather DD? I'm not expecting any of these kinda cars to plow through 4 feet of snow like there's nothing there, but how would they handle a foot or less?

The answer is: Just fine. Although not exactly up to a foot on the road, but at least up to a solid 6 inches or so at a time provided you won't be traversing hilly terrain. As Keith noted, it's mostly about the tires and using the right driving techniques. I had an NA Miata that was my year round daily driver in Green Bay, Wisconsin for two or three years, which rode on slightly taller than standard Blizzaks in the winter. If anything the snow made ordinary driving around town in the Miata even more fun.

Rxbalt wrote: So, I've got my Slowbalt, and the loan on it is coming up real soon. Now I'm torn on whether I should just keep it and drive it till it stops, or grab something I can have a little more fun with. Looking around, it seems that similar cars are grabbing ~7500 (2.4l/5spd/sunroof). This brings me to my dilemma: I've always wanted a roadster some sort - be it a Sky/Solstice, Miata, S2000, Z4 (Fat chance), etc. - and it's now in my reach. The big question is: how well would a roadster work as an all weather DD? I'm not expecting any of these kinda cars to plow through 4 feet of snow like there's nothing there, but how would they handle a foot or less?

it's no different driving than any other rwd car. I had a 350z in Chicago and had no problems.

kanaric wrote:

Rxbalt wrote: So, I've got my Slowbalt, and the loan on it is coming up real soon. Now I'm torn on whether I should just keep it and drive it till it stops, or grab something I can have a little more fun with. Looking around, it seems that similar cars are grabbing ~7500 (2.4l/5spd/sunroof). This brings me to my dilemma: I've always wanted a roadster some sort - be it a Sky/Solstice, Miata, S2000, Z4 (Fat chance), etc. - and it's now in my reach. The big question is: how well would a roadster work as an all weather DD? I'm not expecting any of these kinda cars to plow through 4 feet of snow like there's nothing there, but how would they handle a foot or less?

it's no different driving than any other rwd car. I had a 350z in Chicago and had no problems.

people seem to forget that until about 25 years or so ago, people got around just fine in snow and ice with rwd cars that didn't have traction control and anti lock brakes...

I drove through 3 Chicago winters, including the epic Snowmageddon blizzard we had several years ago. Never got stuck. I even had dirt-cheap, 175/70-13 no-name all-season tires my first winter, and drove through some pretty hairy blizzards with no problem. My car was pretty low, too. Even lower on my last winter, thanks to broken springs.

Point is, any of those roadsters will do fine in the winter. I have to advise against any Solstice or Sky, though, for a number of reasons other reasons. My mom recently bought one. The ergonomics are crap, there's little interior storage, the interior itself feels super cheap, the top is annoying to lower and obliterates trunk space, and the engine is super harsh at high revs. For the same money, an S2000 or NC Miata is a helluva better car.

You haven't lived until you drive a Miata on r-comps through a blizzard.

95 miata, base model (NO LSD, NO ABS).

I put on the hardtop and a set of E30 bottlecaps with General Altimax's for the winter (no studs) and never gotten stuck on those, even going up a hill on a snow covered dirt road regularly. (Western MD mountains, we got a good amount of snow, only worry would be getting beached)

Larger concern is rust prevention rather than grip.

For reference and comparison if someone harps on how terrible they are, I did get minorly stuck on ice in a friends driveway on the RE-11's when I didnt have my winter stuff on yet. IT IS ALL ABOUT TIRES.

Doing the NA miata daily driver thing, I would suggest Airconditioning and power windows (my car doesn't have those, but I find myself wishing it did). I do wish my car had ABS, if just for preventing flatspots from auto-x. I installed an aftermarket power door lock kit on mine.

cannot be any worse than my old 318ti. I drove that car through the beginnings of snowmeggen. The car was lowered, on M3 rims with Star Specs. It's only saving grace was the "winter package" that included a Limited slip.

the Mtech bumper was plowing 10 inches of snow by the time I got home and finally got stuck, 10 feet from my driveway. In that time I passed several SUVs that had gone off of the road and a couple of FWD cars that had gotten stuck.

It is all about control. If you can feel what the car is doing and do not panic, you can get through most anything.

As far as daily driving a roadster. I DDed a Fiat 124 spider for 5 years in the late 80s early 90s. Never had a want for space (and I moved in that time) and had a blast each and every one of those days I was able to put the top down.. which was -all- the time. I would only keep it up if it were raining, snowing, or below freezing

13 years of Miata year round in Ontario says that the Miata is a great winter car. With the Blizzack snow tires, it never had a problem. Neither did the rest of the car or its systems.The FRS is no where near as well suited to winter driving; cold weather testing seems to have been done in Florida.

The other thing to appreciate about winter driving a Miata is that not every winter day is a dreary deep freeze. With the Miata, on a beautiful sunny winter day, you can crank the heat up, toss the top down and re-affirm your will to live until spring thaw and the return of life. Many a memorable drive in January and Feb with me and my young daughter getting funny looks driving topless. And you have not lived until you have done a few miles of top-down snowstorm driving. Why not, when you CAN?

Here you go!

hobiercr wrote: Here you go!

that is an abomination.

JoeyM wrote:

hobiercr wrote: Here you go!

that is an abomination.

I'm sure it will handle 1' of snow though. Right before it flips over.

Apexcarver wrote: 95 miata, base model (NO LSD, NO ABS). I put on the hardtop and a set of E30 bottlecaps with General Altimax's for the winter (no studs) and never gotten stuck on those, even going up a hill on a snow covered dirt road regularly. (Western MD mountains, we got a good amount of snow, only worry would be getting beached) Larger concern is rust prevention rather than grip. For reference and comparison if someone harps on how terrible they are, I did get minorly stuck on ice in a friends driveway on the RE-11's when I didnt have my winter stuff on yet. IT IS ALL ABOUT TIRES. Doing the NA miata daily driver thing, I would suggest Airconditioning and power windows (my car doesn't have those, but I find myself wishing it did). I do wish my car had ABS, if just for preventing flatspots from auto-x. I installed an aftermarket power door lock kit on mine.

100% Agree. I hated that my R-package didn't have A/C and power windows. Wish it would've had a hardtop, too. Was great with regular all-seasons, otherwise. I'd probably say for a daily/occasional autox'er, get as loaded of a car as you can, but skip the leather interiors. E36 M3 gets cold on your buns in the winter.

Actually, small cars are great in the winter for one reason: small interior volume. You can heat it up much faster than with a big car.

My ham doesn't agree with cold leather seats, no matter the interior volume.

Miatas do snow fine. I'm a couple miles from the nearest pavement and they don't plow much. It's lowered and will still do 6" of heavy wet snow just don't stop.

eccentric wrote: Miatas do snow fine. I'm a couple miles from the nearest pavement and they don't plow much. It's lowered and will still do 6" of heavy wet snow just don't stop.

That's some cool pics there. I drove through two Michigan winters in an NC Miata that was lowered with a set of winter tires. Never had a problem.

Rxbalt wrote: I'm not expecting any of these kinda cars to plow through 4 feet of snow like there's nothing there, but how would they handle a foot or less?

A true foot of snow on the ground will stop almost any car. They belly up and you sit there with your tires in the air.

I'm not disagreeing that a Miata and such on snow tires can do just fine in the snow and ice. Just that a foot of snow, especially a heavy snow, is darn hard to get any car through.