Update on DEEP snow traction. I have returned home from work at the start of the BIG east coast storm last night. I work 2nd shift,and ended work at 11PM. At that time we already had 8" of blowing & drifting powdery snow. Our parking lot was NOT plowed. I cleared the Fit of snow and kicked away most of the 2' high drift on one side. My coworkers were watching me as I am the smallest ,and only non 4WD vehicle on my shift,and they were razzing me about carrying my car home in my coat pocket. I do have my Fit equipped with 195/55/16 Michelin Ice X winter tires. I put her in 2nd gear{5 speed}{1st gear always induces unwanted wheel spin} and pulled away ,much to my/their amazement. Our road leading to my work place wasn't plowed,but random tracks in the deep snow. The Fit continued with the sound of snow dragging underneath,and occassional wallowing in tracked to deep areas. The main road I travel was plowed and had about 2" of packed snow,and wasn't a problem,as usual. I traveled at 35-40mph ,passing even some 4WD vehicles up the hills. The Fit tracked and handled very well even with wind and small drifts,surprisingly.

The biggest hurdle was getting into my condo complex,where the street plow had walled up snow 2' at the complex entrance. I kicked away some snow to knock the height down a bit and dove in,and the Fit wallowed a bit ,but pulled through. The rest of the complex wasn't plowed either and I am guessing the snow depth was now near 9". It wallowed some,and I finally got to my garage and pulled in. I looked the Fit over to see if ramming deep snow damaged anything on the front. I found the lower grill packed full of snow,fog light pockets jammed as well, wheel wells almost jammed full. Keep in mind this was a light powdery snow,I highly doubt a wet heavy snow I would have gotten anywhere,and if I did there would have been damage. I am very impressed so far with the Fit's snow capabilities.

I checked again before writing this since the snow has all melted off and I can find no damage,or misalignment of the front bumper area. BTW We now have offically have 18" of snow. I now have a 4' drift in front of my garage ,and main door. I am home,don't have to work,have plenty of food,and the condo complex shovels,and plows the snow. Life is good. LOL

PaFitter

 

>>>the condo complex shovels,and plows the snow

This was my favorite part.

Home ownership has its perks but snow removal is NOT one of them.

Nice report!

 

By the time I finish, the snow blower will have consumed enough fuel to keep the Fit on the road for a couple three days....no condo fee here at Chez Moon, but no condo workers, either.
We have 2' here in Westsylvania, and drifts in my driveway thee feet deep; the plow has at least that much at the top of the driveway.

I didn't even think about getting the Fit out...depending how on-the-ball PennDot is (not a sure thing, tho' they are usually better midwinter...the first storm is always "What, snow again this year?"), I may get out the Jeep.
Fit is a great car, but it is a car. Glad to at least have the choice.
Moon

 

*shrug*

I like it better than other cars I have driven. No problems keeping it in control, and generally drive a bit faster than a good portion of massive SUVs and trucks on the highway. Some SUV/Truck drivers can go faster, but they look like they are out of control fools who think they can go as fast as they want because their vehicles are bigger or 4WD...

On small, messy roads it's still just a car, but no worse than most other cars on the road.

 

An ably-driven front wheel drive can do a credible job in the snow, providing the snow is not so deep as to actually high-center it. PAFitter's trip home was mighty impressive. You might recall the old 2-stroke Saabs kicked ass in the Monte Carlo Rally, at least in the snowy mountain stages, and a Ford Fiesta was mighty pleased to come buzzing around me one snowy night (I was in a Dodge Raider/Montero).
But if it's really bad, give me lotsa ground clearance, and a transfer case lever for a security blanket. Even my bride's panzer can get stuck if the snow is just too deep.
Moon

 

Handles pretty much like any other front wheel drive car. Take it easy on the throttle, and you rarely get stuck or slip. Far better than my RWD Pontiac.

 

I drove from Vermont to Maryland on Saturday night after the snow ended (Snowmageddon). Between Baltimore and DC, road conditions were pretty much packed snow/ice. Every lane of I-95 was covered. The Fit did fine - I just took it easy and kept my control inputs very gradual. I was very pleased with the performance on the slippery stuff. I had a set of cable chains in the back, but I never needed to put them on. Here is a pic of my Fit on I-95 south about 10 miles north of the DC beltway.

 

Yeah, I never fear Maryland roads when driving home,they do a splendid job of keeping them open. It's when you hit Pa the snow hits the fan. PennDot gets an F almost every storm. I can tell when I cross the border without the welcome to Pa sign.

I think my Fit has met it match with this new storm. Called off work. Condo complex hasn't even started clearing snow. To give you an idea how much snow we now have,my first floor windows are about 3' off ground level,and we have snow up about 12" on the window. Nearly 2' left over from last weekend storm. I have a snow drift in front of my garage that approaches 5' from this storm. Still coming down 1" per hour at 1Pm EST. Expected to not stop until 5-7Pm tonight. With PennDot I don't expect to work anymore this week. They have closed Rt 83 & 81 from MD line to Harrisburg. Global warming my @**.

PaFitter

 

Global warming equals climate change. Warmer climates will get warmer and colder climates will get colder. Global warming is NOT a forecast! Amazing how misunderstood it is.

That said, I hope you dig out ok and your Fit gets you where you need to go.

Dan

 

I think the misunderstanding is that people actually think it's caused by man. Climate change and mass extinction events has been occuring for billions of years.

 

Hmm I'm gonna try driving my Fit in the snow tonight (have to work). I've avoided most of the snow storms with her because its been sitting at my parent's house since Nov. Keepin my fingers crossed :-)

 

Heh, not too many cars that could handle that

As for the global warming comment... Phrasing is important. FYI, PA is a very, very small part of the globe. And a single snow storm doesn't have much influence on the averages over a year. And *if* a single year reverses the warming, it's a single year within an overall trend. Please take a basic course in statistics, to clear this up Lyon: I guess there is a massive international conspiracy among industry, government and academia eh?

 

You bet your @$$ "phrasing" is important.

It's all in how you say or propagandize something as to whether the masses of "ignorant, unenlightened, and frightened" citizens believe the computer-driven THEORIES and false assumptions of "Global Warming." (Oh that's right... we've had 5 straight years of consistently worsening winters all over the world... so now, in order to keep the paranoid delusions going, we should call it "Global Climate Change") We're dying... we're dying!



Perfect, textbook example of smug, arrogant, elitist commentary. "I know better than you what's really going on... REALLY! Shut up, little man... go back to your unwashed masses and let us tell you how, when, where and why you will live!"

You sound like the typical arrogant professor who never really had a real job in his life, drunk in his own narcissistic admiration, looking down his nose at all of the academic morons who are just so beneath his level of existence... so completely devoid of his cornucopia of information and knowledge!

Just remember, mere academics are easily acquired by any and all... real common sense and instinct is not!

You need to take a basic course in paranoid delusion and socialist propaganda. Then maybe we'll all meet in the middle -- instead of way over on the fringe left as you would prefer it!

Your suggestive arrogance is astounding.



Ahh, maybe you should go read up on Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin... Einstein. Take a basic course on those historical statistics. Again, maybe then we can all talk!

"Global warming" -- excuse me, screwed it up again -- "Climate change" is a trumped-up, worldwide farce, aimed at frightening and pounding everyone who listens to the theories and doomsday lamentation into global socialist (progressive... or in all actuality, regressive), atheistic and secular submission.

I have a quote for you... and it's not from Al ( the political wh0r3 ) Gore:

"Professing themselves to be wise they become fools!"

There are just as many accomplished scientists who consider "global climate change" to be little more than the equivalent of fact-free paranoia and deceitful propaganda, as there are those who actually believe it. You cannot prove global whatever-you-would-like-to-call-it-today to be fact... and that is hard fact!

You want to walk around fearing the sky is falling, Henny Penny? Go ahead. Just leave my world of opportunity, societal advancement and liberty alone. Go join a commune, or something.

Furthermore, I can tell you're probably the kind of person who, no matter how many facts anyone throws at you contrary to what you would like to believe, you would still choose to believe your doom and gloom verses of environmental doggerel and world environmentalist propaganda.

I second PaFitter's statement, "Global warming my @$$!"

Go live your life, produce/achieve something, stop frightening people based solely on pointy-headed socialist conspiracies, and please, get out of the way so the world can start advancing once again. (You seem like a smart guy... you figure out "Let the world advance again" for yourself.)

Cheers!

 

LMAO! You mean it was "global warming," until people who actually think through their lives -- as opposed to "feeling" -- are finally seeing through the enviro-BS. So the enviro-munchers decided to cleverly name it "Climate Change." How hilariously convenient!

Funny, these same "environmentalists" told us in the 70's we were going into a "Global Ice Age," Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! It's global socialism we're having a problem with, not so-called global warming or "climate change"! DOH!

Hey, I have "Climate Change" for you... it's called "The Four Seasons." Remember Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall? Lol!



Again, LMAO! If it's warm, it's environmental doom. If it's cold, it's environmental doom! If it's sunny, it's environmental doom! If it's cloudy, it's environmental doom! If it's really hot, it's lip-biting environmental doom! If it's really cold, then it's even worse, head-splitting environmental doom and gloom! Spare us, please!



Well that's at least one thing you've said that is correct. It's so far from being anything remotely resembling a forecast, it's laughable!



Yeah... I know what you mean. Amazing!

 

Gentlemen,gentlemen,stop throwing snow balls at each other. My Global warming statement was a joke. I have lived 58 winters I and I have seen extreme cold,and even summer like conditions in the end of January. In January 2001 I was taking my newly purchased kayak out on our local river in 65 degree weather in shirt sleeves. 2 years later it was -15 and the river was frozen over 4' thick{unheard of}. I don't know the answer,I doubt anyone can really say why we swing so wild . I do know these last 2 snows have been the deepest since I can remember in our area ,which I have been a life long resident. I have a friend in South Carolina that has dug more snow then me up to this point. Our summers here in south east Pa have been cooler in recent record as well. I take what we get,try to reduce my carbon foot print as much as possible,and there will always be winter,spring,summer,and fall as far as I know that will be different in ways no one can explain.

Chill PaFitter

 

My fit, with the tires that it came with stock, is likely one of the WORST cars I've driven in the snow. Downright scary, in fact. In contrast, I bought a 1993 Civic EX coupe for my 16 year old to drive...and for fun, I bought REAL snow tires for it (General Altimax Arctic) and the difference is AMAZING! The other night when we got a healthy dose of snow, I had to take my middle son to his guitar lesson about 10 miles from home, driving on many roads that had very little snow removal done on them. I promise that I was passing all the 4 wheel drive SUV's, changing lanes over deep snow (that usually gets tense with regular tires). It's as stable as a rock. Starting off from a red light, lined up with a 4 wheel drive SUV next to me, I pulled right away from it. Since driving the old civic with the snow tires on it, I have promised myself that as long as I live in the Chicago area, I will NOT be without at least one car with real snow tires on it in the winter time. It's like night and day.....

Warner



PS - I couldn't agree with you MORE, AnnunC8.

 

I just love it when people go postal, throw in a gazillion emoticons for effect, call other posters every name in the book, and then end their post with "Cheers." Yup! Very stable behavior that.

 

Of course it's not man made... Everyone knows it's all those penguins up there sitting on eggs, eating and shitting alla time is what's making the polar ice caps melt! -Sheeesh!

But you and me and Alfred E. Neumann don't hafta worry about it, right? -Because we happen to know that the world is flat, and if the extreme temperature and weather changes caused by global warming should make the oceans rise, why then the water will just overflow the sides of the world and drop off... (Right?)
(-Just like in your bathtub, right?)
Yowser, yowser!!!

 

If we have two teams playing football, and team 1 is crushing team 2 by 40 points, would one interception for team 2 mean they are winning?

No. Just like winter alone, or winter in specific geographic areas, means nothing without saying whether the globe is getting warmer or colder over time. Winter is one part of the year, and is geographically limited in scope...

The implication is that people are taking a single event, or a small scope of the whole picture, and saying "HEY! look at this tiny portion of the overall picture! you are wrong!" A primer on statistics would be helpful for people who think that anecdotes (single or groups of events that do not represent the overall picture) can prove a point.

Why are science and mathematics the fringe left?

Oh. That explains your distaste for objectivity.

Let's pretend disastrous consequences are not in order if we continue on this path. Are you opposed to sustainability, efficiency, economic growth, and the chance for America to become a leader in new economic sectors?

Ahh, so you really do believe that industries, governments, and academia is all in on some massive conspiracy to... (I don't even know what the end goal of such a conspiracy would be.)

Oh well. I'm guessing you don't believe in evolution either?

 

This just in!!

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