No problem...

Around here, there are a lot of guys with their big 4X4's thinking that they can can plow through everything and they are usually the ones, as you say, "impede the progress of those who can move".

I figured that the heavier 300 would do very well. I'm glad I didn't get the Magnum.

 

The old joke is that the drivers in the 4x4's who think that they can drive through everything are the ones found in the fields farthest from the road when they slide off the road.

 

I bought my Crossfire with new Suminoto(SP?) summer performance tires on it. First time it snowed I thought I'd test it on the icy, snowiy roads....BIG mistake! Amost NO traction. It was like trying to drive with bald tires.

I bought a set of Goodyear F1 All season tires as soon as I was able to drive to Mr. Tire and put 2 sixty pounds sand tubes from Home Depot in the front of the hatchback floor and the differenc was dramatic! I could even drive up my slightly steep snow covered drive with no slippage.

Would I go out into a blizzard, hell no. But if I was on a trip, and got caught unexpectedly in a haeavy snowfall, I would feel confident I would make it home. The F1 A/S are not Blizzaks, but the next best all season alternative for year round driving in Cleveland, Ohio weather.

 

My '05 hasn't seen any rain since I brought her home for the first time last April and definitely will NOT see any snow ever!

Monty

 

Tried out my Blizzaks in the snow & ice today. The car did very well. The traction control kicked in a few times, but nothing from the ESP. They were not cheap, but well worth the money. Common sense + the right equipment = no problems!

She's my daily driver too. Snow & ice, like it or not. They won't melt if they get wet!

 

so what if you hit a guardrail in the snow, the car will bounce right off without a scratch trust me i know i made it thru last winter with one summer tire in the rear left and the right rear tire being only a rain tire only the front tires were all season. which means i made it thru a new england winter with one summer tire i wont count the other tire considering it did nothing but hold the car upright. i can only imagine what a difference snow tires would do ive driven the crossfire in really bad snow driving situations i have no choice. the only choice i have to make is whether i will spend 475$ on decembers car payment or winter tires, i made the wrong decision last winter, but survived keyword "survived" i cant stress enough how bad our winters get here. another winter decision im going to have to make is whether to put sand in the trunk or not in order to save a little in mpg's. tough decisions, tough car, tough winter.

 

Here in N.E WI we just received roughly 15" of snow in our first blizzard in some time. Since my wife has to get to work I left her the kamikaze "winter mobile", the Merc. Cougar & took the '04 to work instead.
Now don't get me wrong, I didn't drive the '04 during the height of the blizzard - I swiped one of the company vans to get around town - but the car did pretty darn good considering only the highways & main roads were plowed. With the Dunlop Winter Sports on all 4 corners & about 150 lbs. of rock (I polish & work with rock for a hobby & ALWAYS have lots of it lying around) in the back (in boxes!) it performed well.
Now, with temps. dropping to single digits & below zero for the next couple of days it will be interesting to see how well it does on frozen snowy roads! So far, so good!!!

 

Thanks everyone! Especially you hardy northern folk... I believe that this thread is covering the winter capabilities of the Crossfire very well. I personally feel a lot better about driving mine in all sorts of conditions.

 

Hey, Kurts. I've been in Fond du Lac all week on business with my Audi A6. It ate up the snow, sleet, and ice. I followed a Ford Explorer yesterday that was spinning it's wheels and sliding, and my A6 never varied from straight ahead. There is no way in heck I would ever have my XF out in this weather. I know it could move, but not safely and not without spinning and sliding. And I would be petrified that some bonehead would run into it, let alone getting it all covered in salt.

 

I agree, Goldwing, have been driving the wife's Deville all week which also goes great in the snow. Have no desire to get snow or salt on my XF

 

I agree that the Crossfire should be preserved by never driving in snow and salt, When I was young, I always had a "winter beater" so my collector cars could be stored for the winter.

Now I'm retired and can literly not drive until the roads are dry. Then again, I can use my wife's ES350 Lexus with front wheel drive when it snows.

The point is the Crossfire, with good all season tires on it, can be driven with reasonable safety on moderatly snow covered roads.

 

I know I may catch some heat here, but I drive my XF everyday BECAUSE I love it so much. I had a nice daily driver that I was going to use during the winter when I bought my XF, it sat in the garage and did not move for 2 months. Rain, sleet, or shine I WANTED to drive the XF - so I do - everyday. And everyday, it puts a nice smile on my face. I would also guarantee (even with salt and snow) that my daily driver XF is still cleaner than 95% of owners out there. Do I have to make extra allowances for cleaning and sometimes get creative when it is freezing out there, yes, but I enjoy driving it everyday that much.

Just so you know, the girlfriend drives a full size SUV so if it gets really bad, I can take her car....

hasn't happened yet

You guys be sure to keep those garage queens nice and clean with low miles, I am going to need to buy a nice SRT in about a year or so

 

I couldn't have said it better.

 

Nice time for a trip to Fondy, Goldwing !
B4 I purchased either Crossfire I drove the Cougar around when I was still a field engineer. On the way home one evening in January many years ago I watched as an Explorer slowly drifted off the road on a patch of that ice that forms on windy, sunny days - you know the kind, super slippery & downright scary - right into a road sign. I slowly pulled off the road & stomped through the snow drifts to see if she was OK. She mentioned she had 4 wheel drive engaged & thought that would help her out.
Oops...didn't have the heart to tell her that 4 wheel drive on ice ain't such a good idea. Meanwhile the Cougar went through it no problem.
I think SUV's are problematic simply because the drivers assume that they can go through anything.
Glad you made it back in one piece. I hear that Hwy. 41 was downright treacherous in spots.