I Have A 2003 Cts 1sc Fully Loaded....car Is Horrific In Snow. My Lease Is Up In A Few Months Wanted Ot Get The Srx...how Is It In The Snow?.,.

Where do you live? What kind of snow conditions do you experience?

I can attest to the fact that the AWD SRX's handling characteristics are superlative on wet, icy, and snowy conditions - even deep snow. The OEM tires, OTOH, are just okay - will be more than adequate for the initial winter but I'd put something more suitable to winter conditions once the tires have some wear on them. But I don't know of an AWD vehicle that comes out of the box with a better all season tire - so, the same thing would apply regardless of what you replace your CTS with.

Frankly, I've never had a more secure winter ride than this SRX.

I live in Ontario, Canada and we have had a horrid start to winter - including 4 freezing rain storms so far. The SRX has responded to all conditions with poise.

I have the two wheel drive 2005 SRX, and live in upstate NY. I have to say this car is amazing in the snow and ice. This last storm, cars were all over the road, and my SRX just went down the road no problems. Arround some icy corners, the rear end started to slide, but the computers brought it right back in line. MUCH better that my 2004 CTS that I still have.

My V6 SRX AWD has been amazing in the snow! Living in Montreal, Canada with tons of snow in the winter definately warrants winter tires. Have put on Pirelli's for the winter and can't believe the ease with which the SRX plows thru anything! No skidding, swerving, nor stuck in any snow.

Don't know if it's the AWD, snow tires, traction control/stabilitrak or combination of all but I have never had such an great winter drive! My previous drive was Volvo wagon/volvo winter tires and there is no comparison.

I have the two wheel drive 2005 SRX, and live in upstate NY. I have to say this car is amazing in the snow and ice. This last storm, cars were all over the road, and my SRX just went down the road no problems. Arround some icy corners, the rear end started to slide, but the computers brought it right back in line. MUCH better that my 2004 CTS that I still have.


Do you have a 6 cylinder or a V8? I am thinking the AWD option is a waste considering there are only about 6 days a year that AWD is needed. Roads around Chicago are plowed and salted constantly. All of the SRX's on dealer lots have the AWD option. I would rather spend the money on an ultraview sunroof. I would be able to use the ultraview 6 or 7 months a year.

My V6 SRX AWD has been amazing in the snow! Living in Montreal, Canada with tons of snow in the winter definately warrants winter tires. Have put on Pirelli's for the winter and can't believe the ease with which the SRX plows thru anything! No skidding, swerving, nor stuck in any snow.

Don't know if it's the AWD, snow tires, traction control/stabilitrak or combination of all but I have never had such an great winter drive! My previous drive was Volvo wagon/volvo winter tires and there is no comparison.

It's all of the above. My wife's FWD '00 Bonneville has all speed traction control but no stability control. With its winter tires (Nokians) and the SRX AWD with its stock tires, the latter is only somewhat better than the former. Where I notice the difference is under hard acceleration in slush (don't get alarmed - I just do that where I can't get into trouble and only to push the car's limits). Where the Bonneville with winter boots will track straight as a die, the SRX will wander ever so slightly to one side or the other. Sure they'll both move off the mark quickly and surefootedly, I have to watch the throttle on the SRX or I'd risk creeping into the lane beside me. Of course, that could be something to do with the V8... :rolleyes: By the way, I'm near Ottawa so our winters are pretty comparable (i.e. pretty cruddy so far...).

Do you have a 6 cylinder or a V8? I am thinking the AWD option is a waste considering there are only about 6 days a year that AWD is needed. Roads around Chicago are plowed and salted constantly. All of the SRX's on dealer lots have the AWD option. I would rather spend the money on an ultraview sunroof. I would be able to use the ultraview 6 or 7 months a year.

The AWD is great. It works great in snowy as well as wet conditions. Get the roof and the AWD.

The AWD is great. It works great in snowy as well as wet conditions. Get the roof and the AWD.

I would agree that AWD is not for everybody but I'd chime in with Johnz here - I'm quite happy that I bought the AWD version. It's not just the main roads (as they, like in Chicago, are plowed and salted pretty quickly), but it's the sidestreets, parking lots, and the backroads near the ski slopes. Besides, AWD is wonderful in heavy rain - something that they don't plow all that quickly... ;)

I'm not a fan of sunroofs but liked the one on the SRX. I didn't get it in the end but it is impressive. Adds weight to the car though - as does the AWD - and both will slow your 0-60 times.

If that means anything to you...:rolleyes2

I'm not a fan of sunroofs but liked the one on the SRX. I didn't get it in the end but it is impressive. Adds weight to the car though - as does the AWD - and both will slow your 0-60 times.

If that means anything to you...:rolleyes2


I dont think, the sunroof would dramatically alter the cars weight to a point where it would affect your 0-60...the awd does, but i just cant get the whole sunroof comment...seems wrong to me...:suspect:

I dont think, the sunroof would dramatically alter the cars weight to a point where it would affect your 0-60...the awd does, but i just cant get the whole sunroof comment...seems wrong to me...:suspect:

Apologies - I forget where I read that assessment. But the three major SRX accleration culprits were identified as a) AWD; b) the Ultra roof; and c) the 3rd row seat - the latter two because of the added weight. The conclusion was that one shouldn't be expecting sub-7 0-60 times with the V8 and all three of these options. Makes some sense to me but certainly don't want to vouch for it either... :halo:

I did find one source (not the one I originally read) where the weight of these options is mentioned.

From Car And Driver (Sept. '03):

Indeed, the SRX's needle swishes by 60 mph in a glib 6.6 seconds. The all-wheel-drive FX45 is fleeter in the class at 6.3 seconds, but the SRX catches it again at the quarter-mile for a 15-flat tie. The X5 4.4i and the VW Touareg, with its 310-hp V-8, will be trailing the SRX to 60 mph by 0.1 and 0.9 second, respectively.
Of course, our rear-drive Caddy had a weight and drivetrain advantage. At 4429 pounds, this "lightly" optioned SRX undercuts a nearly loaded FX45 by just 68 pounds. Stuff the SRX with all-wheel drive, a third row of seats, and the 100-pound glass UltraView sunroof, and expect the Cadillac's curb weight to compress our scales at something closer to the X5 4.4i's 4900 pounds.

And Automobile makes a reference to the weight issue as well:
In a Cadillac TV commercial, a man is driving his SRX in complete silence until he stops and allows the sound to catch up to him. While this may be a bit of a stretch, the SRX V-8 is scorching fast for an SUV-and, indeed, it can hold its own in almost any company. Our test car was mysteriously free of the heavy "Ultraview" sunroof that provides five square feet of open-air scenery, despite the fact that this sunroof is allegedly standard. Did GM send us a ringer? We considered strapping an intern to the roof to compensate for the missing weight, but liability issues quashed that idea.
Neither of these seem to me to be the article I recalled. I read a lot on the SUVs/wagons I researched and I've perhaps blended thoughts from one with another and reached conclusions I ought not to have. In the end, it's not important for this thread as it has little to do with snow worthiness. ;)

good call noreaster, i wouldnt have thought the roof would weigh some 100 odd pounds...i can imagine the awd option adding extra weight but i was wrong about the sunroof. IMO, the coolness of the sunroof is priceless, and its worth the extra weight it adds to the car, and the extra weight it takes from your pocket.

WOW, 100lbs, and consider that it is on TOP, making for even poorer handling. (Like adding 300 to the bottom !!)

Glad I do not have an UV roof on my V8...

Also no squeeks ..

SYROB

Here are the links to the articles I quoted earlier:

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/0411_lr3_srx/

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=6980&page_number=1

I genuinely like the SRX's Ultra roof and it was almost enough to overcome my typical aversion to them (I decry their headroom-robbing qualities and can't seem to forget the leaky one in my old Volvo 740). The extra weight wasn't at all a factor - I'm not stoplight racing anyway... :halo:

Glad I do not have an UV roof on my V8...

SYROB

Anyone notice that the UV roof is standard on the V8's for '05? I'd have a v8 if not for that (I'm 6'8" and need all the headroom....)

Jim

Anyone notice that the UV roof is standard on the V8's for '05? I'd have a v8 if not for that (I'm 6'8" and need all the headroom....)

Jim

One of the reasons why I bought an '04. I'm only 6'2" (but longer in body than leg). The headroom is good in my non-UV '04 but I find I have to drive in town with the sun visor rotated to the left so that I don't have to stoop forward to see traffic lights change. I don't know why they didn't recess that bugger more...

Same here, 6'5" and more torso than leg. Love the headroom compared to all others out there.

Concerning snow tires. I wonder if getting RWD and four good snows is almost as good as AWD with the wimpy OEM.

RWD with 4 snows over AWD with OEM would:

1.) save gas.
2.) faster car.
3.) cost less.
4.) less to break.
5.) Handel better in snow than AWD OEM (braking, turning etc.)
6.) Handel better in dry (less weight ?) or poorer (snows not as grippy in dry ?, BTW my Dunlops feel great in the dry on my AWD).
7.) Nearly the same "go traction" as AWD OEM ??

Syrob

Same here, 6'5" and more torso than leg. Love the headroom compared to all others out there.

Concerning snow tires. I wonder if getting RWD and four good snows is almost as good as AWD with the wimpy OEM.

RWD with 4 snows over AWD with OEM would:

1.) save gas.
2.) faster car.
3.) cost less.
4.) less to break.
5.) Handel better in snow than AWD OEM (braking, turning etc.)
6.) Handel better in dry (less weight ?) or poorer (snows not as grippy in dry ?, BTW my Dunlops feel great in the dry on my AWD).
7.) Nearly the same "go traction" as AWD OEM ??

Syrob

I don't the the RWD would have near the traction of the AWD w/oem tires. The AWD gets up and goes in a hurry in the snow IMO. I don't think the oem's are that bad. I think they handle quite well in the snow but I guess I have nothing to compare them to..

Did you try your oem's in the snow before you bought the Dunlops? Are they "snow" tires or all seasons?

I don't the the RWD would have near the traction of the AWD w/oem tires. The AWD gets up and goes in a hurry in the snow IMO. I don't think the oem's are that bad. I think they handle quite well in the snow but I guess I have nothing to compare them to..

Did you try your oem's in the snow before you bought the Dunlops? Are they "snow" tires or all seasons?

All the tests that I've read about tires show that RWD with snow tires will approximately equal AWD with all-season tires in acceleration, and will trounce the AWD setup in braking and turning. Of course, AWD with snow tires is even better.

I'll admit, I didn't try the SRX in the snow before deciding to go with winter tires. I did drive my A4 quattro AWD with its stock performance tires on snow for one winter before wisely switching to winter tires. Despite the AWD, the A4 was downright scary in snow. It had no ability to stop whatsoever. So I tried winter tires for the first time. It was such a dramatic improvement that I'll never go back to non-winter tires on snow again if possible. The car was transformed into a snow-eating machine that easily drove my wife and I home over 80 miles in the President's Day blizzard a couple of years ago (well, except that ground clearance started to be an issue at the end).

Perhaps the SRX's OEM tires are better in snow than the ones on the A4, but I'm so confident of the winter tire setup that I think it's worth the money.

PS. Getting back to the very first poster's question, I'd bet the SRX will be fantastic in the snow but we've had a very warm winter and I haven't had to find out. However, I believe that how a car handles snow is 85% dependent on the tires and only 15% on the car. I bet your CTS would be fine in snow with the right tires.

I don't the the RWD would have near the traction of the AWD w/oem tires...

Did you try your oem's in the snow before you bought the Dunlops? Are they "snow" tires or all seasons?

Only in 1 inch for an hour. Were OK, but breaking was much better with the Dunlop M2 WT snows.

I WISH I could find a really nice SUMMER only tire for the 18" rims, good ride, low noise, great rain, outrageous traction in dry and a total disaster in snow..

Syrob

I have a pickup truck with 4 wheel drive.It has an Autotrac option whereit will pick into 4 if the rears start to slip.
the tires are all terrain
With the truck in the Autotrac truck holds road in ice, snow, and rain. I just 2 wheel mode the ass end is all over the place.
So I would think a SRX in AWD would be great in snow

All the tests that I've read about tires show that RWD with snow tires will approximately equal AWD with all-season tires in acceleration, and will trounce the AWD setup in braking and turning. Of course, AWD with snow tires is even better.

I'll admit, I didn't try the SRX in the snow before deciding to go with winter tires. I did drive my A4 quattro AWD with its stock performance tires on snow for one winter before wisely switching to winter tires. Despite the AWD, the A4 was downright scary in snow. It had no ability to stop whatsoever. So I tried winter tires for the first time. It was such a dramatic improvement that I'll never go back to non-winter tires on snow again if possible. The car was transformed into a snow-eating machine that easily drove my wife and I home over 80 miles in the President's Day blizzard a couple of years ago (well, except that ground clearance started to be an issue at the end).

Perhaps the SRX's OEM tires are better in snow than the ones on the A4, but I'm so confident of the winter tire setup that I think it's worth the money.

PS. Getting back to the very first poster's question, I'd bet the SRX will be fantastic in the snow but we've had a very warm winter and I haven't had to find out. However, I believe that how a car handles snow is 85% dependent on the tires and only 15% on the car. I bet your CTS would be fine in snow with the right tires.

I would concur 100%

Only in 1 inch for an hour...

There's medication for that now...:rolleyes:

There's medication for that now...:rolleyes:

Well, I did own a 1979 T/A 400 4 speed manual, do you think I was compensating for something ?

Syrob

Well, I did own a 1979 T/A 400 4 speed manual, do you think I was compensating for something ?

Syrob

LOL!

I won't get into the rwd snows vs awd all seasons, but I will comment on how my awd does with the stock michelins. I have had my V6 AWD 05 up to my Mammoth Lakes Cabin for 20 days this winter. It has performed great both in 15 inches of new snow on the private drive or on the main roads around town.:bouncy:

What I have learned in a deep snow conditions is when the traction control kicks in you need to add a lot more throttle, as it seems to down manage the power when engaged. By doing this it tends to keep going much better.

Any others have similar experience.

Overall I am extremely happy with the snow performance and the ride quality.

What I have learned in a deep snow conditions is when the traction control kicks in you need to add a lot more throttle, as it seems to down manage the power when engaged. By doing this it tends to keep going much better.

It depends on what you want to do. When the traction control kicks in, it's the car's way of telling you that there's danger down there. If you assess it as not significant and you want to keep moving forward at speed, by all means open the throttle - just do it gently or you'll just be asking for the traction control to pull it back anyway. OTOH, if there are a lot of other cars around and speed isn't of the essence, keep the throttle as-is - the car will pick up once the wheels re-establish traction.