Hi,
I have been a caddy person for over 12 years now and always drove the big boys (Seville, DeVille, Eldo). My lease is up and I am considering the new CTS. Am I crazy? I am very afraid of the snow and the car being rear wheel drive. The dealors all say it is fine, but I tend to not put a sales person on the top of my trusting list. Any help you can give me???
Chloe 23

Ive heard mixed results about the CTS on snow...

As any lighter RWD car, your choice in tires will prove wether you get stuck or not... WINTER tires are ESSENTIAL!! All seasons are CRUCIAL

My Q45 is a bit heavier than the CTS, and with all seasons it was TERRIBLE.. With the studded snows its a DREAM.. it would take any FWD car on, no doubt... I feel real safe in it.....

Doesn't the CTS have traction control? That should help. Even though my 4,000 lb. Grand Marquis was heavy, it was awful in the snow and ice. My 4.9 is a totally different animal. It is just like summertime with this thing! Wes is right, you can't get any better than studded.

Yeah, CTS does have traction control, and also a Winter transmission mode (automatic only) That starts you in 3rd gear to minimize wheel slip. Plus, a word of caution with studded tyres... some states dont allow them! You'll have to check on it. Bridgestone Blizzak's are the best if you cant do studs, had them on a 1993 G20 Full size Conversion van in MN once, they were sweet

Another advantage is , you can put sand bags in the trunk to put more weight on the rear wheels to get more traction; kinda works kinda doesnt. Best combo'd with true snow tyres from Bridgestone or whoever.

With FWD's sand bags dont work in the back, there have been stories of mostly dumb Civic owners doing this, and even in the front too; putting sand bags in the engine compartment :tisk: . Lol.

:histeric:

Besides all this, it should do fairly well if you have it properly set up right. As with any other car, if you have the right equipment it should get you though the winter.

Yeah, CTS does have traction control, and also a Winter transmission mode (automatic only) That starts you in 3rd gear to minimize wheel slip. Plus, a word of caution with studded tyres... some states dont allow them! You'll have to check on it. Bridgestone Blizzak's are the best if you cant do studs, had them on a 1993 G20 Full size Conversion van in MN once, they were sweet

Another advantage is , you can put sand bags in the trunk to put more weight on the rear wheels to get more traction; kinda works kinda doesnt. Best combo'd with true snow tyres from Bridgestone or whoever.

With FWD's sand bags dont work in the back, there have been stories of mostly dumb Civic owners doing this, and even in the front too; putting sand bags in the engine compartment :tisk: . Lol.

:histeric:

Besides all this, it should do fairly well if you have it properly set up right. As with any other car, if you have the right equipment it should get you though the winter.

Maybe some Civic drivers think they have rear-wheel drive :confused: :D Up here, they don't allow studs after April, I think. They rip-up the roads pretty good, but then, so does salt IMO. All seasons are adequate if people would just slow down a little when it's icy.

Chloe. How old are you and where do you live? How many snow and more importantly icy driving days do you face each winter? Have you ever driven a rear wheel drive car on snow or ice before? I would like to hear the answers to these questions before giving you an opinion.

Tim

Welcome Chloe!

Your not nuts! You ask very good questions. Heres the deal. You live in a Chicago suburb and have done so for the last 12 years? You already have the driving skills you needed to drive a RWD in winter! The three easy rules to driving in the winter weather is (1)reduce your speed, (2) leave plenty of room to stop and (3) plan your turns carefully. Getting some good snow tires will definately raise the odds in your favor. I run TOYO Proxyes TPT's year round and my Concours gets around great. TOYO also makes a snow tire with ground up walnut shells mixed in with the rubber. My BMW friend swears by them.
PS: Leave extra, extra room behind SUV'S they tend to tip over while the driver is looking for the 4-wheel stop button!

Good luck shopping!
Paul