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Snow handling?

74K views 61 replies 37 participants last post by  mikemu  
#1 ·
Acadia Owners in the snowy areas, could you please share your experience driving it in snow? Thanks.
 
#2 ·
We only got about an inch last week, so that was no issue for our FWD Acadia. We're being told to expect much more snow in the next few days (DC area), so I'll report on how ours does soon...
 
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#3 ·
We got some real slippery snow today in PA and the vehicle handled great. As a first time AWD owner, I was impressed with my experience. My ownly concern is that I don't want to become too confident in the sure-footedness of the vehicle. Also, I'm anxious to try it out in deep snow. Yesterday I thought of driving up a grassy hill to get out of my office parking lot, but the more logical side of me said to not try it. I don't know how I would have explained to my coworkers how I got hung up on the sidewalk while trying to get back on the road.
 
#6 ·
kjf said:
One thing to remember - AWD will help you start; it will not help you stop. I'm constantly amazed by the way I see people drive. I see 4WD/AWD vehicles off the road all the time when it snows. :eek:

Kelly
agreed.

and the other note: the only thing AWD does for you on ice is make 4 wheels spin instead of 2 :)
 
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#7 ·
Pelle31 said:
kjf said:
One thing to remember - AWD will help you start; it will not help you stop. I'm constantly amazed by the way I see people drive. I see 4WD/AWD vehicles off the road all the time when it snows. :eek:

Kelly
agreed.

and the other note: the only thing AWD does for you on ice is make 4 wheels spin instead of 2 :)
Agreed, but overall body design, weight, brakes play some part too. I will be buying an AWD version, but still interested to hear experiences of both AWD and FWD drivers.
 
#8 ·
kjf said:
One thing to remember - AWD will help you start; it will not help you stop. I'm constantly amazed by the way I see people drive. I see 4WD/AWD vehicles off the road all the time when it snows.  :eek:

Kelly
I definately agree with you that there are a lot of people that make the roads very dangerous just because they have AWD/4WD.  But I disagree with you when you say that AWD/4WD will not help you stop, that all depends on the driver.  Living south of lake erie in the snow belt, there have been many times that I have crawled down hills in 1st gear and 4LO, touch the brakes and you'd be going for a ride.  Severe ice is a totally different story, tire chains or not driving at all are you only safe options.

My advice is to do only one thing at a time in the snow as much as possible... accelerate, decelerate, or turn.  Another thing I suggest is finding an empty AND SAFE snow covered parking lot and test your vehicle.  I'm not saying to go out and do donuts, but just slap on the brakes like you're stopping in an emergency, just so you can learn how your vehicle is going to react and feel in different situations.

Regardless, take it easy and be safe out there.


My mom has had her Acadia in some light snow and said that it went well.  Not really enough to get any impressions good or bad.  They are going to be getting snow, then sleet and ice, then more snow in the next 24 hours, I'll have to get her a call and see how the Acadia did.
 
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#9 ·
bablake said:
I disagree with you when you say that AWD/4WD will not help you stop, that all depends on the driver. Living south of lake erie in the snow belt, there have been many times that I have crawled down hills in 1st gear and 4LO, touch the brakes and you'd be going for a ride. Severe ice is a totally different story, tire chains or not driving at all are you only safe options.
Good point about using low gear to creep down a hill. Still, many people think the 4WD/AWD that can get them going too fast for the conditions will somehow help them stop. Doesn't happen.

Kelly
 
#10 ·
Still waiting for our Acadia with 19" wheels. We purchased Blizzak Snow tires for our Chrysler which has 19" wheels. I did a 360 when I hit an icy patch a few years ago with no warning, going like 25 mph. It was like driving on 4 surf boards with those wheels! It was the next day we purchased the snow tires. Not that they help so much on the ice, but it is a good feeling and they handle snow tremendously. We went with the FWD Acadia, knowing that we will invest in snow tires again next year for safety.
 
#11 ·
bablake said:
kjf said:
One thing to remember - AWD will help you start; it will not help you stop. I'm constantly amazed by the way I see people drive. I see 4WD/AWD vehicles off the road all the time when it snows. :eek:

Kelly
I definately agree with you that there are a lot of people that make the roads very dangerous just because they have AWD/4WD. But I disagree with you when you say that AWD/4WD will not help you stop, that all depends on the driver. Living south of lake erie in the snow belt, there have been many times that I have crawled down hills in 1st gear and 4LO, touch the brakes and you'd be going for a ride. Severe ice is a totally different story, tire chains or not driving at all are you only safe options.

My advice is to do only one thing at a time in the snow as much as possible... accelerate, decelerate, or turn. Another thing I suggest is finding an empty AND SAFE snow covered parking lot and test your vehicle. I'm not saying to go out and do donuts, but just slap on the brakes like you're stopping in an emergency, just so you can learn how your vehicle is going to react and feel in different situations.

Regardless, take it easy and be safe out there.


My mom has had her Acadia in some light snow and said that it went well. Not really enough to get any impressions good or bad. They are going to be getting snow, then sleet and ice, then more snow in the next 24 hours, I'll have to get her a call and see how the Acadia did.
Couldn't agree more with all of you. I also live in the snowbelt south of Lake Erie, and the most important thing about getting around in the snow is caution and good sense. I'm driving a FWD Grand Prix right now, and have passed many a 4WD and AWD in ditches, but I hope to be in an Acadia AWD before next winter, and know it will make my driving chores much easier in the snow. Good luck to all, and keep the rubber side down!
 
#12 ·
Jacko said:
Good luck to all, and keep the rubber side down!
LOL!! Keep the rubber side down..never heard that.
 
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#14 ·
First impressions in the snow....the Acadia handled fine. The conditions outside were 2-3 inches of a very slushy mix making conditions very slick. On straight aways I left the TCS on and disengaged only when I was about to make a turn into a slushy mess to keep those wheels spinning.

Having owned Audis and VWs with full-time all wheel, the Acadia does not rate as high on the "fun-factor". But it is good enough to keep you and the family safe under these conditions.
 
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#15 ·
Why would you switch off TCS for the corners? I would have thought that would be were you need it the most!
 
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#16 ·
Particularly in lightly packed deep snow, you want this off, but I have found the same positive effect applies in mounds of slush. TCS applies brakes to wheels that are slipping. Try to imagine one or more wheels stopping mid-turn....you would slide right into the curb, or even worse, a parked car. :eek:
 
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#17 ·
njgeneral said:
Particularly in lightly packed deep snow, you want this off, but I have found the same positive effect applies in mounds of slush. TCS applies brakes to wheels that are slipping. Try to imagine your wheels stopping mid-turn....you would slide right into the curb, or even worse, a parked car. :eek:
really? I dont believe that? I think TCS is for slippery conditions like this.
 
#18 ·
coopermine said:
njgeneral said:
Particularly in lightly packed deep snow, you want this off, but I have found the same positive effect applies in mounds of slush. TCS applies brakes to wheels that are slipping. Try to imagine your wheels stopping mid-turn....you would slide right into the curb, or even worse, a parked car. :eek:
really? I dont believe that? I think TCS is for slippery conditions like this.
I would try this for yourself if given the chance. Make a turn with and without the TCS engaged and see which mode allows your vehicle to recover quicker. In my experience, TCS ON causes spinout by over compensating with engine cutoff and/or brakes.
 
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#19 ·
Conditions here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains were icy yesterday too. I counted no less than 8 "slip" lights (which indicates my TCS had to intervene) on the way home in my G35, while my wife said the Acadia was very sure footed. No slippage, no problems at all. I'm guessing the extra weight and big tires go a long way to keeping it planted firmly, even with only FWD. So far, I can think of almost nothing negative to say about this thing...
 
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#20 ·
njgeneral said:
coopermine said:
njgeneral said:
Particularly in lightly packed deep snow, you want this off, but I have found the same positive effect applies in mounds of slush. TCS applies brakes to wheels that are slipping. Try to imagine your wheels stopping mid-turn....you would slide right into the curb, or even worse, a parked car. :eek:
really? I dont believe that? I think TCS is for slippery conditions like this.
I would try this for yourself if given the chance. Make a turn with and without the TCS engaged and see which mode allows your vehicle to recover quicker. In my experience, TCS ON causes spinout by over compensating with engine cutoff and/or brakes.
I disagree.
While the traction control systems used several years ago were somewhat abrupt and had the potential to do what you are discribing I found the system in the Acadia(as well as most newer vehicles) to be very well designed. I took an Acadia AWD out for a very spirited drive on snowy roads yesterday and found the traction control system to be anything but abrupt, in fact, I found it very well measured and effective.

From my own personal experience I would reccomend that people keep the TCS on unless they are actualy stuck and need to be able to spin their tires to build momentum and get moving.

Just my opinion, you can take it or leave it as you see fit.
 
#21 ·
admin said:
Conditions here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains were icy yesterday too. I counted no less than 8 "slip" lights (which indicates my TCS had to intervene) on the way home in my G35, while my wife said the Acadia was very sure footed. No slippage, no problems at all. I'm guessing the extra weight and big tires go a long way to keeping it planted firmly, even with only FWD. So far, I can think of almost nothing negative to say about this thing...
is that because your G35 is RWD so it has more slippage on snowy roads?
 
#22 ·
...keep the TCS on unless they are actualy stuck...
[/quote]

TCS off in deep snow is how you prevent from getting stuck in the first place ;) ....much like driving on sand.
 
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#23 ·
coopermine said:
is that because your G35 is RWD so it has more slippage on snowy roads?
Yup, that and quite a bit of HP for its size...
 
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#24 ·
Jacko said:
bablake said:
kjf said:
One thing to remember - AWD will help you start; it will not help you stop. I'm constantly amazed by the way I see people drive. I see 4WD/AWD vehicles off the road all the time when it snows. :eek:

Kelly
I definately agree with you that there are a lot of people that make the roads very dangerous just because they have AWD/4WD. But I disagree with you when you say that AWD/4WD will not help you stop, that all depends on the driver. Living south of lake erie in the snow belt, there have been many times that I have crawled down hills in 1st gear and 4LO, touch the brakes and you'd be going for a ride. Severe ice is a totally different story, tire chains or not driving at all are you only safe options.

My advice is to do only one thing at a time in the snow as much as possible... accelerate, decelerate, or turn. Another thing I suggest is finding an empty AND SAFE snow covered parking lot and test your vehicle. I'm not saying to go out and do donuts, but just slap on the brakes like you're stopping in an emergency, just so you can learn how your vehicle is going to react and feel in different situations.

Regardless, take it easy and be safe out there.


My mom has had her Acadia in some light snow and said that it went well. Not really enough to get any impressions good or bad. They are going to be getting snow, then sleet and ice, then more snow in the next 24 hours, I'll have to get her a call and see how the Acadia did.
Couldn't agree more with all of you. I also live in the snowbelt south of Lake Erie, and the most important thing about getting around in the snow is caution and good sense. I'm driving a FWD Grand Prix right now, and have passed many a 4WD and AWD in ditches, but I hope to be in an Acadia AWD before next winter, and know it will make my driving chores much easier in the snow. Good luck to all, and keep the rubber side down!
I have been driving my 98 Grand Prix GT coupe for the past nine years. I have only become stuck in the snow with it once...and that was because the snow on the road was higher than bottom of the car. My FWD Grand Prix has always performed well in the snow...but that is also due to the fact that I drive slower and make sure that I have plenty of tread on my tires before winter. However, we may be moving to Buffalo in a few years...so I might be in the market for the Acadia instead of the G8 that I was hoping to purchase. My wife is a physician...so she needs to do her rounds at the hospital in the morning...regardless of the weather.
 
#25 ·
Acadia comes with StabiliTrak Stability Control. This is from GM web site:
" Stability enhancement systems help drivers maintain control of vehicles during certain low traction driving conditions such as ice, snow, gravel, wet pavement and uneven road surfaces; as well as in emergency lane changes or avoidance maneuvers.

How StabiliTrak® Works

The StabiliTrak® system works by recognizing wheel skid. Sensors detect the difference between the steering wheel angle and the direction the driver is actually turning by "reading" the steering wheel position, the amount of sideways force in play, vehicle speed and the vehicle's response to steering wheel input.

The system then uses the brakes to enhance control of the vehicle's direction and to help keep it on course. It automatically reduces the engine torque and applies precise amounts of pressure to front right or left brakes to help keep the vehicle on track. These brake and engine interventions help realign the vehicle's actual path with that being steered by the driver."

More at: http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/safety/avoid_crash/new_features/stabilitrak.html
 
#26 ·
I was only able to test drive a FWD while debating trading in my 4x4 full size GMC for the Acadia. Wouldn't you know it the night i took it home we got a nice inch of snow, just enough to make the roads slick.

I gave the FWD a nice test, from a dead stop at a stop and go light, turning right. There weren't any vehicles in the area I was headed, so I just gave it a fair amount of gas (I didn't put it to the floor...) and the Acaida just took me in the direction i wanted to go with little slippage and the backend didn't even start to come around.

Needless to say I was VERY impressed. I've NEVER driven a FWD vehicle that handled like that in the snow.

Once I knew the FWD acted that well in the snow, I knew the AWD would be even better, if that's possible...

Only benefit I see with the AWD is getting going in deeper snow. Also I noticed when I got my AWD it cornered slightly better. You don't get as much of the feeling that the back end is getting a little loose, as I did with the FWD version. But, I was pushing her pretty hard to even notice the difference!!!

Jon
 
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