Looking at a getting a Mustang...

skip the all seasons and get a set of dedicated snow tires... I had a set of Blizzaks on my 02 GT and the car went through some very hard michigan winters! They were simply amazing!

I live north of Boston MA, in a hilly town, and I use my '98 5-speed Mustang GT summer and winter, without problems.

I have a set of four snows, mounted on cheapo steel wheels, and I change over before and after winter. I strongly advise snows on rear *and* front, for starting *and* steering'n'stopping.

You might also consider adding some weight to the rear, with sandbags or the like in the trunk. I don't bother, but GTs are kinda front-heavy.

On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 16:54:02 -0500, "Branden Nelsen" wrote something wonderfully witty:

Driving a RWD car in the snow is definitely a different experience then FWD or 4WD. It takes patience, practice and the right tires. Having a manual transmission will help as well. I would skip the All Seasons and head straight to dedicated Snow Tires if your snow sticks around for more then a day at a time.

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rims and mount snow tires on them. So when it snows, simply swap the rear wheels.

Snows on the rear only is a great solution for folks that want help getting started but not stopped. Oh, and did I mention steering?

Depending on the average amount of snow you get, the Mustang might be driveable on a regular basis. In the Cincinnati, OH, area, we get a limited amount, with some of the deeper snows being in the 6-8" range. I have driven my Mustangs ('94 GT, '96 SVT Cobra, '00 GT, '03 Mach 1) when the snow depth has been 5" or less on all-season tires with 140lbs of sand in the trunk. I have been able to get around reasonably well, although I do have some trouble on the hills. I personally would use snow tires if the number of days of snow during the winter were greater than 20 and the average depth was 6". Beyond that, 4WD vehicles with snow tires might be more likely to work more consistently.

Good luck!

Branden Nelsen wrote:

i live in Montreal, and i have had a 93, 96 and a 01 mustang - all with the V8. Montreal gets snow - but not as much as in the past. is your area in a snow belt? regardless, i have driven my mustangs in the snow on occasion at the beginning and the end of the summer seasons when i was caught. my 01 Gt had trax control - but it was very average. from my experience, it is a hard car to drive. its low, front heavy and there isnt enough weight behind the rear wheels. my 98 camaro had more weight back there and was much much more stable. if you do thise with the mustang, get four clunky snow tires (15inchers) and slap them on some steel wheels. you will have to master the second gear start, and get used to cornering in neutral. i never use cruise control when it is even close to freezing temp either, i have hit ice and lost the tail a few times (when driving along an arrow straight road). it was a lot of fun. my best advice to you... for the money yo uare spending, get a cheaper, low mile 5.0 lx 90-93 convertible to use in the summer. with the rest you plan to spend, buy a winter beater - like a subaru loyale, or old toyota pickup truck with RWD. that will help you gtet used to the RWD sensation. it is safer to get a winter/summer combo then run a

01 all year. lastly, if the car you are looking at is a winter driven car, i would avoid it. check the rear quarters for fill around the wheel well - that is where they all seem to get screwed up in winter driving. harry in montreal