There have been a few posts recently about winter driving and winter tires. Two days ago I drove The Highway From Hell (at least that is what the Discovery Channel calls it in its program about the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia, Canada). The highway is in the Cascade Mountain range and goes from almost sea level to over 4000 feet high in about 25 miles with grades of 9-10 %. 50 miles before the Coquihalla I drive in freezing rain that deposited 3/8 of an inch of ice on the front of my Maxima. Even with extremely slippery roads, the car, with winter tires, performed well and I averaged approximately 55 miles an hour, although the front sonar was not happy. As I started up the mountain the freezing rain changed to heavy snow and at the steepest sections there was 6-7 inches of snow on the road. The Maxima was flawless assisted by the traction control system that worked hard all the way up the hill. Some transport trucks had to be pulled by wreckers up the steepest grades. I was probably aided by having three passengers and a trunk full of luggage.

The Maxima, along with excellent winter tires and years of mountain winter driving experience made this demanding driving experience very manageable. The most challenging part of the drive was keeping the windshield and wipers clear from ice during the freezing rain.

I am confident of the Maxima in some of the worst winter driving conditions.

As a side note, I have not gone with a smaller winter tire size like many on this forum have as I have the original 245/45R18.

 

This is all good to hear 240. Thanks for posting good details. I DO NOT have winter tires here in Ohio as we do not get a large amount of snow and I have not found it necessary to use snow tires for the last 40 years. Last night we got about 1". While the MaxSL did okay out on the unplowed roads it took me 3 times to get up my driveway. With the old '07 Altima I could just make a run for it and let my momentum get me up there, even with worn tires. Thing is, with the Max it is much lower in front and I hesitated to make a run up the driveway for fear of damaging the front end on the sloped curb. I placed a long 2 x 4 at the lip of the curb so the front end would not hit the curb so hard, and took a half-hearted run at the driveway and managed to get her up there without scraping the front end. It kills me to think I may have to keep her parked out at the curb in a heavier snowfall, instead of her nice warm garage.

 

I have winter tyres here in Ontario and the Maxima has been pretty good. I’ve only had a couple of times that I’ve had problems. I didn’t get stuck but I lost traction while reversing out of driveways and it took a few more revs and a few more seconds before it started moving. The tyres make a huge difference. I drove a 7th gen during a snow storm and I was scared as it had no traction, even at really slow speeds.

 

I appreciate your report, 240. Especially the part about the tire sizing. I just turned 27500 miles on my Platinum and I expect the all season stock tires might go at least 40 K. That said - I am struggling with the Illinois snow we have gotten so far. Traction is very hard to come by on an icy 3 inch blast of snow . (It did seem better last winter when my tires were not as worn) It may be that we will need those winter tires after all in order to survive around here. It does not help along with the very minimal road clearance on these cars too.

What brand/model of winter tires did you go with? Pricing and origin of tires you recommend?

 

I ride on Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. In Canada they are not cheap at approximately $300 a tire. However, it is easy to justify the cost when you consider the snow we receive some winters and I live in the mountains. There is no comparison between an all-season and a dedicated winter tire.

 

Good to hear the Max performed well in winter. It if I still lived in a wintery state, I think I'd just get a second car reserved for bad weather. Maybe a jeep with big knobby tires. I'd hate to get my max all iced up and covered with salt. Blech

The low clearance alone would be enough to make we want to leave it at home. I have trouble with some steep driveways even in good weather

 

In the part of Canada I live they use virtually no salt, well in other parts of Canada like Quebec it is a saltfest. One thing I have done on all may Maximas is put on after-market mud flaps for the winter months so sand that the maintenance crews put on the roads does not "sand blast" the side of my car. Also I am often amazed how steep a snowy sloop my 6th, 7th and 8th generation Maximas have been able to climb using the traction control system in the car.

 

Info is much appreciated. I had never heard of that tire model. I may just get a second set of wheels (not just rims) along with these tires.

 

Incredible. I have driven from Vancouver, BC to Whistler and back a few times but never in the dead of winter. I can't imagine it with significant snow on the road.

 

It's like anything, when you grow up doing something it just becomes second nature. The last place I want to be driving in any decent amount of snow is Vancouver. They may go years without any measurable snow so when they do, like last winter, most drivers are highly inexperienced and have one strategy..."peddle to the medal"....which of course is the wrong thing to do.

 

I have always had a dedicated set of wheels with my winter tires mounted. I have my winters mounted on OEM wheels from my 2006 Maxima that was rear-ended and totalled over 3 years ago. Can't bear to have to look at my Maxima with winter tires on it, without decent wheels.

 

I bought 17” Continental Winter Contact Si tyres and an extra set of cheap rims.