Up here in Nova Scotia we are having a snowstorm and I just realized how good the Max is in the snow!! Got a set of Hankook snow tires and this thing is a beast, even on inclines!! Must be the CVT combined with the traction control that makes it so good!! Pulling away its spins for a sec then it's like starting out in 3rd gear on a standard!! Awesome!!

 

Maximas are good in the snow but so are most front wheel drive cars. My 4th Gen with fairly narrow 16 inch tires was much better than my 7th Gen with wider 19" low profile tires. I bet having snow tires helps a lot also.

 

My 2009 SV does great in snow with 18"goodyear eagles at 1/2 tread!

 

my 12' is on the stock RSA's for now and have not done bad in the lil snow storm that just hit virginia i will be upgrading those tho

 

Just had a snow storm here in nyc and my max has continental contiprocontacts and was really good in keeping the car straight but the brake traction sucks the traction light kept coming on and braking took long time

 

my max is on the original tires and properly inflated, it does HORRIBLE in the snow... I got caught in snow the other day and was being passed by honda civics... I typically just drive my avalanche when I know we have snow in the forcast.

 

I think the tires make all the difference.

I've found my Maxima to be just OK in the snow with the stock 18" RSA's. My 2009 was pretty terrible - tons of wheel spin, the VDC kicking in, poor stopping on snow. I eventually replaced them with Conti Extreme Contact DWS, but never actually got to use them in snow.

For some reason my 2012 is moderately better with the same stock tires. The traction is a bit better but not at all great. Last year in the big snow storm on the East Coast traffic stopped on an steep incline and I was sure I would not get going. To my surprise I was able to make it up the hill. In this recent storm the traction on packed snow is marginal in both starting and stopping. Lots of noise from the ABS system kicking in.

When these tires wear out I'll put on something better. Probably not the Contis again - I never much liked the handling of those.

 

Tires DO make the world of difference! A good set of winter tires would do miracles for this car. My 14' max did surprisingly well in the snow with falken all-season tires. It did have wheel spin but I didn't get stuck most importantly. When I put winter tires on my RWD BMW 750, it was a night/day difference in the snow!

Invest in a decent set of winter tires and you'll be amazed by how much of a difference it makes! IMO

 

Yeh most FWD cars are better in the snow etc but the bigger wheels/tire width help as well I'm sure.

 

I test drove a 2013 Maxima during a snowfall and it was horrible - I was so nervous. I inched my way past a multi-car crash on the highway after I almost slid into another car. My cars have winter tyres and always will as long as I live in the great white north.

 

We had 3 inches of snow down here in middle Georgia Tuesday, and we knew my wife's Ford pickups would not go in the snow (very little weight over the rear drive wheels). So we have been scooting around in the snow and ice in my '09 Maxima for several days. Still have the OEM RS-A tires with only 4/11ths of tread depth left, but, so far, we have had no trouble whatsoever.

We had a temp of 8 degrees this morning, so the snow is now mostly ice, but the Maxima keeps on chugging. Like another poster here, I think very judicious nursing of the CVT helps.

As sort of a disclaimer, I do have the advantage of having grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, where snow and ice are a way of life, the roads are curvy and steep, and were never scraped or salted when I was driving there back in the 1940s and 1950s.


Edit - This post should have read '4/32nds of an inch tread depth left'

 

Normally a narrower tire/wheel combo for Winter driving is always preferred over a wider tire set-up.
However I find my stock AS tires will usually suffice for limited Winter driving excursions were steep hill navigation isn't required.
I have 17x7'' wheels with General Altimax Winter tires and get excellent results.

 

4/11ths?? What kind of a measuring tool are you using?

 

I'm up in Connecticut and we've had a few snowy days and snowstorms. My '10 Maxima with 18" Continental ExtremeContact DWS has performed well.

• I usually turn Traction Control Off, as recommended by many people.
• Braking is often not a problem.
• Handling is often not a problem.
• My main gripe is that I'll sometimes spin and have a somewhat hard time accelerating out of 0mph. This is with maybe 1"-2" of snow (if that). Once I'm moving, it's all good.
• I've also slid pulling off my icy street, but luckily I was going at 5mph and was able to eventually stop. No car handles well with severe icy conditions though.

I heard a ton of positive reports about the DWS in the snow. They do the job but I think it's a bit overrated. However, I must admit that I am thinking about truly dedicated winter tires next season.

 

Should have read 4/32nds of an inch tread depth. Good catch, gizzsdad.

 

You turn off the vdc? Am I missing something? I'm pretty sure the only time you want that off is if you're stuck and trying to squeeze some extra power out of the car to free it. Can you explain why you have it off during icy/snowy conditions, when (in my mind) it's needed the most?

Also, I've never used the conti's, and though ive only heard great things about them, I highly recommend dedicated snow tires. I'm in Utah, and I bought some dedicated snow tires made by falken. I have a good friend who manages a tire shop, and he said that even the cheapest snow tires are going to perform better than the best all-seasons. I've been very happy with my falkens, and they're on the lower end price wise for winter tires. I've used them now for two winters. They've been a good investment.