How does the Miata handle in the snow?

will_holmes · February 2016

I live in the northeast and am thinking about buying the 2016 Miata. I'm just concerned about how it handles in the snow. I have looked around, but I haven't found anything that speaks to the car's performance, just that a set of snow tires should be fine. So, can any of you tell me about your experience with a 2016 or 2015 Miata in the snow? Also would I have to get snow tires, or will all-season tires work as well?

Thanks
-William

Mr_Shiftright · February 2016

Here's the scoop from the folks at MIATA.NET (they should know):

"How does the Miata handle in the snow?

It depends on your expectations. The Miata isn't a Jeep. If expect it to drive like one, you'll think it sucks in the snow. If you think all-season tires are good enough, you probably won't be satisfied. If you only have two snow tires, you'll be disappointed as well. But a Miata equipped with snow tires on all four corners handles quite well in the snow. The Miata's 50/50 weight distribution makes it easy to control on slick roads. When it begins to break free, it isn't too tough to bring back into line. Keep in mind that the car only has about 5 inches of ground clearance. If the snow is deeper than that, you'll end up plowing it and have great difficulty driving."

isellhondas · February 2016

I have a friend who had an older one. He couldn't drive it in the snow at all until he put Blizzaks on all four corners. He said that made a HUGE difference. We have a lot of hills here so that part doesn't help!

If a 2016 Miata has traction control that would make a big difference too!

zandor · March 2016

Rear drive cars do just fine in the snow if you set them up right. Snow tires are a must, and some need extra weight in the back. The ones I've had (Lincoln Mark VIII and BMW 525i) would out handle FWD cars in the snow, the only problem was getting stuck. All-season tires are generally not good enough. Maybe some are ok, but not anything you would want on a Miata the rest of the year. There are some A/S tires that are pretty decent in snow, but they're not sports tires and why in the hell would you want a Miata without sports tires in the warmer part of the year? The other perk of having snow tires is your other set can be summer tires. They're not as awesome compared to A/S performance tires as snow tires are compared to A/S unless maybe you track your car, but they're still better than A/S and are what you should get for the rest of the year if you're swapping tires with the seasons.

How does the Miata handle in the snow?

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