Elise in snow with good snow tires....

How good will it be? If the answer is 'fair' or 'poor' I need to know. I am looking to replace the Range Rover with something smaller, lighter and with good gas mileage and prove to be a good city driver, as well as an 'ok' highway cruiser. The short list is a Mini or an Elise.

The only requirements is that the car has to be able to work in snow with snow tires well. I am assuming with a nice set of 'those Finnish snow tires' it will be good, but I wonder...

 

Ground clearance isn't great, but so are Civics and co. ...
Lightweight is going to help tremendously. Much easier to steer or brake 800kgs than the average 2.5t SUV!

I can't see it being as good as the Ranger Rover because of ground clearance (which I admit isn't often an issue) but mostly size. It's tiny and very low to the ground, so you're not going to be very visible, and you're gonna get sprayed a lot! Pack up some windshield washer!!!

The Mini must be just a wee bit better, but being FWD will require less attention in slippery conditions. Lots of owners say it's a bunch of fun to drive ...


I can't say if the Elise is gonna be poor/fair/good ... but I'll just say I see a few Mx5 going around during our Quebec winter, and they seem to be doing just fine. Our roads are very well plowed too, so ground clearance is kind of a non issue (unless you get out of the road). Lack of ABS (dunno if the new Elise has ABS or not) isn't a problem ... I don't have ABS on my truck and it's just as fine as the other ABS cars.

My only concerns are the attention required in slippery conditions, efficiency of windshield washer/heater (and other stuff we take for granted in usual cars) and eventually gorund clearance. And the top, make sure it's not gonna rip apart when driving 60mph by -20! That would $uck!! haha

 

Hi.
Here's a thread on an elise board where someone put some good snow tires on his Elise. There's discussion re the car's handling in the snow, a bunch of pics of the car in the snow, etc.

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9247&highlight=snow+tires

>Lack of ABS (dunno if the new Elise has ABS or not)

The new Elise (federal 111R) does have ABS.

-doma
BTW... First Post
'05 Elise (Yellow)
'79 Vette (sold)
'87 Supra (sold)
No F car yet ... but someday.

 

I think lightweight would be bad in snow... our E30 BMW was crappity in snow - needed 40-80lbs of salt and cinderblock in the trunk for rear-wheel traction.

Then again, you're in DC area with less snow and maybe the Finnish tires do the trick.

 

omar, with the hills we have in our area and the wet, icy snow, it would think it would stink in the snow, better with snow tires but still dicey...it would be a blast to drive on the twisties and the track but i have heard it is very tiresome to on the highway and as a daily driver..also at 1900lbs, you would lose most collisions....

 

The Elise is not meant for highway use nor for use in the city. B- roads are the best. I don't mind to use it in the snow. Drive it gently. I avoid highways as much as possible. Trucks are very big, seen from the Lotus.

"If you are in 5th or 6th gear, you are on the wrong road"

Most annoying is the time it needs to defog the windshield. I'm a huge Elise fan, and use one as a daily driver when in Europe, but the way you frased the question, I think you are better off with the mini.