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I think you answered your own question... Posted by Snowmobile [Email]  (#686)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Snowmobile) on Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:19:18
In Reply to: can you think of a single logical reason? anyone?, AeroEd, Tue, 29 Jul 2014 09:07:04 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Like Mike, I drive a 2004 9-5 arc back to back with a rusty old 1989 NA c900 winter beater (with no ABS). The c900 stops, starts, and turns in snow, slush and ice, better, faster, more predictably, than the 9-5 *with TCS on* (with TCS off, the 9-5 is even further behind the c900). Both have Nokian Hakkapellita tires, but the 9-5 has new Hakka R's with full tread depth, whereas the c900 has 10 year old Hakka 4's (but no studs) with 5mm of tread depth. And it is not just me - my wife says the same thing! The 9-5 gets around fine in snow, but the c900 does it with more "passion"...
What is different? Well, like you said, many things. The c900 is lighter. Though the tires I use are the same brand, they are different models, and though brand new R's should be better (especially on ice!) than used up 10 year old unstudded studdable tires... well, who knows? Still on the tires, the tire size is way different: the 9-5 has 205 series tires on 16" rims (I'm smart enough to go for as narrow a tire as I can on the 9-5). The c900 has 185/65R15... much taller and narrower. To put this in perspective: people amping up c900's for performance use go to 205 series tires on 16" rims (along with moving axles etc so the tires won't rub after lowering springs etc).
Other than that - it might be differences in weight distribution, driving dynamics etc, or possibly also the drivers being used to a certain car's behaviour more - I was surprised how difficult it was to manage the 9-5 in bad weather with TCS off (tried it for fun in an empty area).
Now, if studs are allowed in your area - holy smokes - the c900 with studded hakkas is unbelievable. I used to drive one where studs were not banned, and it was amazing - jack rabbit stops, slamming brakes, full throttle uphill around corners where the road was a complete sheet of ice, but felt like bare pavement! unbelievably fun!
->Posting last edited on Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:20:25.
, Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:13:25
, Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:56:03, Wed, 6 Aug 2014 07:26:38, Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:19:18 <-- Viewing This Message, Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:13:17
, Mon, 28 Jul 2014 12:21:33, Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:30:37, Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:26:17
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