A Car You Wouldn’t Expect for the Winter Season

If you are one of those folks who likes to put away one car in favor of a winter beater, more power to you, but for most of us our daily driver has to be the car to get the job done no matter what the season. Looking at some cars you can instantly feel the vehicle was not made for harsh conditions and might leave you in a ditch when faced with foul weather, especially the kind found in the winter season of the northern area of the country. There is one that just might surprise you though; the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Tires – Using winter tires on nearly any vehicle can turn it onto a winter expert and make it work perfectly for you. Remember, the tires are what touches the road, or whatever happens to be on the road at the time to give you a feeling of control or utter panic, the choice is yours, but the tires make a huge difference and the Miata can perform exceptionally well when you have the right tires on the car.

Balance – Even though the Miata is built for fun and made to be tossed around on the road or track it’s a perfectly balanced car that can give you the feeling you need to control it at lower speed on snow and ice. Even though it’s light, at only 2,332 pounds, the weight is evenly distributed from front to rear and side to side to make it a car that will react to the inputs you give it precisely and under the control you need. While others are slipping to the side of the road, you and your Miata can drive by at a nice, controlled pace.

Rear-Wheel Drive – Most of us don’t know that RWD gives us a third dimension of control when going through a turn on snow and ice. In a FWD car the only things that can help are the steering and brakes and since you can’t have throttle and brakes working together you lose the ability to have the throttle help. In a RWD car you can actually use the throttle to help balance the movement of the vehicle and use a third level of control for the vehicle.

Limited-Slip Differential – In the Club model of the Miata you have a standard limited-slip differential that can help keep the traction constant. This feature is made to help make cornering easier, but it also puts the traction where you need it. This is achieved by moving the power back and forth between the rear wheels to find the right place to add the most power and lower the power of the wheel that is slipping. This will help keep you from getting stuck in the snow.

Low Torque – Because Mazda built this car with low torque and low horsepower numbers it can be controlled more easily at lower rpm. This car will drive away slowly on the snow and ice without putting extra power to the drive that isn’t needed. This ensures a smooth and controlled move from a stop or on a surface that is covered in snow or ice.