Can You Drive a Mustang GT in the Winter?

Everyone who is considering buying a Mustang (especially one with a big V8) thinks about having to drive their car in the winter. People ask me this all the time in person. Here’s my personal research after four long Chicago winters in my daily-driven Mustang.

Can you drive a Mustang in the winter? It is not dangerous to drive a modern Mustang in the winter on all-season tires. Although the rear wheels can slip in any car if too much power is applied, the factory traction control and stability systems are tuned very well to avoid over-application of the throttle in slick conditions.

Previous generations of rear wheel drive cars have put a lot of people off of winter driving, but there are a lot of things you can do to drive your Mustang year-round.

 

Winter Driving Is No Big Deal

A Mustang is a car just like any other on the road. It has four tires and a steering wheel. It is susceptible to the laws of physics just like everything else. Just because you have a lot more power under the hood doesn’t mean that the tires will work any worse.

So the first thing you need to do is keep your right foot under control. I know! It’s hard, but snow and ice are slippery. Instead, now is the time to try and beat your MPG high score. Use the loud pedal judiciously.

The weight balance in our cars is not over the drive axle like front wheel drive cars, so traction of the rear is always the main concern. Manage that and you’ll be just fine.

 

Avoiding Extremely Adverse Conditions

That being said, there will certainly be times when it’s not a good idea to drive any car on the road. We get some weird winter weather here in Chicago. I’ve seen both Thunder Snow (seriously, lightning in the winter!) and many flavors of freezing rain.

If you can’t see where you’re going or the roads haven’t been cleared yet, it’s going to suck driving around. Lowered cars need to especially consider this. If you’re only 5-6 inches off the ground, snow drifts will ruin your day.

That doesn’t have anything to do with a Mustang. Driving is naturally dangerous. There are times when the weather is not cooperating and it’s just a better idea to stay home. Reschedule your pedicure appointment if it’s too crazy outside.

 

Leave the Traction Control On

Don’t try to be a hero. I’ve seen quite a few people on the Facebook groups who claim to turn it off every time they drive. Now is not the time for that sort of thing.

Traction control has saved my life at least three times. The first time, I was giving her the beans on the on-ramp and it was raining out. I didn’t feel the back end come out, so I didn’t know to lift. Without traction control, I’m certain I would have spun the car.

Traction control on the S197 is incredible, in my opinion. It allows you to do some crazy straight-line things in the summer without penalizing you too much and will prevent you from killing yourself in bad weather. It’s only the idiots who turn it off that end up on YouTube.

There may be times when turning it off might help you, such as digging your way out of a small snow drift, but these are few and far between. You’re much better keeping it on and forgetting about it.

 

Keep Some Winter Equipment in Your Car

It’s never a bad idea to keep some supplies in your trunk. I have a summer kit for track days and autocross and a winter kit for the off-season. I switch them out when I change into my winter tires. It’s got some safety stuff such as extra clothes and gloves, just in case.

I also keep some one-use hand warmers in there, too. If there’s ever a situation where I have to get out of the car, I want to be as warm as possible. Handling whatever problem you have is a lot easier when you’re not freezing your parts off!

Full disclosure: I do keep a shovel in the trunk. It’s a little “survival” one.  I’ve never needed it, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. If you need it, you’ll be glad you have it. It’s a lot better than digging with your hands, that’s for sure.

Last but not least, I also have an extra gallon of windshield wiper fluid. This was a trick I learned the one time I was stuck. If you’re ever just stuck on a small incline on ice like I was, a little windshield wiper fluid will melt the ice under the tire and get you on your way.

 

Think About Putting Something Heavy in the Trunk

If you’ve taken your spare tire out of the trunk to save weight, now is a good time to return it. Potholes get bigger in the winter, giving you an even greater chance at a flat tire, and having extra weight in the trunk is also a good idea to improve traction.

You can also try a sandbag or two if you’re really worried about traction, but I’ve never needed to go that far.

 

Consider AAA

I sound like an old person, but I like AAA. I have it for two reasons. In the summertime, it’s small insurance to get a tow home in case of a flat tire or if I have an unexpected issue at the race track (MT-82 life! Check out this article on how to solve MT-82 issues: What Causes Mustang GT Manual Transmission Problems?)

It also does double duty in the winter. Will this help you drive better in the winter? No, but if the worst happens and you do get stuck, you don’t have to worry about it. You can just relax in the driver seat with your mobile phone until the tow truck arrives and then getting unstuck is his problem.

 

Are Winter Tires Worth It?

Yes. This is my first year on winter tires and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. Let me put it this way; good winter tires are the summer-only tires of the winter.

I’ve got some Blizzaks and they are surprisingly great. I changed my tires back in November when my summer rubber was getting a little hard. I noticed an instant difference and they actually hold really well on turns when it’s dry. In the snow, they just dig right in, no problem. They really inspire a lot of confidence.

By the way, if you are even thinking of trying this on drag radials, don’t bother. Have your wife or girlfriend or mom drive you. Rain is bad enough with those guys, let alone cold weather. It’s just not going to work out.

 

Are Convertibles Warm in the Winter?

The convertible Mustangs out there are totally fine. The canvas they use for the tops is very thick and keeps the heat in nicely.

Coyotes have no trouble getting up to temperature. The heaters, especially in S197s, are more than capable of heating up the cabin. I asked around in my local club and everyone had good things to say about their convertible tops keeping in the heat.

 

Misc. Mustang Winter “Race Car Problems”

MT-82s that have the thicker fluid are sometimes a little cranky, I’ve heard. They revised the fluid around 2013 to address cold weather drivability issues with thicker fluid and notchiness in the gearbox.

My worst winter problem so far has been with my Paxton kit. You’re actually not supposed to drive the car below 40F, according to the manual. “Tight tolerances” of the supercharger, or something. I’ve never actually had a problem and I’m at 20,000 miles, going strong.

If you have a Paxton/Vortech car of your own, check out this article for some important winter tips: How to Run a Mustang Supercharger in Cold Weather

The one serious problem I had was with the metal couplers that come with the kit. Paxton and Vortech kits extend the lower radiator hose from the bottom of the radiator back into the engine and reroute it around the new components. It makes a 24-inch hose into a 60-foot hose with a few connections for turns.

For some reason, when it was -40F out last winter, the clamps would let go and I’d lose all of my coolant. Very annoying, especially when your heater will not work without it! That was a very cold and slow 20MPH drive to Drew’s shop.

Drew suggested some monster clamps from Napa. Evidently, there are some high-pressure diesel applications that need serious hose clamps, not the crappy ones that normal applications use. These did the trick and the hose has been fine since then.

My point here is, the more your car is modified, the bigger chance you will have to encounter weird issues like this and it’s never a bad idea to prepare with a little extra equipment. You’ll be happy you did.

Related Questions

Does Snow Mode do anything? Newer Mustangs have this feature. It adjusts the amount of power that the pedal makes so you can control the car easier. You can do the same thing by just taking it easy.

Are donuts approved in parking lots? Yes, of course. Be safe. Watch out for others… and policemen.