Driving the EX in snow

[thomas1984]

deep snow this year

Hey every one, I was just wondering with all the snow the NE has been getting slammed with and even here in ky the last couple days, how has the gen 5 explorers been handling getting around in 1ft+ of snow?

So if you have been doing any driving in snow 10-12+ inches deep how is your EX handling it and are you using dedicated winter tires?

 

[aznkidlee]

Crazy amount of snow here in the NE. I'm using all season Mastercraft tires and I had zero issues so far. I got stuck once when I plowed my car into 2 feet snow bank.

 

[BlueLine14]

I second that. We have been hammered by storms lately.

I am running a set of OEM Good Year all season tires on the factory 17" steel wheels during the winter months instead of my 20" optimo's. Night and day difference in deep snow.
No problem whatsoever driving the explorer in deep snow.
I usually just leave it in normal mode instead of using the snow mode. Just personal preference I guess. The snow mode is a great feature for extremely icy or slippery conditions, especially for those who are nervous about driving in the snow. This mode does a great job at limiting the throttle response to avoid wheel slip.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

I wouldn't risk it. 5th gen stock ground clearance is not even 8". Would recommend dedicated winter tires. We drifted slowly into a ditch on a curved piece of road near our home that we navigate everyday with our all seasons stock tires with less than 30k miles on them on 20" wheels. My wife also got stuck in the driveway trying to plow through a foot of snowdrifts last winter. Had to turn off traction control and still couldn't get out until I dug her out.

 

[thomas1984]

Thanks for the input, Im due to trade in the f150 tomorrow for an explorer and have been zooming around in 15 inches of snow the last 2 days with bfg at ko's on the f150.. Only having issues on my driveway which is about 800 ft long and steep as can be.

Hope the EX will make it up.

 

[BlueLine14]

Thanks for the input, Im due to trade in the f150 tomorrow for an explorer and have been zooming around in 15 inches of snow the last 2 days with bfg at ko's on the f150.. Only having issues on my driveway which is about 800 ft long and steep as can be.

Hope the EX will make it up.

I went from a Silverado Z71 to my Ex with the 20" wheels and was disappointed with the performance in deep snow (>3")
I felt like the explorer would float on top of the snow and the entire vehicle would drift instead of cutting through it.
My work vehicle, a PI Ex has narrower all season Goodyear and traction in deep snow was considerably better than my Ex. At that point I made the decision to run a dedicated set of tires for winter use. I was close to buying a set of wheels and snows on tire rack when I found a brand new set of Goodyear, all season take offs from a base model Ex. The tires are narrower and have a much deeper tread than my optimo's. They are not "snow" tires but get the job done nicely!
I much prefer the look and performance the 20" wheels offer during the warmer months and if buying again, would make the same decision to purchase the premium wheels and run dedicated tires during the winter.
Going from a pickup truck where you are used to being able to drive over heavy snow, I feel you will be disappointed with the traction until you outfit it with the proper shoes for the conditions.
Before my truck i had a WRX that had summer Pirelli's and winter dedicated Blizzaks and it made all the difference in the world. Before the Subaru, my precious explorers has BFG rugged trail tires and they performed well year round and were actual "all season tires" or at least a good match for the vehicle.

 

[Brownguy13]

I got my Ex a week before the November storm in Buffalo, NY. I got about 7 feet where I live and am essential personnel so I am required to go to work. I have a sport and got around just fine with the stock 20 inch wheels and tires in the snow mode. I have not had 1 issue what so ever from all the snow that we have gotten in the WNY area.

 

[burtman]

I too live in Buffalo and have a 2015 Limited Explorer with the stock OEM 20" tires. I have had no problem at all in the snow. I work in Albion which is 38 miles one way to work and had to drive on unplowed roads without any problems !

 

[Halwg]

Guys and girls, you have to get some decent winter tires if you are running in deep snow. I'm running the Cooper Weather-Master WSC and have not had the first problem. But, they are a very aggressive dedicated winter tire.

 

[Largefarva]

After reading posts 7 & 8 in this thread I feel a bit better about the stock tires on my 2015 Sport. Going from an F-150 with pretty bad OEM Goodyears to Michelins that did really well on snow and ice with the truck to these stock tires on my Sport I wasn't feeling too confident they were going to do the job. But if people in the Buffalo area did ok with them then that makes me feel a little bit better. At least my commute to work is only 11 miles and they don't care if I'm late as long as I show up in one piece. Winter wheels and tires would definitely be preferred, but I can't see justifying the expense for a vehicle that is leased and I likely won't have for more than three years.

 

[peterk9]

You'll have to judge for yourself how they perform. Just as there are those that don't have any issues with them in Winter weather, I believe there are more posts in other threads from members who think they are terrible in Winter weather. Keep in mind snow traction is only part of it. As temps drop further below 44 degrees F, the rubber compound on so call all-seasons begins to stiffen. That is why Winter tires with a more pliable rubber compound are safer and provide more traction on bare cold roads.

Peter

 

[Halwg]

To me the stock all season tires on these vehicles aren't worth a nickel on snow and ice. But if you want to save a few bucks and risk your life and those around you, I guess it's your choice, I just hope we aren't driving the same snowy roads.

 

[1995E]

The stock Michelin tires on the XLT are really good on the snow.

The Explorer handles snow extremely well! I was able to climb a frozen hill that everyone else was stuck at.

I used snow mode to go safe and slow and the Explorer catches any slight instance of fishtailing really quickly.

Also, I put the Explorer in mud mode and it allowed for the Explorer to actually throw the rear end out and drift in the snow! I don't recommend anyone else doing it but it is insane how it just sends power 50 front and 50 rear and it allows a giant SUV like this that is FWD based to actually drift in the snow. It's also great for when you are stuck on a hill, it really plows you through.

 

[Largefarva]

To me the stock all season tires on these vehicles aren't worth a nickel on snow and ice. But if you want to save a few bucks and risk your life and those around you, I guess it's your choice, I just hope we aren't driving the same snowy roads.

Or we can just drive intelligently and save the $1500-2000. Some of us have driven in snow our whole lives and know how to do so regardless of the tires. If need be I'll spend the money if it's as bad as you describe....but if not then I'm not going to waste the money on something I likely will have for just three years.

 

[amd2800barton]

Or we can just drive intelligently and save the $1500-2000. Some of us have driven in snow our whole lives and know how to do so regardless of the tires. If need be I'll spend the money if it's as bad as you describe....but if not then I'm not going to waste the money on something I likely will have for just three years.

Your argument could be made for almost any safety device on a vehicle; eg "I don't need ABS brakes, I know how to pump the brakes, and don't put myself in a situation where I might have to panic stop".

Being a better, more conscientious driver is always good, but buying a safety device isn't throwing your money away. Winter tires aren't good in just snowy conditions - they vastly improve stopping distance over regular tires when the temperature is below 44°F. Being able to stop in shorter distances and better control the vehicle's momentum is absolutely a safety matter.

Winter tires also don't cost $2k. A budget set can be had for $600, and a premium set for $1200. Add $100 for shipping (or taxes) and installation. Even the budget set will outperform your best all season tires when the weather gets cold and wet.

Also: for anyone who thinks because their Explorer has AWD it doesn't need winter tires: Watch this video / GIF

 

[peterk9]

^^^

Peter

 

[aznkidlee]

The stock Michelin tires on the XLT are really good on the snow.

The Explorer handles snow extremely well! I was able to climb a frozen hill that everyone else was stuck at.

I used snow mode to go safe and slow and the Explorer catches any slight instance of fishtailing really quickly.

Also, I put the Explorer in mud mode and it allowed for the Explorer to actually throw the rear end out and drift in the snow! I don't recommend anyone else doing it but it is insane how it just sends power 50 front and 50 rear and it allows a giant SUV like this that is FWD based to actually drift in the snow. It's also great for when you are stuck on a hill, it really plows you through.

I too had zero issues with my stock Michelin. I replaced my stocks due to a nail in one of them with Mastercraft Courser HSX All Season from Town Fair Tire. We had at least a foot of snow for each snow storm so far here in the NE. I have no issues so far. I put it in snow mode and take it easy.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

Are we talking about actually driving in a foot or more of snow or driving during/after a storm that dumped a foot or more snow? I find it hard to believe that anyone is actually driving in a foot or more of snow for any extended period of time without any problems. As I said, the EX ground clearance is under 8". Driving into a foot or more of snow, especially without winter tires, is just asking to get stuck.

I find it way more believable that people are driving through a heavy storm where trails are created by other motorists. In this case you are not actually driving "in" a foot of snow, although it may look and feel like it. At best you might be driving "on" top of a foot of snow but it gets packed down or hardened. I think this is the scenario where people are saying they have had "zero " or "no" problems.

Also, I grew up driving in snow. I didn't start using winter tires until I started having a family about 5 years ago. I thought all-seasons were fine too. They slipped and sledded around a bit but go slow enough and they always got me to where I needed to go. I will tell you this though, after drinking the winter tire kool-aid, I will never go back. The difference is night and day. Decent set of winter tires are like velcro on the road. I suspect that at least some of the comments you might hear where people say that all-seasons are fine, are those people that may actually have never had any experience with winter tires. If I had never tried a set of winter tires, I would also say that all-seasons are fine too.

 

[thomas1984]

Hey guys,

Yes i was talking about t actually blazing the trail through a ft of white stuff.

I found my answer today tho, went to the lot and the salesman wanted to drive over to the explorers because he had on dress shoes and didn't want to talk in 14 inches of snow so we drove over in my f150 with BFG AT/KO,s got out and started a 4wd ex looked it over and such while it was warming up.

When it came time to "test" its snow capabilities it was a no go, no matter what I tried I couldn't make her go. Made it maybe 2 feet and it was hung up like no tomorrow, lol...

 

[wifes2011xlt]

AWD? Did you turn off traction control?