In The 1st Winter With My Honda Civic The Snow Was Getting Deeper And Deeper, And It Didn't Help That My Car Is Lowered With Sports Tires

As the winter season comes to an end, it's time to reflect on a few dos and don'ts for vehicles in the snow. Lowered cars with sports tires do not mix with snow. Alex Jaimes learned this the hard way when his Honda Civic got stuck in deepening snow in early January. Alex, a member of a popular Honda Civic 10th Generation Modifications open group on Facebook, had to ask the property owners for permission to leave the vehicle there until the snow cleared up. 

While sports tires and a lowered stance style may vastly improve the aesthetics of any vehicle, they are not the best options in the colder months. Alex mentions, “It didn’t help that my car is lowered and has sport tires on. I wasn’t expecting the snow to be this bad.” 

Sports tires are designed for grip on dry pavement or gravel, so they do not have the needed tread patterns or rubber compounding to handle icy surfaces.

Unlike winter tires, which are more pliable in colder temperatures, sports tires tend to harden, so they lose traction in that weather. That significantly increases the risks of sliding or getting stuck. 

He wasn’t the only casualty this winter, though. Chavez Berto, on the Facebook thread, commented, “Lowered where? I was slammed to the ground and driving on sport tires going all over town in bad snow.” 

Jaimes also lowered his vehicle, which reduced ground clearance. This made it harder to navigate the snow-covered roads, as snow may quickly accumulate under the vehicle, thereby leading to traction loss. Reduced ride heights also translate to limited suspension travel. This involves a stiffer suspension, reducing the car’s ability to absorb bumps or other debris.

Even with refined build quality, the 10th generation Honda Civic is not adapted to driving on ice much less with a lowered suspension. This makes driving on an icy road even more dangerous because of the risk of losing control. 

His lowered Civic, while optimal for summer driving, struggled to push through the thickening snow, so he was forced to abandon it. Vehicles with a stock ride height or an adjustable suspension do much better in the snow and maintain better weight distribution on the wheels. 

Winter tires are designed to perform well in cold weather regardless of the conditions. The rubber makeup retains flexibility even at freezing temperatures, allowing the tires to have a better grip. Similarly, winter tires usually have deeper tread patterns and small sipes that dig into the snow. 

Many enthusiasts may hear this and wonder if they should swap out their sports tires for all-season type tires or raise the car. It depends on where you live and how frequently the vehicle operates in winter conditions. In places that experience heavy snowfall, switching to winter tires and maintaining the factory-issued ride height will definitely prevent headaches. Though, if you are committed to the low rider setup it helps to be mindful of the road conditions and invest in snow chains for better adaptability. Some enthusiasts may also go for an adjustable coilover suspension so they can slightly increase the ride height in the winter before lowering it for the summer months.

As you can imagine, Alex realized that while the lowered Honda looked great on dry roads, it was not the most practical option for the snow. It still looked great while parked on the ice, but he plans to invest on winter wheels next season. This was definitely an expensive but worthwhile lesson on the realities of winter driving with modified cars. For those thinking about keeping their vehicles lowered the entire year, it is important to assess the risks and determine if aesthetics outweigh the benefits. No one is too cool to put on winter tires and snow chains if the weather calls for it.

Nicholas Muhoro is an automotive journalist covering car news and has a decade of experience sharing working at HotCars and TopSpeed. You can follow Nicholas on X and on LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his news coverage at Torque News.

Image source: Grok AI and Honda Civic 10th Generation Modifications Facebook Group.

Nicholas Muhoro is an automotive journalist covering car news and has a decade of experience sharing working at HotCars and TopSpeed. You can follow Nicholas on X and on LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his news coverage at Torque News.