Wife is looking at a Redline... Need some input..

[c5kid]

Hello, my wife is looking at a Sky Redline and we both have some general questions about them.

First off we live in Central PA, so winter is goin to be a problem, the only good thing is her commute to work is less than 1 mile and I can drive her if nessacry, but how well do this cars go in the snow? I have a 00 Vette and know that evening thinking of driving in the snow will get the car stuck.

Also what kinda mileage can the Redline expect? She is looking at an Auto, so it would be alittle lower than a stick.

Any other useful info would be great. We both love the looks of this car and she is due for a new car, her Firebird has alittle over 230k on it...

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by c5kid

but how well do this cars go in the snow?

It's 3 inches to the front dam. Tires are summer tires. Light car. Rearwheel drive. Not good.

Also what kinda mileage can the Redline expect? She is looking at an Auto, so it would be alittle lower than a stick.

I'm getting 23 in the city...with a lot of fast starts (so to speak). Highway gets you close to 30. Remember, we're talking 4 cylinders, 2 liters. It is a very efficient engine humming along at highway speeds.

Any other useful info would be great. We both love the looks of this car and she is due for a new car, her Firebird has alittle over 230k on it...

Check out this forum, up and down. The SKY has its own personality. There are several quirks in that personality. As long as you don't mind the quirks, you'll love the car. A few I've noted inlcude:

1. Gotta get out and up and down to raise/lower/latch the top. And you gotta do it right (see Top 101 sticky). Some see that as a con. But if you're touchy feely about cars, it's cool.

2. Brakes are mushy on cold starts. Gotta let vacuum build...about 20 seconds....for solid performance.

3. The car makes a lot of little noises (tick, hum, whine), all considered normal. If you're looking for luxury "quiet", it ain't for you.

There are others. Just check 'em all out.

It's a blast to drive (I've got an auto....it's great), and looks..well....you can see.

[Jenny1970]

I sell Skys here in Connecticut - a beautiful fun little car, winter driving, I would avoid it if necessary- as long as you have a back up plan when it snows, the Sky is more of a Spring summer fall type of car. Gas mileage does hit about 30 for your highway in an automatic.

[1Man1Sky]

It has traction control and ABS braking. With snow tires it will be ok for light days, and tolerable on medium snow days. Heavy snow days, forget about it.

Personally, mine is going south for the winter to my parent's care, while I take one of their cars for the winter.

[c5kid]

thanks for the input everyone.. driving in winter conditions w/ a RWD car for her is no big deal... i mean she has a V6 Firebird and drove around Bloomsburg PA, which is mostly hills and valleys, for the past 4 years and now we live in Hershey which isn't so bad.....

RWD cars with luxury for us is no big deal, I have a C5 and she has always had the F-body.... C5 rides alittle stiff and has alot of engine noise(with the help of a pro-charger), the F-fody sounds like a tin can when you shut the door. So little quirks are no concern either

gas mileage seems pretty good, but I am sure with some tweaking from HPtuners could be improved from the numbers given

and like I said if the weather is bad enough I can always drop her off.... looks like there is a good chance she will be getting one in the future.

[spunkie]

Welcome to the forum!! Your wife will love the Sky if she makes the purchase; however, it's not a winter car. Research the posts on this forum. You will find lots of useful input.

Shirley

[Superchevy427]

Have you been reading the problems associated with this car? Simple problems become major issues with this car.Getting service done on this car is a crap shoot!

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by c5kid

thanks for the input everyone.. driving in winter conditions w/ a RWD car for her is no big deal... i mean she has a V6 Firebird and drove around Bloomsburg PA, which is mostly hills and valleys, for the past 4 years and now we live in Hershey which isn't so bad....

Note wheel base, width, and weight. The Firebirds I know are wider, have a longer wheel base, and are heavier than the SKY. The wide track tends to reduce the spin in the first place, and wheel base gives you more recovery room once the spin begins. More weight is a trade; heavier push into the snow for initial traction.....a drawback when slipping momentum builds up. I believe the Firebird has a wee bit more clearance than the SKY.

And the tires are very important. The Stock RL tire is a Summer tire; no rating for snow...at all!

Originally Posted by Superchevy427

Have you been reading the problems
associated with this car? Simple problems become major issues with
this car.Getting service done on this car is a crap shoot!

To spin off that comment, keep in mind that this is a new model car, so you will (in general) see more things come up as they work the kinks out. Also, the service techs are not up to speed (it's a NEW model), so you have to work with 'em. If it ain't something you need fixed "now", wait a year or so. By the same token, the number of folks expressing problems on these boards is a very small percentage of actual SKY owners, so you can't use the complaints here as a measure of problem percentages in most cases. Use them to make an "informed" decision.

[SkyBaby]

Originally Posted by Superchevy427

Have you been reading the problems associated with this car? Simple problems become major issues with this car.Getting service done on this car is a crap shoot!

I think it depends on your service.... everyone knew with a new model there are always problems.... but, a good service dept can fix them in a jiffy.... I bought mine.. the second one... at one dealership.. but have it fixed at the other dealership that i bought my first sky from... I like their service.. and service department. I have heard both sides about driving in snow.... some have studded tires and others wouldnt let their car get wet . all a matter of personal opinion. SkyBay

[SkyBaby]

My Sky is the same weight as our Vue..... I am sure it will do fine this winter.... if I decide to drive her.. SkyBaby

[Sierra Shark]

If my memory serves me right (and most of the time it doesn't) I read somewhere in the owners manual to "never attempt to drivethis car with chains. I live in snow country and work for the department of transportation and I would never consider trying to drive this car, or any of my other sportscars in the snow. Especially with chains. Every winter, at the nearby ski resort, I see a lot of really nice sports cars with body damage from trying to run chains or cables. Not ot mention what road cinders and salt do to the paint. Butttttt.... if there's no snow down the cars out. Oh... First of all, welcome to forum, this place rocks, and secondly buy the car. You won't regret it for a minute.

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by Sierra Shark

If my memory serves me right (and most of the time it doesn't) I read somewhere in the owners manual to "never attempt to drivethis car with chains.

The tire well clearance on this car is carefully engineered to fit the wheel/tire combination, taking into account suspension, and full range of steering. This was a major design issue on the Solstice, and I assume it rolls over to the SKY. The tolerances are tight. Run chains on the tires and you might exceed the tolerance, and do a number on your wheel well, and possibly fender. If you wish to drive in snow, I would suggest snow tires.

[Rob the Elder]

We love our 08 RL but would never even consider driving it in snow. I drove Mustang's in Colorado for a total of 8 years. The 88 had positraction and was a bitch in the snow if you ever lost traction. It would swap ends in a heartbeat. But I drove it as a daily commuter for 6 years with nary a problem. I never broke trail with it but it was good in packed snow or some ice. Our 06 GT had traction control and was just shy of impossible to drive in the snow. It has worse power to weight and distribution than the 88 had which made it very difficult to operate safely (or at all) in packed snow or ice. The few times I got into deep snow, I found that the traction control actually would not let you get out of the deep snow. As the rear wheels slip, the TC applied the brakes so you would start to move, slip and the rear brakes would go on and you would sit there with the motor fighting against the brakes. While I have not tried the TC on the Sky yet, the engineering states that it applies the brakes to the slipping wheel and reduces throttle. So with limited slip, both wheels will tend to slip, the ECM will apply brakes to both rear wheels and reduce engine power. Or you can turn off the TC and do donughts in the snow.

The RL has too much power and too little ground clearance to be driven in snow more than a light dusting. I would not want my wife driving in packed snow and dreading every minute of the experience. She has a Jeep Wrangler for snow days and the RL for the other days.

[coopcj7]

I have driven my sky in everything

LIght Snow
Heavy Snow
Ice covered Roads
Hail Storms

anything that mother nature can throw at it.

I have over 45000 miles on it right now and I plan on driving it this winter again. I invested in a set of studded snow tires and everything is fine. I put down about $650 for a new set of 4 rims and 4 Firestone studded tires.

I drove slower of course in deep snow but it still handled well. If you equip it right you wont have traction problems. Remember dont put chains on our cars unes you use smaller tires due to the clearance in the fender well.

This car by far has been the best rear wheel drive car I have driven in the snow.. Dont let the snow be your deciding factor for this car it has sooo many other great qualities that you would be missing

If you want any other info feel free to pm me

[Forever Young]

Forget the snow, just adapt. This car adds a new kind of excitement and joy to your life. You will NEVER regret it. You can never think practical when you buy a 2 seater roadster. Let's face it, life is short and you should buy a car like this with your heart and not your mind. Unless of course, you need to factor in the cost and it is your only transportation. If those are not a factor, buy it! You will really see a big difference in your day by day existence. It adds zip and life you thought you had lost. We cherish every day we drive our Sky. And,
the people on this forum will enrich your Sky relationship even more. Go for it!

[SkyLite]

Do like we do. We have a Jeep for a backup. That way we don't have to take the Sky out in bad weather.