Winter Tires Go On at 7ºC

It has nothing to do with snow, it’s temperature – at 7ºC rubber hardens, loses its grip.

What’s happening: a plastic runway is hosed down, to simulate a sheet of ice. Drive onto it at 35 km/h, pull the handbrake to initiate a skid, test the tires.

They’re counter-intuitive movements, but if you start to skid: steer into the skid, and don’t hit the brakes.

Don’t cheap out on the only part of your car that touches the road.

Calmly sliding along.

My column from last year, “Get Winter Tires” [and ‘ice rink driving’ video].

These are  Michelin X-Ice Xi3.  About $150 / corner, $600-ish for the car. 

Sometimes you can find a discount when you buy 4.  You must put 4 winter tires on, buying just 2 doesn’t work, it makes it worse on 3 levels.

Canadian Tire usually has good deals, and as of this season, will now store your summer tires.

 

 

The Caravan MiniVan Turned 30 Years Old

Dodge celebrated by building a charity art project.

Together with the charity organization Canstruction®, the automaker built a life-sized replica of the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan… out of cans.

That’s 30,000 cans of tuna, it took 10 hours, and it’s a world’s first.

The food was then donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Those folding seats, the “Stow ‘N Go” seats, are exclusive to the Caravan, and deserve more screen time they’re that slick.

1/5 cars sold in Canada, is a Caravan.

And they’re built in Canada.

Sorry about the lighting Brad!

Filmed in the driver’s seat, in the middle of Dundas Square, kinda neat.

Dodge Grand Caravan – starting at $19,895

Non-car nerds: Chrysler basically invented the MiniVan vehicle, this Grand Caravan.

I like MiniVans, and have a Caravan booked early in the new year.

 

 

Nissan’s new Active Trace Control

Nissan’s latest driving aid, ‘Active Trace Control’.

How it works: while cornering, the car applies even brake pressure to all four wheels, resulting in a smoother turn and less steering input from the driver.

Usually I don’t like these new “aids”, but this one was alright.

Filmed in the all-new 2014 Rogue, down in Nashville, TN.

Here’s my review (called it a segment leader), and here’s the post about that trip.  And good video-bombing, Mark Richardson.