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Winter / Snow Mode?

8.3K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  Chipshot  
#1 ·
Is there a winter mode in the Giulia or is it just the "D N A" option?

If so, what mode is the best for snow?

Recent bad snow storm here in New Jersey.

Thanks
 
#4 ·
Silly question: in vehicles that have distinct "snow", "sand", and other modes for limited traction conditions, what do those modes actually do?

If you have summer tires on your Giulia, driving in the snow is not advised.

Also, is 1-2 feet of snow really a "bad" snow storm? 1 week after the start of the big blow (6') at my place and the only road out is still closed:

US 395
...
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM BRIDGEPORT (MONO CO) TO THE NEVADA STATE LINE - DUE TO SNOW - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE
 
#8 ·
I don't recall what the ground clearance is on the Giulia, but I don't think it would handle a nor'easter very well, regardless of what tires are on it or if it had AWD or not.

As for what qualifies as a bad storm, I guess it's all relative to what your experience is. Here in Central Indiana anything over 12" is considered a major storm, but you folks in the Sierra Nevada probably wouldn't even blink an eye! When you have snow nearly to the top of your windows that you have to dig your way UP to get out of your residence...

 
#5 ·
In some cars winter snow mode changes the transmission map to pull away from a stop in second gear, and slows down / changes the progression of the opening of the throttle. I'm guessing that there are other changes too.
 
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#6 ·
Hmmm, I suppose an idiot friend of mine concluded that the proper way to get his Bronco moving on a snow covered parking lot was to put it is compound low and punch it. Somehow he really thought that compound low == more traction. Anyway, that obviously did not yield the result that he expected.

Maybe Alfa expects that Alfisti have some control over their right foot? Softer shifts, smoother rev-matching, and tweaks to nanny behavior would seem like the only obvious drive train things that a driver cannot control. Softer suspension on soft surfaces might help, or not, I dunno.

Any experience out there with Jeep, Range Rover or Kia settings (or any others that have such selectors)?
My wife's Forester has a knob for this, but it is her car so I have not tried it. She has taken it off road once but I doubt that she messed with the setting.
 
#13 ·
I was blasting around the other night and the Q4 w/ LSD was amazing in the snow. What really impressed me was that the traction control didn't bother me while going straight. From a start, the rears will spin a bit then the front kicks in and it just pulls you through. In D, you can definitely do some nice drifts without being interrupted. I don't remember which channel it was, but I saw someone reviewing a Stelvio or Giulia in the snow and it seemed like it was just neutered the whole time, like they could barely get any speed going. This was not the case at all.
 
#18 ·
I learned to drive in snow and usually consider it fun. When it's not fun, I appreciate the challenge.
OT, but yeah, I am waiting for the contractor that built the shell of my house to install snow retention devices on the roof. He is waiting for the snow retention device mfg to look over the plans and decide if the roof really can handle the loading.

A surprising detail in the construction plan that said contractor overlooked when building the shell was "1/2 inch space between roof truss bottom chord and interior walls". I am not sure how that is supposed to be done, but it sounds important for snow load handling...

Rated snow load was supposed to be 150lb/sqft. Actual snow load is unlikely to get over 75lb/sqft if snow is fully retained, considering how much snow will blow off of the roof and how much will melt. But what is the as-built snow load capacity??
Metal roof?
I grew up just outside of Chicago. The winter of 1978 - 79 was (and still is) the snowiest on record, we received nearly 90 inches that season. I helped my dad shovel the roof as he was afraid it wouldn't handle the load, that was the first and only time we had to do that. And I also had to tunnel through a snowdrift so the postal carrier could deliver our mail!
Rochester, NY. About double the annual average of southeast Michigan. That lake effect stuff really adds up.
Somehow I thought Chicago was "snowy-er" than that. In last week's snow dump Mammoth Lakes got 108" in 2 days (OK, that is more than typical for a big storm). At my place 90" for the season is a drought year, and I am in a desert.

OTOH, my typical winter high temps are 45-50F, so the snow does not accumulate all winter long.
"Sierra cement" notwithstanding, I wonder whether Chicago's snow typically has higher moisture content.

Now, back on topic, what kind of snow do you find the most fun to drive on? I'm a packed powder guy myself. I like when I have the road all to myself. Then I don't need to worry how good the other drivers are in it.
 
owns 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport AWD
#20 ·
Had a Cadillac before the Giulia. Caddie Snow/Ice mode would start you out in 2nd gear and cut torque to the wheels if it felt slip. IMO it cut a little too much torque. You have to power thru the snow at some point...Had the option to turn off Traction Control but then the would just crank with no regards for anything.

I think the Giulia AWD system is far superior. Took me a while to get used to but I think it’s genius. D mode will absolutely let you play in the snow. I’ve noticed on a straight away the back wheels will spin and the front wheels will help you out gradually. On a snow covered curve you can definitely kick out the back end out but the ESC does a great job of recognizing if your sliding out too much and will intervene as necessary. I also think it’s really cool it actively brakes the slipping wheels. Not sure if a lot of other cars do that? You can see the car actively braking on the dashboard when your slipping on the throttle. System is great
 
#21 ·
A

But.

You are what. 30 miles south of me? D.
You are around me. N.
You are north of me. A.