Bloody snow

[davidjpowell]

That's what I like to see, a 210 just getting on with the job, no drama apart from the drama and the star guiding the way.

And what a fine job it did. Uncalled for from a powerful RWD with normal tyres. Where I did get stuck it got I feasibly far. Even then the problem was turning around rather than the hills.

 

[Dr-Nab]

Haven't really used the E for a few weeks now but driving around in what can comfortably be described as a lounge on wheels isn't all that bad, the side roads around where I am are pretty awful, compacted snow which turns to ice with more snow that has fallen on top is pretty dangerous but isn't seen as anywhere near a priority to treat.

The GL doesn't have much of a problem destroying the snow/road beneath it, I've been having plenty of fun (traction control off, heavy right foot, childish sniggles etc) much to some stares of dismay but hey make the best of a bad situation, I doubt the E is going to see the light of day for a while yet. Every time I clear the driveway and road around the house plus salt it there's a fresh dusting of snow so I have given up trying.

I still love the way it looks despite being the old model now, it could do with a bit more poke so should have maybe gone for the 450 but still happy with it.

Although driving it around 70/30 town/dcw doesn't seem to bring the best out of it, you can forgive the optimistic figure of 19.5 mpg for how effortless is it to move around, just a pain in the rear to park.

Snow isn't really bothering me too much, just a little frustrated at the lack of action taken by some councils, here I can see that unless the gritters get out soon there will be a massive problem with ice overnight and early in the morning for rush hour as melting snow running into the road is starting to ice up.

Maybe we're due a "decent" summer after this?

 

[Dieselman]

I'm going to skip the bit about being stuck for an hour and being rescued by a tractor and jcb (although the jcb created one problem by being there)...

My Brother once had a winter issue caused by a JCB...well, not actually the JCB, but the workers with it pumping a water-main of water down the road for several hours.

By 3:00 am there was a half mile long sheet of ice.

He went off the road, literally just missing the JCB and workers and into a ditch and telegraph pole.
Even the Police had trouble on the road, which then had to be closed and gritted.

That all cost a few Quid...

 

[gIzzE]

So is rwd with winter tyres better than fwd on normal?

RWD bad
FWD OK
4WD good
RWD w/winters good
FWD w/winters great
4WD w/winters best

The difference winters made to my C-Class was staggering - Michelin Alpin. I went from driving everywhere with clenched cheeks in case of snow, or not being able to even move it when it did snow, to taking colleagues out for a drive in deep snow just to show them the difference!!

We have Mud & Snow tyres on our ML, and it really performs well in the snow, as you could imagine. About 5 years ago I had to abandon my C-Class and walk home. I went straight back in the ML and it didn't even noticed the snow.

I had to leave my A6 Quattro Avant in the garage in 2010 and take Fiona's 123d as the BMW had winters on.
A RWD on winters will trounce an AWD on summers in snow.


A AWD on summers still can't stop.
That is the main difference on winters, you can corner, you simply don't slide and you can stop, the snipes in the tyres bite into snow and grip onto the ice.

 

[rf065]

I had to leave my A6 Quattro Avant in the garage in 2010 and take Fiona's 123d as the BMW had winters on.
A RWD on winters will trounce an AWD on summers in snow.


A AWD on summers still can't stop.
That is the main difference on winters, you can corner, you simply don't slide and you can stop, the snipes in the tyres bite into snow and grip onto the ice.

I moved two cars off the drive yesterday up a small incline. Prodded the throttle of the CLK with winters and it moved swiftly up the slope without any hint of wheelspin or the traction control light coming on.
Tried the same with the Ford Ranger, still in RWD mode on all seasons but it does have a LSD too, the wheels spun and spun until it gradually managed to slither sideways up the slope.

Only posted this for all the doubters who still refuse to believe how good winters really are.

Russ

 

[Dr-Nab]

fwiw, the GL is on 21" conti cross contacts (MO) all 4 maybe less than 2k miles old and as far as I know they're summers but had no issues whatsoever, compared to a neighbour with a Golf on winters up and down the road I live off they can't even get up the road to get to work still.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

A photo précis of my day.

Hope this isn't what it looks like: you driving in the outside lane with a massive gap on the inside, PLUS taking a photo whilst you're driving. :fail

 

[V12]

fwiw, the GL is on 21" conti cross contacts (MO) all 4 maybe less than 2k miles old and as far as I know they're summers but had no issues whatsoever, compared to a neighbour with a Golf on winters up and down the road I live off they can't even get up the road to get to work still.

Must be down to the driving capability...a golf on winters must be unstoppable!

 

[st4]

I had to leave my A6 Quattro Avant in the garage in 2010 and take Fiona's 123d as the BMW had winters on.
A RWD on winters will trounce an AWD on summers in snow.

A AWD on summers still can't stop.
That is the main difference on winters, you can corner, you simply don't slide and you can stop, the snipes in the tyres bite into snow and grip onto the ice.

That's in direct contrast with my experience. I had an X5 4.4i a few winters ago. On summer tyres in snow it was invincible. Went where you pointed, steered ok and moved off great up hills etc no problem.

My C220 is a mess even with winters, better braking maybe but moving off it simply struggled where the X5 would have just went. Slithering, counter steer are still very much a feature of a RWD car in icey and snowing conditions.

If we had really adverse winters if consider an all paw car but we really don't.

 

[Bellow]

Last winter: a 4WD VW Golf on summer lo pros struggling to get out of a parking bay. 2WD car in the next bay on winters drove cleanly out.

 

[Dr-Nab]

I spent about 15 minutes with a nice warm cup of tea watching out of the window an Audi A4 roll all the way down the hill outside the house trying to accelerate and push through the snow and ice, just rolling backwards all the time. Must have been on summers because it looked hopeless for grip. Ah well, was a nice cuppa and some light entertainment.

 

[1945wickedred]

Hi I am taking no chances and leaving my SL350 safely tucked up in the garage on trickle charge ready for when the sun comes out again,if it ever does.

 

[stwat]

Not a problem with my 89 300SE. None winter tyres, just uniroyal's all round.

No, I wasn't driving when I took the pics. There were no other cars around so I simply stopped

Ooo look, one without my finger in shot :lol:

 

[Charles Morgan]

Hope this isn't what it looks like: you driving in the outside lane with a massive gap on the inside, PLUS taking a photo whilst you're driving. :fail

But he was in the inner lane when he started to take the photo..

 

[davidjpowell]

Hope this isn't what it looks like: you driving in the outside lane with a massive gap on the inside, PLUS taking a photo whilst you're driving. :fail

Yawn. Get a life. No cats children or anything else were killed.

 

[raginbull]

bad weather tyres

A couple of weeks before christmas, I returned home from a night shift pleased that I didn't have to scrape my car, it was raining. By the time I arrived home 24 miles away I didn't realise that the rain was falling on ice on my drive. My car just slid into the house. One new wing later I have decided to put "bad weather tyres" on. Cheap Matador tyres have performed brilliantly in several inches of snow and on compacted ice. I will buy some nice wheels for the spring/summer and put good tyres on them.

 

[effbee584]

Nissan Micra plus Winter tyres (Matadors at £50 each) on for the 3rd year = INVINCIBLE
CLS tucked away!

 

[Bellow]

Davidjpowell:
Out of sheer nosyiness - where in the UK were the photos taken?

 

[davidjpowell]

Davidjpowell:
Out of sheer nosyiness - where in the UK were the photos taken?

Motorway was a1m near Durham, One was near Ashington, two were on the a68 and one was at home.

 

[Dieselman]

I moved two cars off the drive yesterday up a small incline. Prodded the throttle of the CLK with winters and it moved swiftly up the slope without any hint of wheelspin or the traction control light coming on.

Same with my car on new Michelin Primacy 3 Summer tyres.

When I first got the car it had new P600 on and I couldn't get it off the drive...well, not without a lot of pushing by Mrs Dm, after I had done a full 180...

I've had no trouble at all this year and even with the very worn Michelins on, it was Ok-ish.