gla 4matic

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hixy

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Apr 2, 2016
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c class
Just wondering what the gla 4matic was like in the recent snow we have had , thinking about getting one and trading in my c class estate .
 
Unless you fit winter tyres, very little difference ....
 
Four wheel drive is an epic marketing con. It might help get you going, but it makes no difference to your ability to stop or steer. That's all down to your tyres. If your two wheel drive summer tyres are no good, using the same tyres on four wheel drive won't help either.
4 x 0 = 0!
 
I was tempted by a GLA 4matic, on winter tyres I imagine it would be rather effective. For various reasons I ended up with a Passat Alltrack. It's still on the original summer tyres, but having 4WD gives me options if I want.

On a related note, the added mass, increased tyre wear and fuel consumption are with you all the time. In balance I'd suggest a 2WD GLA and have some winter tyres on stand-by.
 
Just wondering what the gla 4matic was like in the recent snow we have had , thinking about getting one and trading in my c class estate .

In the snow , I expect it will resemble an igloo .
 
Thanks for the comments , i know what you mean about the tyre choice on 4x4 cars but ive had lots of subaru's in the past and all of them have had summer tyres on them and they all were far better in the snow than than 2 wheel drive cars .Don't know whether its because subaru are permanent 4x4 and most of the newer cars are only 4x4 when the car senses they need it .
 
Unless you fit winter tyres, very little difference ....

Such seems to be the received internet wisdom/dogma these days.

Trouble is I don't quite believe it.

Too many variables and not enough actual experience I suspect. Plus there's the placebo effect. Stick a button called 'winter mode' in the average RWD car that simply makes a green light illuminate to say it's active - and I suspect many drivers would report how much better the car works in the snow.

If it's a big heavy car - I'll rather stick with my comfort blanket of a real centre diff, some half decent tyres on sensible wheels with plenty of tread, and a lazy engine.

I honestly can't believe how we used to get around in the 1960s and 1970s when conditions were bad. According to the internet it just wasn't possible - maybe the laws of physicvs are different.
 
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.Don't know whether its because subaru are permanent 4x4 and most of the newer cars are only 4x4 when the car senses they need it .

Possibly.

More likely it's because you hadn't been told on the internet that they were rubbsih and wouldn't work !
 
I honestly can't believe how we used to get around in the 1960s and 1970s when conditions were bad. According to the internet it just wasn't possible - maybe the laws of physicvs are different.

You may choose not to believe it, but a big part of it is the tyres. Back then a typical car would have had 145 or 155 tyres at full profile. Treads were far more open too. An ultra high performance car might have had 205 tyres. These days an everyday hatchback might have tyres wider than that, often with a daft low profile and an "eco" or "energy" tread pattern. As a result modern cars are not as capable in the bad weather as they should be.

Even worse is the modem invention of road biased 4x4s with huge steamroller tyres and an owner who thinks they are invincible because they have four wheel drive. In the past I have driven past an X5 with all four wheels spinning in my rear wheel drive car with winter tyres.

Winter tyres are not a new thing. 50 years ago people used to fit "town and country" tyres for the bad weather. However they have developed enormously in the last few years, but they've had to as OEM tyres have become ever more biased to summer use.

If you live somewhere which gets bad weather and you need to get about, they make a huge difference and shouldn't be dismissed simply as a fad.
 
Tyres "back then" weren't so specialised, much more adaptable to the seasons. I can easily remember driving about in -10c and 8" of snow without too much problem, well apart from the carburettor freezing up!
 
You may choose not to believe it, but a big part of it is the tyres.

You maybe missed my words refering to half decent tyres and sensible wheels.

This is the point which is being missed by the dogma. Put silly wheels and tyres on a 4x4 (or 2Wd) and it's not just winter tyres that would be bertter - so would sensible ones.

There are plenty of 4x4s out there with non-silly wheels and tyres.

The answer to the poster's question should have been better qualified by the initial respondents.

If you live somewhere which gets bad weather and you need to get about, they make a huge difference and shouldn't be dismissed simply as a fad
That's a different argument in terms of how you prioritise your choice and spec of car.

If people are really worried then maybe they should start by considering the big wide alloys and the thin rubber bands they fit to them that the British and some of Europe are so obsesed by on just about everything.
 
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Subarus had two types of 4WD depending on whether they were automatic or manual gear-boxed. IIRC the manual cars had a central viscous coupling differential whereas the automatic gearbox cars had a multiplate electronic clutch arrangement. In that respect they are similar to the Mercedes MFA [ modular front architecture cars] A class GLA CLA with 4MATIC. They are essentially FWD cars most of the time with a propshaft to the rear to mate with an electronically controlled multiplate differential at the rear which engages "on demand" . Subarus had a low centre of gravity due to that flat 4/6 engine, reasonable ground clearance and a conservative wheel tyre combination together with 4WD making them unstoppable in snowy conditions. Modern Mercedes are inclined to be hampered with poor ground clearance and wide floaty tyre/wheel combos demanded by fashion, but with appropriate winter tyres a 4matic GLA should offer similar performance to the old Subaru.

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You maybe missed my words refering to half decent tyres and sensible wheels.

This is the point which is being missed by the dogma. Put silly wheels and tyres on a 4x4 (or 2Wd) and it's not just winter tyres that would be bertter - so would sensible ones.

I agree. But the OP can't order his GLC on 165/70/13 Goodyear NCTs can he? Even if they are a major contribution to road safety! So we are stuck with silly size wheels and tyres, with a bias to eco treads on many cars, which perform poorly in wintry weather.
 
So we are stuck with silly size wheels and tyres, with a bias to eco treads on many cars, which perform poorly in wintry weather.

The manufacturers may well be selective in what they offer to the UK market.

I've seen BMW and VWs with four wheel drive being offered with smaller wheels in Germany than the most basic option offered here.

As with offering only diesels they offer what they peceive or the customers perceive they want.
 
I agree. But the OP can't order his GLC on 165/70/13 Goodyear NCTs can he? Even if they are a major contribution to road safety! So we are stuck with silly size wheels and tyres, with a bias to eco treads on many cars, which perform poorly in wintry weather.

He's after a GLA, and not specifically a new one.
Any owner can buy a second set of winter wheels/tyres if they choose.
The OEM tyres are safe for 99% of weather conditions, which sounds reasonable to me.
 
TBH, I didn't think my old Subaru (Turbo 2000) was much cop in the snow. The engine was pretty gutless off-boost and as soon as the turbo spooled up you'd have all 4 wheels spinning and the car would take off in whatever direction it felt like.

The best snow I car I had was my 1988 Fiat Panda 750. Low power, low weight (<700kg!), front wheel drive and tall skinny tyres. It skipped over the snow, I remember going past an Audi A6 quattro that had got stuck. The driver was not impressed :D. I would guess the 4x4 Panda is pretty much unstoppable, which is why everyone uses them in the Alps.

Cheers,

Gaz
 
Assuming your wheel and tyre sizes are restricted: Either 4WD or winter tyres will help you pull away from rest in snow, winter tyres more so. Only winter tyres will help you steer and stop, 4WD won't.

Having 4WD and winter tyres gives you greatest confidence if you need to get around safely, whatever the weather. Assuming you will change your tyres at least once during your ownership, it will not cost you any more than always using summer tyres.

Our cars have wide low profile ultra high performance summer tyres, which means they're optimised for driving quickly when it's warm, so we have piles of wide low profile winter tyres in the garage because we don't always drive fast in warm weather!
 

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