Rear wheel drive and snow

[the_boy]

Afternoon everybody

I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a MB for a while now but if I'm honest one of the main things that has put me off is the fact they are rear wheel drive.

Now in the past I've had a few rear wheel drive cars including an E34 M5 and a BMW 130i. One thing above all is that I hated how they handled in the wet / snow and was pretty stressed out when winter came round. The fact we've had a few bad winters over the last few years has also played a factor win why I've not been keen to go back.

However I've always wanted to own an E55 estate and I do spend quite a bit of time trawling online at the latest for sale adverts.

So I guess I'm just trying to find out how bad they are when the weather turns sour. I know they don't have run flats which should be a hige bonus to start with.

Can anyone offer an opinion?
Should I stick with 4wd or is the traction control on the MB up to scratch?

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Buy an E55 and put winter tyres on.

Next question.

 

[CKLclive]

Buy the E55 you have winter mode on the autobox

 

[Satch]

Buy an E55 and put winter tyres on.

Next question.

What he said.

Not exactly like every taxi driver in Germany with an E class gives up working in the winter.

Just get the right tyres. Job done.

 

[Howard]

Afternoon everybody

I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a MB for a while now but if I'm honest one of the main things that has put me off is the fact they are rear wheel drive.

Now in the past I've had a few rear wheel drive cars including an E34 M5 and a BMW 130i. One thing above all is that I hated how they handled in the wet / snow and was pretty stressed out when winter came round. The fact we've had a few bad winters over the last few years has also played a factor win why I've not been keen to go back.

However I've always wanted to own an E55 estate and I do spend quite a bit of time trawling online at the latest for sale adverts.

So I guess I'm just trying to find out how bad they are when the weather turns sour. I know they don't have run flats which should be a hige bonus to start with.

Can anyone offer an opinion?
Should I stick with 4wd or is the traction control on the MB up to scratch?

Thanks!

450 ish bhp through the rear wheels is going to tax any traction control system.

As others have said , winter tyres and a featherlight foot is the only real option.

My car is nonsense in the snow with 280 ish bhp and fat tyres

 

[moonloops]

My CLK500 with winter tyres allowed me to drive around 4 by 4's that had got stuck

 

[Mercy1]

So I guess I'm just trying to find out how bad they are when the weather turns sour.

How bad? Now let me see. Bad, very bad, plain scary?? Probably so, but no worse I wouldn't have thought than BMs.

As the others have said, the way to go with all types of cars these days is winter tyres. So just build a set of winter wheels into your budget - sorted!

(But you'll still need to drive with appropriate care...!)

 

[mejermy]

RWD and snow

Tyres plus 200kg in the boot. I find keeping all but the presently in use bag of coal in the boot a great help.

 

[219]

I have never found myself stuck with any of my Mercs in snow . In years gone by I have passed along roads with snow ploughed higher than the roof of the car on either side , untreated road surfaces , up and down hill and never had problems with traction - all on 'normal' tyres . RWD transfers downforce onto the rear wheels when trying to go forwards , much preferable to FWD ; better for making standing starts too

During the last two winters I have taken my W126 to Aberdeenshire and back , towing a trailer on snow and ice covered roads without any difficulty ; last year up snow covered hills , past stuck FWD cars , with never a problem . Previous cars of every generation back to my Ponton have been equally capable .

Closest I came to getting stuck was down a rutted farm track where I ran out of ground clearance , but still managed to rock the car out of the holes I dug in doing a three point turn into the entrance to a field - ripped the electrics plate off my towbar in the process of crossing the 'hump' in the middle of the track , but it was easily replaced .

One of the best cars , of course , is a VW beetle : RWD with engine over the rear wheels , skinny tyres and good ground clearance .

 

[nick mercedes]

So I guess I'm just trying to find out how bad they are when the weather turns sour.

All big RWD cars are usless in the snow (snow tyres or not)

But it hardly ever snows in blighty anyway.

Get a cheepo FWD car for the snowy days and for when you're sick of 15mpg...

 

[219]

All cars with 'Carlos Fandango widewheels' are useless in the snow .

Get a car with sensible wheels , preferably RWD , and you'll be just fine during the two or three months of snowy weather that is normal here .

 

[the_boy]

Cheers for the replies.

Still not convinced like so I guess I'm going to have to think about it a bit more. The M5 was a right pain for sideways action, I had to keep on top of the tyre pressures constantly.

The car may have 400+ bhp but I'm not sure you could power it out af a corner like you could with my old 300 bhp 4wd Legnum.

Admittedly it doesn't look a patch on the E55 or have half the toys.

 

[Markedes]

Winter tyres or not... It is all about the way you brake , steer and accelerate in the conditions and how you approach a hazard.

People have so little experiance in this area that there is a tendancy to panic and excuse the pun " Freeze " causing problems and accidents. Education is the key and many find themselves out of the comfort zone. Be aware of the situation and try to not be caught out and " BLAME THE WEATHER PEOPLE FOR A WRONG FORECAST "

Regards.

 

[the_boy]

Two years ago when I had the 130i I couldn't even get the thing off the drive.
1st / 2nd, sand for traction it just went left and right.

I agree with how you drive makes a big difference but rwd does add to the equation. I'm just trying to get a feel for how big a factor it would be. Having not driven one before I can't judge what to expect and there aren't many E55's about.

 

[W210 Fan]

I have an E55 which on paper should be rubbish in the snow, loads of torque and horsepower, auto box, fat low profile tyres etc, but heres the facts and not the hearsay, last year when it snowed (I live in the sticks, google earth hasnt been up here and nor do the gritters) my E55 got me everywhere, down snowy lanes, icy roads, I managed to parallel park on an icy hill, it drove on hard packed snow and it drove up a slushy mushy snowy single laned hill, it didnt have winter tyres or chains or socks on or anything, just normal tyres, I was just carefull and didnt make any sudden movements, all steering and braking was done gently and gracefully and thats the key to not losing it, dont use gobfulls of power - just meter it out gently

 

[Dieselman]

I have never found myself stuck with any of my Mercs in snow . In years gone by I have passed along roads with snow ploughed higher than the roof of the car on either side , untreated road surfaces , up and down hill and never had problems with traction - all on 'normal' tyres .

I bet you wore cloggs and ate Hovis as a Lad as well...

 

[Howard]

All cars with 'Carlos Fandango widewheels' are useless in the snow ..

Some of us need them to get the power down

My wheels were supplied by MB for the car as an OEM option.

 

[nick mercedes]

I bet you wore cloggs and ate Hovis as a Lad as well...

...and took whippet for run on moors in your Citroen?

 

[Dieselman]

The M5 was a right pain for sideways action, I had to keep on top of the tyre pressures constantly.

The car may have 400+ bhp but I'm not sure you could power it out af a corner like you could with my old 300 bhp 4wd Legnum.

all steering and braking was done gently and gracefully and thats the key to not losing it, dont use gobfulls of power - just meter it out gently

Not sure the O/p has the finesse for doing that. ^^

 

[219]

While it is true that many drivers lack the necessary skills to drive in adverse conditions , and that anybody can drive like an idiot if they choose , it is also true that some cars are unsuitable due to being equipped with inappropriate wheels & tyres , but not because they are RWD - lots of over-tyred FWD cars are just as bad . Modern electronic traction controls which cut power as soon as any slip at all is detected is another curse since , in some conditions , a certain amount of wheelspin can be used to 'rock' a car out of a hole or just to get moving in deeper snow - sometimes you have to break the rules , but there are limits .

I have only owned a handful of FWD cars in my lifetime ( Austin All-Aggro ( cough ) , SAAB 99 , Audi 100 , Mk I Golf , Mk II Polo ) none were terrible in the snow , but nor were they any better than my many RWD cars ( mostly Mercedes , plus a few air-cooled Beetles ) and in many ways they were less capable with a greater tendancy to lose traction when moving off .

I am no stranger to winter conditions here in Scotland and I do find that , driven with due care , my RWD Mercs will climb hills past many other vehicles ( admittedly perhaps in the hands of unskilled drivers ) which are stuck and spinning their front wheels .