W212 in the snow

[HumberMart]

Over the last 2 weeks, most of my local roads have been white over, and there is a decent (15-20%?) hill that I need to climb every day to get out of my village.

I must say I'm gob smacked at how well the new E has coped with it all.

The traction control seems to be optimised for such conditions, and I've got about where many front wheel drives have been struggling.

The R320 I had last winter was of course very good in the snow - much better than my sisters L200, and I expected the new E to be a dog in such conditions, but at times you could convince someone it was 4WD!!

Have others found the same?

 

[Aoraki]

No, not really. I've loaded the boot with 2 bags of quickset Tarmac and a big bucket of road salt (yes the stuff from the yellow bins) to keep me moving!!

 

[Timster]

124 Diesel Estate - Snow Tires - Scottish icy roads - Amazing!

Not been stuck once.

Thrown my back end out many times - on purpose, but always regained grip as soon as I tried too.

Just pulled out a fiesta that was stuck -

Nothing wrong with RWD - it's all about having the right tyres for the job and knowing how to drive it.

 

[mbenz76]

I have had RWD, 4x4 and FWD cars in my time and apart from the 4x4 (which was as you would expect faultless in the snow), I always found the RWD cars to be better than the FWD ones.

Kind of glad I don't have my new E Class just yet though in the snow we are having - the thought of all that grit and salt off the road being sprayed into every joint and gap under the car would upset me

 

[ckember]

I was really impressed with my W211 E320cdi Estate in the snow the week before last. It took me 8 hours to get from Oxford to hemel along the A418 and the A41( 46miles) on the 21st December when the snow came unexpectedly. At one point I was told by the police that I wouldn't get to Hemel and to turn around and head back to alysebury or stay on the A41. I have Pirelli Pzero's oe the back on 18Inch rims 245/35 and was not sure how it would handle, as in the snow earlier in the year it did slip a little on the conti sport 3 it used to have fitted.

I found that in "C" mode with no throttle the aircon had enough grunt to get me going without wheel spin. I was able to get up some inclines that other front wheel drive and even some 4x4s where having trouble 0n.

The traction control only came on a few times. I had no weight in the boot either just me and the car.

Well impressed

 

[Sonny Burnett]

never been stuck in my 210.. or 202 or 208 but i msut say the 210 feels a lot sturdier than the 208

 

[timskemp]

My switch to bigger tyres has not helped me this year - untreated roads are much slower in the Merc than the Volvo.

 

[AANDYY]

W210 capable

I was surprised how capable my car was in the snow and ice .
I've had the car for about 14 months now and it's my 1st RWD car let alone an automatic, loving it .
I was a little daunted to go out in the snow and ice but had to a few times, I took it real easy and no issues, I quite enjoyed the odd slippage I made it do and corrected instantly , thing is I think you've got to be sensible about bad weather driving, anticipate well in advance.

 

[x332race]

C270 Brabus estate with winter tyres....no problems in the snow...sailed past many a struggling 4x4!!

 

[robjmurdoch]

Must admit, I’m new to the merc, 209, and I was surprised at the grip levels in the snow and ice! Also the ESP works well, a few times the back end starts out and I can only get a small turn of opposite before the car has sorted it all out for me anyway!


Well that was until you turn it off for some fun in an empty car park!

 

[oldmovieguy]

I was well impressd with the handling of my new Auto E Class 220 CDI saloon. Providing I did not startle it by jabbing at the throttle it just kept trundling along.

 

[mbenz76]

The E350 will be my first auto car. I have driven many but never owned one.

Are they better or worse in the snow do people find, and why?

 

[jaymanek]

I think a lot depends on tyres here... size, brand and rating.

 

[HumberMart]

I guess that 'cos my tyres are almost factory fresh, that must help, but I do think the traction control computer is doing a pretty good job. I'm my wife's previous golf, it was useless with the tc on in the snow, and not much better with in off.

 

[andyb31270]

No Go In Snow

Haven’t been able to get my car off the drive since 21st December

What with that and working away, have only managed to drive my new car 118 miles since collecting it on 12/12/09

 

[HumberMart]

Haven’t been able to get my car off the drive since 21st December

What with that and working away, have only managed to drive my new car 118 miles since collecting it on 12/12/09

That's a real shame, I imagine the 250 sport must one of the best new E's. I know the SE's are supposed to ride better, but all that torque and a few more toys make it very desirable.

Still the newness will last a bit longer

 

[Lugy]

Curiously my W140 copes really well in snow up to 6" deep, infact on one road last week the drifts were higher than my bonnet and it still got through - I guess momentum helped the most here. Earlier on when trying to up a not so steep hill on highly compacted snow it wouldn't move, I had to take a massive run up

 

[Marshy747]

Really strugling with my W204 , I've got to the point now that it's staying on the drive until all this ice has gone, mind you the snow round here has now turned to a solid sheet of polished ice & I live on a hill,

 

[mykulmerc]

Its good to hear all the positive comments on winter performance. Do many people bother using Winter mode on the autobox?

Last winter in my W202 Estate with summer tyres the car just ground to a halt on a gentle slope with traction control on. With ESP off I got up the hill - sideways but we did it.

This year I'm on Tyo Snoprox tyres and have hardly managed to test ABS or ESP, although the snow hasn't really got to us in Devon yet.

 

[HumberMart]

I'll never forget one day about 11 months ago when I had to get to a funeral in the wilds near Leeds-Bradford Airport and I was following my sister's double cab L200 and I then had an R320 CDI.

Both 4WD but it was the worst day of snow for last winter and the L200 was sliding all over the place, even in 4WD, whilst the R Class trotted on like it was on rails. All I could put it down to was the ESP/Traction and the type of software that I think Citroen are currently as claiming to be 'snow optimised'.

I'm sure that it's a similar thing in my E220, it doesn't matter how much I push the throttle, the ESP light blinks and it just gets on and seems to safely follow the road.

2 days ago I had to stop half way up a hill to help push a front wheel drive Rover that was stuck in front of me. Afterwards I expeted to have to reverse back down the hill to get another run up, but amazingly it just set off and carried on up the hill, passing the Rover when it was stuck again further on!