Winter safety and new car

There are many quantifiable aspects to cars which make you feel safe in adverse weather conditions such as size, interior build quality, ABS and airbags, four wheel drive, modern shell etc and they can all make a difference should the worst happen. There are plenty of other things you can do to make a difference to avoid the worst happening such as slowing down, keeping lights clean, ensuring wiper blades are in good nick, following others instead of leading, avoiding unlit and/or unmarked roads, skid control lessons and improving your driving skills, general adverse weather experience.

You do realise this is a feminine mindset as others have not so politely pointed out? However, safety is a serious business and it is a high priority for a lot of people, myself included as 9 times out of 10 I've got the kids and the dog in the car.

Given your needs and budget, I think the Audi is the best call.

It's a 1.9 TDi 130 Quattro Sport, comes loaded with part leather, CD, aircon, airbags, four wheel drive, ABS etc. It's a solid shell, feels well put together so feels safe and sturdy on the road and it also has a little class.

Best of all, a car like this can be had for about £5500.

Yep thats the type of car i've been looking at, i liked the looks of the 1.8T. Its in my price range and looks a great car to drive. The only thing that has me puzzled is the lack of xenon lights on such a well specced car (depending on the particular car). Having driven a works car with xenon lights i'm absolutely amazed these are made standard or at least insisted on by the EU.

I dont mind if its a girly mindset, all these OCUK alpha males dont bother me. I like to know i'm doing the best i can with the available funds.
 
Xenons can probably be retrofitted to it without too much fuss. If this is the sole feature lacking, then it's not the problem fitting airbags or ABS would be.
 
OEM VAG Xenons are a minefield to fit, i've been looking into a W8 OEM Xenon conversion for mine and its a PITA.

Clearly you could do what i've done and fit a good quality Gas Xenon kit if the car has projector lights.
 
I dont mind if its a girly mindset, all these OCUK alpha males dont bother me. I like to know i'm doing the best i can with the available funds.

Ignoring the girly mindset, I think it's a waste of cash. Getting a RWD (as you'd originally said about BMWs) isn't going to help over a FWD car. Getting a 4WD car may help, but the FWD will be perfectly safe and capable so long as you don't drive like a ****. :)

I personally don't see the point in spending £5k on a new car just because of the English weather, which is what it seems you are doing.

If you'd said "I have £5k for a new car, what's the best specced and safest car I can get for the money?" or something along those lines you wouldn't have been slated.
 
[TW]Fox;12824070 said:
So he crashed due to black ice on a straight peice of dual carriageway and there was nothing he could have done to avoid it or pre-empt it?

I don't buy that.

All accidents are avoidable, and infact MANY non fault accidents are avoidable as well. If you crash (rather than somebody hits you) it's your fault.

Be a man and admit it, IMHO.

I was doing 35mph in a straight line on the morning after the our first big freeze.

I knew it was icy so hardly using any throttle, the back end still stepped out massively, I caught it at 30 degrees but then it snapped back the other way and I ended up going sideways.

Really caught me out!
 
If you were worried about a rear wheel drive car in the winter you could always put some weight over your back axle. I used to have a pick up truck that was rear wheel drive and hard to deal with in the winter. I put a a few 25 kg bags of rock salt in the back and took it easy, it made a big difference.

If you did go for a BMW or something RWD then this would be a cheap option. Your MPG would take a bit of a hit but you would have something nice to drive for the vast majority of the year.
 
I don't think the issue is traction here, it's safety in its entirety. Lumps of weight in the back which could potentially crush rear occupants isn't this guys requirement. A 306 is like a Pepsi can compared to an Audi A4 and I can see why this appeals as a safer car.
 
[TW]Fox;12829021 said:
No it didn't, you recovered it and emerged unscathed because you were ready for the adverse conditions.

True, but it amazed me that it caught me out like it did. No warning at all
 
Now I want a car that is safer in these weather conditions and I don’t think a hatchback will cut it imo (you can argue about the numbers, it’s just my feelings).

WTF? Stop being a pansy. I've been enjoying drives out in the snow in my Westfield ffs. Get some advanced driving lessons instead of a new car.

Actually, that's a serious suggestion and believe it or not I am trying to be helpful. An advanced driving course will teach you how to anticipate situations, deal with them and subsequently make you more confident, increase your safety and will let you enjoy driving much more.
 
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The guy clearly isn't a petrol head and it seems as if he is being ridiculed for not feeling confident driving in bad weather - no harm in that is there?

The OP's lack of ability (real or perceived) has made him feel that his only choice is to get a safe car to crash in. Would you rather someone like that is on the same roads as you, or would it perhaps be better if part of his 8k went on training in order for him drive safely and confidently in poor weather conditions?
 
God, you live in Milton Keynes? Please do let us know what you end up buying so I know to give your car a wide berth if I happen to come across you on our straight, well lit, fully (annoyingly) gritted roads attached by roundabouts this winter...
 
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