Spec me something with 4WD

Buy a **** old hatch on skinny tyres, use as as a jelopy, drive it tot work when it snows. It'll handle the snow better than most 4x4s.
 
thepedster said:
The right tyres have already stopped your crashing/got you up the hill, the 4x4 at that point still isn't needed.
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You are suggesting that there are no traction advantages with 4WD, and that any 2WD car equipped with the right tyres is capable of traversing the same snowy/icy inclines as a 4WD with the right tyres?
 
Telescopi said:
If it's for a woman and the main (or only) concern is getting to work is that so bad?

TBH any proper 4WD (not a quattro) is going to be awful compared to the 528 regardless of tyres.
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No i think thats a good suggestion, im just answering Fox question which i thought was what are snow tyres like on normal roads.

Well they are great if you like massive road noise and a tyre wearing out as fast as **** and becoming useless for its intended purpose because its so soft :)
 
Telescopi said:
I suggested Freelander because of it's reasonable road manners (based on reviews and 2nd hand reports)

If the OP thinks the Freelander is worth a shot I'd look at the various freelander/landrover forums for tyre advice.

If your 25 mile commute is up to the cairngorm ski school every morning perhaps the compromise on tyres should go more towards snow?
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Where does he say she commutes up a Scottish mountain?

He lives in England I think?
 
Dogbreath said:
You are suggesting that there are no traction advantages with 4WD, and that any 2WD car equipped with the right tyres is capable of traversing the same snowy/icy inclines as a 4WD with the right tyres?
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Possibly? We need some good old honest back to back testing not internet rumouring!

Lets remember these snowy icy inclines are just roads here, we're not talking abour off roading, nor are we talking about sweden, I know there is sometimes bad snow in the UK as some folk saw last (this?) year, but for the average conditions, a well kitted out 2wd is ok right?

And if its that bad out why are you risking it when you should be at home with your feet up!
 
Dogbreath said:
You are suggesting that there are no traction advantages with 4WD, and that any 2WD car equipped with the right tyres is capable of traversing the same snowy/icy inclines as a 4WD with the right tyres?
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No but the guy has a point in this country at least. Some small kei car on ultra skinny tyres (155's for example) is going to glide through snow just as well. 4wd comes more into it's element when you factor in uneven surfaces.

My father used to swear by his old polo when he was stationed in poland during the cold war and they had bad winters but a car weighing several hundred kilo's with skinny tyres had no problem progressing through the snow.
 
[TW]Fox;17499557 said:
He lives in England I think?
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Don't know but if snow is regularly a problem on his wife's route I'd think it was somewhere high+remote or north of england / scotland.

Snow, as you rightly say, isn't a regular problem in most of the UK, but I'll take the OP on his word and assume it is for his wife :)
 
Telescopi said:
Don't know but if snow is regularly a problem on his wife's route I'd think it was somewhere high+remote or north of england / scotland.

Snow, as you rightly say, isn't a regular problem in most of the UK, but I'll take the OP on his word and assume it is for his wife :)
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Hes not alone, my wife has a lot of problems driving too, wheres the indicators, how to drink a coffee, talk on the phone and wave to mates all at the same time.

The list goes on :D
 
I'm not really seeing the issue with him wanting a 4WD car TBH? It's not like he is proposing that he buys a Land Rover defender complete with lifted suspension, winch, spotlights and studded tyres because there was a little dusting of snow. He seems to want an otherwise normal car that happens to be 4WD.
 
As it has been said before - BUY SOME WINTER TYRES!

I say this as someone who has spent a significant amount of time in mountainy places with a massive amount of snow, when I got to Banff for the start of my ski season one of the first things I said to the taxi drivers was 'umm - so you have a RWD car in the snow?' and he said 'yeah - with winter tyres on it's absolutely fine' and they were. The police also have RWD cars with winter tyres.

4WD will not help you go around corners, and it will not help you stop. It will just give you a false sense of security by giving you lots of traction in a straight line. It's lateral grip that causes problems in the snow and 4wd does nothing for this!
 
Freefaller said:
I think this is actually quite a good recommendation.
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He'd be lucky to find an old shape 4x4 panda and the new ones are way outside his price range. If he could double or triple his budget it'd be a good all year round car for a woman but not so satisfying for him :)
 
taximike said:
As it has been said before - BUY SOME WINTER TYRES!
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Or on another note winter tyres (on steel wheels) and a car limits day to teach you how to drive in ice+snow?

Could be cheaper and turn out better. Plus when he puts the normal alloys back on in spring he's got all the positives he likes about his current car.
 
Subaru Forester with winter pack. Easily found under £2k, 4WD, comfy and well-spec'd. Not THAT stupid on fuel.
 
Telescopi said:
Don't know but if snow is regularly a problem on his wife's route I'd think it was somewhere high+remote or north of england / scotland.

Snow, as you rightly say, isn't a regular problem in most of the UK, but I'll take the OP on his word and assume it is for his wife :)
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To be fair though most people in the UK now consider snow a 'regular problem' simply because we had two consecutive, freak winters. If it happens again this year it might be time to rethink whats normal, but unless it does..
 
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