4WD Fever

paradigm said:
Sorry, can you show me historically, with accumilated met-office data, where we have this kind of road condition on a more frequent basis?
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Ice and winter go hand in hand, have done ever since records began. Snow and winter are also commonly found together.

InvaderGIR said:
Been seeing a lot of Subaru drivers around here being utter tools. :p



As does not driving like a plank, my RWD car has coped fine and lots of 4WD haven't on the exact same roads.



Don't tar BMW drivers with the idiot brigade brush thanks. I've seen 4WD cars/vehicles struggling, FWD struggling and abandoned and not one RWD car stuck. My car has summer tyres and has coped just fine with the snow and ice and continues to do so, driving sensibly has made it fine. Driving like a plank puts you into trouble.



2ft deep snow just means your 4wd has better ground clearance...try it with summer tyres and not driving like a plank, or with FWD or RWD with summer or winter tyres, again, not driving like a plank...should cope ok.

You come across as the sort of driver that owns a 4WD (with winter tyres :/) and thinks it means they can continue to drive like a complete and utter tool 'because 4wd and winter tyres make the roads the same as summer'. :rolleyes:
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Whats wrong with tarring BMW drivers with the idiot brush - they were, the 3 cars i helped push out the way were all BMW's on summer tyres, one owner even said he wouldnt be buying another one because it was **** - i agree, it was a 1 series after all!!

2ft of snow - i have no more ground clearance than any other estate car, because that is what mine is. And as you mention it, 4WD and winter tyres does make snowy roads much like summer roads, plenty of grip when going and stopping thanks.

BMW fanboys :rolleyes:
 
What? ANY RWD car with fat summer tyres isn't going anywhere in snow!

I've been tooling around in our E60 for the last two weeks and it's been brilliant in this weather.
 
No, I'm not a fool who thinks that having 4 driven wheels means that I can drive around like a prawn and I'll be completely fine, despite having summer tyres and no skill.
 
I've always wondered how do all these extreme weather condition driving gods in their super 4x4's with Arctic Tyres manage to drive through all the 'normal' abandoned cars, vans and HGVs that will be blocking the roads because of the conditions?
 
Slime101 said:
Ice and winter go hand in hand, have done ever since records began. Snow and winter are also commonly found together.
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They are, but it's very minor in the UK compared to elsewhere, which is the point.

Slime101 said:
Whats wrong with tarring BMW drivers with the idiot brush - they were, the 3 cars i helped push out the way were all BMW's on summer tyres, one owner even said he wouldnt be buying another one because it was **** - i agree, it was a 1 series after all!!
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Same can be said for many FWD cars and their drivers...as I said, I've seen more FWD and 4WD cars stuck and unable to cope than I have RWD cars.

Slime101 said:
2ft of snow - i have no more ground clearance than any other estate car, because that is what mine is. And as you mention it, 4WD and winter tyres does make snowy roads much like summer roads, plenty of grip when going and stopping thanks.
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Having not stated what sort of 4WD, I assumed a 4X4 type vehicle, which is a fair assumption to make. No, it doesn't. It provides you with more grip yes, but does not mean you should continue to drive as if it's the summer. Have a look at what TomO said.

Slime101 said:
BMW fanboys :rolleyes:
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Just so you know, I have this car because it was cheap, I have no preference to marque. Prior to buying this I was looking at all sorts of other vehicles, including 4X4s, FWD cars and such like. I didn't even look at BMWs again until I was offered this one, so you can have your fanboys rolleyes back. :rolleyes:


mjt said:
What? ANY RWD car with fat summer tyres isn't going anywhere in snow!

I've been tooling around in our E60 for the last two weeks and it's been brilliant in this weather.
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Exactly my point. My BMW with summer tyres copes fine.
 
Slime101 said:
Ice and winter go hand in hand, have done ever since records began. Snow and winter are also commonly found together.
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Not everywhere. That's why it snows in Austrailia every winter.

Wait...



Exaggerated point I know. But the point is only the last 3 winters have we had any significant amount of snow and ice, and even so, in many parts it's only been a few weeks at most (unlike other countries which have regular winter conditions and can adapt to cope). And during that time, not once have I been stranded or unable to get to where I needed due to not owning a 4WD.

Slime101 said:
4WD and winter tyres does make snowy roads much like summer roads, plenty of grip when going and stopping thanks.

BMW fanboys :rolleyes:
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..because of your tyres, not your drive train. How does 4 wheel drive improve your braking ability?

4WD fanboys :rolleyes:
 
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Nope no need and no interest for one really. :)


I'd consider it in a snowy country, but even there they get by, owing to having a decent infrastructure which can manage with the weather conditions, as well as having the right equipment. Only in extreme situations do you really need a 4WD vehicle IMO.

In other parts of the world FWD and RWD alike get on fine with the snow - you just have to know how to drive in it, have the right tyres, and equipment. Something we just aren't prepared or organised for in this country unfortunately.
 
Conscript said:
Not everywhere. That's why it snows in Austrailia every winter.

Wait...



Exaggerated point I know. But the point is only the last 3 winters have we had any significant amount of snow and ice, and even so, in many parts it's only been a few weeks at most (unlike other countries which have regular winter conditions and can adapt to cope). And during that time, not once have I been stranded or unable to get to where I needed due to not owning a 4WD.



..because of your tyres, not your drive train. How does 4 wheel drive improve your braking ability?

4WD fanboys :rolleyes:
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We're in the UK Behave.

And 4WD does help with braking, engine braking which on snow and ice helps considerably! :D
 
Slime101 said:
We're in the UK fool.

And 4WD does help with braking, engine braking which on snow and ice helps considerably! :D
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You're the one still driving in this weather like it's summer and I'm the fool?

If you had an ounce of intelligence, you'd see the point I was trying to make; you said:

"Ice and winter go hand in hand, have done ever since records began. Snow and winter are also commonly found together."

As though that's a common rule for everywhere, the world over. If it's winter, it must be snowy and icy, right? No. The point is, not everywhere has snowy and icy winters, and as I already stated, we do not have winters this cold and this bad, regularly, so saying "Ill go out and buy a 4WD" on the basis of a 3 year trend of colder than usual winter is folly.
 
Right let's keep the personal attacks out of this.

A differing opinion is fine, being wrong is fine, but please let us not start name calling.
 
I've had a fourby for the last few winters but it has nowt to do with the snow. I go off road & just like all that comes with it, Mud/fun/swimming/spannering/tinkering/tweaking/modding/climbing/green laning. :cool:
 
As for Mikes initial questions, No & No would be my answer.

And a 4x4 estate, driving in 2 Feet of lying snow? - I'd like to see that.
 
I stacked my Leon twice in the snow, even with 4wd and winter tyres.
However, the first time was that I ran out of road (passed a broken-down car, misjudged the width of the road as it was all covered in snow)
Second time, minimal tread on the rear and I lost the back end as soon as it touched some fresh snow.

You don't need 4WD for snow, you need winter tyres. Both are an epic combination, but 2wd and winter tyres is more than good enough for 95% of the time.
As for buying 4wd for these conditions, depends on the car. I was looking at an Audi, I probably would get a Quattro. However, I wouldn't specifically go for something with 4wd anymore as I don't need it.
 
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My Discovery has been brilliant in the snow, but this is largely down to having new all terrain tyres on it with over 10mm of tread.
I'd never advise buying a 4x4 as a kneejerk reaction to the snow. Just consider winter tyres but most importantly don't drive like a pillock. If it gets too bad consider not driving at all.
 
Trust it to be Slime101 to come out with a belter like 'Plenty of grip when stopping' becuase of his 4WD.

Of course I'm sure you all have visions of Slime101 in his big 4x4 - it's a Passat diesel :D

My road is treacherous at the moment - its basically sheet ice all the way to the main road. I'm still managing to get up and down it on my 265 wide rear summer tyres simply by taking it easy, using a high gear, etc etc. Once I'm on the gritted main roads, it's fine.

I'm not going to base my car choice on conditions my car will find itself in for perhaps 5-10% of the time I'm driving it. If I did live somewhere that snow was something that turned up in November and didnt go away until March, I still wouldnt buy something like a 4 wheel drive Passat - I'd just have a set of winter tyres to swap to on whatever car I wanted.
 
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Well I sold my A8 with 4wd and more handily.. you could raise the height which was more helpful. I now have rwd death :)

While it was 'handy' it wouldnt sway my decisions
 
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