Car suggestions for bad weather/icy roads

[fatpiggy]

I have an Audi A3 and Im dreadin drving in the snow :|!!!!! I bought it last september but luckily we didnt get any snow did we!!!! I always get snowed in at my house so will have to walk to the stables (about 4 mile trek!)

Oh dear! You haven't got a prayer!

 

[Scarlett]

I agree. I would change garages as well as tyres! Hubby is a mechanic and we own a garage. We fit loads of winter tyres nowadays.

I put winter tyres on my Focus and the difference it makes is incredible. It goes from being useless in snow to drive able and gives me confidence. I drive 450 miles a week in them on normal road surfaces. We swop them back to normal tyres every summer. We just put them on and there is lots of tread on, this will be there third winter, so I'm getting my money out of them.

I work in the trade and I HATE hearing about people getting told the wrong info - gives all the good garages a bad name!

 

[Wiz201]

Regardless of what car you have, winter tyres are the only thing that would help. I've had winter tyres swapped with summer ones every six months for the past four years and I'll never be without them now. I've had them on a Jazz, Yaris and now an Aygo. Smaller the car, the cheaper they are to buy due to sizes. The Aygo only cost £126 for a set of 4 tyres. Toyota swap them for just £10 a tyre.

 

[alex_mac30]

How on earth would I turn the traction control off, I didn’t even know my car had it!! Oh dear I know very little about cars.
My yard is at a pretty remote location (only in Kent so not as bad as some) it’s quite open on the way there so I am a bit worried about snow drifts. I have moved to a new yard since last winter and am soon to be moving house so the roads are a little unfamiliar to me.

 

[Nicnac]

Second winter tyres and also snow socks - really easy to put on and take off compared to chains. They are based in Kent too http://www.snowchains.com/snow-socks.

 

[Auslander]

Winter tyres, and drive to the conditions! I had an MGF for years, and it went places that some 4WD's wouldn't! A few years ago, we convoyed to my aunts place, which is in the middle of nowhere on a very steep hill. It was very icy, and there was snow was falling. Mum got stuck on a bend half way up the hill - driving a Discovery, because she panicked and came to a stop on an icy bit, and then had the revs too high to pull away again. My little MGF carried on crawling along, past the Disco and off up the hill - much to my fathers amusement!

Engine braking is the way forward - if you use the footbrake on snow, the car will often lose traction and skid, but downshifting gears so the car slows itself down is far less likely to result in skiddage. If you have to use the footbrake on snow, you're going too fast!

It;s the other idiots on the road you want to worry about! I'm perfectly happy that I can drive competently enough to get pretty much anywhere I want to go, as long as I don't meet some prat who is pushing his luck!

 

[Holly Hocks]

I asked about winter tyres at my little garage,but they said you would soon wreck them on ordinary road surface when not snowy, also you would probably need extra set of wheels so expensive ! Im a bit worried about getting to my yard if its bad, as though the main road does get gritted at some stage, there are so many accidents on it when the roads are NOT icy that its even worse in bad weather

Are snow chains or socks easy to fit, I would have to fit them myself

Sounds like your garage are being lazy. I have just had my summer tyres changed to my winter tyres for £42. They don't just work on snow - they are for cold conditions. I bought mine last year - £280 fitted for a set of four for my Peugeot. I put them on in November and forgot to get them changed back til April. There is hardly any wear to them whatsoever and I ended up using them on non-snowy roads as we didn't even get any snow - just endless endless rain.......if I were you I would try a garage which specialises in tyres - you will get more choice and a better deal.

 

[Lemonpolo]

Winter tyres are the way to go. Had then on my golf gti and went past loads of people having issue when I did not. I got a second hand set of alloys and just swapped the wheel over when the temperature was below 7 and then swapped them back when it was above 7. OH has them on his bmw 330d and again has no issues with snow and ice. One set lasted 3 winters with heavy use on OH's car ( he does about 25k miles a year)

 

[turnbuckle]

I asked about winter tyres at my little garage,but they said you would soon wreck them on ordinary road surface when not snowy, also you would probably need extra set of wheels so expensive ! Im a bit worried about getting to my yard if its bad, as though the main road does get gritted at some stage, there are so many accidents on it when the roads are NOT icy that its even worse in bad weather

Are snow chains or socks easy to fit, I would have to fit them myself

Little garage is spouting rubbish.

Snow socks are dead easy, snow chains are a pig unless you go for the very expensive easy-fit ones and even that is relative!

 

[Auslander]

I've got some of this in my winter survival kit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1814...1=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0
It's surprisingly effective if you need to pull away on ice/compacted snow. I used it a couple of times the year before last when it snowed heavily and I had to stop to lock the yard gate, then couldn't get going again

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Subaru Forester?

Mine has a lever which I can use to engage 4WD............ the rest of the time it runs as a "normal" car.

I love it to bits, a nice chunky cobby little car with a surprising turn of speed when needed, goes well in all paces and you can fit loads in the back too

 

[Penny Less]

Thanks everyone, think I will go to another garage! Ive just had 4 new ordinary tyres on my car, so its going to be costly for another set!

 

[OldNag]

Thanks everyone, think I will go to another garage! Ive just had 4 new ordinary tyres on my car, so its going to be costly for another set!

It is expensive initially but boy is it worth it.
I couldn't believe the difference they made to my Galaxy. I felt so much safer.

I now have an old 4 x 4 and am debating whether to bite the bullet. Winter tyres for it will probably cost more than my mortgage, and I don't have to do the country hills that I used to so I might try without.... ..

It will be interesting to see the difference. Bet I don't feel as safe as I did in the 2WD with winter tyres.

 

[OldNag]

Thanks everyone, think I will go to another garage! Ive just had 4 new ordinary tyres on my car, so its going to be costly for another set!

I got mine online from blackcircles and got them delivered to a local garage to be fitted. Worked out cheaper.

 

[cremedemonthe]

AND if you get a large 4x4 and it still gets stuck treat yourself to a set of these
IF your purse is large enough that is as they cost lots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpngQbMZtmg

Certainly look like fun!

 

[case895]

Fit winter tyres. Nobody in Germany, Austria, etc bothers with 4x4. They put winter tyres on and crack on with it. They also do not waste time and money gritting. If it was down to me, I would make winter tyres compulsory.

 

[Wiz201]

Thanks everyone, think I will go to another garage! Ive just had 4 new ordinary tyres on my car, so its going to be costly for another set!

depends on what sizes you need. Check out www.mytyres.co.uk too, I ordered mine from here and took them to toyota to fit them.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I asked about winter tyres at my little garage,but they said you would soon wreck them on ordinary road surface when not snowy, also you would probably need extra set of wheels so expensive ! Im a bit worried about getting to my yard if its bad, as though the main road does get gritted at some stage, there are so many accidents on it when the roads are NOT icy that its even worse in bad weather

not true, I have *whistles* left them on all year and they were fine although your fuel consumption will go up. its not just for ice either, they are much better in plain wet, cold conditions.

I drive a clio in winter tyres and it does really well. in the last bad winters I had an old CRV with winter tyres which was awesome but I couldn't afford to run it for the commute I do.

snow socks are easy but you must have snow cover or they get wrecked quickly.

 

[agmp]

Think it's already been said but winter tyres are the way to go. We have a 4x4 but our day to day cars are not 4x4's, both run winter tyres from november, and never had a problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA

great video showing winter tyres v's 4x4. Best is 4x4 on winter tyres but really interesting to see winter tyres v's 4x4

 

[maisie06]

with 4x4's you just have more metal sliding out of control as the driver of a Landrover Defender found out as he braked on packed snow, missed the bend and slid straight through a hedge!! If I were looking for a AWD car I would love either a Subaru Legacy or and Audi A6 Quattro....My husband has a 10 year old Jaguar X-Type sport that was fabulous in the last lot of snow we had, I used it because my then car (a useless heap of a Trooper was broken yet again) I'm seriously looking into buying another estate type car - the X Type estate is looking interesting, and not bothering with a 4x4 as I don't go off roading and only tow once ot twice a month now.

 

[maisie06]

It is expensive initially but boy is it worth it.
I couldn't believe the difference they made to my Galaxy. I felt so much safer.

I now have an old 4 x 4 and am debating whether to bite the bullet. Winter tyres for it will probably cost more than my mortgage, and I don't have to do the country hills that I used to so I might try without.... ..

It will be interesting to see the difference. Bet I don't feel as safe as I did in the 2WD with winter tyres.

I had mud and snow tyres on both my big old 4x4's ran them all year no probs (apart from fuel consumption) Have rubbish tyres on the Jeep but not inspired to spend any money on tyres if they continue this recall nonsense.

 

[Dave's Mam]

I'm scared to eve look at winter tyre prices, although I must weigh this up against totalling my car, as I have to travel some horrific roads to get to yard.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My Defender was great in snow, but quite honestly, I had a little Yaris which was superb when I was driving 8 miles through hilly snow drifts to the yard twice a day. Daily we passed 4X4's and lorries that had gone into ditches but the Yaris never skidded or failed to climb an icy hill.
Currently driving a Mazda 3 which is also impressive on ice. Good tyres with a decent tread make a huge difference. Haven't needed winter tyres or snow socks yet despite being in a rural area with single track roads. Blinking flooding due to the councils inability to clear the drains is our biggest problem.

TBH, the driver makes the biggest difference, imo. Some people think they can drive in snow and ice in exactly the same headlong rush that they do in good weather. They are the ones who end up in ditches.

 

[Jnhuk]

Echo what folks say about winter tyres and if your car is rear wheel drive make certain you have something heavy in the boot of the car.

We have got a panda cross 4x4 which we bought specially for bad winter weather when we got rid of our diesel guzzling big Jeep Grand Cherokee as no longer needed a towing vehicle. Our neighbour farmer already has got his eyes on it for when we no longer want it....

http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/recommended/best-cars-winter

 

[Kat]

Well I was going to suggest a polo!

Ours was unstoppable in all conditions! The only times we ever turned it around were due to ground clearance, never due to traction and we only got it stuck once (on a beach) it took us to our yard when people with landrovers had to park on the main road and walk in. It got us off many a muddy field, even when 4x4s were getting stuck. It also took us up the snake pass in heavy snow when the pass was closed. We parked at doctors gate, but drove a little higher and turned round, the only other vehicle that made it as far was a toyota previa 4x4, all the discos etc were parked much lower. At the high point of the pass the snow was so deep that the speed limit signs were only just poking out of the snow!

We have a 4x4 now but it really isn't much better than the polo. In ice a 4x4 is just a heavier sledge, but you do have better grip to get up the hills.

The polo didn't have snow or winter tyres on, just cheap as chips economy tyres on steel wheels. Nor did it have any fancy traction control or abs.

I would suggest investing in some driver training. Snow and ice is far less scary when you know how to handle a skid. I went on a skid pan years ago and it was brilliant fun as well as incredibly useful.

 

[Dunlin]

I have a cheap Ford Ka sporting winter tyres (£180 for a set of 4) on steel rims and some snow chains in the boot for anything more serious. It's cheap, front wheel drive, light and the bumpers are pingy plastic. I spun that thing on diesel and hit a bank quite hard, all I had to do was pay 99p for a packet of plastic bumper clips to get the front left bumper back into place. I take it off roading when out hunting and everyone stares in amazement, it's a fab little car that does it all! Starts first time everytime, cheap on fuel, cheap on insurance, has a good heater and CD player, what more do you want all wrapped up for a few hundred quid (mine was £650 with low mileage).

 

[Carrots&Mints]

Oh dear! You haven't got a prayer!

Dont say that!!! lol

 

[Carrots&Mints]

Have a look on ebay - Step dad managed to get some winter tyres for his Focus - decent amount of tread - nearly new and no damage to them saved him a fortune than buying new Im off to do the same

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

Winter tyres, and drive to the conditions! I had an MGF for years, and it went places that some 4WD's wouldn't! A few years ago, we convoyed to my aunts place, which is in the middle of nowhere on a very steep hill. It was very icy, and there was snow was falling. Mum got stuck on a bend half way up the hill - driving a Discovery, because she panicked and came to a stop on an icy bit, and then had the revs too high to pull away again. My little MGF carried on crawling along, past the Disco and off up the hill - much to my fathers amusement!

Engine braking is the way forward - if you use the footbrake on snow, the car will often lose traction and skid, but downshifting gears so the car slows itself down is far less likely to result in skiddage. If you have to use the footbrake on snow, you're going too fast!

It;s the other idiots on the road you want to worry about! I'm perfectly happy that I can drive competently enough to get pretty much anywhere I want to go, as long as I don't meet some prat who is pushing his luck!

Totally agree with everything you've said. Particularly if you're having to use the footbrake you're going too fast.

Would like to get some winter tyres for my MG3, but didn't plan ahead so now I can't afford them. Aside from that, I was always under the impression that if I were to keep having the normal tyres taken off, and winter tyres put on and vice versa, it would damage the tyre? I assumed you'd have to have a second set of wheels.

Also, new car has traction control, which I've never had on a car before. Is it better to switch it off in the ice / snow? Car seemed fine in the ice the other morning.

 

[alex_mac30]

Echo what folks say about winter tyres and if your car is rear wheel drive make certain you have something heavy in the boot of the car.

We have got a panda cross 4x4 which we bought specially for bad winter weather when we got rid of our diesel guzzling big Jeep Grand Cherokee as no longer needed a towing vehicle. Our neighbour farmer already has got his eyes on it for when we no longer want it....

http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/recommended/best-cars-winter

What age was your polo? I used to have a 2004 one and that was brilliant in the snow and ice, I never weorried about the tyres just used the summer ones all year. It got me to the stables in really bad weather no problems. I had to replace it, so wetn for a 2008 one and its no were near as good for lots of reasons, from the spec they should be pretty much identical. In a small amount of snow 2 years ago I was driving on a straight piece of road, I was slowing down, using the gears I didnt touch the brakes, luckily I was doing under 10 mph as I was where I needed to turn off and it just slide on the the edge/hedge. As I wasnt gonig at any speed it just stopped with no damage done.