which non 4x4 cars are best and worst in snow and ice?

My Nissan Note has been doing very well.
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As has Mum's X-Trail, although that's 4x4
 
MY little corsa has been brill.
It has low profile tyres (fronts only replaced a week ago!) and not a minutes grief!
In fact we were the only car out of about 20 to get up a fairly steep hill a couple of nights ago.
But if it worried me that much there is always snow chains!
 
The choice of vehicle makes little difference. Its the tyres that do it.

Why do you all think that drivers in countries like Germany and Switzerland (who get snow every year) do not drive loads of 4x4, but instead drive normal cars, and put on snow tyres in the winter? If having a 4x4 helped, Land Rover's biggest sales would be on mainland Europe.
 
My nissan Navarra is fantastic. We had dual purpose tyres put on the rears last month and they are far better than standard road tyres, I also drive for the conditions so haven' t got into a skid with it.

I did drive from Baldock to Newark on the A1 one year when it had been closed due to snow in my Cavalier. it took me 5 hours and i was teh only vehicle on the A1 northbound. it was pretty hairy but the car coped brilliantly. Changed it teh following year for a brand new sierra sapphire and lost the backend of that on a daily basis when reversing off my drive I ended up having to carry 5 bags of coal in the boot all the time to keep the rear wheel drive on the road. Front wheel drive and 4x4 for me every time.

also my 4x4 keeps me safe from the other idiots driving on the roads who seem to think bad road conditions don't apply to them, I at least have a hoge tow bar behind and a solid car round me so if they hit me they don't kill me.
 
My V reg VW Polo diesel is the best car I've ever driven in the snow and I've had a few cars. Been using it this week to get to the horses because our Nissan Terrano is stuck in the driveway at home.
 
I have a Toyota Celica (called Joanna, because she's not as young as she was, but still gorgeous
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). She does NOT do ice! I can't even get her off the drive because of the ice on the up hill part of the drive.
She naps terribly in the snow, goesbackwards, sideways, plants herself and no amount of leg/carrots/pleading works......
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However, No.1 daughter's Saxo is brilliant - up for anything, very forward going.
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Old landies - I had series IIIs for years. I have been using OH's Audi TT - it is excellent on bad roads - 4 x 4 and traction control, big fat tyres and heavy car. As good as any big 4 x 4 as it proved in France last year when we had over 30 cm of snow and -12.

Too many people driving with no thought to the conditions - makes me cringe.
 
My 54 plate Fiesta has been fantastic. We live on a pretty steep hill and it hasn't struggled at all, even with proper icey conditions. I have got relatively low profile big tyres on though which I think helps
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I drive down a singel track road and can see loads of tracks where people have slid all over the place, but havent had any probs. The ABS works well too
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My TDI Golf has excelled itself recently, not even a little skid when everything else is skidding
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although we only have a little snow but still have ice.
My dad's and sister's BMWs are shocking, that's rear wheel drive for you!
 
My OH knows a lot about cars and physics (lol).

He says the best things in snow & ice is a light car, because putting down more force(power) only gets you stuck in and more heavy.

So the best thing to do is drive a light car (we have a little fiesta for snow), in as high a gear you can without stalling.

It mkes me cringe seeing people slowing down to go up hills and changing down gears - awful.
 
I've got a Kia sorento 4x4 and a smart forfour and, whilst the 4x4 would be good if I had to go through deep snow/mud etc, with the ice I think the smart is better as its so light and under powered that it just glides over the top, whereas the heavy 4x4 slides all over the place.
 
My new shaped Beetle has been ok so far but it hasn't been as bad here.
In Feb we had hideous snow and ungritted roads which my car couldn't cope with at all, it scared the life out of me trying to get up a hill whilst sliding back down it in the dark.
The tyres on it are really wide and with it being such a heavy lump of metal it wsinks into the ice and snow, giving me naff all grip.
Great to drive the rest of the year!
 
My 1995 reg Astra has been coping admirably!!

Just had one really scary moment nearly skidding into a wall going round a sharp icy corner but it gripped in the nick of time and we were saved!!

Have never really had much problems with it driving in snow and ice. It was - 12 here this morning so if it can cope with that.......!!!
 
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54 Corsa has been brilliant - flew past a 4x4 stuck on a hill on Monday night. Wish people would learn to drive in the snow though - I've seen so many people just revving and revving, wheels spinning everywhere. I just want to shout "It won't work, put your wheels straight, change into 2nd or 3rd, and don't use the accelerator". AAARGH! (And don't even get me started on those who drive too fast/brake suddenly/pull out in front of you!)
 
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My Ford Mondeo (diesel) is coping brilliantly in the snow and ice, very impressed.

Mr FigJam's VX220 (silly little sports car like a Lotus Elise!) hasn't even been given the opportunity to embarrass itself or put him in a ditch/wall, it's abandoned in the driveway!!!
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OH's C-RV is coping well, but it's on mud & snow/winter tyres. My MR2 is also sitting on the driveway and won't be moved until the icerinks have been cleared.

RWD is generally bad, but if you have lots in your boot, a front wheel drive car will struggle to get traction. Vets' cars being a classic example!
 
My Audi A3 is terrible to drive in the snow, no use at all.although in saying that, we have 15 inches of snow here just now.dont know if many cars non 4x4 would cope with this depth here.
But our Range Rover is fantastic in the snow .
 
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