Slipperyness - What will you be driving this winter?

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I think in ice, we're on our own but I personally had the issue where I lightly touched the brake and the wheels just locked instantly, I used that to guide the car down the hill, on and off the brake as it pulled side to side because I had to avoid getting any speed up. I can imagine abs wouldn't have been much use, just would have made me loose any control I had over the brake perhaps? With parked cars on both sides, it was a challenge and pray nothing was crossing at the bottom! It did seem like other cars were having an easier time getting around than me though.

[Lacquer Peel]

ABS just pulses away on snow, you don't want to slam on the brakes anyway but ABS makes stopping harder and longer (ooer) in my experience.

[davehedgehog31]

The 405 has 4 really good Goodyear all season tyres.

 

So I'll of course be driving the Astra with 4 assorted ditchfinders.

[Six-cylinder]

.

[somewhatfoolish]

ABS just pulses away on snow, you don't want to slam on the brakes anyway but ABS makes stopping harder and longer (ooer) in my experience.

It also makes a distracting noise which causes the unwary to avoid missing stationary objects.

[Broadsword]

This as of just now. May the Autoshite gods have mercy on my sole. I know nothing of 4x4s, but I noted this had the air suspension removed so I went for it.

[oldcars]

Just the Reliant on 3 marshall tyres. They were fine last year. Got out of the estate when other cars got stuck. Did spend a good amount of time sideways. The 75 for longer trips. Both will be washed very regularly to keep the salt off.

[ProgRocker]

I'll be driving my one and only car: 2003 Nissan Almera. On summer tyres.

[Tetleysmooth]

The Red Baron.

 

 

Totally unsuitable for winter weather, but what's not to like

[clayts450]

Snoozer Cruiser - handles pretty well in the snow, despite its 'lumbering oaf' presence. Usually get lots of ABS feedback and will generally knock off the traction control

[flat4alfa]

OMG SNO KAOS

 

 

Crap fun in snow

[flat4alfa]

OMG MOR SNO KAOS

 

 

Surprisingly good in snow

[Guest]

 

This. Auto, permanent 4wd with chunky tyres. 24MPG tho. Ouch.

[jon.k]

Got these this morning, CrossClimate van tyres. They look pleasingly aggressive.

[Mrcento]

IMG_20180930_111553.jpg

 

This. Auto, permanent 4wd with chunky tyres. 24MPG tho. Ouch.

 

Could be worse, i know a guy with one of the Kei Pajero Minis.... it's 2wd, auto and does 21mpg

 

Horrendous.

[Wack]

I bought some of those all season michelin tyres for the B class, they had £60 off 4  tyres which made them about £85 each, the primacy 3 that are on there are still on about 3-4mm so I'm waiting for the blizzards to start before I go back to costco to swap them , I usually change tyres at about 3mm

[puddlethumper]

I'm relying on the sure footedness of my 305 van, as I have done for 18 years 

this month. Not any problems with getting about, apart from others efforts.

Passed a couple of big fat Q10/ X14, or whatever number they're up to, type things

last winter on a hill on the bypass here. Mega wide road tyres ? Nah mate 165's

with loadsa tread. Point and squirt, gently of course.

I've got a couple of chains which is fun in Tescos car park for the driftyo.

[gm]

 

lightweight with skinny winter tyres should be good on the white stuff

 

[Amishtat]

Proved satisfyingly capable last winter

[Zelandeth]

The ABS on my Pug 107 was bloody lethal on any sort of ice, snow, slush ...or slightly damp cobblestone streets. Moment I went anywhere near the brakes the ABS would just kick in.

 

The thing got stuffed in the car park at the flat and abandoned until the snow went elsewhere each year, with other cars being used. Thing was just downright dangerous.

[Broadsword]

The two times I was anywhere near crashing a car was when ABS interfered, absolutely terrifying when it gets out of control. On both occasions it was in a Peugeot 206.

[Guest Hooli]

The nearest I've come to crashing (without managing it) has been due to over zelous stability programs. The reason I braked mid bend to unsettle the car was to get the arse to come round so I could get around the corner! sodding car decided to go straight on as it was safer*. The other time was it refusing to apply any power to pull the front round on a damp roundabout as it preferred to head for the kerb as that was safer* too.

 

Both were sovloV oddly enough.

[Mrcento]

My one and only snow bump was ABS assisted.

 

I honestly think ABS in snow on a flat surface can be useful, but ABS + Snow + Downhill + Range Rover stopped in the middle of said downhill road = what type of accident do you want to have?

 

The 3 cars that followed me all picked different accidents, and all 3 came off worse than me, so i picked the right one (managed to bang the passenger side wheel off the kerb hard enough to scrub off enough speed so that when the nose of the punto went square into the back of a parked Grande Punto, it did no damage to the other car and only cracked my front bumper. the other picked siding into a wall at 20mph, sliding into the range rover and sliding off the side of other parked cars)

 

I'd have had no bother avoiding the incident without ABS. In fact i had a similar incident in the bad winter of 2010 in the Cinquecento and managed to stop 10ft away from anything.

[Zelandeth]

For me it was approaching a roundabout with some very, very slight slush around. Taking it easy anyway as it had been snowing not long ago and it was still my shiny new car.

 

Went for the brake pedal... absolutely nothing aside from ABS buzz. Sailed straight, gracefully into the roundabout, in front of the bus (which I managed to dodge), eventually coming to a halt when I finally had the presence of mind to grab the damned handbrake.

 

The plastic low rolling resistance tyres definitely didn't help either, but the ABS in that thing was always overly enthusiastic. Damp cobbled streets were another area where you really were taking your life in your hands.

[gm]

The ABS on my Pug 107 was bloody lethal on any sort of ice, snow, slush ...or slightly damp cobblestone streets. Moment I went anywhere near the brakes the ABS would just kick in.

 

The thing got stuffed in the car park at the flat and abandoned until the snow went elsewhere each year, with other cars being used. Thing was just downright dangerous.

 

 

oh bugger ! the abs is a bit keen on wet cobbles, maybe i'll just pull the fuse for the winter. the alternative is the mx5 on track tyres so it'll have to do

[Noel Tidybeard]

this

with these

 

[gm]

 

hmm, tough choice ?

[Zelandeth]

oh bugger ! the abs is a bit keen on wet cobbles, maybe i'll just pull the fuse for the winter. the alternative is the mx5 on track tyres so it'll have to do

 

Pull the power steering fuse while you're at it, so you actually have some chance to get some useful feedback through the steering.

 

I reckon decent tyres will really help though.

[John F]

This as of just now. May the Autoshite gods have mercy on my sole. I know nothing of 4x4s, but I noted this had the air suspension removed so I went for it.

 

RONG gearbox, but bonus points for bravery.

[w00dy]

4WD and winter tyres are over-rated. Headlamp wipers are the key.