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[atann]

Got mine out, stuck in snow, using snow mode on auto box. Was surprised being rear wheel drive. How do other owners find the Omega in snow/ice?

[JamesV6CDX]

Got mine out, stuck in snow, using snow mode on auto box. Was surprised being rear wheel drive. How do other owners find the Omega in snow/ice?

Rear wheel drive is worse than front, in the snow.

The blunt answer is, if it's snowing heavily, unless it's an emergency, leave the Omega at home. If you really must go out, make sure you have a full tank (weight in the back to steady it, plus heat if you get stuck), decent snow tyres, shovel, and food/drink, and warm clothing.

For the small amount of time this country gets snow, and the havoc it causes, it's just not worth going out.

Personally, if the snow is heavy when I wake up, it will be a case of walking through the fields to the pub with the old willies on for lunch and a pint

Rather hoping we get snowed in 

[Doctor Gollum]

Piece of piss in my 3.2 ex plod 3.2 manual with the aggressive tread of the Runway Enduro that were fitted at the time...

Equally, very impressed with my Desmond manual in the current weather... Fitted with Accelera winter tyres and no TC...

Nice and stable on both fresh and compacted snow

One thing that I will add, is that servotronic steering on the V6 might act unpredictably if the rear wheels are slipping. No such issue with the Desmond 

[Doctor Gollum]

Fundamentally, I agree with James's advice...

However with front wheel drive, once you lose traction, you're totally opposed as you lose steering as well. The only crash I have had in snow was in a diesel auto Vectra C... It wouldn't slow down, at all, and when it came to it it wouldn't steer either... Reverse and handbrake didn't even stop it from sliding across a junction and into a telegraph pole even though I was doing less than 15mph when I lifted off well before the junction (T at the end of a very gentle downhill). 

Personally, I try to make a point of driving in as much snow as possible in order to keep my hand in. It's all about driving to the conditions and your ability.

You can't control the conditions, but you can do something with your ability...

Mum bought me a skid pan course within a month of passing my test, and I can honestly say that it was invaluable and something that should be part of the driving test... Car control isn't simply keeping it between the lines whilst following the idiot box

[JamesV6CDX]

To be fair, I am referring to some really bad winters, not a dusting.

I still maintain that if the roads are awful, Omegas are best parked up and looking pretty

[JamesV6CDX]

You can't control the conditions, but you can do something with your ability...

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

The only problem I find, despite load of work and non work related driver courses -

I can be driving as safely as humanly possible in bad, icy, snowy conditions..... but some idiot will still rock up about half an inch from my bumper, with absolutely no perception of speed, distance, danger, how fast things happen, and what the consequences can be........

Unless it's an emergency, I just choose not to drive when it's that bad (unless I'm at work, and have no choice)   

[Doctor Gollum]

To be fair, I am referring to some really bad winters, not a dusting.

I still maintain that if the roads are awful, Omegas are best parked up and looking pretty

The only winter weather that I didn't work through was early December 2009... in the aforementioned Vectra.

Were I not currently laid up dying from manflu, I would be driving to/from work all week, and also at work... Had I been well and off shift, then I would still be at work driving one of the ploughs... not doing this is actually more frustrating than the being ill part

Those who can't or won't adapt their driving to the conditions won't get much past the end of their roads without coming unstuck. And hopefully without damaging anyone else in the process.

If you can't get the car off the drive, then you really shouldn't be going out. If you do go out, then be sure that you are actually prepared for the conditions that you are likely to encounter.

[mandula]

Absolutely no problem, but LSD and good winter tires are recommended. Hate to drive FWD's at winter, yes it is easy but handling is not so good than with Omega.

Below shown normal winter conditions, but goes easily even at 20 cm of snow (just don't stop).
Of course you need to know the limits with speed and generally know how to drive at winter, but even if rear looses it's traction it is easy just steer it back on track.
I don't have TC installed on my car, and I don't miss it (tried one with TC, no good at all).

[ajsphead]

Fundamentally, I agree with James's advice...

However with front wheel drive, once you lose traction, you're totally opposed as you lose steering as well. The only crash I have had in snow was in a diesel auto Vectra C... It wouldn't slow down, at all, and when it came to it it wouldn't steer either... Reverse and handbrake didn't even stop it from sliding across a junction and into a telegraph pole even though I was doing less than 15mph when I lifted off well before the junction (T at the end of a very gentle downhill). 

Personally, I try to make a point of driving in as much snow as possible in order to keep my hand in. It's all about driving to the conditions and your ability.

You can't control the conditions, but you can do something with your ability...

Mum bought me a skid pan course within a month of passing my test, and I can honestly say that it was invaluable and something that should be part of the driving test... Car control isn't simply keeping it between the lines whilst following the idiot box

Totally agree. Omega has good Winter tyres on it - fresh snow no problem, bit loose at the back, no problem. Provoking a 16 1/2ft diesel powered pendulum teaches you throttle and steering control if you never learned it years ago. Then again, I sometimes provoke little tail slides just for fun - then chastise myself for being naughty and unkind to my rear wheel bearings.

Cars with auto boxes I would leave at home.

Good FWD cars are fine - my old classic Saab 900 was a doddle to drive in slippery conditions but was so cleverly designed it's not a surprise. modern FWD cars - totally different.

Would I encourage the wife to drive the Omega in the same conditions - no.

Would I encourage everyone to learn how to control a car properly - yes. It might just save your life as well as your bank balance.

[aaronjb]

Personally, if the snow is heavy when I wake up, it will be a case of walking through the fields to the pub with the old willies on for lunch and a pint

C'mon.. Nobody?

And Mandula - you live in the country that gave us Ari Vatanen, Tommi Makinen et al; I assume you all pop out of the womb with an innate ability to drive like madmen in the snow

[Keith ABS]

 I was mightily impressed with my Omega auto estate when we had a lot of snow and -15c here in Essex a few years back. unless provoked, it handled everything with no dramas. Didn't think I would have stood any chance with some of the hills I had to go up but not a slip or slid at all.

Keith ABS

[mandula]

Personally, if the snow is heavy when I wake up, it will be a case of walking through the fields to the pub with the old willies on for lunch and a pint

C'mon.. Nobody?

And Mandula - you live in the country that gave us Ari Vatanen, Tommi Makinen et al; I assume you all pop out of the womb with an innate ability to drive like madmen in the snow

Just takes some practice 

If you find yourself sliding/pushing (probably because cornering too fast) you have at least two choices (with manual car, because whats fun with automatic?):
- boring one is just press clutch pedal down and notice how sliding/pushing stops/rear wheels get some grip and you can steer back on track
- funnier one is to make counter-steering opposite way you are sliding/pushing and at the same time (best with LSD) give some revs to adjust the slide the way you want. It's same with AWD, you just need some courage and practice to trust that car really does change direction as you want when you give some revs and steering to it

I don't know is it allowed for you to drive with steel-studded tyres (currently under my car), because those are superior at winter, but second best choice is to use proper non-studded tyres at winter (also can be driven at summer but will worn out earlier if you do).

[aaronjb]

Studs aren't legal over here - winter tyres are, though  I ran them on my old Omega which made it more or less unstoppable (at least in what we call winter - even the snowy ones); then again, I also got around OK in the heavy snow of 2008 in a mid-engined MR2 Roadster with summer tyres and an on/off race clutch

[STEMO]

I've got a diesel auto, the snow is about 6 inches deep everywhere around here, yet I have been out and about most of the time. 
It's all to do with experience, something I have lots of, so no danger of me leaving the car at home.

[Kevin Wood]

Agreed with getting a skid pan session and as much experience on the snow as you can. Once you are used to the feeling of the car sliding and it doesn't cause blind panic, you can make the correct inputs to get the car back on track. Until the panic subsides, you won't have a cat in hell's chance. Put a couple of bags of salt in the boot (full LPG tank helps too) and an Omega isn't a problem to control on snow. Leave yourself plenty of space to stop and adjust your speed to the conditions. If you get taigated, drive slower to give them some stopping distance and reaction time in addition to yours. If you're lucky the oppswit will get frustrated, overtake and crash elsewhere.