Snow performance

[aaronjb]

I went out for food last night - absolutely bugger all grip but the journey would have been fine if it weren't for all the abandoned BMWs (and that's not a slight on BMWs - I also have one! - but every abandoned car was, indeed, a BMW); one of which meant I had to stop half way up the fairly steep hill to our house.. for a minute I didn't think I was going to be able to get going again afterward. FWD no likey..

Other than that, though, the traffic was moving pretty well (albeit at 15mph, which was about right for the conditions as you certainly couldn't steer or stop when going any faster) - maybe because half the population of Northampton is Polish, and that was the half that was still driving (they're used to it, after all!)

[Kevin Wood]

What is it with BMWs in the snow?

1) Rock hard suspension
2) Drug dealer tyres
3) D**k behind the wheel (sorry! present company excepted)

They always seem to cope much worse than any other RWD cars.

That said, I saw a Merc CLSuppository stuck yesterday. I was slightly concerned that, as I went past not exactly able to stop or manoevre quickly, he was still pointing at me with his rear wheels doing about 60 MPH equivalent. I'm rather glad he didn't suddenly find traction. Clearly traction control and driver working in perfect harmony.

[aaronjb]

I am going with #3 Watching people drive their FWD boxes around they appear to only have one response to get going - "mash throttle and hope" - if you do that in a RWD car you're going to find yourself quickly pointing in the wrong direction..

[edit] One of the stuck BMWs was an old E39, which were fitted with the same sort of tyres as most cars of that vintage - so no drug dealer tyres there to blame.. which brings me back to #3.

[Lazydocker]

Omega defeated this morning - by 3ft snow drift which I left a lovely reverse image in. Never mind, just backed it up the hill back home.

That's a different matter

[Kevin Wood]

I am going with #3 Watching people drive their FWD boxes around they appear to only have one response to get going - "mash throttle and hope" - if you do that in a RWD car you're going to find yourself quickly pointing in the wrong direction..

[edit] One of the stuck BMWs was an old E39, which were fitted with the same sort of tyres as most cars of that vintage - so no drug dealer tyres there to blame.. which brings me back to #3.

I saw a variation of that on our road earlier. "Mash throttle and turn steering randomly lock to lock". Watched as the driver's eyes doubled in size as it caught a bit of traction and headed straight for the kerb (where the front wheels were pointing) at high speed. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I encountered all kinds of retards on the way to work tonight, including one simply stopping in the middle of the road in front of me. They just sat and stared at a moderate amount of snow on the bend ahead for a minute or two, before proceeding around the bend on the wrong side of the road, against oncoming traffic, to avoid the snow.
It was a biggish Japanese something or other, which may well have had four wheel drive.
I despair. 
It might snow a lot more overnight ? But at least the roads should be pretty empty on the way home in the morning.

[mandula]

There was small snow storm yesterday. Omega went like a train through it 

https://youtu.be/ixa2NLlW8Vw

[Lazydocker]

There was small snow storm yesterday. Omega went like a train through it 

https://youtu.be/ixa2NLlW8Vw

How do you manage not to laugh at all the idiots here in the UK who can't get about in a couple of CMS of snow?

[aaronjb]

There was small snow storm yesterday. Omega went like a train through it 

https://youtu.be/ixa2NLlW8Vw

How do you manage not to laugh at all the idiots here in the UK who can't get about in a couple of CMS of snow?

I imagine he does laugh.. and wonders why we don't fit winter tyres like the rest of northern Europe

[mandula]

There was small snow storm yesterday. Omega went like a train through it 

https://youtu.be/ixa2NLlW8Vw

How do you manage not to laugh at all the idiots here in the UK who can't get about in a couple of CMS of snow?

I imagine he does laugh.. and wonders why we don't fit winter tyres like the rest of northern Europe

Only the highlighted part 

And I understand that if there is only couple of days or weeks winter conditions per year, it might be too expensive to buy proper winter tyres for that time period.
But at the same time I need to say that Omegas (and any other car) snow performance, as the topic says, is all about your tyres and driving skills/experience in the end.

[aaronjb]

We get six months of cold, pouring rain.. does that count as winter conditions? (I think I'd rather have your weather .. well, some of the time, anyway! I don't envy a Finnish friend of mine when he posts a picture of his thermometer at -20ºC on Facebook.. )

[Doctor Gollum]

Give me -20 and sunshine over +5 with drizzle any day...

[STEMO]

Give me -20 and sunshine over +5 with drizzle any day...

Yeah. Another grey, wet day here.........everyone rushing around the park with their dogs in tow, imploring them to have a shit so they can go home.

[aaronjb]

Give me -20 and sunshine over +5 with drizzle any day...

Likewise. I think. I've never actually experienced -20...

Yeah. Another grey, wet day here.........everyone rushing around the park with their dogs in tow, imploring them to have a shit so they can go home.

I shall be doing that shortly, though the pup has broken a nail so is walking a bit gimpy at the moment which means I get to enjoy a shorter than usual walk, hurrah!

[STEMO]

Give me -20 and sunshine over +5 with drizzle any day...

Likewise. I think. I've never actually experienced -20...

Yeah. Another grey, wet day here.........everyone rushing around the park with their dogs in tow, imploring them to have a shit so they can go home.

I shall be doing that shortly, though the pup has broken a nail so is walking a bit gimpy at the moment which means I get to enjoy a shorter than usual walk, hurrah!

Shortly? My dog needs out by about half eight, she refuses to 'go' anywhere other than the park.