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[Mr Skrunts]

I once got caught in a snowfall that came down so quickly that everybody lost sight of the road.  There were seven "lanes" of traffic on a three lane motorway.  Which was a pity, because we were all heading for the entrance of the Schiphol Tunnel, which is, at best, three lanes.  I was little worried, as I'd only had my brand new 2.8 Scorpio for ten days.

Eventually got home 4 hours late, but the snow had drifted badly, and there wasn't anywhere to stop safely, let alone park for the night.  Finally had to settle for getting up the best speed I could and driving straight at the friendliest-looking pile of snow.  Crude, but effective.  And no fun in the only car I ever bought new.

At least in Holland I didn't have to worry about driving up and down hills.

I once teavelled on the A614 I think it is past Clumber park from Blidworth towards the A1, snow was a good 8 to 10 inches deep, 3rd gear all yje way, 22/23 mph felt about right, could not see the edges of the road, so found a set of cats eyes as the road is a three lane road, so kept a set of the cats eyes between the wheels as guidence.

Took a while to get home, but was the 1st and only person on the road in the newly fallen snow.  Only thing I saw was a toyota 4x4 full of tools thats passed me as if I was stood still.

Dropped my girlfried off then goot stook on the most stupid short but steep little bit of road getting off her estate to come home.


All good fun and exoeience though.   especially guessing where the road was.

[mathewst]

I was once goint tothe country capital, was averaging about 65mph, arrived there in 4 hours by normal road. Parked tried to exit the car and slipped and fell .
Never noticed everything was frozen (did notice the snow but not ice) Although car was Lancia Delta. I really miss that car

[Vamps]

I once touched the brakes in one of my yank cars (bought it on a day when 18 inches of snow fell) and the car was so light on the back end there was no way it was going to stop.  So nailed the brakes to lock them up, shuffed the auto into reverse and nailed the throttle till the car stopped going forward.  Not the best way to avoid an accident but it worked.

I had to do just that some years ago in a Rover 827 Auto, no way was it going to stop and another, out of control car, heading towards me, reverse was the only option..

Thats now 2 stories you have told that havee used FWD as RWD and yet you still say FWD is best. 

I have driven both for years and will continue to do so, I don't choose a car by what wheel drive it is, simply do I like it.  We happen to have, out of 4 Cars, 3 which are Front Whel Drive and the Mig.
Overall, in my own opinion and experience I would put FWD ahead when driving in the snow.....

[tunnie]

I once touched the brakes in one of my yank cars (bought it on a day when 18 inches of snow fell) and the car was so light on the back end there was no way it was going to stop.  So nailed the brakes to lock them up, shuffed the auto into reverse and nailed the throttle till the car stopped going forward.  Not the best way to avoid an accident but it worked.

I had to do just that some years ago in a Rover 827 Auto, no way was it going to stop and another, out of control car, heading towards me, reverse was the only option..

Thats now 2 stories you have told that havee used FWD as RWD and yet you still say FWD is best. 

I have driven both for years and will continue to do so, I don't choose a car by what wheel drive it is, simply do I like it.  We happen to have, out of 4 Cars, 3 which are Front Whel Drive and the Mig.
Overall, in my own opinion and experience I would put FWD ahead when driving in the snow.....

Front wheel drive will always have the edge, mainly due to weight, you got a nice heavy engine pushing down on the front wheels, its also pulling rather than pushing.

Unless you have a full tank of motion lotion, RWD will struggle to get grip

[Lazydocker]

I once touched the brakes in one of my yank cars (bought it on a day when 18 inches of snow fell) and the car was so light on the back end there was no way it was going to stop.  So nailed the brakes to lock them up, shuffed the auto into reverse and nailed the throttle till the car stopped going forward.  Not the best way to avoid an accident but it worked.

I had to do just that some years ago in a Rover 827 Auto, no way was it going to stop and another, out of control car, heading towards me, reverse was the only option..

Thats now 2 stories you have told that havee used FWD as RWD and yet you still say FWD is best. 

I have driven both for years and will continue to do so, I don't choose a car by what wheel drive it is, simply do I like it.  We happen to have, out of 4 Cars, 3 which are Front Whel Drive and the Mig.
Overall, in my own opinion and experience I would put FWD ahead when driving in the snow.....

Front wheel drive will always have the edge, mainly due to weight, you got a nice heavy engine pushing down on the front wheels, its also pulling rather than pushing.

Unless you have a full tank of motion lotion, RWD will struggle to get grip

I think this is personal preference TBH... I had a Veccy which was reasonably well behaved in the snow but the Mig is far superior IMHO, and far more predictable

As said above... If FWD loses traction it loses steering... At least with RWD you can still steer, albeit with the throttle occasionally

Had SWMBO laughing today when I was travelling along with about a turn of opposite lock to go where we wanted, which makes a change... If I do it in the wet she has kittens

[cem_devecioglu]

I once touched the brakes in one of my yank cars (bought it on a day when 18 inches of snow fell) and the car was so light on the back end there was no way it was going to stop.  So nailed the brakes to lock them up, shuffed the auto into reverse and nailed the throttle till the car stopped going forward.  Not the best way to avoid an accident but it worked.

 

[Lazydocker]

Just taken SWMBO's Panda (FWD) for a spin to see how it behaves......

RWD is far better IMO... It just wasn't as pleasant to drive. Mind you... It handbrake turns well

[Mr Skrunts]

My old Uno was shite it the snow, could/may have been better with chunkier tyres on though.


Best car I ever had fun with was an old 3 door 1256 viva, set of steel BMW 3 series rims on it, pair of Colway remoulds Mud _ Snows on, couldnt find snow deep enoungh the really see if I could get it stuck.

Often had 2 foot of snow in the 80's when I had that, bloody good fun and expendable if I twanged it. 

[jereboam]

[size=16]Reassessment[/size]

    I've decided I'm not actually that bad as a snow driver.   

Can't do all the fancy stuff you enthusiasts do - handbrake turns and sideways drifts and all that exhibitionist nonsense - but I don't bang into things and I don't force others to take evasive action. 

I just haven't mastered the art of extracting a 3.0 Omega Elite through 10cm of snow on an incline going backwards.  I think I should have done some work with a shovel before I began.   

[LJay]

bit offended bout that comment.
its not your age its your experience.
i find im always stuck behind blokes over 50 or women doing 30kmph.
most annoying when your late because you forgot you had to deice/defrost the car!!!!

Same can be said about yours! I'm a woman and can rarely be accused of holding unprepared drivers up!!!


As an after thought I can drive in snow (I live in wales) and I could when I was under 30 too!
My Dad taught me to drive by the seat of my pants! The way the car feels underneath you tells you how you need to be driving it! It's advice thats always served me well!

[tigers_gonads]

my 2nd ever driving lesson was in a total white out snow storm at night 

all the busses taken off and hardly any cars about

driving a Mk3 escort
no abs / power stearing and on skinny little tyres 
my instructor directed me towards a local b&q carpark and taught me for about 20 minuites the finer points of car control 

got too admit i was cr*ping myself at first but soon got the swing of it 

can't see it happening nowdays thow ( heath and safety and all that cr*p )

best £5:50 a hour i ever spent 

[Kevin Wood]

Just taken SWMBO's Panda (FWD) for a spin to see how it behaves......

RWD is far better IMO... It just wasn't as pleasant to drive. Mind you... It handbrake turns well

I followed a Panda 4x4 over a mountain pass for about 20 miles in Italy. Thought I'd be held up by it horribly but it was a proper little mountain goat.

OK. It was a bit slow on some of the climbs but the driver showed a bit more commitment to the hairpins on the way down than I was prepared to in a 1.7 ton saloon with all that energy to get rid of if it went pear shaped.

There's an owner of an ice cream shop on the outside of a hairpin in Valvestino IIRC who's probably still hopping mad at the dent that mysteriously appeared in his sign that day.

Kevin

[Lazydocker]

Just taken SWMBO's Panda (FWD) for a spin to see how it behaves......

RWD is far better IMO... It just wasn't as pleasant to drive. Mind you... It handbrake turns well

I followed a Panda 4x4 over a mountain pass for about 20 miles in Italy. Thought I'd be held up by it horribly but it was a proper little mountain goat.

OK. It was a bit slow on some of the climbs but the driver showed a bit more commitment to the hairpins on the way down than I was prepared to in a 1.7 ton saloon with all that energy to get rid of if it went pear shaped.

There's an owner of an ice cream shop on the outside of a hairpin in Valvestino IIRC who's probably still hopping mad at the dent that mysteriously appeared in his sign that day.

Kevin

Which is actually very capable as a 4x4... The standard FWD ones are crap in snow though... Mind you, to be fair, I was pushing it a little as a test

[24_Valve]

Steep snowy/icy inclines in my V6 Estate (>1.7tonnes) requires clever use of the TC button... It's my best friend in the snow... steady uphill progress with TC, start to lose momentum, hit TC button (do disable tc) and little blast on the throttle to pick up again... inevitably losing rear end so counter lock as necessary, then hit TC button (re-activate tc) and plod on.. simples    definately nothing to do with age or gender just know how & experience... reduced tyre pressures, decent spare for the nasty things you can't see that will give a puncture  and whatever car you have FWD, RWD definately find a large empty space and chuck it about so you can really feel what it (your car) behaves like... without TC... how it slides, brakes, countersteers etc. 

Also MOD trained same as marie & RoSPA advanced... Strongly recommend RoSPA or IAM to all drivers... everyone used do it and now it's hardly mentioned  :-?

[davethediver]

Another one from the dead