Best winter Car?

[bigbadjoe]

Now that winter is upon us, and there have already been some snow thread's, lets get to the bottom of this.

What is the best car to have in the winter?

Considering:-
Ice
Snow
Frost
Time it takes to warm up
Grip
Warmth
Reliability

Ill start us off. Taking into account all of the above, I dont think you can go too far wrong with a Land Rover Discovery.

What are your views?

 

[obi_waynne]

Saab's are made for winter, warm up quickly and have superb heaters. I believe that Volvos also benefit from winter preparation.

However a car really needs 4 wheel drive and I do think diesels are better in the winter than petrols. I think my vote has to be a Range Rover though, these are hard to beat and with a few bull bars it will literally beat everything else out of the way.

 

[HDi fun]

No preference diesel or petrol to be honest. Diesels can take a lot of cranking and in extreme cold the fuel can get waxy, although this shouldn't be a problem in the UK.

4wd is an obvious asset in the winter, although British winters are rarely hard enough to make it essential.

More important is the ability to drive the thing.

I see so many round here with part time 4wds (and they witter endlessly about winter conditions and 4wd benefits) yet the silly bitches driving 'em don't even know how to engage 4wd!!!

I think I'd take a Landcruiser as a winter car if I really needed one.

 

[MasterAuron]

Nout wrong with the Evo! Covers all of the points you listed Joe...

 

[stamford]

Nuff said :blink1:

Having experienced the Landy last winter it did all I wanted of it. It was warm, reliable and got me to work and back on the daily 70 mile commute. It has a rapid defrost facility but if you prepare yourself for the journey ahead then warming it up before hand is not an issue. It also towed a few cars and vans so I could get on with my journey. Can't really say I experienced any downsides. Traction control kicked in when it felt the need and had no traction issues. Being up high also gives you the heads up as to what is happening way ahead.

 

[lutonmatt]

dont think you can go wrong with a discovery
but with all the cars it goes on the tyres and most of all the driver

 

[herb]

i can only say from my experiences but 2 that where brilliant in the snow/ice. where a peugeot 405 estate 1.6 petrol and a escort 1.8d van both of these passed even landrovers uphills round by me

 

[HDi fun]

Peugeot 405s had phenomenol front end grip. The rear tracked faithfully as well with it's passive rear steer geometry.

 

[Loz]

I think for daily commutes & getting about when conditions aren't great my ideal car short list would be,

Volvo Crosscountry

Audi Allroad

The Mighty Fiat Panda 4x4 :bigsmile:

 

[HDi fun]

Panda's fine 'til someone slides into you at 20mph and you leave the scene in a body bag.

 

[Loz]

Harsh but probably true!







Still, it's still safer than my tinpot! :bigsmile:

 

[Yugguy]

That Lambo 4x4 they did with the Countach engine in it.

 

[Loz]

That Lambo 4x4 they did with the Countach engine in it.

:bigsmile:​

 

[lutonmatt]

the panda 4x4 things are great motors are so light good off road if you want to be seen in one lol

 

[lutonmatt]

this is mine when it was a lot cleaner and a lot less dents lol
but the road was closed due to nothing getting up there well is just up the road from me and nearly all the roads were closed due to being all hills

 

[HDi fun]

this is mine when it was a lot cleaner and a lot less dents lol
but the road was closed due to nothing getting up there well is just up the road from me and nearly all the roads were closed due to being all hills

That's not looking especially steep. I'd happily drive anything with decent tyres up or down that one.

Doesn't it just show how crap some drivers are? One wet leaf and they're aborting by the roadside.

 

[lutonmatt]

that bit is not steep goes down a bit at the end of the road were it goes off the pic

but ya i would do it in a normal car as well i dont care what i drive in

if i can find the pic got one the other side of the valley were every one locked there cars up and walked home even rangerovers somepeople are just crap drivers

 

[bigbadjoe]

Nout wrong with the Evo! Covers all of the points you listed Joe...

I know :embarrest: I was wondering how long before someone picked up on that.

I was trying not to sound like such an Evo Nutt on this thread!!

Plus Im looking forward to taking her out, but dreading using her day to day. Dont want an out of controll car sliding into her.

 

[bigbadjoe]

Doesn't it just show how crap some drivers are? One wet leaf and they're aborting by the roadside.

To true.

And a lot of comments on here are suggesting the same sort of thing. The macheenary is only half the battle, knowing how to use it is the other.

I too know of people who believe there 4X4 (wether it be a landy, range rover, ect) is in constant four wheel drive. And they know there is a stick down there somewhere that says diff on it, but have no idea what that does!

 

[stamford]

When my missus had her little Suzuki Jimny she didn't realise it was even fwd until you selected 4wd! I had to engage it for her during winter as it scared her! She soon found the difference when 4wd was engaged. That was a capable car off road, but not much good on the road as it was way too light. A Sainsbury's delivery van put an end to that little toy. Looks like I'll have a busy winter with the Landy as both the wife and eldest daughter both run MGFs, not the best car in the wet and definately not in the snow!

 

[obi_waynne]

Anything with winter tyres and four wheel drive should work well.

 

[herb]

All season tyre's help in snow.
The ones I had on the Leon we're great in the dry terrible in the rainaand on damp roads. But we're exceptional in the snow I didn't wheel spin or slide under braking once!

 

[stamford]

What can I say, now on a Discovery 3, bring it on!

 

[HDi fun]

My 528i was hard work in ice and snow.

 

[stamford]

My 528i was hard work in ice and snow.

I bet it was, saw many abandoned the last time we had it bad. Even the wife wouldn't venture out in her MGF, I had to show her why then she saw sense.