Snow

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Best car I had in snow was an Opel Manta with a pair of Hankook tyres on the rear, the Mitsi I've got now is the best front wheel drive car I've had for snow, it has Michelin Pilot Sports on it, but tyres make a huge amount of difference.

[Noggin]

The best car (other than 4x4s) for dealing with snow is a 2CV. Skinny tyres, modest (!) power output, FWD and loadsa ground clearance.

Most people up here would argue that the Panda is the best!!

But there are a lot of mighty Dusters here too

The other one is the Fiat Sedici /Suzuki SX4 - in 4x4


TBF, I've found that anything with decent winter tyres is drivable. I need to buy a car and virtually everyone tells me I 'NEED' 4wd. I'm certain I don't!! Might be a nice to have, but most of my driving won't have any need for it, so I'll probably not bother!

[Noggin]

When I left Geneva airport at about 11:30 it was snowing - three hours later it looked like this -



The airport won't stop running though

[Noggin]

The roads didn’t have too much snow on them when I came back (maybe a couple of inches)

But a few of our drivers got stuck cos of this -



There’s always a vehicle that gets stuck. Not always the gurt ones

[mangocrazy]

The best car (other than 4x4s) for dealing with snow is a 2CV. Skinny tyres, modest (!) power output, FWD and loadsa ground clearance.

Most people up here would argue that the Panda is the best!!

But there are a lot of mighty Dusters here too

The other one is the Fiat Sedici /Suzuki SX4 - in 4x4


TBF, I've found that anything with decent winter tyres is drivable. I need to buy a car and virtually everyone tells me I 'NEED' 4wd. I'm certain I don't!! Might be a nice to have, but most of my driving won't have any need for it, so I'll probably not bother!

Yes most 4x4s, especially with decent winter tyres, should manage anything other than deep drifts just fine. My point was really that a humble low tech old-fashioned car like the 2CV can do a job in snow very easily. Stick proper winter tyres on a 2CV and it would be unstoppable...

[Noggin]

The best car (other than 4x4s) for dealing with snow is a 2CV. Skinny tyres, modest (!) power output, FWD and loadsa ground clearance.

Most people up here would argue that the Panda is the best!!

But there are a lot of mighty Dusters here too

The other one is the Fiat Sedici /Suzuki SX4 - in 4x4


TBF, I've found that anything with decent winter tyres is drivable. I need to buy a car and virtually everyone tells me I 'NEED' 4wd. I'm certain I don't!! Might be a nice to have, but most of my driving won't have any need for it, so I'll probably not bother!

Yes most 4x4s, especially with decent winter tyres, should manage anything other than deep drifts just fine. My point was really that a humble low tech old-fashioned car like the 2CV can do a job in snow very easily. Stick proper winter tyres on a 2CV and it would be unstoppable...

Absolutely. But the basic Panda is pretty darned good without the 4x4

[mangocrazy]

Most people up here would argue that the Panda is the best!!

But there are a lot of mighty Dusters here too

The other one is the Fiat Sedici /Suzuki SX4 - in 4x4


TBF, I've found that anything with decent winter tyres is drivable. I need to buy a car and virtually everyone tells me I 'NEED' 4wd. I'm certain I don't!! Might be a nice to have, but most of my driving won't have any need for it, so I'll probably not bother!

Yes most 4x4s, especially with decent winter tyres, should manage anything other than deep drifts just fine. My point was really that a humble low tech old-fashioned car like the 2CV can do a job in snow very easily. Stick proper winter tyres on a 2CV and it would be unstoppable...

Absolutely. But the basic Panda is pretty darned good without the 4x4

I imagine they're very similar in a lot of ways - not too much power, narrow tyres, decent ground clearance and FWD...?

[Cousin Jack]

My mates mum and dad had a 4x4 Panda, his dad got made redundant but had another job to walk straight into, so with his redundancy money he bought the Panda and we used to rip him about it, but it turned out to be brilliant.

I think Clarkson did a raving review of them back in the day and AFAIR it's always had great reviews.

May not have been Clarkson, but I saw a TV programme some years ago where they put assorted 4 x 4s through some nastiness in a big quarry/opencast mine. Predictably the Rover/Land Rover contingent saw off most soft-roaders, but the overall winner for climbing damn near vertical slopes covered in shite was...............

............the Panda 4x4. It was also the cheapest by a country mile.

[Count Steer]

My mates mum and dad had a 4x4 Panda, his dad got made redundant but had another job to walk straight into, so with his redundancy money he bought the Panda and we used to rip him about it, but it turned out to be brilliant.

I think Clarkson did a raving review of them back in the day and AFAIR it's always had great reviews.

May not have been Clarkson, but I saw a TV programme some years ago where they put assorted 4 x 4s through some nastiness in a big quarry/opencast mine. Predictably the Rover/Land Rover contingent saw off most soft-roaders, but the overall winner for climbing damn near vertical slopes covered in shite was...............

............the Panda 4x4. It was also the cheapest by a country mile.

Scrapyard Challenge did something like that.

[KungFooBob]

On Scrapyard Supercar (on Disney plus) they build a car to beat a land rover up a hill out of a 2CV with two Sv650's strapped to the rear to provide the go.

[Noggin]

Yes most 4x4s, especially with decent winter tyres, should manage anything other than deep drifts just fine. My point was really that a humble low tech old-fashioned car like the 2CV can do a job in snow very easily. Stick proper winter tyres on a 2CV and it would be unstoppable...

Absolutely. But the basic Panda is pretty darned good without the 4x4

I imagine they're very similar in a lot of ways - not too much power, narrow tyres, decent ground clearance and FWD...?

Don't know abut the FWD, I've not actually driven one Just see loads around the various resorts - not all are 4x4 but all seem to do everything they are asked!!

[ChrisW]

Don't know abut the FWD, I've not actually driven one Just see loads around the various resorts - not all are 4x4 but all seem to do everything they are asked!!

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

[Noggin]

Don't know abut the FWD, I've not actually driven one Just see loads around the various resorts - not all are 4x4 but all seem to do everything they are asked!!

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

[Count Steer]

Don't know abut the FWD, I've not actually driven one Just see loads around the various resorts - not all are 4x4 but all seem to do everything they are asked!!

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

Modern ones? Just like any other car really. Friends live in Shropshire and regularly trip back to the SE using theirs in pref to their luxe Skoda estate.

[ChrisW]

Don't know abut the FWD, I've not actually driven one Just see loads around the various resorts - not all are 4x4 but all seem to do everything they are asked!!

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

The one I bought was H reg, so 1989/90 and would be horrible for long journeys!

[Noggin]

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

The one I bought was H reg, so 1989/90 and would be horrible for long journeys!

I'll try and get a younger one then!! LOL

[Yorick]

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

The one I bought was H reg, so 1989/90 and would be horrible for long journeys!

I'll try and get a younger one then!! LOL

Car or bloke?

[Noggin]

The one I bought was H reg, so 1989/90 and would be horrible for long journeys!

I'll try and get a younger one then!! LOL

Car or bloke?

Both!! Why on earth would I want an older bloke???? Most of them (not all, but out here, almost al!) are sooooooooooooo olllllddddddd

Younger are more fun (if I can persuade them not to ask how old I am as I can 'pretend' to be younger as no one believes me when I say my actual age!!!


TBF, cars just need to be reliable and comfy!

[porter_jamie]

My viano has 'soft roader' all terrains/all seasons on, 17 inch Michelin latitude cross, so not bfg lumpy but still quite effective. 100% load rated and speed rated.
They are labelled m+s but are not 3pmsf. So you would get turned away in winter if you tried to drive up to Les arc for example.
It snowed where I am in Ashbourne on sat night and I drove up there Sunday. The summers on the 18s would just start to spin as soon as you put it in drive. The proper winters which are 3pmsf on the 18s in actual snowy conditions it really felt like it wasn't even snowing. The ATs on the 17s plowed through the snow and slush but the TC came on a few times. I tried a few E stops on the snow on a steep hill to see what would happen and it did stop but it took a while. Possibly the winters would have been better on the same test. Bear.in mind there are winter tyres and actual specific snow tyres made by German outfits which are really good in actual snow but maybe not quite as good in just shitty cold conditions.
The AT are my favourite out of all 3 sets as they are much better, more of the time, and only a little bit worse a tiny amount of the time. I really don't think they are worse for mpg than the 18 inch summers. They are a tiny bit noisier.
On soggy grass they are amazing, which Is why I got them as I have to park in shit carparks quite a lot.

The only people who say you don't need winters clearly have never used them. If you don't believe they make any difference you are utterly deluded.
I have raced in the pissing rain on slicks round snetterton, it was a mistake. Straight out of the warmers. It was sort of ok so you could say you don't NEED wets to race in he rain. But you'd be an idiot to do it.
The levels of grip you get is staggering compared to summers. One of the reasons you could drive your old shit box in snow in the 80s was the tyres were narrow and the car weighed literally half as much as they do today, and,.no one had a turbo diesel and so cars only had 70hp and no torque. Sadly I believe the heavier the car the more necessary winters or all seasons are.
Missus has michy cross climates on and I can't say enough good things about them apart from cost, and they don't last a particularly long time. But man, does her car feel planted and secure. Better than my at in the snow. So worth every penny in my opinion.

[Cousin Jack]

Yes, FWD.

They're ace! I once pulled a stranded 4x4 out of a sand dune using a rental Panda. I bought one a few years later as a run around, it was great fun.

What are they like for long journeys? When I eventually get a car I'll do quite a few 2-3 hour journeys and also the trip back to the UK. Been thinking I'm going to have to just deal with something that isn't great for long journeys, but . . . . . . ?

The one I bought was H reg, so 1989/90 and would be horrible for long journeys!

Old one will go anywhere. Daughter used her to do trips fro Oxford to Durham, including one trip via the flooded M40 which was allegedly impassable for cars. Not for a Panda it wasn't.