I took the BX our for a drive in the snow

[Birotor]

The essential thing is practice and having lived in Scotland I got plenty. Even now at 76 I get out as soon as it starts.

[Dollywobbler]

2CV isn't infallible in the snow, as I also discovered two years ago. However, it does have the benefit that it's very light and easy to push...

I think the BX does well for a 2wd thanks to light weight but also the huge amount of weight over the front wheels (in a diesel) allied to relatively skinny tyres. If we get snow this year, I look forward to seeing how the winter tyres cope, especially when braking downhill. Two years ago, my BX was locking up when downshifting downhill, let alone braking! (that was a horrific 14 hour journey).

[MULLEY]

When my Dad used to live in Switzerland, his employer always organised a yearly skid control session in which you took your own car to see how it handled. The MK1 16TRS was amazing according to Dad, he couldn't get it to do a 360 degree spin, all his other work colleagues who had other cars could easily. I suspect that light weight, good weight distribution & very soft suspension all help.

Now the CX Gti Turbo 2 he could get that to do a 360 if he tried quite hard, it was stll pretty good though, but the BX was better. Winter tyres were fitted to both cars & chains were only used a handful of times when high in the Alps going to Ski resorts, never had a single problem in either car. I remember one time we were in the CX going a reasonable but safe speed down a mountain road covered in Snow, a rear wheel drive Merc sped past at great speed. I said to Dad that the geezer must be mad? Dad said, he's got studded tyres, whilst we don't, that was the only time a car ever overtook my Dad in Winter.

A few winters ago (my avatar picture) i headed out into the Peak District & parked up next to some proper 4x4 owners having fun offroading (i was taking the dog for a walk in the lovely snowy hills), the look of astonishment as i trundled up this deep snow filled track & parked up was hilarious. I gave them a quick hello before walking by with the dog.

[Dollywobbler]

My CX automatic was superb in the snow. It got up our driveway when both 2CV and BX failed. That was on cheapy budget tyres too, but perhaps they had a mud and snow pattern or something. It was uncanny.

[mat_fenwick]

This was from 2010, and was on the limit of the BX with chains - the main problem was the build up of snow in front of it. I just managed getting up our track by driving forwards until traction was lost, the reversing back and tacking a run up at the mound of snow created.



Next day was even worse, and was just too deep for 2WD.

[Dollywobbler]

I see you've got the other problem we had in 2010 - wheelarch build up of snow! Had to keep stopping and kick it out of the arches. You could put the suspension in low and the car couldn't drop!

[electrokid]

I look forward to seeing how the winter tyres cope, especially when braking downhill.

Take a bit of care Ian - snow tyres are great, they provide much improved cornering / directional control but less of an improvement in braking. It's easy to get a false impression of how well it's going to stop by how it's handling the corners - it's easy to forget the braking distance when you're having fun too

[MULLEY]

I've had to drive in the snow with the suspension in the high setting, as like Mat it would just get beached with the build up of snow underneath & the front splitter acting like a snow plough.

[Dollywobbler]

I look forward to seeing how the winter tyres cope, especially when braking downhill.

Take a bit of care Ian - snow tyres are great, they provide much improved cornering / directional control but less of an improvement in braking. It's easy to get a false impression of how well it's going to stop by how it's handling the corners - it's easy to forget the braking distance when you're having fun too

I will do. Don't worry! I'm not like BMW X5 owners, who think that because they own a 4x4, they can drive like a Finnish rally driver on snow, then wonder why they've landed in a ditch...

[kiwi]

Its a shame my seasons are out of sync here.

Snow tyres and 4wd are no guarentee of staying on the road in snow especially when there is not a lot of snow which is the main problem I get around here. Throw in a incline and you really are living on the edge no matter what. Unfortunately those less experianced who fell for the marketing and live and have little snow driving experiance forget taht. When you mention snow it covers a lot and a light dusting on top of ice well you are screwed no matter what you drive or your tyres are if you are not a smooth thinking driver.

Most cocky thing I saw over the winter was one the local volunteer Fire Brigades with a brand new Iveco getting its drivers used to snow tyres for the winter. They decided te ski area access road was a good test! One the drives they did was on a restricted day where the rules were chains or 4wd neither of which they had. But oh no we are the Fire Brigade we can go up anyways, well on that day I was driving a 2wd Bus with snow tyres and it was also chained up. They never got to the top of the access road!

I think the thing people forget when they talk of driving in the snow is how much snow! Biggest problem is not the snow but what is under it and that point snow is so compact it because ice! Thats what catches everyone out.

[MULLEY]

Very smooth driving is the key, smooth on the throttle, smooth on the steering & very smooth on the brakes. Funniest thing i saw in Sheffield was some prat going down a hill with parked cars either side. I knew the chap was in neutral as he had his reverse lights on, the car just skidded down the hill & ended up just missing the cars parked up, but did head off to the right & ended up just at the edge of someone's garden, luckily no damage done. I went down the exact same hill in 1st gear & didn't touch the brake pedal once with absolutely no drama's. Experience pay's dividends regardless of what tyres are fitted, if you don't know what techniques to employ in slippery conditions, you'll end up having an accident.

Like one time i went down a hill a little quick, there was a junction at the end, soon as a touched the brakes the car skidded, by the time i released the brake pedal to get some traction back (i was originally going to turn left), the car had started to slide right, saw a car approaching from my left, i blasted the horn to warn the driver that i was coming regardless & i just gently eased the car right rather than trying to go left as this would have deffo caused an accident albeight at low speed. Luckily for me that driver stopped after realising what was happening, so i waved a thankyou turned right, did a u turn & then continued my journed to work, paying more attention to my speed. That was on very worn winter tyres, & the drop off in performance was noticeable because of the ease of them locking up.

So whilst i had myself to blame for going a bit too quick, at least i hadn't panicked (wifey was in the car as well) & just looked for an exit out of trouble, came off the brakes & the grip came back so i could avoid an incident, that was a phew moment. So winter tyres aren't infallable, but there's no way the car would have turned any direction with normal tyres on.

Anyway, safe driving everyone & if in doubt go a bit slower & keep an eye out for danger points on your journey, such as cars not stopping at junctions, oh that was me wasn't it, haha...

[Dollywobbler]

I knew the chap was in neutral as he had his reverse lights on

Eh?!

[Wooscary]

My Grandma was telling me that she learned to drive in the winter and was taught to pretend there were eggs between her feet and pedals. Makes sense. Although not sure what she did when she started having to drive a car fitted with hand controls...

[MULLEY]

I knew the chap was in neutral as he had his reverse lights on

Eh?!

I presume that he started going down the hill, chickend out, tried to reverse & that didn't work either, so whilst still in reverse gear, pushed the clutch pedal in & tried to go down the hill by just using the brake pedal whilst the car was effectively not in any gear (neutral), there you go, clear as mud

[Way2go]

I presume that he started going down the hill, chickend out, tried to reverse & that didn't work either, so whilst still in reverse gear, pushed the clutch pedal in & tried to go down the hill by just using the brake pedal whilst the car was effectively not in any gear (neutral), there you go, clear as mud

Surreal!