Cars good in the snow?

PeterGinger · Feb 4, 2009

Having been snowed in two years running, I'm thinking my trophy has a profound disslike to snow. Ok, I know it is not designed for it. I love my Trophy, but this gets me down every year. My dad has a VW Passat oil burner (No I say!) and has no problems what so ever. So people, what cars are good in the snow?
I know 4x4s, evo/impreza etc. But I want something thats challenging and fun in the dry. But also good in snow?
Am I asking for the impossible? Is it a compromise situation? Obviously, cost would be a factor as I drive about 8K miles per year.

Ossie87 · Feb 4, 2009

Subaru Impreza

or my Peugeot 106 1.1L lol been driving it since I don't want to hurt the trophy and coming home the other night I was on a road covered in ice, barely any grip, so I did the sensible thing and stuck the handbrake on and made my way up the road drifting side to side and round the corners!! was so much fun!!

Ajr · Feb 4, 2009

My saxo vts was brilliant in the snow, not enough low down power & torque to make it hard to modulate the throttle accurarely, no fly by wire crap either, the suspension geometry seems to suit snow driving much better too.

I think the trophys just generally too hard, tyres too wide and fly by wire crap too synthetic to allow one to drive properly in the snow.

More due next few days, i need winter tyres!

Jay · Feb 4, 2009

Tweak the hand break and the Trophy is awesome for drifting round the icy bends

chrish27 · Feb 4, 2009

My 8v Integrale, especially when it had the original 195x55r 15, great 4wd fun....changed the wheels to 16v ones
they had 205x50 15, back end used to come around far too easy !! strange as it was 56% front 44% rear.

Was In B&Q car park got some security guard waving his arms around as I was sliding towards him..oops. gave the passenger a bollocking...then realised it was a left hooker

confused dot com :lol: .

Stevie · Feb 5, 2009

Are you serious?

How often does it snow like it has recently in the UK. It's hardly anything to get down over.

quik5i1ver · Feb 5, 2009

My Ka was great fun in the snow and never struggled either.. I imagine the skinny tyres went some way to assist that. Must confess that I had a little fun on some private land t'other night when it first snowed. However since then the T has remained safely tucked up on the driveway with a heavy covering of snow

hoolio · Feb 5, 2009

So your thinking of changing the T because it's not very good on a couple of days of the year :?

It's not like you haven't got another 360+ .

power ranger · Feb 5, 2009

Be grateful you dont ride a motorbike then!

reboot · Feb 5, 2009

Why not do what oxygen did? he's lives in Ticino in Switzerland (the italian speaking part) and has one of the 50 Swiss Trophies. he bought a set of 15'' Clio Williams wheels, gave them the anthracite treatment and fitted winter tyres. I bet his Trophy is fantastic on snow and ice. I think there's a thread about this on here somewhere.

I still can't understand why in Britain we do not use winter tyres (and also why so many people drive around in semi-darkness without their headlights on).

hoolio · Feb 5, 2009

Weeeeeeee here we go, on your marks, get ready................Rant :lol:

Grant77 · Feb 5, 2009

i drove my mates fiesta in the snow , was a great laugh, a little tug on the handbrake, alot of wheel spin, perfect in the snow!

Cue · Feb 5, 2009

reboot said:
Why not do what oxygen did? he's lives in Ticino in Switzerland (the italian speaking part) and has one of the 50 Swiss Trophies. he bought a set of 15'' Clio Williams wheels, gave them the anthracite treatment and fitted winter tyres. I bet his Trophy is fantastic on snow and ice. I think there's a thread about this on here somewhere.

I still can't understand why in Britain we do not use winter tyres (and also why so many people drive around in semi-darkness without their headlights on).

+1 - i have a thread over on CS at the mo finding out about thinnest wheels available for the T and recommendations for winter tyres.. I sold my chains when i bought the T as it can't have them fitted.... i'd have loved it now if they could

duffer987 · Feb 5, 2009

Exaltos are hardly winter tyres...they're not even remotely "all-season" tyres. Of course it's not going to be easy driving the Trophy in bad winter conditions because of it. Put a decent set of all-season tyres on the car and it will be fine.
Or as I'm doing, leaving it in the car park at home and using public transport and my feet to get me around for a few days. This weather is hardly worth changing a car over :roll:

PeterGinger · Feb 5, 2009

15's sound great. I could also get R888 for the rest of the year and get rid of the michelins. Dont know which ones fit?

Berty · Feb 5, 2009

I don't actually mind the trophy in snow. It's managed easily as well as the 1.8 astra, old focus 1.8td and new focus 1.6tdci, and both focus' have quite narrow tyres. Granted it isn't quite as deep in north wales as other parts of the country, but taking it easy and feeding the pwoer on gently it has coped fine. Like some have said it's on summer tyres designed for throwing round dry roads. If I wanted a snowmobile I'd have a landrover defender.

Renaultsport · Feb 5, 2009

I thought mine coped well in the snow. There was one incident where the corner was still icy so the back end went out but the trophy warned me through my bum and i manged to correct it before i ended up mounted on the curb.

The thing i worry more about when it snows is other people hitting me.

Gordon · Feb 6, 2009

Series I 106 Rallye. Total hoot. I was hooning about in mine on Sunday night in the snow. Homologated Group N1 rally car. No traction control, no ABS, no driver aids. You, 100bhp, 825kgs and the seat of your pants.

reboot · Feb 6, 2009

Gordon, I am with you on that one. Miss both my 106 Rallyes. Most fun car I had until the Trophy, but the Pug is probably better in wintry conditions than the Trophy....in fact it may be one of the best for hooning around on snow without 4wd.

Gordon · Feb 6, 2009

Hi Reboot, always good to hear from a fellow Rallye enthusiast. I've owned my from new, it's only done 70k miles on an N plate. I simply couldn't bring myself to sell it when I got the Trophy.

When jumping from the Trophy to the Rallye I would still say that the Rallye is a more ‘real experience’ although both are outstanding, but different. I feel far more connected to the Rallye and the road when driving it, its balance and composure is outstanding, not to mention the seating position being far superior. The Trophy will of course leave it for dust due to the power and 15 years worth of advances in automotive engineering, but that little 106 is so controllable. I’m sure the Rallye not having power steering gives it that little bit of extra feel.

For my sins I’ve been the proud owner of four. One acquired for the ex girlfriend (she cracked the block in a flood and it was sold to convert into a rally car), mine (still going well), a rally car (rolled in Wales and now a bare shell that serves as an extensive parts bin) and the current re shelled rally car. I seem to be continually filling in SORN’s or buying tax discs!