[Closed] Ultimate Driving Machines?

BMW's are the worst cars IN THE WORLD for this weather - or any other kind except bone dry. Mine has been on the drive for a fortnight. The Audi "4X4" isn't much better. I have access to a Nissan Navarra and its flawless in this weather. Bang it in low range and it'd get up the side of a house.

What we all need is [url= http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/05/video-articulate-this-chainlink-4x4-is-frighteningly-awesome/ ]one of these[/url]... 😈

Out of 26 cars stuck on the road where I live 19 are BMW's and 5 are Hondas.

Its certainly enough to put me off getting a BMW.

It's mainly down to the tyres. My Golf is 4WD but has low profile high performance tyres that just clog with snow, so can't even get out of our drive. Our Navarra gets out of the drive and down the steep track to the road with no problem.

In anything except snow and mud low profile tyres are fine

I was out last night on the MTB http://www.muddymoles.org.uk/2010/01/ride_0601_2010.html in deepest Surrey and we met a guy in a BMW going down from Hedley to Little Switzerland (bottom of Boxhill for any locals). Fat tyres, auto and not a clue. He was defintely there for the night and is probably there now.

In Germany the BMW drivers get their winter tyres out for the snow (usually thin and on crappy steel wheels) and put them on for the winter. Then they have much fewer problems.

In the French Alps, lots of people have these:
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In Switzerland, lots have these Subaru Justys (look like a Swift):
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For ultimate snow use and classic cool, then a 2CV Sahara is ideal:
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My 535i hasn't moved since it started snowing, and I've no intention of even starting it until the snow/ice have gone.

I wouldn't let a few days a year of ice/snow determine what car you buy (BMWs are fine in the wet to, it's just current conditions they're pants) :p Mind you another annoying thing (at least with my E46 3-series) is because the doors are frameless the window actually goes up slightly to seal better when you close the doors - it's fine until it ices up and you can't open the door 🙁

My 318d touring is OK in the snow (just) with the traction control helping it will chug up most things. I must admit, most FWD cars would be better, but it's not as bad as I expected.

Out of 26 cars stuck on the road where I live 19 are BMW's and 5 are Hondas.

Its certainly enough to put me off getting a BMW.

It was the same here a few years back when locally we had server flooding, I noticed the number of top branded German cars left at the roadside all full of water, abandoned by their drivers.

I did wonder if its also do to do with the attitude of some (BMW) drivers, the "I need to get to work" no matter what?

...this will no doubt come and bite me in the ass later...

But mine has been surprisingly OK. 320D M-sport tourer, so it's got fairly silly tyres on. Only had it 2 months, so RWD is new to me. It's a bugger to get going on slippy surfaces (I live on a hill), but once it's moving, its pretty well behaved, and it seems to be much better behaved in corners than anything else I've tried on snow, simply because if the front starts sliding, then the back can be made to overcompensate so you still end up pointing where you want to go. It's mostly a question of turning in a bit early, being smooth, keeping the power on and being confident.

Where we stayed at christmas was up a hill accessed by a private drive about 1/2 mile long and sheet ice, accessed from an equally ungritted minor road. I was one of only 2 non-4x4s to get up there (making the turn through the gateposts at the top was a little hairy though). A Volvo failed to do it which did make me feel slightly smug.

That all said, I wouldn't dream of trying to drive it on busy roads in this weather, simply because of the number of other cars around. With the best will in the world, I'd end up having to stop somewhere I didn't want to and then would struggle to get going again. That and it's far more fun to ride the bike!

Fat low profile tyres, rear wheel drive, lots of power, pretty much the worst car in the world for snowy driving. However for all the rest of the year, loads of fun I'd imagine.

Don't own one

This 4WD Audi driver certainly is not of the opinion that "I need to get to work no matter what". Not been to work for 3 weeks tomorrow. Going a little stir crazy at home though 😆

Guy I used to work with had a Panda 4x4, like this:

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Great little car in this sort of weather!

Fat tyres, auto and not a clue

Well, aside from making a poor decision to go out initially, it may well not matter whether he had a clue or not. my 14yr old auto is virtually undriveable on ice. the "traction control" just takes away drive from (or maybe even brakes?) any wheel that tries to spin (ie both in quick succession).

That system can be disabled but doesn't help when it's really slippy becasue there is also no means of manual clutch control or forcing it to start off in anything above 2nd gear (which is LOW as it's the default starting ratio anyway)

I give you the Ultimate Driving Machine:
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Capable in all conditions and plenty of boot space.

Mine's on the drive now, pretty scary drive home last night on what appeared to be clear but were in fact slightly iced over roads. Even with some of my most cautious driving I had a couple of decent scares. Beamers may be crap in this weather but I can live with that one the basis that mine's quite nice the rest of the year.

Who knows one day I might become a beard wearing, 20 year old Fiat Panda 4x4 owning, ex-rally driver with all the skillz who can coast past stuck RWD car owners with my arse hanging out of the window shouting nerr nerr nerr like many other STW users seem to do.

I imagine that if you nip over to Land Rover Liker GRIPPED! LETS OFF ROAD! Forums they're probably all posting about having passed many a stuck eco warrior in turbo diesel hatchbacks.

Rear wheel drive cars aren't as good as front wheel drive cars in the snow. Almost all premium & sports cars are RWD - Merc, BMW, Jag, RX8, MX5, MR2, 350Z, etc. Neither are wide tyres with large tread blocks, which is what tends to be fitted to these cars. They're the first cars you'll see being abandoned in the snow, with the exception of RWD and rear engined kit like Beetles and Porsches - they have better traction than anything apart from a 4x4, given the right tyres.

On the other hand, RWD and wide tyres is a lot more pleasant than FWD and narrow tyres for the other 350+ days of the year.

And FWD and narrow tyres is a lot more pleasant than a Land Rover 90 with its rock hard suspension, tall tyres and squirmy tread blocks.

And all of the above are considerably better than walking.

these are the worst vehicles ever in snow.................end of.

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****ing crap

even ultimate driving machines fall down

my dad's defender 90 is currently marooned half way up the half mile track to their house.

It's got full snow chains.

He's a qualified Landrover instructor instructor and has off road and snow driving experience 40 years+!

Hi scaredypants reving the pants off the BMW on the hill when stationary was the not "not a clue bit". Getting a gentle run up to hill, changing the box to manual changes and moving up to 2nd, gentle on the gas, was my advice to him as we gave him a push. He ignored everything, revv'd the balls off it and is probably still stuck there now.

My Honda S2000 (on new tires) is bloody awfull in the snow, I absolutly love snow driving but the Honda is evil.

Wifes RWD MX5 with no traction control is fun in this weather-thankfully she knows how to use the handbrake as a TC aid to stop a spinning wheel and transfer torque to the other wheel (and not for doing handbrake turns!) and has been fine.

Bowler Wildcat should do the trick

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I love how BMW owners can't make reference to their car without mentioning the exact specification

'Ya, picked the shopping up in my 535i'.......like we needed to know it was the bigger engined model. Why stop there though, why not go the full hog?

Wife:'What car are you taking to pick the kids up darling?'
Husband:'Well I thought I might take the 320d Estate M-Sport with optional leather, smokers pack and parking sensors. Or the Golf....'

I love how dicks make sweeping generalisations of BMW drivers :p

My A6 Quattro is coping very well thank you.

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My 318d touring is OK in the snow (just) with the traction control helping it will chug up most things. I must admit, most FWD cars would be better, but it's not as bad as I expected.

A3 with stupid wide wheels = Cr@p in the snow so I now using the site Dicovery, miles better. 😆

I mentioned the spec on mine for exactly the opposite reason for the one you hinted at - it is the very cheapest model. I would never have chosen a BMW, it's a company car and I didn't have a choice. I'm one of those people who love to whinge about German car snobbery but now I have to keep my mouth shut. In 39 years of car and bike ownership / stewardship, it is my first German car! I have to admit (... here we go)it is nicely made and quite good to drive. I still wish I could have had a Ford, though!

what the fu%K is FLANGE on WITH !

My wife's (blue) 325 (SE) (touring) is bad on the snow never mind the ice ! even with the (STD) (TC) on or off

But Must be op extra (18"wheels that dont help in this weather 😆

CHEERS ALL

PS its been to the moon and back 137.000 miles and still sounds sweet