I know that Impreza's can be fantastic getting up hills, but when it comes to stopping with huge garden-roller tyres and ABS u might as well be driving a big sledge.

My Corsa kicks *** in the snow, tiny thin tyres, very little power and no ABS! My dad prefers to take that out compared to his STI8!

 

If your dad's STi had tyres that were actually designed for these conditions, he'd have no problems getting around in his STi. As you've found out, all wheel drive is less of a factor than the suitability (or otherwise) of the car-road interface.

 

My old Puma was sh!te due to the wide(ish) tyres and no weight It wouldn't go, steer or stop on snow

There will be lots of sonic blue sledges about at the moment with gold alloys

 

Best std car in the snow is an Impreza turbo with good winter tyres and the ABS de-activated.

 

Best standard car in the snow has to be an old metro, handles brilliantly and overtakes up hill without wheelspin due to no torque !!

 

Impreza WRC on snow tyres Well that's factory built isn't it

 

Old Beetles work pretty well, narrow tyres, lots of weight over the driven wheels and not too much torque.

Anything with narrow tyres is the best bet short of snow tyres or chains.

 

I has a Fiat Uno 45 once. That was great in the snow - 135 tyres and not too much power

Wifey tells me that Smarts are poo in the snow. She went out and then returned pronto, parked Smart outside home and took the scoob instead

 

Panda 4x4, got to be. sore on get pass on WRX up a steep hill year in the snow, the scooby driver was not impressed

 

My sport aint bad, no power, fairly skinny tyres and too much weight. Still has abs though. The worst I have driven was my old 205 gti, that led me to pirouette city.

Simon

 

Any Land Rover with narrow-ish mud pattern tyres.

I wish is still had my 110!

 

Agree that the beetle (old one ) that I had in me student days wa sthe best on snow

(sh1te everywhere else though )

[Edited by SiPie - 1/28/2004 3:01:49 PM]

 

Eh? They are only 205's unless you have gone daft, same as standard on a Pug 206 GTi.

Beetles are fine in the snow providing you haven't had the engine bored and ported and big extractor zaust fitted, then it is just plain scary, when the back goes, all that weight just comes flying past you!

 

Land Rover Defender, there is no better

 

Agree with fiat panda, used to live in Buxton & about 2ft of snow had fallen, none of the roads had been treated, had to get to work which was the local college on top of a bloody big hill! Cleared the snow of the car, started up 1st time got to work no problem Dont give a monkeys what people say about the panda i had great fun in mine on the roads in the fields & rivers


Oh & mine wasnt a 4x4

 

My GF has a smart car, very tempted to nick it for some fun in the snow, very light weight + rear wheel drive + very narrow fronts tyres compared to rears = a whole lot of fun!

Bit scared about the stupid clutch action on the gearbox thou.


[Edited by Mcbrun555 - 1/28/2004 3:49:13 PM]

 

Standard snowplough please

 

a 1.2 nova.....

 

The best car I have for snow use is not the 996 carrera C2 or the WRX, but the "scrapper" (still better than most shopping cars, but it's a boring drive). If it slides into a hedge it can stay there! And I can stay warm for an hour or two while it smoulders away. Why else do I carry matches in the glovebox?

 

Definately Land Rover stable

Mick

 

Maxi 1750 HL with cross ply tyres on !!

 

doesnt matter what you drive if the tyres arent up to it. I drove a Suzuki Vitara diesel home for a girl I know on the weekend after it had snowed heavily and she still has summer tyres on it. Even in 4wd it was one of the most dangerous ( and probably stupid ) things I have done.

 

I was expecting the Smart to be good - light skinny tyres weight over driven wheels etc.

Problem was that the ABS/Traction control was going loopy and the gearbox was doing its ownthing

I much prefer to have control of the car when its snowing rather than the other way around

I wonder what the new M3s are like in the snow. I have great respects for BMW electronics, but big tyres, 2WD and all that power

 

Mountain Bike with Skinny Knobblies. Is very god in the snow.

 

TypeRA with the diff locked and fitted with studded snow tyres. Awesome.

 

Citroen 2CV!

Almost as fast as in the dry....

 

Have to agree with that, seeing as I'm just about to buy one
That'll be why the police, fire, gas, water, power etc. etc. have them, I suppose

Talking about a Land Rover by the way - my post just came out in the wrong place....

How about that 4x4 2CV?

[Edited by Franx - 1/28/2004 6:20:28 PM]

 

Anything with skinny tyres and low torque. like my micra

Good old landrovers are good too. I like defenders personaly.

Steve

 

4wd are MUCH better than any 2wd in the snow, but small and light front w ones are ok. Large merc, bmws etc are terrible. Very important is good soft winter tyres, they go hard and useless after 4-5 yrs. I use 225/17 winter for my wrx and its unbeatable for all round winter use. A meaner, but not so comfortable choice is http://gallery.imprezadriver.com/lappi , spikes are allowed here in Norway!

 

1.6 Nova GSI. Brill for practising drifting!

Scoobylou