“If you’ve got ESP, the stability control element will help you in a slide. But traction control can sometimes kill power too much and make it hard to get moving in heavy snow. Most cars will allow you to turn off the traction element of the stability control. If you have an auto box, check whether you have a winter mode.”
Mines not going to move until the snow goes away, 18" wheels and all that instant torque is recepie for trouble. My wife's Fiat 500C is all brushed off ready to go out on its 14" snow tyres.
Took my over-powered, fat summer tyred, RWD death trap out this morning. It was touch and go to the end of our close, then the roads were clear.
#notlikewinterwheniwasakid
Managed to get mine out, had to use ‘Battery Charge’ to force the petrol motor to kick in as battery hold just wasn’t doing the job. Had a few wheel spins with electric then converting to engine power, but wasn’t getting anywhere!!
Awful, had to traverse Birmingham this morning in deep snow, just wouldn't move an inch. Luckily I had snow socks for the wheels in the boot and managed to get out and onto the motorways!!
Definitely didn't take mine out today, was wondering if the 17in wheels and FWD (but insane torque) would out weigh the nightmare that was my RWD BMW in the snow, but didn't fancy trying.
Guessing B mode is pretty handy though? Essentially engine breaking the whole time rather than locking up wheels?
Just a thought would using the paddles to start off in a higher gear help to move off on the snow. I don't even know if that's possible as I have yet to actually use them.
Eco mode shifts up the gears quicker than in other modes so that might help? Turning off the traction control may also help to get you moving but probably worth putting it back on once rolling.
I drove through a load of snow and slush earlier today and it was fine with gentle acceleration without messing with any settings.
You don't need a 4WD to drive fast in snow, any car will do.
Although stopping can be a problem. In fresh snow disable the ABS and lock the wheels up to create a snow bank in front of your wheels and get stuck behind when time to set off
The Golf is much better than the RWD BMW in the snow, I have owned two and they where dangerous in the snow !.
If you have a RWD BMW, then you will be requiring a second car that has FWD in the winter.
We had a Polo as a second car when we owned the BMW, it was the only way to get out in the winter !.
The grip on the Bridgestone's is NOT the best when snow is down on the ground I have to say !!!.
Interesting read below considering the snow we have had as I couldn't get the drivers windscreen wiper up only the passenger side and I thought maybe you have to lift the bonnet up.
Recently, as buckets and front-loaders full of snow were dumped onto the greater Detroit area, our long-term Volkswagen Golf test car wouldn’t allow one editor to lift its windshield wipers up after parking it outside. To Californians and hermits unfamiliar with the concept of “weather,” we often lift wipers on cars parked outside to prevent them from gathering ice or sticking to the windshield during snowstorms. Except that when you try to move the VW’s wipers into the “up” position, they’re stopped partway by the trailing edge of the hood.
This isn’t an uncommon thing—especially among luxury cars of the German persuasion—as it allows the wipers to nest below the edge of the hood and reduce wind noise. (Of course, the VW Golf isn’t a luxury car, but it does do a convincing impression of one.)
To lift the wipers on the Golf, you must first park the car, kill the ignition, then hold the wiper stalk on the steering column down for a few moments. This moves the wipers into “service position”—essentially to the top of their stroke against the windshield—at which point you can then hinge them away from the glass. Simple, especially if you note that there are instructions in the owner’s manual. Our long-term BMW 328d wagon has similar functionality, as did an Audi A5 test car we had on hand this past week. The more you—and one of our younger editors—know, right?
That started on the mk5 almost 14 years ago. The idea was that as it rained the water would run off the wipers and not freeze when it got cold enough.
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