Forget 4x4s in this weather

[DerbyTup]

I would have thought a controllable/lockable diff would be useful to help set off and get up hills that you get in some 4x4s?

 

Also I think ground clearance that you get with some 4x4s would be a major benefit, winter tyres won't help when your front splitter is being ragged off by being used as a snow plough as mine would be with any kind of depth!

 

I don't like the sound of that - your front splitter being ragged off. Sounds dreadful!

 

I used to live abroad at one time and we had very long cold winters with lots of snow. The roads were poor as well. Even worse than Sheffield. Everyone fitted winter tyres from October through April. You wouldn't have been able to move around without them.

 

I put winter tyres on one of our cars this year. Glad I did! It makes a huge difference and it's not expensive when you think that you'll be able to get 3 or 4 years wear out of them if you run them say for 4 months. I put mine on in December, just ahead of the first forecast for snow. I thought i'd be taking them off this month but I reckon I'll wait until May!

 

On the subject of 4x4's - I had the pleasure of owning a Discovery some time ago. That was superb in snow. The hill descent feature and high and low ratio gearbox does give you an advantage. I'd definitely have another. But for now I'm managing nicely with a cheap set of budget winter tyres.

[SiSiSi]

I once had a 4x4 and couldn't wait for snow so that I could go out and play whilst other people struggled. No b*****r told me that nearly-bald tyres made it as useless at any other car on the road! Lesson learned.

[DerbyTup]

I once had a 4x4 and couldn't wait for snow so that I could go out and play whilst other people struggled. No b*****r told me that nearly-bald tyres made it as useless at any other car on the road! Lesson learned.

 

go on, tell us what happened? Did you get your front splitter ragged off for example?

[Annoni_mouse]

I once had a 4x4 and couldn't wait for snow so that I could go out and play whilst other people struggled. No b*****r told me that nearly-bald tyres made it as useless at any other car on the road! Lesson learned.

There in lies the problem - too many people buy/drive 4x4s thinking it will make them invincible in bad weather, but you still need to know what you're doing, even with 4wd.

 

My car is an old vitara, and it cost me less to buy than many people spend on servicing, yet even with summer tyres, I've driven it for two winters through the worst the snow can throw at it and it got me everywhere I need/wanted to go.

 

Winter tyres, 4x4 as with all things are only as good as the person behind the wheel. No amount of improvements will make up for poor driving etc.

 

 

 

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[Supertramp]

I don't like the sound of that - your front splitter being ragged off. Sounds dreadful!

 

I used to live abroad at one time and we had very long cold winters with lots of snow. The roads were poor as well. Even worse than Sheffield. Everyone fitted winter tyres from October through April. You wouldn't have been able to move around without them.

 

I put winter tyres on one of our cars this year. Glad I did! It makes a huge difference and it's not expensive when you think that you'll be able to get 3 or 4 years wear out of them if you run them say for 4 months. I put mine on in December, just ahead of the first forecast for snow. I thought i'd be taking them off this month but I reckon I'll wait until May!

 

On the subject of 4x4's - I had the pleasure of owning a Discovery some time ago. That was superb in snow. The hill descent feature and high and low ratio gearbox does give you an advantage. I'd definitely have another. But for now I'm managing nicely with a cheap set of budget winter tyres.

 

Not really any more expensive running winter tyres, because when you have them on you're summer tyres are not getting nay wear so they last longer too. Only cost is buying a set of cheap steel wheels so you can swap the wheels around yourself.