[Rob Brownfield]

Remember Rob it might be a Volvo in name but the C30 is just a Focus in drag 
Sorry about that.

H

Which is why I bought it  ...the fantastic focus handling (improved with a dynamic chassis) and the 2.0 Duratec engine.

I had to take it this morning thanks to my mishap last night with the Subaru, and the handling compared to my last C30 (non dynamic chassis, turbo diesel engine) is like chalk and cheese on snowey roads. Tyres are Continenatil Sport Contacts, whilst the old one has Pirelli SlippyAsBabyShite or something or others. The traction control seems to work much better with the less peaky petrol engine too.

[Ben Dixon]

   

[Mike Barrio]

You guys have got me confused now .... I think I'll go with Vredestiens on the front and Coopers at the back

Cheers
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

You guys have got me confused now .... I think I'll go with Vredestiens on the front and Coopers at the back

Cheers
Mike

Slicks are the way to go MIke..honest!

Now that I am back on the road, I can safely say the Outback really is awesome in the snow.

[Sandy Nelson]

Well that's my snowboots fitted.
Well impressed, ordered on Sunday , delivered last night , fitted this morning.
Vredestein snowtrac3's on new steel wheels,205/55/16 all for £445
awesome already balanced and with air, ready to go.
Phoned insurance, they happy, no change to premium and my alloys are still covered while in garage.

All in all seems like a great outcome.

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

Just waiting on Cassies alloys and snowboots to arrive. Currently her GT is at the bottom of the drive, unable to move..lol.

AWD also makes a HUGE difference, as can be seen in this strange vid of a Subaru dealer moving his new arrivals after a proper dump of snow. These will be running Yokohama Geolander tyres.

[Ploddy]

Must agree with all the comments regarding winter tyres being of great benefit.

However with a big capital H, whatever tyres you have you must drive according to the conditions that you are faced with and often the most sensible option is not to drive atall if you don't have to.

On a daily basis I have to deal with the consequences.

Ploddy

[Rob Brownfield]

However with a big capital H, whatever tyres you have you must drive according to the conditions that you are faced with and often the most sensible option is not to drive atall if you don't have to.

Agreed entirely!

Which is why women in BMW X5's should have their licence suspended between November and March

"I have a 4x4, so I can drive like its a summers day". I honestly think there should be a huge sticker on the dashboard pointing out that just because its a 4X4 DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT CAN STOP QUICKER ON ICE AND SNOW!.

[Euan Innes]

Which is why women in BMW X5's should have their licence suspended between November and March

Sadly Rob it's the blokes too. Saw a chap yesterday at Tesco Westill trying to reverse his Merc out of a parking space by applying a lot of throttle and going no-where. Also saw a Range Rover in a dyke with a sad bloke looking at it.
 

 

[Derek Roxborough]

Why is it when accidents are seen on the box there are usually 4WD involved, I have driven for 50 odd yrs and the only time i have been off the road was in a peugeot 304 because I put the new tires on the front, powering up caused the backend to flip and I ended off the road faced back to where i came from, I have driven a fiesta for a few years now and have driven within the conditions of the time, and have had no problems, and I too live in the highlands,we are lucky to have a local bus to Inverness so if its really bad I let the bus take the strain    easgach 1

[Rob Brownfield]

Why is it when accidents are seen on the box there are usually 4WD involved,

Because people think having a 4x4 will mean that they do not have to think when they drive in poor conditions!

Worse are the people that buy an X5 or Range Rover and stick massive alloys and UHP summer tyres on them and then wonder why they have no grip on mud/wet grass/snow/ice.

Then there are the people that do not realise that something that weighs 2 tonnes + and has a high centre of gravity does not stop or go round corners as quickly or as well as something half there size, so in the winter, they barrel into a corner and end up going straight on thanks to that thing called physics!

I would say my Discovery was not that great on winter roads, even with snow tyres, as the power delivery, steering, braking etc was a bit harsh, so fine control was not really an option (better in low box). The AWD of my Subaru is much more subtle, you feel whats going on so can react subtlly to correct a slide, and the electronic stability control etc helps a huge amount. Also with the boxer engine, there is little weight trying to topple the thing.

Having said all that, that really bad winter a few years ago meant the Defender with big chunky mud terrain tyres rulled the roost in deep snow I pulled much more expensive 4x4's out of ditches all winter

[Eddie Sinclair]

Rob,
I have an old defender and when it snows I spend a considerable amount of time pulling my neighbours X3 up the hill at our house. However I do have a range rover that has winter tyres and it does not have huge wide rims and I have managed to drive according to conditions without going offroad unnintentionally. I did see a 4x4 last week that had gone down into Dunnotar woods the road was not too bad so they must have gone flying into the corner carrying too much speed.

Eddie.

[Ben Dixon]

My Surf is great in snow or mud but on ice, nothing works well unless the tyres are studded.  Once a big heavy car goes, it is much much harder to right, more mass, more momentum.  Last week, Thursday when the roads where quite shit, I was fine but had a few close shaves with folk driving far too fast.

Cheers

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

However I do have a range rover that has winter tyres and it does not have huge wide rims and I have managed to drive according to conditions without going offroad unnintentionally.

 

[Steven Sinclair]

Rob,
I have an old defender and when it snows I spend a considerable amount of time pulling my neighbours X3 up the hill at our house. However I do have a range rover that has winter tyres and it does not have huge wide rims and I have managed to drive according to conditions without going offroad unnintentionally. I did see a 4x4 last week that had gone down into Dunnotar woods the road was not too bad so they must have gone flying into the corner carrying too much speed.

Eddie.

To be fair tho that hill of yours is an absolute nightmare! That coupled with the fact that neither her nor her husband have a clue how to drive in the white stuff, it's always going to end in tears!  Not that I can say much  having 320 ft/lbs of torque through the front wheels meant it was always a good laugh trying to get to yours!