Rear Wheel Drive in Winter

[Chris Hinds]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. Looking for a bit of advice about an impending car purchase. I currently drive an Audi TT Coupe 2.0T FSI Manual which I've owned from new. Due to a change of location and future developments though it's time to replace it with a car capable of taking a dog and kids in the future.

Decided that the new car must be

• Diesel (sorry but it's going to be a 20k plus per annum car)
• 6 cylinder
• Estate
• Automatic with Paddles (Proper Auto - I do not like how S-Tronic/DSG or CVT boxes drive, however good the imagine)

Beyond that I am generally looking for a compact exec size car but would consider larger if the right one came up. I test drove the A4 3.0TDI S-Tronic (which vetoed even the current S-Tronic box), Mercedes C350CDI and BMW 325d Touring (I'd get a 330d in this case). My better half vetoed the Merc as apparently I'm not old enough to drive a Merc. That has pretty much lead me to the 330d.

Before signing my life away though, I can't shake the concern that for 340 days a year it would be fantastic and for 25 days a year I'd have real difficulty driving if it was at all possible. Due to parking space there's not an option to have more than one car so it would be the case that it would be the only vehicle. We live in Derbyshire but during the winter months usually have to visit people as far and wide as Sussex, North Devon and West Midlands. Am I being silly to be concerned about having only RWD available during the winter?

Any advice gratefully received. For what it's worth the likely alternative would be an A6 Avant instead for the Quattro.

Cheers

Chris

[staceyb]

Why would there be a problem with a rwd car in winter?

[Flanders.]

You will be fine. If it helps put your mind at ease you could always buy some Winter Tyres.

[Oxygen2k10]

staceyb said:

Why would there be a problem with a rwd car in winter?

RWD cars kill over 14 million baby seals each and every winter. True story brah.

[Mr Dave]

I was worried about driving a RWD car in bad weather due in no part to the amount of nonsense I read on the internet about how RWDs were just waiting to pounce on you.

I drive a 5 series BMW and you would have to be quite a bad driver to get it to step out unless you were on sheet ice I have to say, as long as you can drive smotthly and have some control over your right foot then you will be fine.

I do know a driver who thinks he is fantastic and I would tell him to avoid RWD like the plague. No feel for the conditions, no understanding of what will happen and doesnt anticipate, just reacts far too late to whats going on, if that sounds like you buy the A6, if not RWD just feels nicer to me for some reason.

RWD is worse in the back for people who get travel sick I find.

And RWD in the snow is great fun, if the weather is going to stop you in a RWD car, it would be proudnt not to drive at all in any car.

[bga]

RWD is only a problem if you drive like a tt and ignore the basic rules of physics. That applies in all weathers. Do the same in FWD in the snow and you will hit the scenery face on rather than arse on in a RWD car.

A diesel auto estate won't have particularly sharp handling anyway so don't worry about it unduly.

On standard tyres it will potentially lack a bit of traction compared to a quattro but as pointed out before, tyre choice can mitigate this a bit.

[jon-]

If you put the correct tyres on for the conditions, you will probably find yourself pulling big 4x4's out of ditches that slid in due to having stupid wide summer tyres on.

Don't fear the car.

[freecar]

Don't listen to these bds!

They want you dead!

RWD is melting the icecaps as we speak.

[Evo]

A4 Quattro Avant ???? That should sort out any winter concerns other than that unless you have a steep drive to get in and out from RWD would be fine if driven sensibly.

[V8A*ndy]

A rwd car fitted with proper winter tyres will perform better in poor conditions than a Quattro with summer tyres.

Winter tyres make a hell of a difference in cold temps whether it be rain, snow or ice.

[Evo]

I gave up trying to get my old C Class out of the drive last winter, the 18" AMGS were a total nightmare, we bought a cheap Freelander and used that instead, easy

[Engineer1]

With RWD and an autobox if you are worried about snow and ice there are a few things you can do. First get winter tyres, second put a shovel some old carpet and some sand in the boot, also read your car manual there may be info on what settings to choose. Germany doesn't grind to a halt in snow which suggests that RWD cars are fine in snow.

[Tezzpip]

I drove from South Oxfordshire to Liverpool in the snow this January in my supra and I had no problems

[Chris Hinds]

Thanks for the feedback so far - good to have a balanced view though I had heard the RWD was also responsible for JFK's departure too...

From people I know with BMWs (1s, 3s and 5s) they've each told me slightly different things. Those that live in built up flatish areas tell me they didn't have much if any trouble, those in hilly areas tell me they struggled a little but if they kept up momentum then getting up the hill was fine, those with steep drives told me they left the car at the top/bottom of the hill and walked the last hundred yards. The dealer tells me I can expect a couple of days each year when it wouldn't be sensible to drive. I just imagine I might not be popular spending that much money on something that couldn't be used - good idea about having winter tyres, certainly something that I could contemplate.

Cheers

Chris

[Evo]

You'd probably find that on those "couple of days" it wouldn't be sensible in a FWD car either, go for the BMW and enjoy.

[nosongnodance]

I used my 1 series pretty much all winter, except for a couple of the worst days.

The DSP/ESP will constantly flicker when you're losing traction and will interfere. Usually this is a bad thing, but I found it worked quite well in this instance. It actually helped with the uphill battles, stopping the wheels spinning and getting you there slowly but surely.

There were loads of threads on here in December time on such topics. One guy who had a 520i said exactly the same thing re. it helping on the uphills.

If last winter is anything to go by, there'll be some more bargains come January with all the cretins selling their RWD cars due to not being able to use them for what amounted to a couple of days for most. Why anyone would be happy to lose big money because of this is beyond me.

[Mr Dave]

When it was snowing heavily the last time, I went past a few Audi, Subaru and Volvo 4 wheel drive/Quattros that were spinning all four wheels on my way to work which is up and down steep hills. When you get a 2 wheel drive car on summer tyres stuck a 4 wheel drive on summer tyres is likely to be just as stuck.

And for the last two years out of what 10 there has been moderate snow in lowlying parts of England it isnt really sensible to purchase a car based on that.

[belleair302]

Just buy the car you want and then purchase some decent winter tyres. Problem solved.

[nosongnodance]

Or try these. Not tried them personally, but I've read good things:

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/car-snow-socks/

[NiceCupOfTea]

The Swedes drove RWD Volvos for decades and I'm fairly sure they get worse winters than us!