Mercs no good in winter?

[Triv]

...However the standard of driving of the majority of other road users frightens me.

Out of interest, do you find that the standard drops in particular areas more frequently than others?

 

[L John]

If I believe the figures, this is the UK's worst winter for 250 years, 170 years, since records began.

Weather here in North East England has been the nicest winter for years.
Yes I know there's awful flooding in some areas with no sign of it clearing anytime soon, but so many houses are built in risk areas and a there's a lot more buildings and roads causing quick run off into the rivers.
Add poor dredging and drain clearing and there's bound to be flooding.

In what way is it the worst winter for 250 years? (if as you say, the figures are to be believed)

 

[KE55PEO]

did anyone tell you that you don't only use heat for heating? how about hot water?

If I didn't need heating I would only use "on demand electric water heaters" or solar water heating.


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[keefysher]

Out of interest, do you find that the standard drops in particular areas more frequently than others?

Yes

Lorries slowly overtaking lorries on the A1 dual carriageway north of Doncaster.

Car drivers between Mansfield & Leicester.

Noddies sitting in the outside lane of the A1M at 70mph.

Although since the introduction of penalties for middle lane hogging, there appears a breed of outside lane huggers.

 

[keefysher]

Weather here in North East England has been the nicest winter for years.
Yes I know there's awful flooding in some areas with no sign of it clearing anytime soon, but so many houses are built in risk areas and a there's a lot more buildings and roads causing quick run off into the rivers.
Add poor dredging and drain clearing and there's bound to be flooding.

In what way is it the worst winter for 250 years? (if as you say, the figures are to be believed)

Hence my quote of the 'worst winter'. There has been 2 light snow flurries in Northumberland where I work.

Rain and gales are the determinates in the figures, I believe.

I could wax lyrical about the flooding and causation in the Thames Valley. Goes back to the late '70s when Hesseltine was at the DoE as it was. Over ruled the Thames Conservancy on Lower Early (Reach 8) housing development. Result was flooding in Bray, or Reach 6 of the Thames. They then built Dorney Reach or flood relief channel that now dumps water into Staines/Wraysbury. The Thames can only release water into the tideway for 7 in 24 hours from Teddington otherwise London will flood. The Thames catchment goes as far north as the Stour/Trent flood meadows in Nottingham.

Unfortunately the intellectually challenged make decisions based on greed than fact. Off me soapbox now.

 

[keefysher]

If I didn't need heating I would only use "on demand electric water heaters" or solar water heating.


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Solar water heating is a waste of money. Use PV instead.

 

[John Laidlaw]

was just in Norway and the taxis are almost all C Class Mercs or E Class and all on winter tyres- says it all really!

 

[sonic]

Rear wheel drive, & wide summer tyres do not go well with grip in ice & snow. After several winters of not being able to get going on snow when front wheel car could I bought winter tyres for both of our cars.
Never had a problem with grip since including Scotland in 2008-09 winter. The other big advantage is you can stop in a third of the distance of cars on summer tyres.
The winter tyres are on the cars Oct to Apr, so I do almost as many miles on the winter tyres as I do on the summer ones.

 

[Ricardo_e220]

was just in Norway and the taxis are almost all C Class Mercs or E Class and all on winter tyres- says it all really!

Yup but did you look at the winter tyres... I would suspect they are fitted with metal studs for extra grip on ice...... I used to have some of these truly epic in any bad condition ( apparently illegal now!)

In the uk we have to get back to blacktop ASAP as most won't put other tyres on and we have it so rarely that people aren't used to it... This actually makes it worse for traction than the Scandinavian/alpine way of clearing the loose and leaving some snow until it melts naturally.

 

[sonic]

I was an army skiier back in the 60's & 70's used to spend 3 months ever winter in Bavaria, well someone had to go!
I had a VW Beetle at the time & I bought a set of studded winter tyres. The grip & traction was fantastic but on on hard packed snow. On dry roads you had to be carefull.
Fortunatly most of my driving was up & down back lanes, which were always covered in snow.

 

[television]

My CL216 has been very good this Winter, its been sitting in the garage quite happily for most of it.

 

[Troon]

With the weather you have had down your way, that says more about your garage than the car!

 

[jenson1961]

I never use mine in the snow I buy a cheap front wheel run about cause of all the idiots who cant drive in the snow

 

[jenson1961]

HAD A C180 COMPRESSOR 55 PLATE ESTATE LAST WINTER PUT ALL NEW WINTER TYRES ON COST ME A FORTUNE WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY LOST COUNT OFF THE TIMES I GOT STUCK SO THIS YEAR HAVE BOUGHT A CHEAP FRONT WHEEL DRIVE 53 PLATE MONDEO DIESEL WILL PUT THE MERC IN THE GARAGE TILL WINTER AS GONE

 

[L John]

was just in Norway and the taxis are almost all C Class Mercs or E Class and all on winter tyres- says it all really!

HAD A C180 COMPRESSOR 55 PLATE ESTATE LAST WINTER PUT ALL NEW WINTER TYRES ON COST ME A FORTUNE WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY LOST COUNT OFF THE TIMES I GOT STUCK

Why did you get stuck so much, I've driven plenty of rear wheel drive cars in bad snow and never got stuck.
I bought winter tyres just to get more grip for safer driving.

There is a skill to driving in snow, but we can just blame the car, or the tyres.

 

[jenson1961]

PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD IN SNOW

 

[SortedE320]

Rather not risk the E in snow. Bought a Mitsibushi Legnum JDM estate tail end of last year. 1997, imported from Japan in 2008, spent five years in sunny Kent before it was brought north.

SOHC 2.5V6 AWD via Triptronic auto. Amazing in snow with x4 winter tyres. Goes places most SUVs can't. Second best car I ever bought and hugely practical and all that for well under a grand!

SE320.

 

[Aiden]

I remember seeing a few years ago a Suzuki Jiminy towing a 5 series out of the snow. Wish I'd taken a pic


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[gizze]

I remember seeing a few years ago a Suzuki Jiminy towing a 5 series out of the snow. Wish I'd taken a pic


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I offered to pull someone in a Q7 out of the snow in my 123d (on winters) year before last.
I was being serious, but he must of thought I was taking the **** and told me to "**** Off!!"

 

[Troon]

HAD A C180 COMPRESSOR 55 PLATE ESTATE LAST WINTER PUT ALL NEW WINTER TYRES ON COST ME A FORTUNE WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY LOST COUNT OFF THE TIMES I GOT STUCK SO THIS YEAR HAVE BOUGHT A CHEAP FRONT WHEEL DRIVE 53 PLATE MONDEO DIESEL WILL PUT THE MERC IN THE GARAGE TILL WINTER AS GONE

Please turns Caps Lock off!

I had a Mondeo of that age. On summer tyres it was rubbish in the snow. My S211 is far better in the snow on all-seasons, which are like "winter lite" tyres.

What winter tyres did you use? Are you having a tough winter in Notts? Staffs is fine...