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Snow Driving query

5K views 52 replies 22 participants last post by  frasse4 
#1 ·
Not having owned a RWD car before, I’ve been doing a bit of reading. Am I likely to have to leave my Veloce at home when it snows? I’m in the UK, by the way.
 
#7 ·
Yes, if you don't want to fit winter tyres. Fit them and you can drive it pretty much whenever. I get them swapped over in October/November and back again in March/April. Don't forget winter tyres aren't snow tyres they're colder climate tyres; when it's consistently down to single digit C, whether dry, wet, ice, snow, no summer tyre performs as well as a winter.

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#9 ·
With the Quadrifoglio I've returned to RWD for the first time in about 20 years.

Without winter tyres and having a MiTo, I'd leave it in the garage until the weather cleared. Indeed even with winter tyres, I'd do the same through choice.

However, I go skiing up to a 2,000m resort twice a year so getting winter tyres was a must.

My first trip was April 2017 and with the risk of snowy roads being low I took a chance and went on the Corsas with a pair of Autosocks in the boot.

My December '17 trip was really snowy and without the Alpins I would not have made it. Dec '18 was nowhere near as bad, but I was very glad I had them on.

I swapped the Alpins for the Corsa's two weeks ago when the weather turned warmer even though I'm off to the Alps again in April. I'll have the Autosocks in the boot with fingers crossed.

In the Valle d'Aosta winter tyres are a legal requirement on all roads until 15th April, though chains onboard is a valid alternative. There is debate in Italy whether Autosocks count as 'chains'. I'll only be at risk of being illegal on the way out.

One thing I did when I got this car was a skid pan course. It reminded me how to deal with oversteer. I'd recommend doing one.

Andy
 
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#10 ·
When it snowed recently in the UK, my Giulia was parked up in High Barnet, I work in London and I live in Peterborough.

The car was covered in about 2.5 maybe 3 inches of snow when I got to it (at the time I didn't realise it was illegal to drive with snow on the roof, so I didn't clear it, since then I got a notice from our lease company letting us know a few tips). Anyway, my route to the A1 was snow covered roads all the way, some 6 miles due to a diversion which took me down some very minor residential roads and into stop/start traffic, all I can say is the cars grip in A mode was superb, stopping and pulling away even on hills was no problem, it was very impressive.

Once on the A1 the roads cleared with occasional snow laying on the verges and central res, that was until I reached just south of Graffham Water and it started snowing very heavily and snow was settling on the road, it was a blanket of white, it went from full grip to slippy stuff in an instant, the car had an ever so slight wobble at the rear and I eased off and brought my speed down, no dramas, the car still felt planted, I know my front wheel drive Merc CLA would have felt more unsettled for sure... this experience gave me a sense of confidence in the car that was great, from there on in it was patchy all the way home, some 35 miles and I was quite relaxed when I got there.

In answer to your question though, it depends how far you have to go and what your options are if we get heavy snow, a light covering with short journeys on untreated roads I'd feel confident driving my Giulia, anything heavier or a long journey, I'd just stay at home and work, but I realise not everyone has that option.
 
#14 ·
Ive been driving FWD alfa's since 1997, fine in snow, this morning i jumped in the Giulia without thinking about it. I got stuck in a que about to go down hill for 1/2 a mile and watched people behind me turning into a pub car park and going the other way. I did the same and spent 10 minutes tiring to get out of the pub car park, it was a nightmare. I thought the electronics would sort it out in A, lesson learned.
 
#30 ·
Winter tyres! Get yourself some spare wheels with winter tyres on so you can just swap them over yourself.

I have Pirelli Winter 2's on and have had no problems at all on ice and snow.

In my old 159 with well worn summer tires a few years ago I got caught in a blizzard and it was horrendous. I was absolutely bricking it all the way home, the rear end kept kicking out and I spun 180 degrees at one point. Lesson learnt!
 
#21 ·
By no means should anyone take my advice on this! But I wonder whether the solution, if we're talking about stuck on top of snow, stationary, would have been to turn off the traction control, allowing the tyres to slip and dig their way through the snow to bite on the tarmac underneath - instead of the traction control immediately taking away all power as soon as they slipped.

I'd want the traction control back on again immediately I had it moving mind you!
 
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#18 ·
I've coped with several cms of snow on mountain roads in my Quadrifoglio. Winter tyres, A mode, manual and a very light right foot work for me.

Having learnt to drive in a RWD car (an A35 nothing so exotic as a Talbot Sunbeam) helps.
 
#23 ·
Dunno, I've got the wrong car. :)

But if it's anything like mine, there'll be a sport button which you can press to restrict the traction control, or hold down to turn it off completely.
 
#24 ·
The DNA selector should be in A.
Advanced Efficiency Mode
Whether you need to maximize your fuel efficiency or you’re facing low-traction driving situations, Advanced Efficiency mode — “a” on the selector dial — has the custom performance you need.
 
#25 ·
He already had it in A and it didn't help.
 
#27 ·
It certainly makes sense to make response muted so you're not breaking traction with too sudden acceleration. But if you're stationary and the tyres simply won't bite, it's not going to make much difference. And in that situation traction control can be a detriment because it spots the slipping, and cuts power.
 
#29 ·
For many years I have fitted winter tyres and I do this onto a spare set of rims and I can swap them over at home. For the Giulia it is Goodyear Ultragrip Performance plus 225/55/16. Yes, 16" rims. I don't want my 18" staggerd fitment ruined by winter debris and pot holes. The combination also makes for a softer and quieter ride.
 
#31 ·
When I moved to RWD in the C63, I always intended to therefore get some spare wheels with winter tyres on them. I've never got around to it though (and I've owned it for 6 years!)
I'm not sure it's justified for us, given that we work from home, so we can just not go out for a couple of days if it comes to it. The estate we live on is also very flat, so never been too much of a challenge to make it to the gritted main roads so far.

But there is always that little voice at the back of your head saying - you never know! So I won't rule out doing it at some point in the future.

My sister lives in Austria, and everyone there has a set of crappy steel wheels with winter tyres on them that they fit throughout winter.
 
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#32 ·
Can't see the point in the sunny South Coast where I live....last serious snow here was 2010! I had a BMW 528i at the time....monitoring your forward progress through the side window just added to the fun!
At the moment the issue around here is sheet black ice.....wont make any difference what tyres you fit on a friction free surface!
 
#39 ·
When I had a chance to drive the Giulietta on a snow track day (I know it's FWD), it was much more driveable in D than in A. A cut out the power waaay to soon.
 
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