Driving Xantia in snow

Sl4yer · Unread post by **Sl4yer** » 23 Dec 2009, 20:09

I agree that the 'all-weather' tyres help. The Activa has Goodyear Eagle Vector all-weather tyres all round. Crap most of the year, but VERY easy to drive on our road tonight when all others were struggling.

James

Unread post by **aerodynamica** » 23 Dec 2009, 23:24

Mandrake wrote:
deian wrote:thot u were australian, or lived in australia? when i saw last reply by mandrake i thought, snow? in australia?, but then i saw ur in the uk
New Zealand, not Australia.

But now I am over here, yes.

Coatbridge? as in near Glasgow?

NZ to CB! you poor guy!

I've been driving my 33 year old CX in the ice rinks here and it performed very well. It's a 'C-Matic' semi auto and if you just stick it in top gear you can pull away on hills etc without a hint of spin (tho it is slow like this!)

lexi · Unread post by **lexi** » 25 Dec 2009, 18:18

Graeme: Is your CX a white one?

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 25 Dec 2009, 21:29

Light blue isnt it 8)

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 25 Dec 2009, 21:38

Driving around the residential streets of Luton, which are covered in thick compacted snow/ice and strewn with badly parked cars (that's normal), Juliet took it all in her stride.
Had a new Honda Civic (you know, the ones with the back window you can't see out of due to the 3rd brake light) cut across my lane when taking a corner, had to wind my window down and inform the driver that her front tyre was flat. How she hadn't noticed is beyond me!

Homer · Unread post by **Homer** » 25 Dec 2009, 23:31

Sid_the_Squid wrote: I blame the cheap nasty tyres, I also cant help but wonder if the extra weight in the v6 is in some way deterimental?

The extra weight should help in snow but I assume it has wider tyres, which won't and obviously too much power.

What you need for snow are large diameter, narrow tyres and an engine without masses of power. Which is why the 2CV was always so good in the snow.

Narrow wheels cut through the snow and bite the tarmac beneath, wide tyres roll over the snow and compact it into ice.

I used to find the BX and Xantia rode snow better with the suspension on the high notch, if nothing else it keeps the underside from dragging on deep snow.

Tyre type and condition also plays a big part.

The 807 has been great, slot it in 1st gear and let it drive it's self on the governor (i.e. not touching the throttle), tried the same thing in the work's diesel Focus last year and it was in gear with the clutch out, engine running and moving backwards.

As for ABS, it can help on compacted snow but on fresh snow it works against you. The fastest way to stop on fresh snow is to lock the wheels, which then builds up a pile of snow in front of them which slows you much faster.

Unread post by **RichardW** » 29 Dec 2009, 11:54

Since the south has no snow anymore, it is forgotten, but we still have nearly a foot up here! I am further impressed by snow tyres - have been coming and going in the Xantia no trouble, thought I had better take the Picasso out for a run. Got it out the drive, and it was a bit slidy going down our road. However, whereas I had just reversed the Xantia into the drive no drama (including driving it through the edge of the deep stuff as the numpties up the road who can't get up there think parking right opposite the end of drive is a good idea

) it took me three goes and some digging to get the Picasso back in - it just got wheel spin when trying to get it through the icy ruts in the road!

Now considering getting another pair of snow tyres for the Xantia (the ones on there are 195/55 so a bit small really) and putting those on the Picasso - it has 185/65 so a better match. It looks like we are in for a continuing freeze up here!

Warm winter indeed...

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 29 Dec 2009, 13:35

Our road is very iffy now, just no grip at all, i tried to turn around in the road but the C5 wouldnt pull out of the gutter, so i had to drive over the curb instead. Its hard even getting out of the car without falling over

Though the main roads are ok now, ours is always the last to thaw out. More snow is expected by the end of the week i think, joy, ive had enough now

falling-out-with-my-car · 03 Jan 2010, 15:30

The only thing that really annoyed me about all thwe snow and ice was my dam handbrake being on the front wheels and not the back.

If I spotted a nice empty snow covered car park I might have been able to do a handbrake turn, with very little effort.

ahhh I miss the days of british cars with rear handbrakes. they were fun.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 03 Jan 2010, 15:41

falling-out-with-my-car wrote:The only thing that really annoyed me about all thwe snow and ice was my dam handbrake being on the front wheels and not the back.

If I spotted a nice empty snow covered car park I might have been able to do a handbrake turn, with very little effort.

ahhh I miss the days of british cars with rear handbrakes. they were fun.

Buy an old Rover then

Or just stick your Xantia in reverse...

This guy doesn't seem to have any problems sliding the back round

You could always give this a go

lurchy666 · Unread post by **lurchy666** » 03 Jan 2010, 15:48

well my xantia (in the hands of my father) decided it didn't like the shape of its own front end yesterday,

bloody thing locked the fronts up on a icy junction which was on a tight bend, and cause he had it in gear as well it stalled and went stright into a metal sign post , it was about 5mph crash and luckly both my mum and dad were ok,

it has took the passenger headlight, slam panel has snapped, rad is broke (massive hole in the side of the rad from the battery tray), grill has snapped, rad fan is broke, bumper is broken, and the bonnet is bent as well,

i only let him borrow it so he could go pick up something off ebay so it would charge the battery up a bit cause i havent run it lately now the bloody thing needs a front end,

i really dont know if to do it up or go find something else to drive around in,

falling-out-with-my-car · 03 Jan 2010, 16:32

Xac wrote:
falling-out-with-my-car wrote:
ahhh I miss the days of british cars with rear handbrakes. they were fun.
Buy an old Rover then

Or just stick your Xantia in reverse...

This guy doesn't seem to have any problems sliding the back round

You could always give this a go

A rover what???? never swear again....

Lurchy it must be somethin to do with the 666 in your name, I'd change it quick, Not to bad to fix is it a tonne for the radiator if you fit a new one and panels are available mail order from Beevers Auto panels online pretty cheap they are to.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 03 Jan 2010, 17:29

Xac wrote: Or just stick your Xantia in reverse...

This guy doesn't seem to have any problems sliding the back round

You could always give this a go

Both good videos showing how much control you can actually have from a front wheel drive car, specifically showing how well you can control a Xantia, impressive!

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 03 Jan 2010, 20:54

Bloke in the first one is pretty good, for sure. His steering correction is exemplary. Ken Block owes him a pint!

AshJam · Unread post by **AshJam** » 05 Jan 2010, 19:51

I've got a 2.0 HDI Xantia with 205/60 tyres (Vredestein Sportrac 3s_ so not the best tyres for snow! I've been fine though where as the guy behind me in his golf did a nice twirl on the corner of our road and my fiances Xsara (190/60 Hancooks) seemed a little less secure.... I don't know if the hydropneumatic suspension has any benefit in the snow?