Snow mobile

[qprdude]

Well the big beast has coped well so far. Some decent snowfalls up here and the C5 has managed without any dramatics. OK, I've not tried to force my way through drifts (yet) but all seems well with 5 or 6 inches of snow in car parks, and three or four inches or so in my street which is a cul-de-sac on an incline. Seen a few low gear wheel spinners trying to get going in the deeper stuff and wonder if they ever listen to driving advice, or if they know it all already.
Not a lover of snow chains and can't afford winter tyres for the 19" rims, so if i gets too bad, out comes the Clio or the walking boots.
Hope everyone is coping this winter.

[Hell Razor5543]

You could always look for something like this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bluecol-Car-G ... 5d362c5119" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But these are probably not the right size for your car.

[qprdude]

Yeah, the socks are OK, but they don't take kindly to the tarmac when you get a clear patch, and I'm too bleedin lazy to keep taking them off and refitting them. I would try them if I really HAD to drive, but to be honest, I can manage without taking any risks with the car.

[Hell Razor5543]

I used snow chains for the first time last week (I was working), and I was pleasantly surprised by how well they work. However, if I had alloys I would want to protect them somehow.

[qprdude]

Yes, that's why I avoid them. I'd hate for one to let go and shred my wing and alloy.

[Ben82]

The C5 does handle rather well in the snow, I have friction tyres on mine at the moment (have to by law). Tried taking mine out for a spin (literally) back in December in an empty car park to practice driving around on slippery surfaces. The ESP works really well too.
Yesterday I also had someone in a Volvo try racing me off some lights, I was in the lane that wasn't really cleared so was far more slippery.. He was wheel spinning loads (most likely from trying to floor it), the C5 was taking it in it's stride with only about half throttle (not even in Snow mode on the Auto Gearbox), esp kicked in a little bit, suffice to say he was left for dust lol

[Hell Razor5543]

You mean you left him for snow drifts, don't you?

[Ben82]

You mean you left him for snow drifts, don't you?

Something like that

[qprdude]

Great stuff, the ESP keeps kicking in on mine too, if pushed, and it works!!

[Xantippa]

Why don´t you just buy cheap 17" rims that will fit your car and winter tyres and change them when winter comes? They´re better for winter driving than any 19" winter tyres anyway. That´s how it´s done here in Finland...

[qprdude]

Why don´t you just buy cheap 17" rims that will fit your car and winter tyres and change them when winter comes? They´re better for winter driving than any 19" winter tyres anyway. That´s how it´s done here in Finland...

Not sure you understand the meaning of early retirement with no income means. . I love the car to bits, but diesel is as far as finances stretch. If I feel it's not safe to drive, I don't.
Not sure either what your idea of cheap is. Mine is less than a £10. , and I doubt I could get wheels and tyres for less than £500, even second hand. That is kind of fantasy money for me, until I can get healthy and back to working, or until I reach retirement age and get some money coming in.

[Xantippa]

Sorry, I just thought you were looking for a cheaper alternative for those 19" winter-tyres. I just looked http://www.mytyres.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , and it seems that you can get 225/55 R17 winter-tyres from £300. All-season tyres seem to have more alternatives on that price range too. You need alloys for those of course, and £500 isn´t quite enough for the package. Best way to save would be selling those 19" rims and tyres and buy something more sensible instead. Ride gets only better that way and buying a new set of tyres won´t cost a fortune. I know they look nice, though.

Btw, how much does an insurance cost for your car in there? Here in Finland it´s about 750€ per year with all reductions.

[qprdude]

I agree, the big wheels just look so damned good.
I got a great deal with insurance this year as my provider agreed to match any deal I got elsewhere. For fully comprehensive cover, with legal protection and two named drivers, I paid £168 ( 196 Euros!)
Glad I don't have to pay what you have to in Finland.
I got my last tyres (2 x 17") for my Saab 9-3 from mytyres, sent from Germany in 3 days including fitting locally for £198. As I say though, my circumstances have changed recently and I have to live within my means.

[Xantippa]

Damn that´s cheap insurance. I´ve thought that insuring car in there is expensive (especially for young drivers), but I stand corrected. My insurance is also "fully comprehensive", but in here you buy insurance for car, not for driver. In Finland we have mandatory traffic insurance, which covers all damages to people, and damages to other participants car. In addition you can buy a car insurance, which covers damages to your own car.

On top of insurances we have this "vehicle tax" which consists of basic tax and propulsion tax (for diesel passenger cars). This tax is Co2 -based, so it costs more to own a bigger car. For my C5 this is nearly 600€ per year. It´s not very cheap to own a car in here...

[qprdude]

Damn that´s cheap insurance. I´ve thought that insuring car in there is expensive (especially for young drivers), but I stand corrected. My insurance is also "fully comprehensive", but in here you buy insurance for car, not for driver. In Finland we have mandatory traffic insurance, which covers all damages to people, and damages to other participants car. In addition you can buy a car insurance, which covers damages to your own car.

On top of insurances we have this "vehicle tax" which consists of basic tax and propulsion tax (for diesel passenger cars). This tax is Co2 -based, so it costs more to own a bigger car. For my C5 this is nearly 600€ per year. It´s not very cheap to own a car in here...

Sounds much the same as here with comprehensive,which covers damage to everything, including your own car , but we also have a "third party only" policy, which covers damage to other vehicles and people, but not your own car. With our insurance, there is a mandatory and a voluntary "excess" which you have to pay before your insurance/damage costs are paid by the insurer. The amounts differ from one company to the next, and if you elect to pay more "voluntary" excess, the insurance policy is usually a bit less expensive.
We also have vehicle tax (road fund licence or road tax" which is also emissions based mostly, except for some older cars I think. My 2008 2.2 HDI Exclusive costs 221 EUR per year road tax.
Diesel is around 1.63 EUR per litre, depending on which part of the UK you live.

I should add. Insurance for young drivers can be VERY expensive in the UK, and again, there can be a huge differenc in costs depending on where you live. Fortunately, I live in a low risk area.