Why is my puma so bad in the snow?

[oskari]

I tried not to open this thread as I was kinda sure I would find it too funny.

We too have winter every year in Finland. We're forced by the law to have winter tyres from 1.12 - 29.2. If you don't, you get fined.
And that's for a reason. I really would never drive at winter without studded winter tires. Seems just so stupid to not to do so.

 

[scofield.1]

I am guessing that the main reason most dont change to winter tyres in the UK is the sheer cost of changing. For it to be law here would be a nightmare for some car owners, i think some would just not drive for three months! I didnt drive today and was very glad that I didnt have to, but tomorrow I must, will be taking my time!

Gary

 

[melinamotor]

Not a big fan of the snow, lost interest in at age 13 :grin: . I avoid driving if possible and I'm to tight to spend money on winter rubber. Puma is ok in the stuff and the fact the brakes are not over servo'd helps things, traction control on the Puma is low speed anyway, if I was able to turn it off I would. The old ST200 I had years ago was awful until the TC was turned off. The ideal would be a set of skinny steel rims with winter rubber on.

 

[Sjoerd]

My Puma is also quite good in the snow. I've a built in switch in my dash to turn of the ABS in the winter. Also I have a set of winter tires and put a army-style foldable shovel in the boot. So far I have survived almost everything, even snow higher than the door sills.. ABS is most effective on dry and rainy surface. In snow it is more or less useless, however you should not touch your brakes in the first place. Engine braking is the way to go.. Basically you need to drive as smooth as possible, avoid all sudden movements in steering, braking and accelerating. Take it easy.

Tomorrow I'll upload a photoshoot I once did for a Dutch car magazine. The USB-stick is in my Puma and it's -18 here now, no way i am going to get it

 

[shaunyb2]

I drove my Millie back from Colchester to Stortford last night in the snow, didn't get much over 35mph - I found it a challenge but no more than in any other car I suppose, the ABS kicked in a few times, i was switching between normal lights and full beam according to how much glare I got from the snow blowing at me and the varying street lighting. Hard to find a happy medium, would have been harder if I hadn't know the route/roads as well as I do for that particular journey.

I live up a hill and although I stalled a couple of times I was able to start off again and grip just being careful over pedal pressure and gear selection. I felt quite a sense of achievment when I made it home in a little under 2 hours - the best bit was I had a CD in there with xmas songs on it so I was playing that!

 

[madgit]

Something I told my stepdaughter yesterday. In snow drive very slowly and it might add 20 mins to your journey but at least you'll get there. Rush and it will end in tears.

 

[Neil]

These threads about 'my car is crap in the snow' do my head in.

It's not about the car, it's your driving technique! :wall:

 

[MichaelW]

I'm well used to driving in snow, I did it every year in a 400bhp RWD car without any issues. Low revs, smoothness and keeping momentum up is key. My Puma however, is also pretty poor, but it has Tesco value brand tyres on it and I'm not paying money to replace almost brand new tyres.

 

[evilrob]

These threads about 'my car is crap in the snow' do my head in.

It's not about the car, it's your driving technique! :wall:

You're just jealous because your car is crap regardless of the weather. :-D

 

[yippeekiay]

Yeah, I beg to differ on that one too. Most cars are ok and it is a case of the driving style - but, no one ever drives an RX8 in the snow from what I have been told as it's a pointless exercise. I'm not even going to try as it's twitchy enough with just the salt laid on tarmac as I found out last Friday - good fun mind you.

 

[Longyear]

These threads about 'my car is crap in the snow' do my head in.

It's not about the car, it's your driving technique! :wall:

Totally agree. :roll:

It's about experience, common sense, maturity, and little else.

Ok, a BMW 5-series Estate (low long car, RWD), is arguably pretty bad in the snow, but most other cars, and certainly a Puma, with a predictable CoG, Front Wheel Drive, and a light car, just isn't fundamentally bad in the snow.

If you expect to whizz along a 40mph carriageway at 40mph in snow and ice, then your car is going to feel "crap in the snow". If you expect not to feel any loss of grip, any ABS, or any tramlining at all in the snow, then you just don't understand about driving anything in the snow.

As the old adage goes;

"a bad workman always blames his tools".

I've got a Volvo V70, big heavy car, low centre of gravity, budget tyres... now even that is ok in most cicumstances, but let me tell you the Puma is like a Snowmobile compared to the Volvo!

Just take it easy, be a bit sensible, and you'll get wherever you need to be in a Puma.

 

[DOH]

I drove my Puma for the first time in the snow today. I was very surprised in actual fact how well it pulled traction , without the traction control going ballistic. Being an alloy block on the 1,7 ,it's obviously lighter than the majority of front wheel drive cars with cast iron blocks. So I was very interested to see how it faired.

I have a close friend who has always driven Mazda rear wheel drive cars RX3 , RX7 & RX8 . He has always driven them all in the snow using normal road tyres. So with regard to Yippeekiay RX8 The trick with the old rear wheel drive cars is put lots of weight in the boot and also let 5psi out of the tyres. So it can be done although most people won't have the driving skills to do it. :grin: