Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy
No, trust me when I say BMWs are bad in the snow. May be a better word to use is absolutely pathetic. I have been stuck behind a few BMWs, in snow conditions where snow was on the road. I don't mean the tarmac was wet and it was currently snowing. I'm talking about snow laying on the ground and the car driving over it.
The BMW was not able to drive quicker than a walking pace. During this time, I had plenty of time to look at the turning rear wheels of the BMW in front of me. I could see the traction control kicking in, basically stopping any power going to the rear wheels. Then after some time, traction control would ease off, the rear wheels would begin to slip, the rear end of the car would marginally begin to slip away due to the camber of the road, then traction control cuts back in. All of this happening repeatedly over and over every 10 - 20 seconds or so if I remember rightly, which reduces the car to a walking pace. Mind you, this was in 2010 so may be things have improved since then. But I think BMWs are like this because of the toe-in on the rear wheels. To begin with, the rear wheels do not point directly forward. This is to make the car stable in a straight line but it is not good in the snow. Bear in mind, the OP is not going to be rally driving a car to get it to go where they want to go. Traction loss is deemed as reckless, anyway.
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The traction you have in slippery conditions is mostly down to tyre choice. When you compare normal one wheel drive cars with the same tyres fitted, the difference is mostly down to weight distribution. Since BMWs have 50/50, and most FWD cars are significantly front heavy, there is a difference in handling. The BMWs are better balanced, and can go faster in the corners on snow without skidding off. We also have an advantage in steep uphill climbs, particularly with weight in the back (luggage, people or a trailer or caravan).
The FWD cars have a slight traction advantage in extremely slippery conditions on flat ground. As long as the car has decent tyres, this situation is usually never an issue, as you always have traction of flat ground. I have been driving BMWs in Norwegian winters since last millennium, and I have never been stuck on public roads.
Regarding the toe in for the rear wheels, that is something all cars have.