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172 + snow = epic fail



Tom

ClioSport Club Member
  EV (s)
Well at least you know who not to quote and mock in future.
 

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
I've found mine to be very good overall in the snow. Only once did I get 'caught out' - where the road leading to our lane had a gradual incline and the myriad of 4x4s up there had compacted the snow. No matter what I did, that Clio wasn't going up that lane and I ended up leaving it at the local & friendly petrol station overnight.

I do think that was more my lack of talent than the cars' fault though. :)

D.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Well at least you know who not to quote and mock in future.

TBH mate, even a normal cliosport fitted with 195 snow tyres is still far from "superb" in the snow, I would say that a landrover on winter tyres with locked diffs is superb in the snow and a cliosport on winter tyres is merely a lot better than one without but its still going to get stuck if you show it a slippy steep incline as its still only one wheel drive unless you have a LSD as well, but you're obviously getting a fair way away from the standard car then anyway so its all a bit acedemic in a discussion in term of what the cliosport in general is like.
 

Tom

ClioSport Club Member
  EV (s)
TBH mate, even a normal cliosport fitted with 195 snow tyres is still far from "superb" in the snow, I would say that a landrover on winter tyres with locked diffs is superb in the snow and a cliosport on winter tyres is merely a lot better than one without but its still going to get stuck if you show it a slippy steep incline as its still only one wheel drive unless you have a LSD as well, but you're obviously getting a fair way away from the standard car then anyway so its all a bit acedemic in a discussion in term of what the cliosport in general is like.

I'm sticking with superb as I haven't had the pleasure of a fully equipped 4x4. But I am suitably impressed at your ability to point out the obvious.

But seeing as this thread is not titled "best vehicle for use in snow" I suggest we all get back on topic.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
I'm sticking with superb

I'll stick to thinking thats a bit of an exageration :)

as I haven't had the pleasure of a fully equipped 4x4.

When you do one day, it will probably put the 182 into perspective, and TBH so will even something like a civic vti that has an LSD

But I am suitably impressed at your ability to point out the obvious.

Cant think why that would impress you after you managed to spot that I typed "FLOL" on a post, so you seem pretty competent at it yourself, lol

But seeing as this thread is not titled "best vehicle for use in snow" I suggest we all get back on topic.

Indeed, and it doesnt appear to be talking about one on winter or snow tyres either of course, so if people do start talking about any vehicle thusly equipped its probably worth them mentioning that to give the OP context of their car compared to his ;)
 
  Listerine & Poledo
Just had to get the 172 out of ungritted Chiswick after the 5in of snow last night.

OK, I wasn't giving it the full F&F, I was drivign to the conditions, but I had no problems.

Of course, I could have just buried the pedal near the door continually, then it probably would have been useless.
 

Tom

ClioSport Club Member
  EV (s)
I'll stick to thinking thats a bit of an exageration :)



When you do one day, it will probably put the 182 into perspective, and TBH so will even something like a civic vti that has an LSD



Cant think why that would impress you after you managed to spot that I typed "FLOL" on a post, so you seem pretty competent at it yourself, lol



Indeed, and it doesnt appear to be talking about one on winter or snow tyres either of course, so if people do start talking about any vehicle thusly equipped its probably worth them mentioning that to give the OP context of their car compared to his ;)

Now I'm really impressed.

Anything else you'd like to say?
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
They're alright, no different to any other fwd car really.

Get an m3, then you can moan about the snow

BMW's with their wide tyres and unsuitable weight distribution are certainly among the worst normal cars to be driving, quite often see them stuck when it snows.
 
  Listerine & Poledo
Gentlemen, please.

We can all agree that tracks / studded tyres are superior to R888's in the snow.

And, of course, a defender 90 will own a coilover'd clio on snow-covered twistiez

The exception to prove the rule would be
trophee-andros-da-racing-franck-lagorce-clio.jpg


But I can't see many of the mod-squad being keen on those wheels, not many options for stretched tyres etc.
 
  phase 1 flamer 172
Took my daughters little 1.2 8v out last night instead of my 172, fantastic car in the snow, great fun.
 
  Listerine & Poledo
mid engined, 4 wheel steering, job done :)

Side window wipers FTW.

See Super-besse?

Villeneuve punts Prost off at the first corner, they red-flag the race after nearly 2 laps, Prost gets to restart after a 45-minute delay and goes on to take the championship.

Almost as controversial as any given Schumacher F1 title!
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Took my daughters little 1.2 8v out last night instead of my 172, fantastic car in the snow, great fun.

The lower models are definately better, narrower tyres so better grip, high ground clearance so less chance of catching the front of the car on snow, and having less torque makes it easier to drive too.
 
  Dodgy one
Took my daughters little 1.2 8v out last night instead of my 172, fantastic car in the snow, great fun.

Ive been driving about in the missus 1.2 Polo too, think its a 6v engine, hasnt had any attempt at getting stuck yet :) small engines are great, Sometimes been finding the 182 spins letting the clutch out gently and goes nowhere.... Polo doesnt lol
 
  Audi TT 225 Quattro
LOL chip you really do need to drop the god like complex as it makes you come across as an arsehole tbh.... its a shame really as most of the technical stuff you talk about is very interesting but the talking down to people and telling other people they are wrong most of the time is not!! also saying that most are bummers on the other mk1 forums because you got yourself banned isn't really grown up and sounds like someone throwing their dummy out the pram.... ( have you also been banned on williamsclio as you was on there for a bit ?)

As for the cliosports in the snow ive never driven a mk2 in the snow but have lived with my mk1 for 7 years which has no traction control no abs etc and i seem to get around just fine when it snows... i do see a lot of people trying to drive like its a summers day and it does make me laugh. My Transit on the other hand, well thats a totally different story lol....
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
LOL chip you really do need to drop the god like complex as it makes you come across as an arsehole tbh....

Not sure why people would get the wrong impression I have some sort of god complex TBH, I happen to know a lot about cars and engines and mapping and things like that which obviously means that on a car forum im going to have a lot to offer in those respects so obviously thats going to come across in my posts that I am confident about those subjects but TBH in general im quite humble and one of the main reasons I know so much on those subjects, other than being that bit older so having a lot more experience, is because I have learned from others who knew more than me in the first place, the same headstart I give to a lot others by passing on that knowledge, which doesnt even vaguely fit in with the misrepresentation some people seem to get just from my matter of fact posting style.


most of the technical stuff you talk about is very interesting

Thanks, I tend to get that feedback a lot, its quite surprised me how many people on this forum Pm me for advice given how little time Ive been on here, so its obviously something a lot of people have picked up on.


but the talking down to people and telling other people they are wrong most of the time is not!!

TBH it tends not to be me doing the name calling etc in the first place. And I only say someone is wrong when they are, just like I only say someone is right when they are.


also saying that most are bummers on the other mk1 forums
I didnt say that though I just said some people on there were very cliquey and not very technically focussed so doesnt really suit me, it would be a boring world if we were all the same anyway.

have you also been banned on williamsclio as you was on there for a bit ?
No of course not. Its a good forum that one, I still use it now.
 
  260% JCW
Just took the Mini out, first time in the snow and it didn't do to bad. I'm not to sure how the LSD works though, apparently it's an electric jobby? No doubt chip will know.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Just took the Mini out, first time in the snow and it didn't do to bad. I'm not to sure how the LSD works though, apparently it's an electric jobby? No doubt chip will know.

IIRC it depends what year mini you have mate, as I believe the early ones were mechancial LSD's and the later ones are electronic and actually work just by braking the wheel that is spinning rather than really being an actual LSD.

Either is a lot better in the snow than just a conventional diff setup and no electronic assist though.
 
  1.7 cdti
Looks like i can blame the big daft wheels that were on the car when i bought it then and not me thats a crap driver :-\
 
  260% JCW
IIRC it depends what year mini you have mate, as I believe the early ones were mechancial LSD's and the later ones are electronic and actually work just by braking the wheel that is spinning rather than really being an actual LSD.

Either is a lot better in the snow than just a conventional diff setup and no electronic assist though.

Thanks Chip, it's a later model. Seemed to cope o.k.
 
  Clio RS 172 /Trafic
Its all a case of keeping the speed sensible and drive as smoothly as possible in snow. Some all weather tyres will improve the grip. I was out last night in the Trafic that I use as a taxi driving on ice and slush and that was fine as long as I took things gently. Steering inputs need to be kept small and braking avoided on very icy roads. Use the gears to slow you and change gear on a light throttle and keep to the higher gears. If the car feels like its starting to slide then take your feet off the pedals and steer into the skid, ie opposite lock and the car should recover itself as long as you're not going too fast for the conditions. I drove back from Blackpool yesterday and the M6 was covered in icy slush. There several cars that had spun and crashed because they had been driving too fast and lost control. I am driving on Toyo R1-R's semi slicks and could feel the tyres were struggling a bit, but I kept the power off and took it smoothly and didnt have any problems at all.
What's all the one wheel drive about? Clio's are front wheel drive and drive both wheels as long as your not giving it full power on slippery ice. Most of the cars that crashed yesterday were rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is far safer in snow and ice.
 
  1.6 Focus, 1.6 122S
Chip you are coming across like a know it all, the reality is that although you are very knowledgeable you don't know everything!

I would agree with Tom, my 182 was superb in the snow. Like any normal person you have to take that into context.

For a 180bhp FWD Hatchback, it acted superbly! When others were abandoning cars and Gloschester was in a stand still, think it was 2 years ago, I dove through the country, up and down hillsides to get my ex home (The main roads were impassible)

Did I have complete and utter control?, no of course not, in fact I was foolish because if I had lost momentum we would have got stuck. But taking into account what it did do, and I have a 'proper' 4X4 I would say for what they are they are very capable.
 
  1.7 cdti
@mark smith87 .Tbh do a fair few miles with work and do as youve just said but in last years snow i had a dielel astravan which got me home everytime without fail but the clio is just mental , after reading some other posts im puttin it down to the big daft wheels it came with which will soon be getting changed
 
  williams and trophy
TBH mate, even a normal cliosport fitted with 195 snow tyres is still far from "superb" in the snow, I would say that a landrover on winter tyres with locked diffs is superb in the snow and a cliosport on winter tyres is merely a lot better than one without but its still going to get stuck if you show it a slippy steep incline as its still only one wheel drive unless you have a LSD as well, but you're obviously getting a fair way away from the standard car then anyway so its all a bit acedemic in a discussion in term of what the cliosport in general is like.

a landy is s**t ....even on snow tyres with locked diff. compared to what weve been rolling in.

compared to the v8 lightweight, which coincidentally runs a wide body converted to run on the range rover chassis, rather than just cut the chassis down and run with wheel arches to make up the extra width needed to cover the tyres, runs a 4 barrell holly off the marcus, and runs on gas ;)

[youtube]R1YL_KfEWjg[/youtube]


things get blown out of proportion a little with you it seems ;)

oh...my friend there also had a plymouth fury also.... christine alike...awesome motor..

[youtube]3bjC3oc8kH0&lc=8ZJDRRMMjD7fypBIGHEqNH2SSFUVTBBWDQGIQNaxBQY&context=C3cf214aADOEgsToPDskLRIkMcawa6A2Cr8l1ncacL[/youtube]
 
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  White clique
The clios i had were never a problem in the snow TBH, I deffo dont recall thinking they were s**t! My Z4 on the other hand, well i didnt even bother getting in it today.
 
  williams and trophy
a landy is s**t ....even on snow tyres with locked diff. compared to what weve been rolling in.

compared to the v8 lightweight, which coincidentally runs a wide body converted to run on the range rover chassis, rather than just cut the chassis down and run with wheel arches to make up the extra width needed to cover the tyres, runs a 4 barrell holly off the marcus, and runs on gas ;)

[youtube]R1YL_KfEWjg[/youtube]


things get blown out of proportion a little with you it seems ;)

oh...my friend there also had a plymouth fury also.... christine alike...awesome motor..

[youtube]3bjC3oc8kH0&lc=8ZJDRRMMjD7fypBIGHEqNH2SSFUVTBBWDQGIQNaxBQY&context=C3cf214aADOEgsToPDskLRIkMcawa6A2Cr8l1ncacL[/youtube]

and if you like the landys, youl also spot in the 1st vid, his stationwagon. 1 of the rarest landys ever built. originally a missile detector of some sort. iirc its 1 of only 22 built, about 4 remain.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
What's all the one wheel drive about? Clio's are front wheel drive and drive both wheels as long as your not giving it full power on slippery ice.

In slippery conditions its one wheel drive because the moment one wheel hits a very slippery patch thats the only wheel the diff will send any power to.


Most of the cars that crashed yesterday were rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is far safer in snow and ice.

Yes fwd is better than rwd, and small fwd is better than large generally speaking, so in that respect clios as a whole arent too bad.
The sport though suffers from a lack of front end clearance and excessively wide tyres, so is among the worst of small fwd hatchbacks as a result.
 
My 182 didnt move in the winter, because i didnt want it to and also because it wouldnt. Was heavy snow back in 2010 though.

General light snow/sleet it was fine though.

My ford connect van is ace and mums old daewoo matiz was brilliant.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Chip you are coming across like a know it all

Not the case, Im coming across like I know a lot about how different cars drive in the snow, which after 20 years on the road, most of which has involved having no choice but to do long journeys in the winter, in a massive variety of vehicles, is of course the case, thats not knowing it all though its merely having a lot of variety to compare the renault sport to in order to put it in conext.

the reality is that although you are very knowledgeable you don't know everything!

Indeed, and I would never claim otherwise, I do happen to know a lot about cars/engines/mapping/turbos and that sort of thing but my knowledge of cross stitch is non existant for example, and I know very little about netball or thai cuisine either.

I would agree with Tom, my 182 was superb in the snow. Like any normal person you have to take that into context.

If the context is that of small fwd hatchbacks, the sports are quite poorly equipped for the snow. They have little ground clearnance under the front bumper/splitter and have too wide a footprint for their mass.


Did I have complete and utter control?, no of course not, in fact I was foolish because if I had lost momentum we would have got stuck.

You'd get stuck despite car being superb? lol

But taking into account what it did do, and I have a 'proper' 4X4 I would say for what they are they are very capable.

Thats kind of like a bird being "attractive for a fat chick"?
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
My 182 didnt move in the winter, because i didnt want it to and also because it wouldnt. Was heavy snow back in 2010 though.

General light snow/sleet it was fine though.

My ford connect van is ace and mums old daewoo matiz was brilliant.

Narrower tyres and more clearance to stop snow getting stuck under the front is a definate advantage compared to the sports.
 
  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
2 live, that looks like a lot of fun providing it doesnt turn over, should think one of them on your head would do a fair bit of damage, lol

Yank barge is kind of cool if you are into sailing I guess, but not really my thing TBH, would have no use for it.
 
  Evo 5 RS
Mines fairly s**te, wouldn't say awful but by no means a great snow car. Then again my torque curve isn't as s**t as most of yours <3


Mk1 RT 1.4 Automatic. Got up hills a lot of defenders were struggling with... lol
 
Think the only solution is 1hp....my horse goes whatever the weather.....ticks all the boxes too, low torque, 4x4, low hp, easy to maintain, friendly(bonus, no car is this), never fails to start, exciting too.

win win....End
 
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  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Think the only solution is 1hp....my horse goes whatever the weather.....ticks all the boxes too, low torque, 4x4, low hp, easy to maintain, friendly(bonus, no car is this), never fails to start, exciting too.

win win....End

My car doesnt s**t all over the place though, and I can leave it at the airport for a fornight without having to answer to the RSPCA when I get back.
 


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