alenko

I have been unable to use my car for the last two days due to my living at the top of a hill and the approach roads which are covered in a sheet of ice. This is the first rear wheel drive car I've owned and I'm dismayed at how poorly it copes with the conditions.
I have ordered a pair of snow socks hoping this will give me enough grip. I have also been advised to load the boot/trunk,with bags of sand to weigh down the rear which should help. Is there anything else I should try?

Sportstick

It's not the car. It's the tires. On sheer ice, very little will help short of chains but you should be running on studded or studless winter tires such as Blizzak WS80 or Michelin XIce xi3. The original equipment tires should only be used for three non-winter seasons.

Merlin1

A set of winter tyres is required I have them fitted to my C200 better than 4x4 on summer tyres during winter.

joshg1001

I thought sand bags/weight in the trunk would only make sense in a RWD car...

alenko

The cost of winter tyres are prohibitive considering we rarely have the conditions to justify that. This snow socks seem the most cost effective solution,provided they live up to the hype. Watch this space.

The W205 is rear wheel drive,UK,spec.

ddeliber

From what I heard, tire covers for traction are not very good, they throw off the balance, drive like crap and will scuff the hell out of your very expensive wheels. Not to mention having to put them on all the time and then take them off when you hit pavement or want to drive faster than 30mph. Additional weight in the trunk is not recommended because it doesn't help much and it throws off the weight balance - Mercedes puts a lot of research into this and you will be essentially throwing that away.

Any wide contact patch tire on a RWD car is going to be unsafe in snow/ice and unpredictable in COLD without winter tires. Summer tires turn to rocks at 40 deg F and all seasons harden as well, as the temps drop significantly decreasing the handling capabilities. This is very common for higher end cars like Mercs, BMWs and Audi's because the tires they choose to fit on the cars significantly improve the ride/handling when the temps are on your side.

Now I know that this sort of sucks, but it is a fact of life, you really need winter tires, and not just for snow. Don't forget, you won't be putting the miles on your all season tires during the winter so they will last longer, significantly longer if you are not spinning them all the time in the winter. It just ties up more money in tires, but the cost is spread out over a longer period of time. Winter tires are designed to be run in the winter and they will save your 3season tires for when they are at their best. I have no direct experience, but I am pretty confident that it gets pretty cold in Glasgow. You will really thank yourself once you experience how your car drives on a good set of winters.

Germancar1

These threads are hilarious. No car will do anything on a hill covered in a sheet of ice. Winter tires are a must if you're going to have a prayer in such conditions.

M

Zig-Zag

Winter tyres is a must if the temp drops below 7 degrees C (so almost all of Europe this time of year).

Mind you it is not all about snowy or icy road conditions. Summer tyre has a different rubber compound, which hardens below aforementioned temp effectively stretching your braking distance.

ManiacGT

In the BMW I've never considered winter tyres because they're insanely expensive on 19" wheels. However 18" wheel winter tyres are way cheaper and I'd seriously consider these next year, once I've actually received the Merc.

tgrx1901

Hi alenko

If its of any help, I'm from the same part of the world as you. I work in East Kilbride, where it snows in July

Prior to the Mercedes, the last rear wheel drive car I owned was a Lexus IS250. I didnt invest in winter tyres and to cut a long story short, the car got stuck in the office car park for over a week due to snow and ice.

I've learned my lesson and I've invested in some smaller, 17 inch wheels for my C200 AMG Line, with Blizzack winter tyres. While it has been a mild winter so far, the winter tyres also perform well in wet weather, which we have had plenty of.

I paid £1700 for wheels and tyres. My "normal" 18 inch wheels are being stored by the dealer and will be refitted, free of charge, when I request it in Spring.

It may seem expensive but over the 3 years I will keep the car, it is worth it for the peace of mind value alone.
Performance in the recent snow and ice has been faultless and at no time have I felt that the car was anything other than under complete control.

I honestly think its a worthwhile investment.

alenko

Thanks to all who replied. The consensus opinion is that I should bite the bullet and invest in winter tyres. I agree,as it is a nonsense for me to have a vehicle locked away in my garage while I wait for a thaw to arrive.