My First Winter Experience
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,121
Likes: 12
From: Connecticut
2018 BMW 540d
My First Winter Experience
Yesterday,a miserable,nasty,snowy day in my area,was the first Winter experience I've ever had with a Mercedes.All I can say is HORRIBLE!
Horrible for at least three (and possibly four) reasons...1)RWD....2)All Season tires X 4....3)the refusal of several safety features to function....4)all that torque
The traction (in wet,heavy type snow) was miserable.I got stuck several times and was slipping and sliding in spite of having kept my speeds way down.Yes,I know...4Matic would have helped and snow tires would have helped as well.Also,my knowing how to disable traction control (which I read up on after getting home) would have helped too.But my BMW had torque,had all season tires and lacked AWD and wasn't *nearly* as bad in the two (plus) winters I had it.
As far as the safety features...Distronic and Pre Safe braking were big selling points for me.I went out of my way to find a Bluetec that had it (there weren't many,it seemed).And yet,as I'm driving (in the snow and slop) I get,in rapid succession,several notices on the instrument cluster...."Pre Safe Braking Not Available,See Owners Manual"...."Active Lane Assist Not Available,See Owners Manual"..."Distronic Plus Not Available,See Owners Manual".I understand that all this was probably due to various sensors being caked with snow/ice/slop but it still annoyed me no end.I wonder if failures of this sort are the result of poor design.
I guess this is just venting but...there it is!
(I cross posted here from the W212 forum because of the diesel torque factor)
Horrible for at least three (and possibly four) reasons...1)RWD....2)All Season tires X 4....3)the refusal of several safety features to function....4)all that torque
The traction (in wet,heavy type snow) was miserable.I got stuck several times and was slipping and sliding in spite of having kept my speeds way down.Yes,I know...4Matic would have helped and snow tires would have helped as well.Also,my knowing how to disable traction control (which I read up on after getting home) would have helped too.But my BMW had torque,had all season tires and lacked AWD and wasn't *nearly* as bad in the two (plus) winters I had it.
As far as the safety features...Distronic and Pre Safe braking were big selling points for me.I went out of my way to find a Bluetec that had it (there weren't many,it seemed).And yet,as I'm driving (in the snow and slop) I get,in rapid succession,several notices on the instrument cluster...."Pre Safe Braking Not Available,See Owners Manual"...."Active Lane Assist Not Available,See Owners Manual"..."Distronic Plus Not Available,See Owners Manual".I understand that all this was probably due to various sensors being caked with snow/ice/slop but it still annoyed me no end.I wonder if failures of this sort are the result of poor design.
I guess this is just venting but...there it is!
(I cross posted here from the W212 forum because of the diesel torque factor)
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 4
From: Toronto
2006 E320 CDi, 2008 3/4 Ton Suburban, 2007 "rice rickshaw" Accord 5 speed
Yesterday,a miserable,nasty,snowy day in my area,was the first Winter experience I've ever had with a Mercedes.All I can say is HORRIBLE!
Horrible for at least three (and possibly four) reasons...1)RWD....2)All Season tires X 4....3)the refusal of several safety features to function....4)all that torque
The traction (in wet,heavy type snow) was miserable.I got stuck several times and was slipping and sliding in spite of having kept my speeds way down.Yes,I know...4Matic would have helped and snow tires would have helped as well.Also,my knowing how to disable traction control (which I read up on after getting home) would have helped too.But my BMW had torque,had all season tires and lacked AWD and wasn't *nearly* as bad in the two (plus) winters I had it.
As far as the safety features...Distronic and Pre Safe braking were big selling points for me.I went out of my way to find a Bluetec that had it (there weren't many,it seemed).And yet,as I'm driving (in the snow and slop) I get,in rapid succession,several notices on the instrument cluster...."Pre Safe Braking Not Available,See Owners Manual"...."Active Lane Assist Not Available,See Owners Manual"..."Distronic Plus Not Available,See Owners Manual".I understand that all this was probably due to various sensors being caked with snow/ice/slop but it still annoyed me no end.I wonder if failures of this sort are the result of poor design.
I guess this is just venting but...there it is!
(I cross posted here from the W212 forum because of the diesel torque factor)
Horrible for at least three (and possibly four) reasons...1)RWD....2)All Season tires X 4....3)the refusal of several safety features to function....4)all that torque
The traction (in wet,heavy type snow) was miserable.I got stuck several times and was slipping and sliding in spite of having kept my speeds way down.Yes,I know...4Matic would have helped and snow tires would have helped as well.Also,my knowing how to disable traction control (which I read up on after getting home) would have helped too.But my BMW had torque,had all season tires and lacked AWD and wasn't *nearly* as bad in the two (plus) winters I had it.
As far as the safety features...Distronic and Pre Safe braking were big selling points for me.I went out of my way to find a Bluetec that had it (there weren't many,it seemed).And yet,as I'm driving (in the snow and slop) I get,in rapid succession,several notices on the instrument cluster...."Pre Safe Braking Not Available,See Owners Manual"...."Active Lane Assist Not Available,See Owners Manual"..."Distronic Plus Not Available,See Owners Manual".I understand that all this was probably due to various sensors being caked with snow/ice/slop but it still annoyed me no end.I wonder if failures of this sort are the result of poor design.
I guess this is just venting but...there it is!
(I cross posted here from the W212 forum because of the diesel torque factor)
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: Canada
E53 Wagon, Model 3, Miata, etc, etc
I hate to say this but you must buy 4 good snow tires like Blizzaks or similar. Your seeking out of all the MB safety goodies did not help either. An experienced driver who can ease the throttle in the presence of 4 good snows can do better and if it does not, maybe you should have stayed at home. In Toronto we encounter situations like this every year and I was very rarely stuck. I must confess that on minus 40 degree Centigrade days I tend to drive the 6 liter, three quarter ton Suburban with snow plow package. A foot of snow cannot stop the beast.
Ah it was extremely fun a few years ago when Vancouver got dumped with 2-3ft of snow and City never plowed it until at least a week later, no cars on the road, no COPS 
on the road, controllable drift all over the city in it. 
