I remember one year my wife wanted to go and do some work at her school during the Christmas holidays. I drove her to the school, as she didn't like driving in the snow. Got to the school, and the carpark was devoid of any other vehicle, but covered in about 4" of snow. I had a Saab 9-5 at the time, so I thought I would throw it around the car park. Handled amazingly well and I had a hard time getting it to lose traction. Very enjoyable 15 minutes.
We had bad snowfall a few years back and I had a F30 320d. I had Michelin Cross Climates on and made my way home, I took a wrong turn because a road was blocked and the car managed it with ease as well as travelling down the M5 I couldn’t believe I actually made it home. When I first bought the car it had Michelin energy savers on and I went around a roundabout and lost the back end which is why I put the cross climates on.
I did the same thing in my X-Type 3.0 AWD years ago when we had a good layer of snow. All season tyres plus a permanent 60% rear bias AWD system and a manual gearbox made for very entertaining power oversteer without ever getting stuck. Underrated cars, the AWD X-Types.
I think a lot of Hippo's capabilities are down to the sophistication of the chassis and transmission. I had a 1983 Range Rover automatic for many years on standard road tyres and it was amazing in snow and ice conditions. Traction was never an issue, though braking certainly was! No ABS or such niceties. It was a surprisingly reliable vehicle too. It was my daily driver and in addition I used to tow a large boat over long distances on a regular basis. It let me down just once when the electronic ignition failed. Electronics were fairly primitive all that time ago so perhaps a failure was to be expected. I loved that car and the only reason it had to go was the very high fuel costs that were not sustainable. Its replacement was a Volvo 760 Turbo estate which is the absolute favourite of all the cars I've owned. Fast, for its day, very comfortable, reliable and totally corrosion free when I sold it with nearly a quarter of a million miles on the clock. The engine was still running sweetly and neither leaked oil nor burnt it. Great car!
Don't forget to remove snow on the roof, as the coupe warms up it melts on the roof, then when you hit the brakes it comes sliding down the windshield, effectly blocking any view for at least five terrifying seconds while your windshield wipers tries to clear it and even might break away. Having snow on the roof and driving is illegal in Sweden. And a general practise on turning out the wipers from the windows when parking it for longer than an hour is very practical, broken mechanics underneath the outer shell is not fun.
Good point. The snow on the roof also adds weight, it'll probably blow off at higher speeds where it would contribute more to drag, but at those speeds it could blind a vehicle behind you, or cause loss of grip if there's enough of it in a frozem lump.
Took my Freelander 2 2.2d auto with all season tyres on out in the Somerset snow covered roads - absolute king of the roads, so much mechanical traction that you actually have to be a bit silly to get it to slip n slide. Even pulled a laden luton van out of a ditch and up a totally covered compacted snow + icey hill (all be it with very little traction) I was just amazed at how well the tyres gripped and the effectiveness of the haldex system, despite the size and weight of the car they skid a lot less than a car would under braking in these conditions.
Those are the BFG K02s right? They actually have the mountain/snowflake symbol which means they do have increased performance in the snow. They are a relatively soft compound too. I’ve been driving Subarus for years (not imprezas) on proper winter tyres and have found them unstoppable in all winter weather including proper deep snow in Italy and the Alps. Last year I got a 4x4 and fitted the BFG ATs on, and we also fit them on our campervan (FWD). First test of them in snow was in the campervan, unexpectedly. The tyres performed amazingly with no wheelspin whatsoever up a moderate slope (hill start) in 20cm of snow and packed ice on the road. Then recently I got the chance in the 4x4 (L400) in around 4cm of snow and I could barely get them to break traction even in RWD. Great tyres!! Great video, I love watching UK snow videos so thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Great little video Matt, the Freelander is such a capable little car, I held a car meet at the weekend and it was quite fun watching people coming in and out of the snowy car park and going sideways... Even a Merc like your estate came in and managed to slide on purpose!
The hooning part was surprisingly informative! You can see how the tyres are just shedding chunks of snow and not letting it get packed up in the grooves. Up here in Yorkshire we have had almost no snow, so it is nice to see what you have actually had in the sarfeast. Photos are fine, but nothing beats a video of an actual drive!
This video reminds me a bit of when I was a meter reader back in the winter of 2008, the recession had closed many factories and warehouses so I used to take my little Fiesta 1.4 d van for doughnuts in the abandoned carparks.
Great video. Driving in conditions like that make you fall in love with your car. Hope there's no negative comments on the car park drifting, so much fun at 20 mph!
Love your Videos Matt, informative, amusing and love your mannerisms ( teashelfery and party horns ) your enthusiasm is contagious. Keep ' em coming mate 👍 take care 🙂
Great video Matt, I did exactly the same thing in 1976 not in a 4x4 but in an invacar great fun drifting in fresh snow in a car park, and I lived to tell the tale
Wow you’re practically a “live streaming@ RUclipsr 😅. Going to work in the snow today, sensible driving and clear main roads. In the local shops car park, van drivers were doing handbrake turns and power slides before picking up their meal deal. Quad bikers hooning around in our local park. Nobody hurt, no speeding muppets in over powered Audis 1cm from your back bumper. Just silly fun not harming anyone. More snow please Furious! ☃️😅
My FL1 had the absolute best winter accessory - a remote control for the fuel burning pre-heater, so you could huddle in bed, press the button and by the time you got up, the car was toasty warm inside, the windows were de-iced and the engine was warmed up. It hammered the fuel economy though.
The best vehicle I drove in snow was a Renault 4F6 van on full M+S tyres, it really was unstoppable. Coupled with it's ability to go through water deep enough to cover the headlamps, that van was sheer brilliance. I love driving in snow, it's about the only challenge on UK roads now.
@@nygelmiller5293 sadly such abuse brought about a relatively early demise,even by Renault 4 standards. The floor was pretty rotten by the time it was eight years old, then a chassis rail cracked...it was patched up and sent on it's way.
The Freelander I had a they where all great in the Snow. I loved it the last one I had the 3 door it was brilliant I would have another one in a minute.
Love A/T tyres I have been up mountains, crossed rivers and driven along the beach with no issues. Nice to see the Freelander holding up its end of the LR legend. I miss my Discovery 😔
All-season tyres were a mistake for me during The Beast From The East. Bsically everyone was stuck at the bottom of the hill on my street but my all-season tyres allowed me to get up the hill and I had to man the pump at work all day and all alone. BTW I think it's the micro-tread on all season and winter tread that trap the ice improving grip, rather than the compound.
A bit of both. If you drive all seasons in summer you can feel they're softer than summers, not as soft as full CWTs but the sipes make a huge difference
Ive a F1 petrol 1.8 K series up here in Sweden 2001 model. Why they left the production line with bike tires is byond me! I cruise along at 60mph on pact snow with no issues with Off road treads. The handling is 100% and without noise.--- Cooper Discovery S/T tires on the original yes original rims. Ive fitted a 60cm LED strip lamp under the fromt plate and thats all you need for the winter up here ! (oh, I did add an over night heater but you wont need that in the Uk)
Just to let you know, you should clear the bonnet and roof, as well as the windows of snow. This is to ensure that snow does not flow off the car and disrupt other drivers vision and hit pedestrians.
Don't forget your lights, especially if they're LED as they will never produce enough heat to melt it, and if it's thick conventional halogen bulbs or otherwise heated lenses, etc won't make a dent in it either. If your car is covered in snow it will only blend in perfectly to the surroundings and leave you at a high risk of being hit from not being visible to anyone else on the road. If you have LED lights then it would be good to regularly stop when it's safe and walk around the car with a brush to make sure they remain clear. Additionally to your points, snow on the roof can slide forward under braking and overwhelm the wipers leaving you unable to see while potentially still moving at a decent speed, so you could crash yourself off the road even if there's no one else around. As much as a risk snow on the bonnet and roof, and the boot of coupes, convertibles and saloons, poses to other road users, partially frozen lumps having the ability to smash windscreens and the like if it blows off at higher speeds, sadly some people still won't care unless you point out the danger it poses themselves. I've seen a video of one driver in the US who ended up stationary and partially angled across the middle lanes of a 4+ lane motorway (or whatever they call their equivalent) with traffic flowing past them on both sides because a roof's worth of snow slid forward under braking burying the wipers and windscreen, and they were filmed trying to push it off with a home floor brush handle leaning out their driver's window, so no seatbelt and likely taillights covered with snow with traffic moving past and increasing in speed on both sides and approaching from behind in their lane. They couldn't have put themselves in a worse position on the road, and all because they didn't bother to brush all the snow off their car before setting off. Also, the more snow, the worse the results of trying to drive with it, so there's never a point where the 'saved labour' of not removing it makes it worth it. In large enough quantities it adds a lot of weight to the car and therefore will dramatically increase your stopping distances, especially when grip is low, even at a crawl, so even if you won't be going fast enough for a huge block of frozen snow to shift from the roof, it will still affect your ability to avoid a collision enough to warrant it's removal before setting off. If you aren't willing to remove feet of snow from your car before driving, then walk, no other way about it. I know it's not feet deep here, I've just come from a US video where people have driven around with literal feet of snow on the roof still, and as the viewers can be international for this video, I thought I'd add that while here.
I think everyone should take the opportunity to get out in the snow in an open area & test their capabilities. we don't often get snow in Kent, so many unprepared drivers out there in their rear wheel drive Merc's & BMW's that have not got a clue + many in front wheel drive cars.
Miss my td4, when the white stuff falls she looked just like Hippo but was an 06, Spent loads on her and planned to have her as a keeper but after paying out for clutch & master and slave cylinders, 5 tyres all brake lines and a new fuel tank full exhaust 2 window regulators and thermostat with a full service the gearbox went bang and refused to go into reverse so I decided to call it a day and sold her onto a new owner that had a spare gearbox, shame as they are great cars and the dog misses it to
I had a ford Ka that I fit a set of snow tires from another car, it was unstoppable back in the winter of 08 when it snowed for weeks, I was picking up work colleagues that had SUVs with awd (not real 4x4's) that couldn't get about. The right tires is more important than the right car in some instances
A decent set of tyres makes all the difference. I just watched Adam (Living With A Classic) give you a mention! Nice that you two are able to collaborate.
Back in my youth, I used to drive a company 1100cc Ford Escort estate car - with ordinary tyres - in much worse conditions than that. You just need to be a good driver. No fancy 4X4 required. 🙄
Watch out for curbs while sliding, if you are about to hit one, floor the gaspedal as a spinning tire won't stuck to the curb as easy and break the suspension or rims. Then plan your sliding to make it safe for both others and you.
As a Finnish viewer this was silly to watch. I daily drive a 1991 Chevy Caprice and although we in Finland use studded tires for the most part (actual metal studs in the tires) so comparing the 2 situations is useless, it's still funny seeing people who aren't accustomed to snow handle snow. I drove the caprice in the snow last winter for a few days on 255 rears 225 front summer tires and it was quite alarming, but still very capable, right now its on 225 studded tires all around and very capable since its such a long car with a limited slip diff, controlling the tail is easy. I really do recommend taking the Crown Vic out in the snow if possible in a safe manner (it will be an absolute blast). PS, Been loving the Mondeo content very much.
Not than funny really, as most of us down South rarely get any snow to practice with. Maybe once in 3 or 4 years for a week perhaps.and mostly run on Summer tyres all year round. Our snow is generally very wet with temperatures around 0 or 1°C that turns to ice overnight with frost. The last time I can remember driving on snow and ice for a month or so was back in 1986! 😮 😂😂
I find it fun driving my 1996 Volvo 940 lpt automatic estate on Goodyear Ultragrip 9 winter tyres. Had them for 5 winters. Just not had any snow here in my part of Staffordshire yet. The grip is amazing and fun having a play in the beast from the east.
I was caught up in this sudden snow storm. My daily driver is an old 02 MG TF,,,, Yip odd choice, but it's the only car I have that's legal and running at the moment. We finished work just after midnight, the snow was heavy and just starting to lie. Before I got half way home it was between 4-6 inches. My car doesn't have all of these traction controls, or abs or any fancy gadgets. I thought, Well it's a long walk home, I''ll keep on going until I spin out and stop. Yip rear wheel drive is not good on snow. I think that because the car is light and the engine is over the rear wheels, Little Bab's didn't stop once. Some 4x4s were knackered on the hills, people abandoning cars everywhere. The little TF did wheelspin at times, but ploughed through everything, all the way home. This morning I couldn't get traction to get off my drive. MMMMmmmm 😭
Nice test of the hippo, maybe next time it snows heavy you and the hippo could go around pulling out stuck cars (and maybe even a truck) a good video and a great way to help people!!!
I carry a tow rope in the back of my 1990 Volvo 240DL Estate for that reason. Keep in mind the Volvo is rear wheel drive, but on dedicated winter tyres.
Well I found out that my Dual Clutch Transmissioned Kia Optima won't let select 2nd gear when first pulling away. A problem I quickly found when trying to out of my side road and on to the main and getting almost stop in the slush. Fortunately once going moving using manual mode worked pretty well, although it did still tell when to change UP with the paddles. My first Two Pedal car and I did think it was gonna be a Disaster trying to get to work. The car proved me wrong which I'll take. Still had ordered some Snow Socks but they're currently somewhere in the Royal Mail Ether..... YAY!!!
Id prefer to be in a manual in the snow and ice as well, but modern electronics are making them more capable. Everything is on back order or delayed...I looked into winter tyres last week and theres a wait on them as well!
You big kid ! I'm jealous as hell, up here in Lichfield we've had nothing. I love driving in the snow, there's nothing better than driving low speed and touching the handbrake then balancing the car sideways up the lane (private land obviously 😉) using the accelerator and handbrake to keep it sideways (front wheel drive only) one day I will grow up,, mmm maybe not ha, 🏴👍
That looks really fun. Love the early Freelanders and Hippo is such a loveable car! I use 3rd and Low on my automatic and it really transforms the car in a lot of driving situations such as heavy traffic or spirited driving on lanes. Stops the transmission going up the gears all the time. That noise sounds like tyre noise? Great video Matt!
Just watched all previous videos on your Freelander and to be fair Matt you've come a very long way with it. I can remember thinking when you first brought hippo that it was just another heap of a Freelander and it would be a waste of time and money to do anything with it. How wrong I was!!! You have spent money wisley on this particular Freelander and you now have what is probably the most sorted model on the road today? It is a great little 4x4 and I would absolutely love to have it parked outside my house waiting for me to use everyday instead of the woefull Citroën Spacetourer that I have instead.
@@In_memory_of_Dad Its not concourse but heres not much wrong with it. Id love a genuine LR snorkel for it - not that I need one, they just look really cool and there might be a flood one day
@@furiousdriving it really is a very nice example and I hope you keep it for a long time to come as finding another in this condition isn't easy believe me...
@furiousdriving if you do ever decide you want a genuine land rover snorkel let me know, I can get you one with fitting kit and everything you need a hell of a lot cheaper than anyone else would be able to supply you one. I no longer work for JLR but am still able to take full advantage of all emplyee discounts and benefits!!!
After an unpleasant experience travelling down a snowy hill in Matlock a few years ago, I've used winter tyres during the cold months ever since. I still don't like driving down snowy hills though!
Doing a bit of grave hunting? 😉😂 This car is ideal for this weather. You should've gone out with a rope and rescue those cars last night, nice little profit on the side 😄
You made a Schoolboy error brush the snow off the top and above door before opening unless a cold soggy arse is enjoyed. Apart from a shovel or folding entrenching tool a couple of strips of old carpet (2m long) to use as mats to escape being stuck tied to back bumper or tow hitch so one can then stop on a solid surface before recovering them.
I really recommend winter tyres. I put Klebers on my BMW a couple of years ago, and I'd have got nowhere for a couple of days without them. The Avons M&Ss that came on the 2nd hand winter wheels though were rubbish!
M&S is a label applied to budget tyres to avoid some of the quality testing. Proper all season tyres have a snowflake symbol which shows they are legal for use in European countries when winter tyres are mandatory.
Hi Matt - love a snow video. Not heavy snow for me here - just a frost although I managed to get accidentally sideway in my C124! Would you fancy taking my 1993 Mercedes 220CE (W124 coupe - or C124) for a test? I'm also in Kent - so not too far from you. She's a working and rolling project and an honest car. And full on basic spec too!
One thing you have to watch out for is the 4 wheel drive kicking in on the front drive based vehicles. That amount of snow and slush, and at those speeds it is not so bad, but it can get dangerous if the front starts to slip at speed and the rear suddenly gets power added. You can be in trouble before the computers catch up.
On an entirely unrelated subject. The best car I've yet driven in the snow is a little Citroen C1 MK1, that thing would simply drive past most 4x4s in the snow
Those idiots driving around with summer tires...🤢 Here in Germany winter tires are Mandatskraft from November until March and you are getting done when you dont have any. Good thing,this....
There was a lot of transmission noise there, as the rear diff & transfer box ok? Would be interesting to do a head to head against it & a Panda 4x4, old or new type!
Ah Matt I bet if you'd gone up Luddesdown or Hucking way you could have found some proper uncleared lanes. Apparently bluebell hill was carnage last night.
It’s a shame Land Rover don’t work on reliability rather than make new cars ever more complicated. Eventually people will stop buying them . Having said that , I love them .
Freelander Fridge Magents! With or without the roof tent on www.furiousdriving.co.uk/product/magnet-mk1-land-rover-freelander-mk1-fridge-magnet-copy/
I remember one year my wife wanted to go and do some work at her school during the Christmas holidays. I drove her to the school, as she didn't like driving in the snow. Got to the school, and the carpark was devoid of any other vehicle, but covered in about 4" of snow. I had a Saab 9-5 at the time, so I thought I would throw it around the car park. Handled amazingly well and I had a hard time getting it to lose traction. Very enjoyable 15 minutes.
Funny how a little snow brings out the kid in all of us Matt 😁, looked great fun and very capable Hippo 👌🏻.
We had bad snowfall a few years back and I had a F30 320d. I had Michelin Cross Climates on and made my way home, I took a wrong turn because a road was blocked and the car managed it with ease as well as travelling down the M5 I couldn’t believe I actually made it home.
When I first bought the car it had Michelin energy savers on and I went around a roundabout and lost the back end which is why I put the cross climates on.
Such underrated vehicles, an appropriate set of tyres and they will go a very long way
I did the same thing in my X-Type 3.0 AWD years ago when we had a good layer of snow. All season tyres plus a permanent 60% rear bias AWD system and a manual gearbox made for very entertaining power oversteer without ever getting stuck. Underrated cars, the AWD X-Types.
I think a lot of Hippo's capabilities are down to the sophistication of the chassis and transmission. I had a 1983 Range Rover automatic for many years on standard road tyres and it was amazing in snow and ice conditions. Traction was never an issue, though braking certainly was! No ABS or such niceties.
It was a surprisingly reliable vehicle too. It was my daily driver and in addition I used to tow a large boat over long distances on a regular basis. It let me down just once when the electronic ignition failed. Electronics were fairly primitive all that time ago so perhaps a failure was to be expected.
I loved that car and the only reason it had to go was the very high fuel costs that were not sustainable. Its replacement was a Volvo 760 Turbo estate which is the absolute favourite of all the cars I've owned. Fast, for its day, very comfortable, reliable and totally corrosion free when I sold it with nearly a quarter of a million miles on the clock. The engine was still running sweetly and neither leaked oil nor burnt it. Great car!
Don't forget to remove snow on the roof, as the coupe warms up it melts on the roof, then when you hit the brakes it comes sliding down the windshield, effectly blocking any view for at least five terrifying seconds while your windshield wipers tries to clear it and even might break away. Having snow on the roof and driving is illegal in Sweden. And a general practise on turning out the wipers from the windows when parking it for longer than an hour is very practical, broken mechanics underneath the outer shell is not fun.
Normally I knock it all off but wanted it on the car for a photo, and was staying on small lanes with no other cars
Brits aren't used to seeing snow, let-alone having to drive in it. 😄
Good way to dispose of an in law or 2...
Good point. The snow on the roof also adds weight, it'll probably blow off at higher speeds where it would contribute more to drag, but at those speeds it could blind a vehicle behind you, or cause loss of grip if there's enough of it in a frozem lump.
Took my Freelander 2 2.2d auto with all season tyres on out in the Somerset snow covered roads - absolute king of the roads, so much mechanical traction that you actually have to be a bit silly to get it to slip n slide.
Even pulled a laden luton van out of a ditch and up a totally covered compacted snow + icey hill (all be it with very little traction) I was just amazed at how well the tyres gripped and the effectiveness of the haldex system, despite the size and weight of the car they skid a lot less than a car would under braking in these conditions.
Those are the BFG K02s right? They actually have the mountain/snowflake symbol which means they do have increased performance in the snow. They are a relatively soft compound too. I’ve been driving Subarus for years (not imprezas) on proper winter tyres and have found them unstoppable in all winter weather including proper deep snow in Italy and the Alps.
Last year I got a 4x4 and fitted the BFG ATs on, and we also fit them on our campervan (FWD). First test of them in snow was in the campervan, unexpectedly. The tyres performed amazingly with no wheelspin whatsoever up a moderate slope (hill start) in 20cm of snow and packed ice on the road.
Then recently I got the chance in the 4x4 (L400) in around 4cm of snow and I could barely get them to break traction even in RWD.
Great tyres!!
Great video, I love watching UK snow videos so thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Great little video Matt, the Freelander is such a capable little car, I held a car meet at the weekend and it was quite fun watching people coming in and out of the snowy car park and going sideways... Even a Merc like your estate came in and managed to slide on purpose!
haha, with 4-matic you have to try a bit harder!
We got 🌨️ yesterday with more on the way!!
Good tyres make a world of difference. Not too surprised that Hippo did well.
The hooning part was surprisingly informative! You can see how the tyres are just shedding chunks of snow and not letting it get packed up in the grooves. Up here in Yorkshire we have had almost no snow, so it is nice to see what you have actually had in the sarfeast. Photos are fine, but nothing beats a video of an actual drive!
Powerslides in the Crown Victoria would have been epic fun
I know, I need to park it somewhere level!!
Decent winter tires and it will never get stuck.
This video reminds me a bit of when I was a meter reader back in the winter of 2008, the recession had closed many factories and warehouses so I used to take my little Fiesta 1.4 d van for doughnuts in the abandoned carparks.
Great video. Driving in conditions like that make you fall in love with your car. Hope there's no negative comments on the car park drifting, so much fun at 20 mph!
I think it was quiet enough and far enough away from the world that all the comments have been positive
Love your Videos Matt, informative, amusing and love your mannerisms ( teashelfery and party horns ) your enthusiasm is contagious.
Keep ' em coming mate 👍 take care 🙂
To Julian cast On
You're SO right in what you say!
Great video Matt, I did exactly the same thing in 1976 not in a 4x4 but in an invacar great fun drifting in fresh snow in a car park, and I lived to tell the tale
Wow you’re practically a “live streaming@ RUclipsr 😅. Going to work in the snow today, sensible driving and clear main roads. In the local shops car park, van drivers were doing handbrake turns and power slides before picking up their meal deal. Quad bikers hooning around in our local park. Nobody hurt, no speeding muppets in over powered Audis 1cm from your back bumper. Just silly fun not harming anyone. More snow please Furious! ☃️😅
My FL1 had the absolute best winter accessory - a remote control for the fuel burning pre-heater, so you could huddle in bed, press the button and by the time you got up, the car was toasty warm inside, the windows were de-iced and the engine was warmed up. It hammered the fuel economy though.
The best vehicle I drove in snow was a Renault 4F6 van on full M+S tyres, it really was unstoppable. Coupled with it's ability to go through water deep enough to cover the headlamps, that van was sheer brilliance. I love driving in snow, it's about the only challenge on UK roads now.
To 660 einzylinder. Good God - that's AMAZING!
@@nygelmiller5293 sadly such abuse brought about a relatively early demise,even by Renault 4 standards. The floor was pretty rotten by the time it was eight years old, then a chassis rail cracked...it was patched up and sent on it's way.
That was good fun, Matt! Nice wee break from the norm and keeps your sanity from all the other projects you have on going. 😂
The Freelander I had a they where all great in the Snow. I loved it the last one I had the 3 door it was brilliant I would have another one in a minute.
Love A/T tyres I have been up mountains, crossed rivers and driven along the beach with no issues. Nice to see the Freelander holding up its end of the LR legend. I miss my Discovery 😔
They make all the difference, when the Defender that let me out of the junction it was a seriously steep few feet and sheet ice and they still gripped
Just love your videos, enjoy your day of car joy.
All-season tyres were a mistake for me during The Beast From The East. Bsically everyone was stuck at the bottom of the hill on my street but my all-season tyres allowed me to get up the hill and I had to man the pump at work all day and all alone. BTW I think it's the micro-tread on all season and winter tread that trap the ice improving grip, rather than the compound.
A bit of both. If you drive all seasons in summer you can feel they're softer than summers, not as soft as full CWTs but the sipes make a huge difference
Nordic winter tires are crazy soft, they both grip the snow and hold onto some snow that also grips quite well on snow.
Ive a F1 petrol 1.8 K series up here in Sweden 2001 model. Why they left the production line with bike tires is byond me! I cruise along at 60mph on pact snow with no issues with Off road treads. The handling is 100% and without noise.--- Cooper Discovery S/T tires on the original yes original rims. Ive fitted a 60cm LED strip lamp under the fromt plate and thats all you need for the winter up here ! (oh, I did add an over night heater but you wont need that in the Uk)
Just to let you know, you should clear the bonnet and roof, as well as the windows of snow. This is to ensure that snow does not flow off the car and disrupt other drivers vision and hit pedestrians.
Don't forget your lights, especially if they're LED as they will never produce enough heat to melt it, and if it's thick conventional halogen bulbs or otherwise heated lenses, etc won't make a dent in it either. If your car is covered in snow it will only blend in perfectly to the surroundings and leave you at a high risk of being hit from not being visible to anyone else on the road. If you have LED lights then it would be good to regularly stop when it's safe and walk around the car with a brush to make sure they remain clear.
Additionally to your points, snow on the roof can slide forward under braking and overwhelm the wipers leaving you unable to see while potentially still moving at a decent speed, so you could crash yourself off the road even if there's no one else around. As much as a risk snow on the bonnet and roof, and the boot of coupes, convertibles and saloons, poses to other road users, partially frozen lumps having the ability to smash windscreens and the like if it blows off at higher speeds, sadly some people still won't care unless you point out the danger it poses themselves.
I've seen a video of one driver in the US who ended up stationary and partially angled across the middle lanes of a 4+ lane motorway (or whatever they call their equivalent) with traffic flowing past them on both sides because a roof's worth of snow slid forward under braking burying the wipers and windscreen, and they were filmed trying to push it off with a home floor brush handle leaning out their driver's window, so no seatbelt and likely taillights covered with snow with traffic moving past and increasing in speed on both sides and approaching from behind in their lane. They couldn't have put themselves in a worse position on the road, and all because they didn't bother to brush all the snow off their car before setting off.
Also, the more snow, the worse the results of trying to drive with it, so there's never a point where the 'saved labour' of not removing it makes it worth it. In large enough quantities it adds a lot of weight to the car and therefore will dramatically increase your stopping distances, especially when grip is low, even at a crawl, so even if you won't be going fast enough for a huge block of frozen snow to shift from the roof, it will still affect your ability to avoid a collision enough to warrant it's removal before setting off. If you aren't willing to remove feet of snow from your car before driving, then walk, no other way about it. I know it's not feet deep here, I've just come from a US video where people have driven around with literal feet of snow on the roof still, and as the viewers can be international for this video, I thought I'd add that while here.
I think everyone should take the opportunity to get out in the snow in an open area & test their capabilities. we don't often get snow in Kent, so many unprepared drivers out there in their rear wheel drive Merc's & BMW's that have not got a clue + many in front wheel drive cars.
Have you seen the M25 videos today? Embarrassing really
@@furiousdriving several snow related videos.
Donuts in the snow are always fun! The Freelander did very well.
You should come by here sometime and will do some Scandinavian winter driving
We only had 1.5cm of snow near Cambridge (Sunday into Monday morning) but it fell on top of ice from the previous heavy frosts from last week.
Miss my td4, when the white stuff falls she looked just like Hippo but was an 06, Spent loads on her and planned to have her as a keeper but after paying out for clutch & master and slave cylinders, 5 tyres all brake lines and a new fuel tank full exhaust 2 window regulators and thermostat with a full service the gearbox went bang and refused to go into reverse so I decided to call it a day and sold her onto a new owner that had a spare gearbox, shame as they are great cars and the dog misses it to
I had a ford Ka that I fit a set of snow tires from another car, it was unstoppable back in the winter of 08 when it snowed for weeks, I was picking up work colleagues that had SUVs with awd (not real 4x4's) that couldn't get about.
The right tires is more important than the right car in some instances
Nice.
"Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder where is so white as snow." :D
A decent set of tyres makes all the difference. I just watched Adam (Living With A Classic) give you a mention! Nice that you two are able to collaborate.
Hes not in the UK but we do chat online so its interesting we had the same problem..although he had an easier solution!
That looked great fun.
That looked like fun at the end .. Great little Vehicle not that little either great stuff
Back in my youth, I used to drive a company 1100cc Ford Escort estate car - with ordinary tyres - in much worse conditions than that. You just need to be a good driver. No fancy 4X4 required. 🙄
Watch out for curbs while sliding, if you are about to hit one, floor the gaspedal as a spinning tire won't stuck to the curb as easy and break the suspension or rims. Then plan your sliding to make it safe for both others and you.
Great so now I want a freelander 😂, good video looks like fun
Next time it snows maybe we can do some synchronised hippo snow driving donny
Liking those tyres. Great vid!
As a Finnish viewer this was silly to watch. I daily drive a 1991 Chevy Caprice and although we in Finland use studded tires for the most part (actual metal studs in the tires) so comparing the 2 situations is useless, it's still funny seeing people who aren't accustomed to snow handle snow. I drove the caprice in the snow last winter for a few days on 255 rears 225 front summer tires and it was quite alarming, but still very capable, right now its on 225 studded tires all around and very capable since its such a long car with a limited slip diff, controlling the tail is easy. I really do recommend taking the Crown Vic out in the snow if possible in a safe manner (it will be an absolute blast). PS, Been loving the Mondeo content very much.
Not than funny really, as most of us down South rarely get any snow to practice with. Maybe once in 3 or 4 years for a week perhaps.and mostly run on Summer tyres all year round. Our snow is generally very wet with temperatures around 0 or 1°C that turns to ice overnight with frost. The last time I can remember driving on snow and ice for a month or so was back in 1986! 😮 😂😂
Snow is a rare enough event it makes the news here, this is the first we've seen in 2 or 3 years!
I find it fun driving my 1996 Volvo 940 lpt automatic estate on Goodyear Ultragrip 9 winter tyres. Had them for 5 winters. Just not had any snow here in my part of Staffordshire yet. The grip is amazing and fun having a play in the beast from the east.
Youve had more snow than we had up here in Burnley. Always good fun in a 4wd.
I was caught up in this sudden snow storm.
My daily driver is an old 02 MG TF,,,, Yip odd choice, but it's the only car I have that's legal and running at the moment.
We finished work just after midnight, the snow was heavy and just starting to lie.
Before I got half way home it was between 4-6 inches.
My car doesn't have all of these traction controls, or abs or any fancy gadgets.
I thought, Well it's a long walk home, I''ll keep on going until I spin out and stop.
Yip rear wheel drive is not good on snow.
I think that because the car is light and the engine is over the rear wheels,
Little Bab's didn't stop once.
Some 4x4s were knackered on the hills, people abandoning cars everywhere.
The little TF did wheelspin at times, but ploughed through everything, all the way home.
This morning I couldn't get traction to get off my drive.
MMMMmmmm 😭
the wong hill? I cant get off my drive without winter tyres on the car in snow
how fun to be making doughnuts all day long and knowing the car hasn't even been stressed. thanks Matt
Best SUV of his era for snow
Definitely jealous you got some snow! Nothing over in the east🙄
Gin and tonic thanks ...no ice, and no salt in the Margarita.
It's summer in OZ Matt.
That looked like a lot of fun
A real Land Rover, best four by four by far! Although my Ur quattro is also very capable in the snow. Love drifting in the snow.
Looking forward to seeing you attempt the lane from The Windmill, Burham, up to the Robin Hood!
I did that in my old 3 door! Im not sure thats a BOAT any more - if it is Id have another go at it
Glad to see that the balmy South is copping snow rather than the Frozen North. Don't you hate this time of year? Prefer it warm and wet.
Nice test of the hippo, maybe next time it snows heavy you and the hippo could go around pulling out stuck cars (and maybe even a truck) a good video and a great way to help people!!!
I carry a tow rope in the back of my 1990 Volvo 240DL Estate for that reason. Keep in mind the Volvo is rear wheel drive, but on dedicated winter tyres.
Well I found out that my Dual Clutch Transmissioned Kia Optima won't let select 2nd gear when first pulling away. A problem I quickly found when trying to out of my side road and on to the main and getting almost stop in the slush. Fortunately once going moving using manual mode worked pretty well, although it did still tell when to change UP with the paddles. My first Two Pedal car and I did think it was gonna be a Disaster trying to get to work. The car proved me wrong which I'll take. Still had ordered some Snow Socks but they're currently somewhere in the Royal Mail Ether..... YAY!!!
Id prefer to be in a manual in the snow and ice as well, but modern electronics are making them more capable. Everything is on back order or delayed...I looked into winter tyres last week and theres a wait on them as well!
Good vid mate I have the 56 plate hse on Avon ax7s love it!!
You big kid !
I'm jealous as hell, up here in Lichfield we've had nothing. I love driving in the snow, there's nothing better than driving low speed and touching the handbrake then balancing the car sideways up the lane (private land obviously 😉) using the accelerator and handbrake to keep it sideways (front wheel drive only) one day I will grow up,, mmm maybe not ha, 🏴👍
Land rover freelanders are nice vehicles to drive I used to have a 3 2.5 V6Mine used to be a very nice one
Hippo is a great vehicle to drive in the snow and it doesn't need winter tyres just off road tyres Hippo is very capable
That looks really fun. Love the early Freelanders and Hippo is such a loveable car! I use 3rd and Low on my automatic and it really transforms the car in a lot of driving situations such as heavy traffic or spirited driving on lanes. Stops the transmission going up the gears all the time. That noise sounds like tyre noise? Great video Matt!
It has pretty loud tyre noise but I think there’s a new sound there as well now
Just watched all previous videos on your Freelander and to be fair Matt you've come a very long way with it. I can remember thinking when you first brought hippo that it was just another heap of a Freelander and it would be a waste of time and money to do anything with it. How wrong I was!!! You have spent money wisley on this particular Freelander and you now have what is probably the most sorted model on the road today? It is a great little 4x4 and I would absolutely love to have it parked outside my house waiting for me to use everyday instead of the woefull Citroën Spacetourer that I have instead.
I knew it was a good one and worth putting some effort into, its a great car to have around
@@furiousdriving I absolutely couldn't agree more. It is probably the most sorted Freelander on the road today???
@@In_memory_of_Dad Its not concourse but heres not much wrong with it. Id love a genuine LR snorkel for it - not that I need one, they just look really cool and there might be a flood one day
@@furiousdriving it really is a very nice example and I hope you keep it for a long time to come as finding another in this condition isn't easy believe me...
@furiousdriving if you do ever decide you want a genuine land rover snorkel let me know, I can get you one with fitting kit and everything you need a hell of a lot cheaper than anyone else would be able to supply you one. I no longer work for JLR but am still able to take full advantage of all emplyee discounts and benefits!!!
After an unpleasant experience travelling down a snowy hill in Matlock a few years ago, I've used winter tyres during the cold months ever since. I still don't like driving down snowy hills though!
I got a question for you, when you are driving on this snow are you in drive mode in gearbox or in 1st gear?
Must be one of the few Freelanders left with 4wd, careful you don't blow up your viscous coupling 😀
Your drive is looking looking like Boycie's forecourt 😀
That looked fun. A shame my P38 still isn't ready 😕
This week I found that my old Firestone Multiseason Gen 1 tyres had much better grip in the snow than my new Michelin CrossClimate +.
Doing a bit of grave hunting? 😉😂 This car is ideal for this weather. You should've gone out with a rope and rescue those cars last night, nice little profit on the side 😄
You've truly outdone yourself on the audio of this video, dear lord...
Yeah traffic seems to die down in cold weather yet gets boosted when it rains.
Apparently the rust monster is out in the snow, I don’t want to drive in these salt spread roads 😂
You made a Schoolboy error brush the snow off the top and above door before opening unless a cold soggy arse is enjoyed. Apart from a shovel or folding entrenching tool a couple of strips of old carpet (2m long) to use as mats to escape being stuck tied to back bumper or tow hitch so one can then stop on a solid surface before recovering them.
Makes me wanna get a Freelander !!
Amazed that your small lanes were so clear.Are Kent good at gritting?
I miss Kent on a snowy day...pretty warm , humid & stormy here in Queensland.
isn't it meant to be summer there?
@@furiousdriving it is summer but also sub tropical, so warm weather here usually means torrential rain and thunderstorms at least twice a week.
I really recommend winter tyres. I put Klebers on my BMW a couple of years ago, and I'd have got nowhere for a couple of days without them. The Avons M&Ss that came on the 2nd hand winter wheels though were rubbish!
Yeah someone mentioned their tyres not necessarily four wheel drive make all the difference
M+S has no performance standards to meet. That is at the discretion of the maker.
M&S is a label applied to budget tyres to avoid some of the quality testing. Proper all season tyres have a snowflake symbol which shows they are legal for use in European countries when winter tyres are mandatory.
Hi Matt - love a snow video.
Not heavy snow for me here - just a frost although I managed to get accidentally sideway in my C124!
Would you fancy taking my 1993 Mercedes 220CE (W124 coupe - or C124) for a test? I'm also in Kent - so not too far from you. She's a working and rolling project and an honest car. And full on basic spec too!
Brilliant fun!👍
About time you southern Englanders have to deal with some snow. Up here in Scotland, we're always getting pounded every winter.
Do those tyres have the mountain/snowflake symbol on them?
Unstoppable, also when you want to brake? 😂😂
I recognise that carpark from the Celica shoot
I love this car
Looks like fun
haven't had snow up here yet, will be interesting how the 2003 rav4 diesel does in the snow, no diff lock.
Neither has this and it was still good
@@furiousdriving looked fun tbh in that car park.
@@skyll4141 it was a huge laugh
One thing you have to watch out for is the 4 wheel drive kicking in on the front drive based vehicles. That amount of snow and slush, and at those speeds it is not so bad, but it can get dangerous if the front starts to slip at speed and the rear suddenly gets power added. You can be in trouble before the computers catch up.
Love Hippo
On an entirely unrelated subject. The best car I've yet driven in the snow is a little Citroen C1 MK1, that thing would simply drive past most 4x4s in the snow
thin tyres and light weight FTW
Those idiots driving around with summer tires...🤢
Here in Germany winter tires are Mandatskraft from November until March and you are getting done when you dont have any. Good thing,this....
Thats how it should be, make them law in all northern Europe
I see you still need to swap over the wiper arms - here's hoping you sort them out soon before you use Hippo for more winter driving escapades... ;)
Are gritters/ snow plows on winter tyres?
There was a lot of transmission noise there, as the rear diff & transfer box ok?
Would be interesting to do a head to head against it & a Panda 4x4, old or new type!
It's the Medway Gap, in Kent.
I noticed that as well, could be back axle, Ill be looking into that when the snow clears
I really wish Landrover could make them reliable….because very obviously when they work, they are very good.
out in country side of kent Matt, ideal freelander in snow, whats happened to the mondeo as not there now in ur vid?
left a Q . to u Matt asking what happened to the blue mondeo? as not there in vid.
0:28
Most cars on winter tyres would be the same.
My BMW's on Continental winter tyres and it's astonishing what it will get through.
Ah Matt I bet if you'd gone up Luddesdown or Hucking way you could have found some proper uncleared lanes. Apparently bluebell hill was carnage last night.
yes, saw in in Facebook and no one was going anywhere
Nice drive out 🚘🚙🚗⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍
Very jealous. Just rained here a bit
It’s a shame Land Rover don’t work on reliability rather than make new cars ever more complicated. Eventually people will stop buying them . Having said that , I love them .
You should try Nordic winter tires.. greetings from Norway