What are Fiat Doblo's like in the snow

[Number Six 10]

The laws of averages have been kind to you

 

6 months figures sounds like I had a new engine 7 months ago, but I've only had it 6 months (I know this as the new tax disc reminder has just come). It's 9 years old and has done 106,000 miles, 8,000 of them in the last 6 months. Modern Fiats are as reliable as everything else (but please keep believing otherwise as it makes them bargains for the likes of me).

[L00b 441]

I *guess* the Subaru basically had no grip at all, if you had summer tyres on it, so it was just flinging the power all over the place and sometimes getting lucky, hence the unpredictability? I've seen some footage of Subarus in the snow that is seriously impressive.

The problem wasn't summer tyres (all-season Michelin contacts, I never fit budget tyres: tyres are the most important consumable for your car, it's the only thing between your car and the road), but the combination of tyre width (relative to size/weight of car: too wide) + factory-stiffened sports suspension (2.0R Sports model) + throttle-by-wire (no throttle cable, hard to dose the juice very precisely).

 

Had I mounted thin tyres with a deep wall (see e.g. videos of Ice Racing/Rallying), I expect it would have been a completely different animal indeed.

 

Anyway, I'm officially respectable now: we have replaced the 'preza with a diesel V50

Edited November 8, 2010 by L00b

[Number Six 10]

The problem wasn't summer tyres (all-season Michelin contacts, I never fit budget tyres: tyres are the most important consumable for your car, it's the only thing between your car and the road), but the combination of tyre width (relative to size/weight of car: too wide) + factory-stiffened sports suspension (2.0R Sports model) + throttle-by-wire (no throttle cable, hard to dose the juice very precisely).

 

Had I mounted thin tyres with a deep wall (see e.g. videos of Ice Racing/Rallying), I expect it would have been a completely different animal indeed.

 

Still, an all season isn't anywhere near as good as a winter tyre -

Stopping distance at 30mph is 30ft shorter on snow with winter tyres compared to all season tyres.

 

Width is a real issue though. I remember skidding going down Shore Lane (if you don't know it, it's steep) a few winters back in my front whell drive Alfa (205/55/16 sports tyres) and I was just about able to spin it on the handbrake to point back up hill and claw my way back up to the a57.

 

The four wheel BMW X5 that was stuck a little further down was completely unable to move despite all its trick electronics and drive to all wheels. Electronics can't fight a few tons of gravity if there is no grip - it had tyres like lawn rollers but they were just sitting on top of the ice rather than biting in to it - there was lots of weight to shift, but not enough pressure per sq inch of tyre to actually grip.

[L00b 441]

Still, an all season isn't anywhere near as good as a winter tyre.

I don't dispute that

 

But 'winter' here in South Yorks isn't really 'winter', so not (at least IMHO) worth the extra steel rims and rubber for the few days (at most) of inconvenience.

 

FWIW, I'm used to (and driving in) continental winters: -20C (or less) at night, -10C (or less) in day, with snow and at times ice storms deep/cold/heavy enough to fold power line pylons over (the big ones ) and split wooden electric/phone poles clean through. That is worth winter tyres

[Number Six 10]

I don't dispute that

 

But 'winter' here in South Yorks isn't really 'winter', so not (at least IMHO) worth the extra steel rims and rubber for the few days (at most) of inconvenience.

 

I know where you are coming from. Every year I think about it, and every year I think 'where the chuff would I put the other 4 wheels?' All the tests I've seen though show your car moves, handles and stops better with winter tyres if it is less than 7 degrees, which it is, and this year there is a baby in the car which does tend to focus the mind somewhat.

 

The family car has a slight tracking issue and so once that is fixed it'll need new tyres anyway, so this year I'm thinking of just getting winter tyres fitted to the normal wheels and crossing the 'where do I put these?' bridge in the spring when I am much more likely to have the time and inclination to tidy the shed :-)

[1Animal1 10]

6 months figures sounds like I had a new engine 7 months ago, but I've only had it 6 months (I know this as the new tax disc reminder has just come). It's 9 years old and has done 106,000 miles, 8,000 of them in the last 6 months. Modern Fiats are as reliable as everything else (but please keep believing otherwise as it makes them bargains for the likes of me).

 

i'll have to disagree there, i used to be a car salesman under a decade ago and still have a few good friends in the business..... one incident where a mate was trying to sell an 03 plate Stilo to a dealer and the sales manager whos a friend turned it away because of the issues they are renowned for - the bloke was willing to accept less than CAP which is the auction guide to Glass's. You really have been lucky with what you have said, either that or you really look after your cars

[Number Six 10]

i'll have to disagree there, i used to be a car salesman under a decade ago and still have a few good friends in the business..... one incident where a mate was trying to sell an 03 plate Stilo to a dealer and the sales manager whos a friend turned it away because of the issues they are renowned for - the bloke was willing to accept less than CAP which is the auction guide to Glass's. You really have been lucky with what you have said, either that or you really look after your cars

 

This is brilliant - keep Fiats and realted cars cheap please!

 

I had an Alfa 156 for 100k miles or so and I treated it appallingly. I missed services, I drove it with no MAF - I even drove it with a cracked sump for 50,000 miles, and it never missed a beat.

 

So maybe I am lucky, or maybe the diesels are actually pretty good? You don't hear people saying that Saabs and Vauxhalls are unreliable, but the 1.9 diesel in them is a Fiat engine.

[1Animal1 10]

I had an Alfa 156 for 100k miles or so and I treated it appallingly. I missed services, I drove it with no MAF - I even drove it with a cracked sump for 50,000 miles, and it never missed a beat.

 

So maybe I am lucky, or maybe the diesels are actually pretty good? You don't hear people saying that Saabs and Vauxhalls are unreliable, but the 1.9 diesel in them is a Fiat engine.

 

you are lover of the worst cars

 

actually i never knew that about the fiat engines... i would imagine that would be similar to the concept of a 207 engine in a new shape mini cooper S, except there are so many upgraded parts when compared to each other

 

happy driving fella, if you can make them last that long.....

 

i cant match it in fairness, my Audi cost me £1300 a few months back for a new selector fork and clutch, silly money when compared

[Unregistered 10]

 

All the tests I've seen though show your car moves, handles

and stops better with winter tyres if it is less than 7 degrees.

 

That's true.

 

Below 7°C the rubber compound in summer tyres begins to harden

and grip levels are reduced.

 

Cold weather tyres retain their flexibilty at low temperatures and key

into the road surface, providing better grip and safer driving.

 

We often go below 7°C so it's surprising that we don't see more

accidents than we do - must be the skill of Sheffield drivers.

.

.

.

[L00b 441]

keep Fiats and realted cars cheap please!

Their diesels may have a deserved good rep (after the PSA guys showed them how to do it right ), but FIAT still can't do electrics correctly to save their lives.

 

The worst car I've ever had by far (and there have been corkers!), was a Brava (5 door) 1.6SX, bought nearly new at the time (P plate). Nice enough to drive and all that, but dogged by continually faulty/Gremlin-ridden electrics. Especially in winter: -5C and dry, cold-starts no problem. 1C and 1 flake of snow, floods the engine (as in 'petrol-dripping spark plugs' flooded). Dealer never managed to sort it, after 7 visits or more.

 

I had been warned about FIATs by family members, I had previously owned two "nearly-FIATs" (Lancia Delta's) and knew full well about 'Italian electrics' but, still, I was ready to be re-converted... that it did not, to the extent that I specifically looked for a replacement with the least amount of electrics/electronics possible at the time. So gutted by it, I chose a car without even electric windows, so that's saying some I did feel bad for the dealer which took it part-ex.

 

And before anybody accuses me of bias or stereotyping...I'm half-Italian myself

Edited November 9, 2010 by L00b

[bakerboy 10]

I didnt think they were very good...you need four wheel drive i think

[*Wallace* 333]

Whatever car you get I'd just set up a winter box in the boot which has a pair of tyre chains (ours were only £25), a pair of wellies for you, a shovel, a box of grit, some bits of carpet and some cold weather gear.

Also choc bars,water,blanket,phone charger and torch