Well my IS has told me that it well and truly doesn't like the snow. I knew from everyone's posts that it didn't and so I have not taken it out whenever there is a hint of snow.
Was taking my dad to work at 3:30 am and was tootling along, left my house and there was a bit of hail on the ground but the road was clear. After about 1/4mile there was hail covering the road.
We saw some tracks going off the road on a bend... someone had obviously been off b4. I was doing about 45mph, so I slowed a bit more to 40mph. Shall I put the snow mode on, OK, I did.
Got around those bends no problem, then there is a dead straight piece of road. Kept it at 40mph, but the hail was a bit deeper. I said to my dad, "These are the worst conditions I've been out in this car yet" as we got a little twitch from the rear... I took my foot off the accelerator and began to let it slow down, got another twitch, this one got bigger and started to point me more than I wanted to the left. I made what was not a big correction to the right, it straightened up a bit and then when tits up. Started a slow gentle spin to the right.
At this point I'd guess we were doing 35mph. As we approached 90 degrees on to the road I realised there was no correcting this one and was already thinking how much it was going to cost 3/4 of the way around and heading backwards, brain goes into overdrive and I'm trying to figure out which way to turn the wheel in the hope of keeping it on the road and not off it. My car is lowered with a bodykit, I scrape the ground in some not well kept carparks and driveways, I wan't looking forward to this.
I had the wheel to the left already, which was opposite the spin, I tried straightening up (whilst going backwards) but it kept spinning and we were going off already. The car went off at a bit of an angle after spinnng just over 180 degress. There was no danger to us, there were no cars about, we were going slow, I was just concerned about my wallet, or specifically my bank ballance. The car was straddling the verge, digging it up. It travelled about 8metres off road sideways, digging its way into the ground.
The rear wheels were still on the road (just) the car was 3/4 off. I tried backing it off before we got out but it just spun the wheels (still in snow mode, fat lot of use that was). My dad got out. I got ou... I couldn't get out. I put my window down and there was a mound of soil and turf keeping me in. My dad had a quick luck but it was dark, he gave me a push and I spun the wheels up again, no luck. We heard traffic, hazzards engaged I scrambled out through the window incase they ploughed into the car. It was a van (Tesco home delivery size but not one), they went past at about 50mph. Lots of inspection insued, but it was pitch black. I began diggin with my fingers to see if there was damage but I couldn't get through 18" of soil. The mound just didn't quite reach the top of the front wheel.
We both tried pushing it out, but all that was likely to happen was we wud push the bumper off. Time to phone mum... bring a rope and more importantly the 4x4.
When she finally arrived, took over 10 min, even though it was <1 mile away. We pulled the car out no trouble. Some nice smoothing of the verge, and a dirty car. It didn't look damaged but it was stil dark. Mum took Dad to work in the 4x4 and I trundled home at 15-20mph, After about 200m there was no snow or hail on the road at all, it had melted already. The straight where we were had about 1/4" or less of hail. It wasn't particularyly slushy, I was suprised shall we say. Another van (transit) went past while we were there. It didn't slow down when we were waving, shot past at 60mph.
I parked infront of the security lights at home and it appears I have been lucky, doesn't look damaged at all. Maybe a few little scratches, but it had plenty of those already. I was dreading having it pulled out and the wheel being tucked under the car, you know when the delorean in Back to the Future (part 3?) takes off and folds its wheel in..
Just need to give it a wash and a proper check in the daylight. Any tips on things to check? I'll wait for it to be dry and clear and give it a handling test in a car park somewhere.
To cut a short story long don't go out in the IS200 in snow or hail