Driving in 4wd

Lot of drivers have been brought up on anti lock brakes, traction control, wide tyres etc, less days are icy as well, so it's a bit of a disaster on a real cold one. My first car was a Viva on cross ply tyres, every day was like an icy day!
Doesn't help when Land Rover make so much about their terrain response, dial in ice and snow and away you go. I went to a Land Rover experience day with a mate who has an Evoque. Ground was frozen solid so downhill sections were like a four man bobsleigh, tried a number of times, dialling in various settings with similar results, my mate was unimpressed as he was under the impression that this electronic wizardry overcame anything, hard to create grip when you have none.

What ever the conditions there will always be an Audi up your backside

l find that flashing the hazards for a few seconds makes them back off a bit. l think it somehow temporarily re engages the driver's brains

About 25 years ago, me, my wife and a mate, paid to go ice karting on the ice rink at Milton Keynes. The karts had mildly studded tyres on the back. The whole competition was won by a girl who was an instructor at Bill Gwynne rally school. She drove around the cones of the simple oval track, drove like miss Daisy, was incredibly easy to overtake until you got to the next corner, then you got a chance to look at all the advertising hoardings around the ice rink about three times!
Was an interesting lesson, not that I learned from it, she definitely profited from her lack of testosterone, every guy in the place was spinning round whilst she calmly drove through the carnage. Reminded me of the Olympic ice skating races where three of them wipe out and a guy from the Solomon islands, glides through on his first time on ice, and wins.

Traction, in this instance is defined, as "grip of a tyre on a road". Grip is defined, in this instance as "maintain a firm contact, especially by friction". Bustas comment is clear and correct and is the good starting point for driving on snow and ice.
If you want to improve your driving ability on snow and ice I would suggest the following. Find an empty car park covered in snow and in 2wd drive in circles. Now do it in 4wd and notice the difference. The extra grip at the front wheels will enable you to tighten your turning circle and go faster but it will not improve your braking. Many 4wd cars have died because the driver forgot, if they ere ever told, that extra grip did not equal better braking because we have had 4wb (b equals braking) for many years.
We can give you loads of advice but ultimately it comes down to going out and practising.
One last point, if, when you go from 4wd to 2wd you hear or feel a thump, that was a degree of axle wind up and it was the system telling you so ie you should have changed out earlier.

Roger

Still unsure what's best in the snow or ice,   I live at bottom of a steep narrow bendy village hill , when starting to go down should I engage 4 wheel drive ? High or low ratio or switch on the hill decent mode ,    A previous 2 wheel drive car I just slid down and I bashed car on a bank and once in a ditch, Brought an Audi with constant 4 wheel drive and no problems , so thought the new Jimny ideal replacement, but now snowing don't want to damage it.   I am not technically great but wanting to be in best settings to go down (or climb ) what can be a very slippery hill used by few drivers. Your wisdom appreciated.  

Like I said before on a steep hill covered in snow then 4x4 is the answer up or down. Also take it steady. If you drive like you are late for the win on the Finnish rally then you will have problems.