WINTER ESSENTIALS

Halloween is around the corner, and daylight is shrinking fast. So, these are the best products to keep your car mobile and protected

- Tom Barnard

BY now, you will have pulled your winter clothes to the front of the wardrobe and switched on the heating at home. The cold weather is here and with it come longer hours of darkness. But it’s not just hard on us — your car will be feeling the chill too.

Lower temperatures mean it has to work harder to get going, with less power in the battery and thickened oils in the engine. Once it’s running, there are windows to clear, heaters to run, and lights that need to be kept bright. On top of that, the roads are wet and covered in salt, which chips away at paint and accelerates corrosion.

Now is the time to get ready for the worst of winter, with accessories and treatments that will keep you and your car safe through the chilly weather. These are the top cold-busting products we tested this year.

WIPER BLADES

THERE’S no getting away from it - your wipers work harder in winter, with those thin strips of rubber expected to keep your view crystal clear. Inevitably, we will also expect them to survive being dragged across frost and even push snow out of the way.

Our tests include leaving wiper blades overnight in a freezer at -18 degrees C and checking to see if they remain supple enough to clear the screen. Bosch’s Aerotwins have been the consistent winners.

HEADLAMP BULBS