This year I want to do things right. I read online that warming up the engine too much pollutes and wastes fuel, but in winter with the frost it seems weird to me to just take off right away. What do you do with your cars when it's cold? Do you wait 30 seconds or do you move right away?
What kind of car do you have, petrol or diesel? Anyway, the modern answer is: 10-15 seconds max, just enough time to buckle up and adjust your mirror, then start driving gently. New engines don't suffer like the old ones did, and driving slowly for the first few minutes warms up the oil better than sitting idling. If you've got an older car, maybe half a minute won't hurt, but sitting there for 5-10 minutes like people used to do is really pointless now.
I don't even wait 30 seconds when it's freezing, maybe 10-15 like the other user said and then I take off slowly without pushing the accelerator - modern engines handle it just fine, it's not like old cars that needed to warm up! The important thing is not to rev it hard until the oil thins out, that's the real damage.
The thing everyone forgets is that the real winter problem isn't so much the engine as the oil: in freezing temperatures it gets thick and oil pressure stays low for the first few minutes, so pushing a cold engine can really damage it. 15-20 seconds of idling after you start it is enough, then you start moving slowly, without revving until the temperature gauge comes up. Modern engines are built for this, but the point is to take it easy once you're moving, not wait around like people used to do.
It depends a bit on how much of a hurry you're in and how frozen it is. If it's a recent car, 10-15 seconds is really enough - just enough time to adjust the mirrors and steering wheel while the engine starts up. Then drive slowly, don't gun the accelerator right away, and let the engine reach normal temperature while you drive the first few kilometers at low speed. That's what I've been doing for years and I've never had any problems.
But there's one detail nobody mentions: if the car's been sitting out in the cold, the real enemy isn't the engine but the brake pads. When it's very cold and raining or humid, a thin layer of ice forms on the discs and the pads lose grip. I made the mistake once of taking off in a hurry after a night of freezing, and when I braked at the first chance the car almost went into a light skid. Since then I always test the brakes gently in the first few meters, so I make sure they're gripping properly before I pick up speed.
So my advice: 10-15 seconds of engine running, then go, but drive slowly for the first 5-10 minutes and test the brakes right away with caution. It's not about warming up the engine by idling for pointless minutes, it's just about being ready.
How old is the car? Anyway, the most practical advice is this: start the engine, then while you wait those 10-15 seconds take care of stuff (mirrors, wipers, defrost the windshield), so you're not just sitting there staring at the dashboard. What nobody tells you is that instead of waiting parked, you can start driving slowly and let the engine warm up while you drive - modern cars are literally built for that. The only thing: avoid hitting the accelerator hard in the first few kilometers, keep the RPMs low and don't jump straight into speed.
How old is your car? Because it really makes a difference. In my case I have a car from a few years back, and honestly with hard frosts I don't feel comfortable taking off right away, even though technically I could - I wait those 20-30 seconds just to feel that the engine "catches" properly and the oil starts circulating. What really matters is driving gently afterwards, without pushing anything for at least the first few minutes: the engine warms up while you're driving, way faster than sitting parked. Modern cars use less fuel if you don't warm them up idling, but your point about thick oil is legit - it depends on how cold it gets where you are and how much you want to protect your engine long-term.
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