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Wow, folks are all over the map on this cold weather driving stuff. Even on this forum we have people being careful to try and save fuel, yet carrying cases of water around with them everywhere they go.
Here's my addition to the general lore. I 'warm up' my car for 30 seconds to a minute every time I start it. I do this to give lubricants a chance to get everywhere they need to get, and pressure levels to rise a bit, before starting out. I accomplish this by starting the car before buckling up. Get in -> start car -> buckle seatbelt -> put on sunglasses (optional) -> put vehicle in gear. I then drive gently until the vehicle has attained normal operating temps (water temp - my vehicles don't have oil temp gauges).
In really cold weather I give things a bit more time, but for the same reasons. My vehicles sit outside so there are days that they might idle for 5 minutes while I clear the windows. (Mech, car covers are impractical to try and use every day.)
I don't overdress for driving. At my old house and my old job I commuted through a state park / gameland area, with no houses for several miles in any direction. Then I would carry blankets and boots and whatnot, in case I got stranded out there and had to hoof it out. The reality where I live/work now is that I am never going to be more than about 5 minutes away from a house, place of business, or another person in another vehicle, so I'm not going to freeze to death. Plus there is this thing called a cellphone these days.
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