Elegance diesel 140, 16" alloys.

Needed a helping push this morning to get the car up a steep road with just a covering of snow. Tyres are Bridgestone Turanza.

Without buying proper winter tyres is there something better in the snow?

Or is it just any tyre is too wide to cut into the snow?

Had the same problem yesterday in a car park in Macclesfield with the vRS on Michelins. Think it's just the width of the tyres!

It is the compound and the profile.

I've Turanza ER300. Got stuck in the snow yesterday on the flat. They're really not good.

How about all season tyres like the Vredestein Ultrac 3? I'm going for those when the ER300 wear out.

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

being fair, how often do we have weather like this in the uk?

It's not just the weather, performance summer tires get stiffer as the weather is colder, being a lot less effective when cornering and braking. Oh, and because of the profile they're useless in snow.

I got 225/45-17 Bridgestone Blizzak Nordic on my octavia in the winter.. works just fine.

Having said that, after getting stuck in the car park yesterday, the snow had cleared by the time I left for home at about 4.30pm, and whilst the outright grip is nowhere near summer levels, I still had enough traction in my "idiotic" summer tyres to chase and catch a BMW 325i down the country lanes around Holmes Chapel and Jodrell Bank

Ive had to dig my vRS out of the carpark 4 times this week. I have to admit that its the most useless car ive ever driven in snow. But i can live with it for the few days we ever get snow.

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

WTF is wilter? What are wintertyres too for that matter?

What a stupid statement to make too.

People should know their, and their cars limitations. Only making essential journeys is a start. My 328i has wide tyres, rwd and no weight over the back - hopeless in the snow, so I left it at home.

No way can 99.9% of the population justify dedicated wheels with winter tyres for 1 or 2 days of snow either.

The problem with these conditions is PEOPLE, not machinery.

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

Really?

You really expect people to have another set of tyres considering the UK really isn't that cold?

Summer tyres (even the pikey ones I'm dying to get shot of) are OK provided you drive within their limits.

Not every tyre is a summer tyre. Lets be clear for a moment.

I think people are too quick to blame their, and others inability to cope with these exceptional conditions is down to having summer tyres. I've seen Land rovers struggle just as badly.....

Forking out £500 on specialised winter rubber, plus fitting or another set of wheels, really isnt practical in many parts of the UK. We simply dont get weather bad enough to warrant them.

exactly, when will we get sonow like this again? 5 years10? certainly not next year as we havent had it this bad in years.

I agree, what is the point in buying winter tyres just for the few days of snow we have. Even in central Scotland it isnt worth it.

I am to the opinion that if I think that the vRS will get stuck then I would just stay in.

I have though, had the foresight to have a 4WD for use for work, so at least I can get paid!!

It is quite satisfying watching a £30k Chrysler 3000c struggling up an incline, even with good momentum, waiting for him coming to a standstill with wheels still spinning and me just calmly pulling out of a junction and sailing past with not a hint of wheel spin...............This was on Thursday morning just north or Northampton, woke up in digs to find about 8 inches of snow. Freelander was brilliant, even when provoked it held its own.

Steve

Aye Tomo, it's been grim here in Northants.

Those in ski regions may be wetting themselves at us brits unable to cope, but then they have 4-5 months of this and snow upto 1m per day. So they need, and have shed loads of snow ploughs to go out every hour, on the hour.

Seen it first hand in Germany (southern Baveria), and even what would be a B road here, was ploughed all the way down to Neu Schwanstein (sp?) on a very bad day.

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

4rse

A few years ago we had a colleague from Austria join us to work in Suffolk for a year. Naturally he brought his snow chains with him. First snow fall he turned up late for work. He somehow damaged his hand fitting his chains and by the time he was released from casualty all the snow had melted. To be fair he took the ribbing very well:rofl:

Seen it first hand in Germany (southern Baveria), and even what would be a B road here, was ploughed all the way down to Neu Schwanstein (sp?) on a very bad day.

I've seen it in Chicago. They have all the infrastructure for it, so things keep going.

Not had a problem with my Octy II with Avon ZV5's on, and there almost ready for replacing...was going up steep hills steadily. I think its just the case of knowing how to drive in the snow, in some places the sump guard was slapping the snow.

Saw someone at the Tinsley Viaduct on tuesday in a Fabia Estate giving it full beans trying to get going. All i had to do was just ease it along in 1st gear, did get stuck on a slope at the carpark at work....but did get out after 2mins of trying.

All this snow and i couldn't even be bothered to find somewhere suitable to have a little play on it.

It's not just the weather, performance summer tires get stiffer as the weather is colder, being a lot less effective when cornering and braking. Oh, and because of the profile they're useless in snow.

:iagree:

Although a lot is also down to the driver.

Plenty of photos of crashed cars this week on the web.

A set of winter tyres is cheaper than a new front end or a visit to hospital!

cheers .. Darren

I think people driving without wintertyres in the wilter are idiots.

Is that the whole winter or are you refering just to the few days of really bad weather we have every few years ?

I agree, what is the point in buying winter tyres just for the few days of snow we have. Even in central Scotland it isnt worth it.

I am to the opinion that if I think that the vRS will get stuck then I would just stay in.

I have though, had the foresight to have a 4WD for use for work, so at least I can get paid!!

It is quite satisfying watching a £30k Chrysler 3000c struggling up an incline, even with good momentum, waiting for him coming to a standstill with wheels still spinning and me just calmly pulling out of a junction and sailing past with not a hint of wheel spin...............This was on Thursday morning just north or Northampton, woke up in digs to find about 8 inches of snow. Freelander was brilliant, even when provoked it held its own.

Steve

Freelanders are brill in the snow and ice - better than the discovery as they dont weight so much. My wife pulled my Octy 2 VRS estate up a long steep high hill to work on monday , passing several stuck cars on the way. It was so slippy that I could not stand upright and had to hold the car for support. Unfortuntaely she's not letting me forget it either

Hmmm difference is that winter tyre is not getting rock hard when the temeprature is below zero. Thats why is good for driving but its not helping that much. In Poland where i used to live we had really strong winters and lots of snow. That was crap ! Winter here is ok but people dont know how to drive when weather is bad. The same problem is in Germany when its rainy

Is that the whole winter or are you refering just to the few days of really bad weather we have every few years ?

Winter tyres are beneficial whenever the temperature is below 5-7c,

so for those of us that live north of Watford (the northern limit of the BBC)

and work night shifts, probably 50% of rural nights in Nov - March fall below that temperature.

Why do people assume that the technical arguments, in favour of rubber compounds suited to cooler weather and tread patterns that disperse more water, are only applicable purely for "freak snowfall".

Obviously the behaviour of the driver is a massive factor, but why not ensure that your car is as well-equipped as your needs may dictate?

regards ... Darren