Save digging up an old thread I'll start a new one.

What's it like? I know winter tyres will make a huge difference but what's the best method of using it in the snow? My current vRS is fine and loves the snow and I'm pretty confident in driving in it. Asked my uncle who has a Golf Diesel 170 with DSG said it was fine and I'm betting he didn't turn off ESP either. He does over 40k a year so is definately used to the car.

I don't know what to think. The best option in snow is just to leave the car at home and the last thing I want is some clot in a Corsa ploughing into my new pride and joy who has just passed their test. The last two years we've had snow but down here in Swansea it's nowhere near as bad as it was up North so I may get away with it. Am I just worrying for basically a week maximum of snow a year? Any techniques I should use with DSG in the snow?

Just seen Sharkrider's Fifth Gear video so feeling better about it. Any DSG driving techniques I'd be happy to know. I take it using manual mode helps a lot?

Save digging up an old thread I'll start a new one.

What's it like? I know winter tyres will make a huge difference but what's the best method of using it in the snow? My current vRS is fine and loves the snow and I'm pretty confident in driving in it. Asked my uncle who has a Golf Diesel 170 with DSG said it was fine and I'm betting he didn't turn off ESP either. He does over 40k a year so is definately used to the car.

I don't know what to think. The best option in snow is just to leave the car at home and the last thing I want is some clot in a Corsa ploughing into my new pride and joy who has just passed their test. The last two years we've had snow but down here in Swansea it's nowhere near as bad as it was up North so I may get away with it. Am I just worrying for basically a week maximum of snow a year? Any techniques I should use with DSG in the snow?

Yes , use the pedal to the right to move the car and the pedal to the left to make it stop :p.

On a more serious note , I'm from Sweden and we got cold-ass winters up here.

My vRS worked like a charm in the winter , very calm and easy to drive in the snow.

Since the suspension is quite soft that helps out aswell.

And the diff helps out abit aswell to make starting abit easier.

And ofc , use wintertires when it's winter-condition! I prefer studded tires for the grip on icy roads.

The grip on just damp roads will be rubbish anyways , so just keep it cool when running on wintertires no matter which one you choose =).

As a sidenote , you can't switch the ESP fully off. The only thing you will do when you turn off TCS is spinn the frontwheels...

The car will still handle the sliding tho =( =( =(.

EDIT : I always used D , but I think S could actually help abit (or manual-mode).

The startingrevs is abit higher in S and manual , I think it starts smoother in S then in D !

Edited 19 April, 201115 yr by Confide

Awesome that's all I needed to know. Once I've sorted out my options I'll put my order in. I'll probably drive it as little as possible in the snow but it's nice to know I can still venture out if I need to.

Edited 19 April, 201115 yr by MartynVRS

Winter tyres help massively and having DSG makes starting off a lot easier than a manual car.

A good set of winter tyres will transform the car in poor weather and it will save wear on your summer tyres too.

You know what......I'd say if conditions are bad enough outside to make you think twice about driving somewhere just dont bother. No point risking life and limb for something unless its unavoidable. Insurance companies will use the weather as an excuse not to pay out on an insurance claim too, they'll seek to make you look negligent.

From what I hear DSG cars arent particularly brilliant in the snow unless they happen to have a winter mode. Some do but its very rare. From what I understand its impossible to get a DSG without winter mode to pull off in anything other than 1st gear and its difficult to modulate the power to prevent wheelspin. My Dad got stuck in his A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSi S-line DSG in the last lot of snow to an extent he said as good as they are he'll probably get a manual next time round, if not a Quattro with DSG.

I can't say for certain but I suspect the vRS (with it's fairly big power and relatively thin low profile tyres) will probably be quite poor in the snow but i'll doubt i'll drive it in it to find out.

I hope noone ever will try to drive ANY car in snowy conditions or temperature below +-0 with regular summertires!

In that condition , NO car will work properly.

I don't have a winter-mode on my vRS and I never got stuck tho , secret lie in "don't use the gas before you actually roll" =)!

Dont automatic cars slowly creep along if you just put them in D and let it do its own thing? surely that would be enough to get you going then you can slowly add once you're able to?

I hope noone ever will try to drive ANY car in snowy conditions or temperature below +-0 with regular summertires!

In that condition , NO car will work properly.

I don't have a winter-mode on my vRS and I never got stuck tho , secret lie in "don't use the gas before you actually roll" =)!

Yawn.

Sorry but I think people who drive around in the snow in the UK getting on with normal everyday things like nothing has happened are t*ts. We're not like other EU countries that are geared up for such conditions, until we are we should all stop, let it massively adversly affect the economy and let the government do something to improve the situation for us.

Winter tyres and 4x4's are all well and good but they dont miraculously do away with compressed snow and sheet ice.....doesnt matter what you're driving you'll still struggle with the conditions the local councils let the roads degrade to. I for one genuinely couldnt live with myself if I killed or seriously injured someone on the roads just for the sake of running some errands, I can walk to shops if I need to, can even work from home pretty effectively. The car will sit outside my house until I can safely drive places, or at least with very little or no risk to my own or others safety. That is of course until some n*bhead comes down my road, cant stop and ploughs straight into my car for the sake of a pint of milk and a newspaper!

You're exactly right. My last three cars I've enjoyed driving in the snow but with the vRS I think I'll just leave it at home unless absolutely necessary. We only get snow for a few days and everything is within 10-15mins walking distance so I don't need to drive in bad conditions.

As for driving with summer tyres I always have and been fine I just haven't been silly but they do wear quicker. I may get some cheap 16" wheels with winter tyres if it gets really bad and I desperately need to be somewhere.

Same from me.

Snow = car stays at home

Cold temps but dry = drive sensibly

Yawn.

Seriously? You didn't have anything better to come up with?

Instead off a 1-word answer you could have used some braincells instead to actually help the OP...

But sure , I want to see you drive a Fabia vRS (or any 4*4 aswell) on black ice with summertires x).

Seriously? You didn't have anything better to come up with?

Instead off a 1-word answer you could have used some braincells instead to actually help the OP...

But sure , I want to see you drive a Fabia vRS (or any 4*4 aswell) on black ice with summertires x).

Read my post above then. Snow means I won't be driving at all.

Oh and I'd like to see your 'winter' tyres cope with black ice. Unless you've got metal studs in them they will make no difference. You're clearly one of the idiots who thinks that because they have 'winter' tyres they can continue to drive like a retard on snow and ice without any worries.

Read my post above then. Snow means I won't be driving at all.

Oh and I'd like to see your 'winter' tyres cope with black ice. Unless you've got metal studs in them they will make no difference. You're clearly one of the idiots who thinks that because they have 'winter' tyres they can continue to drive like a retard on snow and ice without any worries.

You actually dont have any Winter Tyres do you?

They DO make a massive differnce.

Please dont tell people who, like yourself have no experience of them, that they are a waste of money.

THEY ARE NOT

I found that I could drive anywhere last winter and in many cold days (No snow) Drive normally.

On sheet ice..There is much more grip ...just being more careful and slower..works very well.

Snow means We WILL be driving!

You actually dont have any Winter Tyres do you?

They DO make a massive differnce.

Please dont tell people who, like yourself have no experience of them, that they are a waste of money.

THEY ARE NOT

I found that I could drive anywhere last winter and in many cold days (No snow) Drive normally.

On sheet ice..There is much more grip ...just being more careful and slower..works very well.

Snow means We WILL be driving!

I find that with my standard all weather tyres I cope pretty well in cold conditions thanks. If you all want to waste money on tyres so that you can drive in snow for one week of the year than feel free. Just don't come on here complaining when you slide off the road or somebody hits you because they thought they could drive normally. lol

Oh, and I hope you notified your insurance company of your modification

You clearly have no idea about the way winter tyres work

I really dont give a toss if you dont want to get them

Just dont tell others that they shouldnt.

Is this because you think winter tyres are just for snow?

..They are not!

You clearly have no idea about the way winter tyres work

I really dont give a toss if you dont want to get them

Just dont tell others that they shouldnt.

Is this because you think winter tyres are just for snow?

..They are not!

Nope. Winter tyres aren't designed for snow, that's what snow tyres are for and are very, very different things.

Anyway OP, do what you like as I'm bowing out of another winter tyres debate.

Edited 20 April, 201115 yr by LeedsVRS

Woah didn't want this turning into a winter tyre debate. All I wanted to know was can I use DSG in the snow and I can, if anything it's easier to pull off. Winter tyres are obviously better than summer tyres and I've seen a few vids of braking didtances between the two to convince me of that. Let's just agree that if you don't need to drive in the snow and ice then don't but if you have to you'd be better off with winter tyres.

Woah didn't want this turning into a winter tyre debate. All I wanted to know was can I use DSG in the snow and I can, if anything it's easier to pull off. Winter tyres are obviously better than summer tyres and I've seen a few vids of braking didtances between the two to convince me of that. Let's just agree that if you don't need to drive in the snow and ice then don't but if you have to you'd be better off with winter tyres.

Indeed

DSG + Summer Tyres + Snow = Pants, you will get stuck and slip and slide about.

DSG + Winter Tyres + Snow = No problem at all, just drive gently in D.

My side road thats runs upto my garage access has a slight incline, during Novembers Snow last year my DSG Passat on 235/45X17 contisports would only get about 20m up the road, tried gentle, agressive, having a run at it, ESP on, ESP off, D,S,M. My wife's manual Fabia on 185/60X14 Uniroyal Rain Experts managed about 75m. Only car off our street that got up was a Jeep Patriot.

Fitted 205/55X16 Pirelli Sottozero Winter tyres and I could drive straight up to the top in D without a hint of wheel spin.

But the biggest shock was the braking. On the flat emergency braking would mean lots of ABS and not really slowing at all but eventually coming to a stop. With the winter tyres on it was almost like stopping on tarmac, unbelievable difference.

You can also really feel the difference on icy and frosty roads too.

Come November my winter tyres will be back on the Passat and I'll be getting a set for the Fabia this year as well.

Cheers

Lee

Maybe worth buying 16" steelies and getting winter tyres. My only concerns would be the expense. How much are the cheapest winter tyre? And storing winter wheels all year may be a problem if you don't have much room plus don't tyres go off?

I've never driven with winter tyres on any of my cars, just taken it slow, left for work a lot earlier and always been ok . You adapt your driving style depending on the conditions, 80 years ago they wouldnt of had winter tyres and all these electronic stability programs but coped ok.

I've never driven with winter tyres on any of my cars, just taken it slow, left for work a lot earlier and always been ok . You adapt your driving style depending on the conditions, 80 years ago they wouldnt of had winter tyres and all these electronic stability programs but coped ok.

Up until 5-10 years ago we didn't have 10" wide, ultra low profile, very high speed rated tyres with very stable rubber compounds that become very inflexible below 7 degrees.

To compound that we have had very mild winters up until 2009 and 2010 and cars keep getting heavier.

I learn't winter driving skills in Rear wheel drive Escorts, Cortina's and Capri's and started my Rally life in RWD Chevette's. The tyres back then were narrow and the rubber wasn't built to be stable at over 150mph so it stayed flexible in the snow. A couple of bags of sand in the boot and you were well away. Then coming up through the FWD cars both normal hatches and XR3i's and GTi's you could still make progress in snow. Also had three 4X4 cars and two SUV 4X4's.

So back to 2011 and 235/45 contisport 3's and the slightest incline in snow and you don't go anywhere, nearly undriveable. Merc's and BMW's on 19" Alloys going nowhere.

Fact is modern high speed ultra low profile wide sport tyres are not designed to work below 7 degrees and they dont. Even without snow through the coldest months the grip you get on cold wet tarmac on winter tyres is a massive improvement. If you have a daily commute of 60 miles like myself and use high speed roads then the price of winter tyres is a small price to pay for the added safety.

Cheers

Lee

The vRS I test drove before ordering had a Winter Tyres option in the setup menu, does anyone know what difference this makes?