Another 4X4 V's FWD with winter tyres post.

Last winter my Passat was useless couldn't even get home. Borrowed my Dads Jeep for a week that was fitted with Continental Premium Contacts, in all honesty it was excellent at not getting stuck and cornering wasn't too bad the ESP light worked overtime though. Brakeing was a different matter, trying to stop that much weight with summer tyres on snow was entertainng to say the least, a couple of times I thought I was going to return it dented.

I fitted the Passat with narrower winters on steelies in the middle of the snow and it was transformed it could get where the Jeep had taken me, felt surefooted around the bends but it was the braking that was the big difference. The grip was nearly like being on tarmac again and braking heavy enough to engage the ABS would have you being chucked forward in your seat.

I've no doubt the Jeep on winters would be great, especially with the increased ground clearance.

This year I've put little 165 winters on my wife's 1.2 12V which weighs just over 1000kg, I think it'll make a great winter car, high grip, small overhangs, low momentum due to the low kerb weight and an engine with small output and progressive torque delivery.

Cheers

Lee

Edited 7 November, 201114 yr by logiclee

Lee,

As we always tell new 4x4 owners, yes it might get you up the hill, but gravity is by far the greatest power going downhill!!

Lee,

As we always tell new 4x4 owners, yes it might get you up the hill, but gravity is by far the greatest power going downhill!!

Yep, to be honest it's not my first time in a 4X4 I've owned several old Land Rovers my last one a 66 Series 2A and I used to do off road events. On the road I've owned a couple of Jeep Cherokee, old and new type. I also drive Land Rovers at work as I work as an Electrical Engineer on Mine sites.

My Dad's Jeep in my earlier post was the new Jeep Patriot, I was suprised how good it was actually as it doesn't have a proper permanent four wheel drive setup or low ratio box just a magnetic centre coupling and the usual traction control. You are able to magnetically lock the centre coupling and let the traction control brake any wheel spinning the torque away, it was quite effective.

This was last winter, you could see why my Passat on Summer 235/45x17 Conti Sports wouldn't get up here, but it did on 205/55x16 Pireli Sottozero's.

Cheers

Lee

My insurance company call centre op quoted "as long as they are UK spec" therefore if I don't fit 17" or 18" wheels as per the inside of the petrol flap I think I will be punished as a modification if I fit 6.5J x 16 Audi wheels which many other VRS owners seem to have fitted.

Yes, I remember when I first got my Cav GSI 4X4 that the owners manual reminded the owner that the laws of physics can not be broken - though I knew that already. It has taken me 11 years of Passat 4Motion ownership to come across conditions that very obviously dangerous in as much as getting moving and keeping moving was okay - but stopping and steering was not. Now its got a set of Michelin Alpin A4 on. A friend at work has just bought a newish Jeep, he has just bought a pair Conti that are "good in the ice and snow" - well maybe better than old ones or some other summer tyres, but not marked as winter tyres, and certainly no sipes or softer rubber. I had already advised him, as its his first 4X4, to go carefully as getting going and keeping going, in snow/ice is the easy bit with a 4X4 - stopping and steering is the tricky bit made even trickier when you have summer tyres fitted.

I had already advised him, as its his first 4X4, to go carefully as getting going and keeping going, in snow/ice is the easy bit with a 4X4 - stopping and steering is the tricky bit made even trickier when you have summer tyres fitted.

Even better, tell him to go and get some proper training.

I love the comments from some; "I've been driving for ?? years, I know all about it". They get told, "Fine, but when you get stuck because you haven't listened, you are the one who gets out to put the tow rope on!" Funny how their attitude changes when they are in 18" of mud!!

The best people to teach off-road driving to are women........they don't have balls!!

My insurance company call centre op quoted "as long as they are UK spec" therefore if I don't fit 17" or 18" wheels as per the inside of the petrol flap I think I will be punished as a modification if I fit 6.5J x 16 Audi wheels which many other VRS owners seem to have fitted.

Elephant have decided that our smaller, less desirable 16" Audi alloys count as a modification to our 2010 Octavia vRS and have charged £20.53 for the priviledge of fitting them (including a £17.50 admin fee)

Elephant have decided that our smaller, less desirable 16" Audi alloys count as a modification to our 2010 Octavia vRS and have charged £20.53 for the priviledge of fitting them (including a £17.50 admin fee)

Allot of them are doing this one with the wheels...so either go for OEM steels or EXACT OEM alloys as you have and fit the EXACT same tyre size! (then they can't accuse you of fitting different wheels)........thing is neither is best in all cases....I fitted winters to my OEM 14" alloys then went up to 15" TD Prorace alloys (tyres and sizes as per fuel filer cap and to OEM sizes)......£75 extra..... ...I might as well just keep emptying my wallet..........hang on I'm preaching to the converted here arn't I?..this being a car forum???....

Or just use winter tyre sizes that are recommended by Skoda for your vehicle, on genuine VAG wheels and they cannot (legally) charge you any extra as it is not a modification.

Or just use winter tyre sizes that are recommended by Skoda for your vehicle, on genuine VAG wheels and they cannot (legally) charge you any extra as it is not a modification.

205/55/16 is the recommended size, and Audi alloys are genuine VAG wheels but the argument they used is that the wheels are not a size that is fitted as standard to the car. Never mind, a £20 admin/modification fee is still a fair bit cheaper than the price difference between a set of 225/40/18 and a set of 205/55/16s, and a set of secondhand 16" Audi alloys cost a fair bit less than four new Skoda steel wheels.

Or just use winter tyre sizes that are recommended by Skoda for your vehicle, on genuine VAG wheels and they cannot (legally) charge you any extra as it is not a modification.

Pay £600-700 for OEM wide wheels and tyres..... Or pay £20-30 for modification premium, have stylish wheels and decent winter tyres already fitted for sub £300 which are narrower. Hum let me think about this for a second......, The laugh is that these are the same size as the OEM spare in my boot.

Pay £600-700 for OEM wide wheels and tyres..... Or pay £20-30 for modification premium, have stylish wheels and decent winter tyres already fitted for sub £300 which are narrower. Hum let me think about this for a second......, The laugh is that these are the same size as the OEM spare in my boot.

You seem to be missing my point, nobody has suggested buying new wheels, just stick to the Skoda recommended size for winter tyres FOR THAT VEHICLE and they are then not a modification, get the OE wheels on eBay etc for a fraction of new (like Julie did) but in the recommended size for a vRS.

If the handbook clearly states that 205/55/16" winter tyres are suitable for a vRS then Elephant are wrong to charge any excess.

I think we are all argueing the same point here...........I'll clarify.....

Put either the OEM tyre size that was fitted to the car at the factory or the OEM "Winter" tyre size on either OEM steel rims or the exact OEM alloys (duplicate set) that the car had as standard fit (not optional fit upgrades) when it left the factory!........

Anything else can be seen by the insurers as a "modification".....even if you use approved Skoda alloys that were listed as options in the OEM Skoda accessories for that car, or even if you use approved tyre sizes that are listed on the fuel filler cap!.......If they differ in size, style etc from the first above paragragh, that's it!!!.....more money to the insurers!.......

Take your pick!....I did......£75 more to the insurers ......but two very nice sets of alloys in the sizes that I want!!

Found this useful summary from Association British Insurers covers most insurance companies attitudes to winter tyres.

http://www.abi.org.uk/Information/Consumers/General/Winter_Tyres__The_Motor_Insurance_Committment.aspx

Found this useful summary from Association British Insurers covers most insurance companies attitudes to winter tyres.

http://www.abi.org.uk/Information/Consumers/General/Winter_Tyres__The_Motor_Insurance_Committment.aspx

Thanks for that. Perfect list. That list should be pinned somewhere.

I'll sticky it up the top of the tyres section but leave it in here too