My remapped fabia was terrible in the snow, would always spin and I always got stuck. Whats the Octavia like. Does the asr help alot?

I have a Cr vrs and as with any powerful front wheel drive car, its rubbish in the snow. You just have to be careful really. I had regular tyres though, maybe winter ones are better?

TBH my old remapped Mk1 Fabia VRS (173bhp) was absolutely fine in the worst winters we had, the ASR was a god send light gentle use of pedals and cheap summer rubber on it, would climb anything. The Octavia has wider wheels so may well have less stability on snow/ice, I have winter alloys for the car just in case. But before I did I had no problems in -20 odd compacted frozen snow etc. 

Put some winter tyres on. I did after mine struggled like hell to climb a gentle hill from a standing start. It simply wanted to slide sideways no matter how gently the clutch was fed in, starting in 2nd or how controlled the revs were. In contrast a police diesel Octavia eased up with no problems. I finally did it in 4th and vowed to fit winters, which I put on Audi 16" alloys and I've had no problems since. 

Too much power to the driving wheels is the main problem, but my DSG is pretty good. Winter tyres seem popular but I've never bothered with them.

I live in a village called mountain, (name says it all)

We had the worst snow fall I have ever seen last year! & my petrol vRS got me to work and back every day without fail,

I would say its all about how you drive it!

As long as you have a reasonable amount of tread on your tyres. Does not matter what lump you have under the bonnet, it's how you drive,end of.

Passed with normal tyres on my car, many an idiot on the roads spinning and sliding around, instead of getting in the right gear and just driving sensibly.

I had regular tyres though, maybe winter ones are better?

 

From my perspective I find it funny that this discussion even exists. Of course winter tyres are going to be better. It makes all the difference in every possible situation when snow or ice is involved. Any summer tyre is going to be rubbish in snow, with the stopping distance of a freight train and so forth.

 

Traction and stability control helps a lot, but aids like these only exist to help sort out driver error. In other words, if you get the blinky light you did something wrong to begin with. That's not saying you can't get into the habit of using TC as a crutch - I find myself doing it quite a lot in the Octavia even though I know perfectly well how to drive in snow without any electronics at all. 

 

I can't see how a Skoda RS TDI 170 would be any different from anyone elses TDI 140, my TSI 122 and so forth. It's the same car, after all. The only difference should be the wider rubber on the RS giving you even less traction in snow. And my TSI suffers from the lightweight engine. I'd love a TDI 140 lump under there for traction in winter.

Edited 28 September, 201312 yr by Perc

Anyone that has a Vrs fitted with the Continental Sport Contact 2 tyres originally will not do well in the snow !

I love also how some people come on here and automatically presume they are better than the rest that say they struggle in the snow. Remember you do not know everyone's situation or location.

I love also how some people come on here and automatically presume they are better than the rest that say they struggle in the snow. Remember you do not know everyone's situation or location.

 

Was this directed at me? If so, my apologies if I came across like that. 

 

It's just that my country is covered in snow from November to April, so we know how to drive in the stuff and also how to equip our cars for it. Excuse me if I find it a bit strange that someone even considers using summer tyres all year round in the kind of climate that the UK has. 

Winter tyres all the way. 18s and dsg are useless in snow.

You can't change into 2nd unless you're actually moving and if you can't move in first place you're kinda stuck

I made the mistake of putting my 18s back on early this year before the heavy snowfall in April we had.

I actually got out the car with it in d and the wheels slowly spinning and not actually doing anything in a bid to try and push it. In the end I borrowed a car, went home, loaded my winter wheels up and changed them on the side of the road (I was at the bottom of a very long incline so had no chance even if I got moving)

To me they're worth every penny.

The Honda civic I borrowed with skinny 14inch wheels only got stuck once and I soon got it moving with a bit of a push

I found my petrol vrs one of the worst cars I've owned in the snow. Think its down to thw wide wheels. Where I live there are alot of roads that don't get cleared or treated so winter tyres were essential for me and transformed the car.

During the winter's of 2009/10 and 2010/11 that were horrendous, I never once got stuck or excessive wheel spin.the road upto my estate is steep, the car went up and down no problem even in 10/12 inches of snow. At the time the car was running Michelin premacys, when I changed to Michelin sports the car became dreadful in the snow. I now have a full set of avon snow tyres and never really got to test them last year lol.

Put some winter tyres on. I did after mine struggled like hell to climb a gentle hill from a standing start. It simply wanted to slide sideways no matter how gently the clutch was fed in, starting in 2nd or how controlled the revs were. In contrast a police diesel Octavia eased up with no problems. I finally did it in 4th and vowed to fit winters, which I put on Audi 16" alloys and I've had no problems since. 

 

A lot is down to the wide, low profile tyres being extremely poor in snow/slush/ice. It's not just the vRS, my old A6 Avant (same width but on 17" wheels) was shockingly bad in snow.

The police vehicles in Lincs aren't fitted with winter tyres and run summers all year but because they are running base spec models, the 195 section tyres can cut through snow slightly better. 

 

I was thinking of investing in a set of winters for the wife's C1, but the tyres are so narrow that I'll probably not bother.

My old Octavia with 205 width summer tyres was awful in snow compared to our Leon with 195 summer tyres.

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I've gotten through some awful stuff in my VRS on summer tread.

 

If you don't have winters then It's down to your luck with tyres (tread pattern and depth on summers) plus your skill in the snow.

My wife's corsa has 185 55 15 tyres and its never got stuck compared to my vrs. Same style of driving and the vrs got stuck on the same section of road and her car drove through it no bother. I remember having an old polo with 145 tyres...it was amazing in the bad weather!

A set of 16" steels and 205x55x16 Continental TS830 winter tyres are what we have used on the Octy CR VRS for the last few years. Awesome grip in the snow and in cold, wet winter weather in general.

Well worth the initial outlay.

Dave

Edited 28 September, 201312 yr by FatblokeVRS

Try getting a set of winter tyres - already selling out fast and the prices being charged suggest they are diamond encrusted! And only H rated, V rated? Surely irrelevant so why no W speed rated tyres so that my insurer won't go mental at the thought of me fitting them?!

Try getting a set of winter tyres - already selling out fast and the prices being charged suggest they are diamond encrusted! And only H rated, V rated? Surely irrelevant so why no W speed rated tyres so that my insurer won't go mental at the thought of me fitting them?!

You don't need to fit W rated tyres, read the handbook for you car, it will give you approved speed ratings for winter tyres. Your insurance can't complain as you are complying with manufacturers requirements.

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Try getting a set of winter tyres - already selling out fast and the prices being charged suggest they are diamond encrusted! And only H rated, V rated? Surely irrelevant so why no W speed rated tyres so that my insurer won't go mental at the thought of me fitting them?!

Plenty places have winter tyres in stock and still at reasonable prices. Minute there is snow or frost the prices always rocket

Quick internet search on winter tyres for a 17" wheel - £140 fitted and a Goodyear winter is almost £170! So winter tyres are 40+%  dearer than the equivalent summer Goodyear Eagle2 - has it got 40% more rubber (can't have, all those cut outs in tread). Seriously, where are these 'cheap' or even equivalent tyre fitters than will do a winter tyre (a brand that you've actually heard of) and not take the p*ss with the price?

 

I maybe didn't make my point about the speed rating on winter tyres too well - why manufacture H or V rated tyres but not a W? Surely the speed rating is irrelevant as a V tyre is up to 149mph? In the snow, slush, ice conditions? Even getting near the top H rated tyre rating would be a totally unrealtistic speed in that kind of weather so why isn't there W speed rated tyres - it'll then be the same size as standard and my insurer won't up my premium for a "modification" to the car?

To be honest most places are gearing up with winter tyres, they haven't had deliveries from the manufacturers yet.

Fitting V rated winter tyres instead of summer W isn't a modification! It meets the manufacturers spec!

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With winter tyres the VRS was as good as my 4x4 in snow up to a couple of inches we had last year I was astounded by how good it was and I'd never be without winter tyres now

When I got my tyres for the VRS and also my astravan, they were £130 each on the web plus fitting. I called my local kwikfit and they got them in and fitted them for just over £60 each. Cracking deal.