winter tyres work well with the Yeti in snow - they have saved me on three occasions in Northern France when many cars were stranded and some abandoned by the road side

12 minutes ago, BillN_33 said:

winter tyres work well with the Yeti in snow - they have saved me on three occasions in Northern France when many cars were stranded and some abandoned by the road side

 

But were the abandoned cars Yetis?

 

It's so difficult to know isn't it!

 

Logic tells me that if the tyres are rubbish then the 4WD will compensate more, and if the tyres are capable then the 4WD will do less.

 

I'm a new Yeti person, with minimal miles of experience, and the only thing I do know so far is that the 17" wheels on mine are not suitable because the sidewalls are so reduced and therefore so rigid that the tyre can't compensate for rough surfaces as it can't do the necessary twisting and bending.  I've bought - but haven't yet got - some 16" wheels.  My feeling is that a higher and more flexible sidewall will help with the sort of driving I do.  Horses for courses.

 

But in the end how do you judge how much is down to the tyre and how much down to the 4WD?  I think if the Yeti gets you safely to the end of your journey on whatever setup and whatever surface and whatever tyres then say "Hallelujah" if you are religious or "******* brilliant" if not.   If it doesn't then ........

 

 

 

my winter wheels are 16" steel wheels ....... generally I prefer them to the 17" alloys cannot say why - they just "feel" better, especially in rain - probably because they have winter tyres fitted

 

we have both a 4 x 4 and a 4 x 2 Yeti - so I have had the opportunity to compare then

 

........... certain opinion states that in WINTER conditions< (below 7 degrees), a 2WD car with winter tyres is "better" than a 4WD car with "summer" tyres ........ but that is a matter of opinion ...... and the usual moaners will argue both ways

 

I am not a fan at all of "low" profile tyres in any conditions

Edited 19 December, 20178 yr by BillN_33
words added

2 minutes ago, BillN_33 said:

I am not a fan at all of "low" profile tyres 

 

Yes.  You only have to look at a Land Rover - proper farmer's type - to see what's best.  Big, big sidewalls.  And also why the Range Rover/Discovery/Cayenne etc etc are all total rubbish on any slightly dodgy surface.

 

It's sad I think - in the "old" days cars were made for a use, now they are made for a visual image.  I ran an older Subaru Forester before I got my Yeti and that was most certainly made for a specific use - namely 80% or so of it's life on tarmac and the rest on other surfaces.  It was a good vehicle!  But the new Foresters are made for 99% tarmac/school run/chelsea tractor use and 1% on Glastonbury fields.  I fear the new Skoda Kodiaq may be the same.

 

My "indication", when I was looking at cars, was "did it have a spare wheel"?!?!?!  That's a seriously hard thing to find nowadays - nearly all expect a can of Siberian mammals to be sufficient.  My Yeti didn't - but it did have a spare wheel kit available which I've since bought.  To me that's a good defining line!  I did email Subaru a couple of years ago to ask if there was a spare wheel kit for the XV and the simple answer came back "no".  Enough said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, aka_pseudonym said:

 

Yes.  You only have to look at a Land Rover - proper farmer's type - to see what's best.  Big, big sidewalls.  And also why the Range Rover/Discovery/Cayenne etc etc are all total rubbish on any slightly dodgy surface.

 

It's sad I think - in the "old" days cars were made for a use, now they are made for a visual image.  I ran an older Subaru Forester before I got my Yeti and that was most certainly made for a specific use - namely 80% or so of it's life on tarmac and the rest on other surfaces.  It was a good vehicle!  But the new Foresters are made for 99% tarmac/school run/chelsea tractor use and 1% on Glastonbury fields.  I fear the new Skoda Kodiaq may be the same.

 

My "indication", when I was looking at cars, was "did it have a spare wheel"?!?!?!  That's a seriously hard thing to find nowadays - nearly all expect a can of Siberian mammals to be sufficient.  My Yeti didn't - but it did have a spare wheel kit available which I've since bought.  To me that's a good defining line!  I did email Subaru a couple of years ago to ask if there was a spare wheel kit for the XV and the simple answer came back "no".  Enough said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spare wheel - I got a full sized spare wheel kit and "touch wood" I have not had to use it in 120,000 kms

Edited 19 December, 20178 yr by BillN_33

1 minute ago, BillN_33 said:

 

I got a full sized spare wheel kit

 

Good that you haven't had to use it - but even better that you could get a spare wheel kit in the first place!

 

8 hours ago, aka_pseudonym said:

 

I'm a new Yeti person, with minimal miles of experience, and the only thing I do know so far is that the 17" wheels on mine are not suitable because the sidewalls are so reduced and therefore so rigid that the tyre can't compensate for rough surfaces as it can't do the necessary twisting and bending.  I've bought - but haven't yet got - some 16" wheels.  My feeling is that a higher and more flexible sidewall will help with the sort of driving I do.  Horses for courses.

 

 

I have driven many miles off-road in both of my 17" equipped Yeti's and have never found them to be a problem. Those miles have included everything from Class A forestry tracks down to rutted and muddy green lanes.

7 hours ago, aka_pseudonym said:

 

Yes.  You only have to look at a Land Rover - proper farmer's type - to see what's best.  Big, big sidewalls.  And also why the Range Rover/Discovery/Cayenne etc etc are all total rubbish on any slightly dodgy surface.

 

It's sad I think - in the "old" days cars were made for a use, now they are made for a visual image.  I ran an older Subaru Forester before I got my Yeti and that was most certainly made for a specific use - namely 80% or so of it's life on tarmac and the rest on other surfaces.  It was a good vehicle!  But the new Foresters are made for 99% tarmac/school run/chelsea tractor use and 1% on Glastonbury fields.  I fear the new Skoda Kodiaq may be the same.

 

My "indication", when I was looking at cars, was "did it have a spare wheel"?!?!?!  That's a seriously hard thing to find nowadays - nearly all expect a can of Siberian mammals to be sufficient.  My Yeti didn't - but it did have a spare wheel kit available which I've since bought.  To me that's a good defining line!  I did email Subaru a couple of years ago to ask if there was a spare wheel kit for the XV and the simple answer came back "no".  Enough said.

 

Have you actually driven a Range Rover, Discovery or Discovery Sport off road? Funny that LR EXperience seem to manage perfectly well around the likes of Eastnor on their standard fitted rubber.

 

 

 

7 hours ago, Llanigraham said:

 

Have you actually driven a Range Rover, Discovery or Discovery Sport off road? Funny that LR EXperience seem to manage perfectly well around the likes of Eastnor on their standard fitted rubber.

 

 

 

 

Nope - been in one, not driven one.  I do remember, about fifteen years ago, there was a very churned up, wet, muddy section on my forestry road where a lot of logging was taking place.  And one morning I came upon a stuck Discovery - up to its axles.  I stopped to have a chat and then went on my way in my little Subaru Justy which had no problem handling it at all.  But then maybe the Discovery had something worse than standard rubber fitted.

 

 

59 minutes ago, aka_pseudonym said:

Eastnor

 

Is this 5th Gear video Eastnor - where the Defender driven by the chief instructor gets stuck and the Panda Cross driven by Tiff Needell gets through?  (Probably a put up job though!)

 

 

That isn't Eastnor.
 

And we weren't talking about Defenders, and it is funny how in the scene before the Defender is shown up to it's axles it is seen moving along normally.

Yup - as I said a put up job most likely.  But back to Discoveries and Cayennes and big Audis and BMWs and so on - it is true that big wide tyres and loads of weight is not an advantage in mud.  Hence my Justy winning where a Discovery couldn't and a Panda pretending to win where a Defender couldn't.

 

Edited 20 December, 20178 yr by aka_pseudonym

Defenders got delivered on pretty crap OEM tyres, 

so do Isuzu Pickups, or a Amarok but then you can opt for tyres that are not Road Bias and more Al;-Terrain / mud suited.

Maybe like BF Goodrich,  All-Terrain, Mud Terrain or T/A KM 2  a mix of both.

 

In mud big heavy vehicles are still big and heavy, a Unimog  has the gears and the tyres and can get to the hard base maybe, 

The Defender 110 Utility Special Vehicle Division that Electric Linesman use to work with the Unimogs are on wide flotation tyres, 

Travel light and cause less damage...

 

it is all relevant, a Bowler, Wildcat or a Nemesis on the same tyres as a Defender, Dicovery or a Range Rover might well get a lot further but then that is what they built for, 

and to do it faster without breaking.

 

Horses for Courses. & wear the right shoes.

Edited 20 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki