hi all,

Im thinking of trading in my 07 1.9tdi 3 roomster for a 1.2 tsi se yeti. Was wondering what the non 4x4 yetis are like in snow particularly with having wide profile tyres?

Just like any 2 wheel drive car really. If you need to get around in adverse weather conditions then you either need to get something like Michelin Cross Climate tyres, that you can leave on all year, or invest in a set of wheels fitted with winter tyres. Swap the summer wheel/tyres for winter wheel/tyres at end of October and keep them on until weather improves in March. Winter tyres are not only supremely better than summer tyres in snow but in all weather conditions when the temperature is 7 centigrade or lower. Up front expense of course but longer term balances out as you are only driving on each set of tyres for 6 months out of the year.

Check out the winter/summer tyre reviews on-line and you will see the huge difference winter tyres make. AutoExpress 0n-line is easiest place to check first but there are many more test sites to look at.

hi all,

Im thinking of trading in my 07 1.9tdi 3 roomster for a 1.2 tsi se yeti. Was wondering what the non 4x4 yetis are like in snow particularly with having wide profile tyres?

For info, if you are thinking you may need snow chains one day, I think you need 16" wheels for front clearance.

bazbazza,

I went the winter tyre route for the first time when I bought my Yeti in 2014. Three points swung it for me:-

• Snow - a film clip that showed a 4x4 Yeti with normal tyres and a 2wd Yeti with winter tyres. I think in 5 of the 6 tests the 2wd performed better.
• Cold - they are very sticky, much improved grip.
• Cost - a set of steel rims shod with Nokian winter tyres was cheaper than a new set of my Pirelli.

Colin

If you decide to go the winter tyre route then you can get 16" wheels and tyres, you will find they are significantly cheaper than the 17" wheels and should give a smoother ride. 16" wheels are fully approved by Skoda and usually they come with 205 x 60 profile for winter use. Check the Skoda Manual for more details.

Thanks guys for all the advice on winter driving in a yeti. I guess at the end of the day its a case of driving sensibly when in snow or ice. Many thanks

Thanks guys for all the advice on winter driving in a yeti. I guess at the end of the day its a case of driving sensibly when in snow or ice. Many thanks

Do consider winter tyres - they make a night'n'day difference when driving in snow - you can accelerate, brake and steer almost normally...

If you decide to go the winter tyre route then you can get 16" wheels and tyres, you will find they are significantly cheaper than the 17" wheels and should give a smoother ride. 16" wheels are fully approved by Skoda and usually they come with 205 x 60 profile for winter use. Check the Skoda Manual for more details.

 

205/55R16 according to the manual - at least on the front.  Apparently you can fit snow chains to 215/60R16 tyres on the rear axle only (not having it to hand, I'm not sure whether my Certificate of Conformance actually lists 215/60R16 as a valid fitment for my vehicle).

 

Agree that tyres for 16" rims are cheaper.  I'm looking to get a set of Michelin Cross Climates soon and the ones for the 16" rims are 25% cheaper than the 17" ones - plus I'd be able to fit chains on the 16" ones.  I ran my Nokian winter tyres all through the summer just gone with no issues at all so I don't see the smaller rim and narrower tyre as being any kind of a handicap - in fact the vastly superior wet road performance of the winter tyres is a clear advantage over the 17" summer tyres IMO.

If you had decent winter tyres on, I don't think you'd ever have a need for chains.

I run 215/60R16 tyres in winter on steel rims with trims, partly because internet wisdom seemed to think 16" steels were the way to go; in hindsight I wish I'd just got a second set of 17" alloys and run winter tyres in the normal size - I hate the additional sidewall flex of the higher profile tyres, and they look crap...

205/55R16 according to the manual - at least on the front.  Apparently you can fit snow chains to 215/60R16 tyres on the rear axle only (not having it to hand, I'm not sure whether my Certificate of Conformance actually lists 215/60R16 as a valid fitment for my vehicle).

 

Agree that tyres for 16" rims are cheaper.  I'm looking to get a set of Michelin Cross Climates soon and the ones for the 16" rims are 25% cheaper than the 17" ones - plus I'd be able to fit chains on the 16" ones.  I ran my Nokian winter tyres all through the summer just gone with no issues at all so I don't see the smaller rim and narrower tyre as being any kind of a handicap - in fact the vastly superior wet road performance of the winter tyres is a clear advantage over the 17" summer tyres IMO.

I am one of those who managed to order a Yeti with 16" wheels as original equipment. It came with 215 60 R16 summer tyres as standard and both the manual and the data behind the fuel filler cap define 215 60 R16 tyre inflation data as well as 225 50 R17 data. My winter Nokians are 215 60 R16's same size as summers,  but I believe it is acceptable to have 205 60 R16 tyres - though I agree it is worth checking.

I've just changed to winter tyres, Fulda Krystal Control 2, some German manufacturer part of the Goodyear-Dunlop group so I hope they aren't that bad. I would have wanted a Dunlop which I have used on deep snow and ice for several years, but they were too expensive. Also took some 16" steel rims (they look horrible!) and 205/55 tyres for the possibility to put snow chains which are indeed useful only in heavy winter conditions but I go several times per season in the Alps. 

.... I'm not sure whether my Certificate of Conformance actually lists 215/60R16 as a valid fitment for my vehicle).....

 

I am one of those who managed to order a Yeti with 16" wheels as original equipment. It came with 215 60 R16 summer tyres as standard ...

 

Yes, 16" by special order for the lucky few (a dozen of us?), but OEM nonetheless

I went new set of 16" alloys (Skoda ones) with Nokians in the narrower width.

I reasoned that if I was going to the trouble of extra wheels and tyres and changing them over twice a year then I would get the best wet/winter performance. So, narrower tyres cut through water better (possibly snow also but I don't know that for sure) and they are the best/easiest to get chains for (and to fit!). Job done.

Having now checked my CoC: 215/60 R16 95H on 7Jx16 ET45 is actually listed as the primary wheel/tyre combination.  The other combinations which are listed as being within the type approval are:

225/50 R17 94W 7Jx17 ET45

205/50 R17 93H M+S 6Jx17 ET45

205/55 R16 94V M+S 7Jx16 ET45

205/55 R16 94H M+S 6Jx16 ET50

 

Interesting that those last three are listed specifically as M+S fitments.  Would 'summer' tyres in those sizes not be conformant?  Seems a little odd.

I ran my Nokian winter tyres all through the summer ...  - in fact the vastly superior wet road performance of the winter tyres is a clear advantage over the 17" summer tyres IMO.

 

I too am a fan of winter tyres, but depending on what you mean by 'performance' your statement may mislead people.  All the objective testing shows that at 15 degrees C on a wet road, a good summer tyre will easily out-brake a good winter tyre, though in wet cornering the winter tyre often wins.  Moreover, I know you were not talking about dry road performance but one cannot overlook the fact that (again in summer temperatures) in the dry, a winter tyre's braking and cornering are so far behind those of a good summer tyre as to be a liability. See, for example, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Is-there-a-true-all-season-tyre-We-find-out.htm

 

I just sold a Yeti after 60,000 miles. I sold it on its original factory-fitted summer tyres (SP Sport 01, a horrid antiquated design) and they still had 2mm tread all round.  How did they last so long? Because I had winter tyres on instead for a few months of each year. The winters paid for themselves and then some.

I go round corners far more often then I do emergency stops (in fact I can't think of the last time I had to do an emergency stop - touches wood frantically!)

 

I get what you're saying: when the sh!t hits the fan, the 'summer' tyre will perform better in the conditions cited.  So that's potentially useful information for others.  I was merely recounting my experience.  I probably don't do enough mileage to be involved in many such soiled ventilator events - although I did have a squeaky moment back in the summer when I had to abort an overtake of a particularly unhelpful timber lorry, so I'm no saint behind the wheel.  The Nokians did exactly what was required of them that time (though I wasn't pushing them that hard).

 

What I can say is that I have never noticed any unexpected lack of braking ability from my winter tyres at any time of year.  My recollection is that it was easier to trigger the ABS with my now-retired SP01s than has ever been the case with my Nokians.  Oh, and around where I live the roads are much more likely to be wet, than to reach the giddy heights of 15°C!  (7° ground temperature in my garden this morning, which is about normal for this time of year I think - I'm sure it stayed warmer for longer last autumn, despite what Chris and Michaela were saying on the telly last night.)

All the objective testing shows that at 15 degrees C on a wet road, a good summer tyre will easily out-brake a good winter tyre, though in wet cornering the winter tyre often wins.

Moreover, I know you were not talking about dry road performance but one cannot overlook the fact that (again in summer temperatures) in the dry, a winter tyre's braking and cornering are so far behind those of a good summer tyre as to be a liability.

See, for example, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Is-there-a-true-all-season-tyre-We-find-out.htm

My unscientific (on a completely empty road before anyone moans) test of standing on the brakes from high speed with winter tyres on, backs this up - they definitely do not stop as well as summer tyres on dry tarmac.

They squirm around and understeer more under cornering too.

I've run winters up to around May before, when temps were getting quite pleasant, I wouldn't choose to again though.

Although the oft-cited claims of winter tyres wearing excessively in warmer temps, and being noisy, I find untrue - they didn't wear any faster in warm weather than summers and in some cases my winter tyres have been quieter than my summers!

My unscientific (on a completely empty road before anyone moans) test of standing on the brakes from high speed with winter tyres on, backs this up - they definitely do not stop as well as summer tyres on dry tarmac.

They squirm around and understeer more under cornering too.

I've run winters up to around May before, when temps were getting quite pleasant, I wouldn't choose to again though.

Although the oft-cited claims of winter tyres wearing excessively in warmer temps, and being noisy, I find untrue - they didn't wear any faster in warm weather than summers and in some cases my winter tyres have been quieter than my summers!

Are you dropping down from V/W rated tyres to H rated for the winters, then I would agree, but I have been running Nokian WR SUV G2's for 6 years on our Volvo, and when using the V rated version of the tyre, there is very little difference in the Summer /Winter tyre handling re braking/squirm etc.... given that you can actually brake on the winters on hard packed snow/ice, and you really need to try hard to get the ABS to kick in, under normal driving ... behave like a hooligan is a different matter.

Edited 25 October, 20169 yr by TruckbusUK

An advantage of the Yeti over other 'conventional' cars in deeper snow that I have yet to prove is the greater ground clearance? My last car (an x-type Jag) kept grounding on deeper snow, causing loss of traction (that was front wheel drive too). Hopefully that is less likely in the Yeti.....

 

Jim

Stating the obvious, two top choices at the moment would be [a] the CrossClimate, which as everyone acknowledges has turned the tyre market upside-down with its unprecedented combination of summer and winter ability and  the ContiWinterContact TS860, which as this year's best new entrant has pulled out a convincing lead on other full winter tyres.

 

There's a drawback for anyone wanting to buy now, though. The Conti is not available in 215/60 R16, though more sizes have been promised for early 2017 and this is likely to be one of them. And the CrossClimate, now two years old, is to be superseded in early 2017 by the CrossClimate+, which improves upon its performance quite considerably.  So if one wants the very best all-season or winter tyre, one needs to hold on for a few months. By which time, of course, winter will be over.

Edited 27 October, 20169 yr by mumpsim

A quiet mention of the Kleber Quadraxer all-season tyre, which I've ben running now for a couple of years.  At last month's fourth service / MoT they were still showing 6mm all over after around 13K miles - mainly rural driving but some longer-distance motorway runs.  They've been around for several years - try a general forum search for 'Quadraxer'. 

 

The recent Quadraxer 2 has added some 17" sizes, originally omitted.  Kleber is in the Michelin group and the Quads apparently were fitted to the Tour de France Škoda vehicles. 

 

I don't 'do' recommendations, just offer my opinion - I like them.