Why is my MK2 useless in the snow compared to the MK1?

[J.R.]

I realise that it may sound like boasting but I have been driving on summer tyres in snow just for the pleasure of it for 42 years, until I moved to France I had never even heard of anyone using winter tyres, a friend does but she is such a nervous jerky driver, huge sharp throttle and steering inputs, snatched gearchanges and all done at the worst times whilst negotitaing a roundabout etc she really does need them but I have had to dirive her car in snow for her on the summer tyres  before they were changed one year and it had as much grip as anything that I had ever driven.

 

It was only on this forum that i learned that people in the UK swap wheels and tyres for winter, seems to have a high percentage of Scots on here!

 

Driving the car since on wet close to freezing roads its not lacking grip at all and I would not say that these Michelin Energy Savers are any worse than any other tyre in general winter conditions.

 

I think that your last sentence might be the key one, perhaps it was the snow breaking down into slush, I will go out and play again on virgin snow the next snowfall. If its OK then I will just stick with the summer tyres and accept that once every few years when it snows, at a certain temperature etc i might have problems, given the more than adequate grip I have the rest of the time at the same temperatures and on wet muddy roads it does not seem worth driving on winter tyres for 3 or 4 months every year, I might get some snow chains just in case.

[Ootohere]

@ryan-re  Just nosy but where did you get to the top of when in the Cairngorms and there was 6" of snow?

I take it all the other drivers were just getting about as usual like what happens when the snow gates are not closed or roads closed other than to 4x4's.

If a Postman or Home Delivery vehicle can get about then so can passenger cars unless something is very wrong with their driving, 

or maybe they are on in a AWD / 4X4 SUV on wide summer tyres as these are often the ones that block roads.

 

It is 3" of snow in the central belt that seems to cause chaos.

Edited 27 January, 2019 by Skoffski

[widdershins]

TBH I also think the tyres aren't helping.  The Michelin energy saver tyres have a harder compound and a tread pattern specifically designed to minimise rolling resistance, which are the exact opposite of what you want in winter.  A softer tyre compound will grip the road better in colder temps (i.e. below 7 degrees, not just when freezing), and a tread pattern designed with more lateral grooves and fewer continuous deep tracks around the circumference of the tyre will give it more "bite" in snow.  Of course this type of tyre isn't what you want for the rest of the year as they'd wear quicker and use more fuel.  

 

The options are a) two different tyres one for summer and one for winter, b) all season tyres, c) live with getting stuck occasionally and keep your AA membership number handy! or d) choose a summer tyre that isn't so hardcore summer orientated so you get stuck less often, and then choose option c)  It's your choice, you know how much snow you get where you live, how likely you are to get stuck, and how much of a pain it would be if you did get stuck.

 

I too have driven on summer tyres in snow for years and never once got stuck, but this year I got a set of part worn winters off a member on Briskoda.  I got a set of 4 for just over £120 including rims with about 6mm on them.  I work a fair distance from where I live and have to cross some less travelled and less gritted roads later in the evening.  Last year it was touch and go a couple of times whether I'd make it home skating round on summer Michelin's.  The extra comfort of having more grip is worth that small amount of money, and my local garage swapped them over for free in about 5 mins with an air wrench, so they're no real hassle. 

 

Of course sods law applies, this year has seen the least snow fall round here in about 30 years (so far).

[Ootohere]

Snow gates are closed again tonight on the A93 and A939.

You might see snow this week or certainly next where ever you are.

http://trafficscotland.org/currentincidents

 

[Ootohere]

A sensible warning today.  'Winter tyres also required', http://lecht.co.uk 

http://lect.co.uk/webcams

http://ski-glenshee.co.uk

 

All well and good getting up hills it is getting back down that can have you touching cloth.

Edited 28 January, 2019 by Skoffski

[widdershins]

The getting down is easy, it's the sudden stop at the end that 's the problem.

[Ootohere]

When you hit a snow bank, kerb or the likes that can be time for a sigh of relief or time for tears.

It can be a wild ride getting to that place......

Quite often i go an extra 90 miles rather than going the quickest way home.

Edited 28 January, 2019 by Skoffski

[ryan-re]

21 hours ago, Skoffski said:

@ryan-re  Just nosy but where did you get to the top of when in the Cairngorms and there was 6" of snow?

I take it all the other drivers were just getting about as usual like what happens when the snow gates are not closed or roads closed other than to 4x4's.

If a Postman or Home Delivery vehicle can get about then so can passenger cars unless something is very wrong with their driving, 

or maybe they are on in a AWD / 4X4 SUV on wide summer tyres as these are often the ones that block roads.

 

It is 3" of snow in the central belt that seems to cause chaos.

 

It was the main carpark. This was a few years ago, im not talking about now or anything.

Definetely around 6" up there when I got there. The snow was coming down quick as even with a hot engine it was managing to cover the car very quickly. We stayed there for 5 minutes and decided to go lol

[Ootohere]

Ski centre car parks are open because that is the business they are in so roads cleared to get customers up there or way home without being stuck is how it is.

The car parks are almost level after all.

Amazing how many get about with the tyres the cars get fitted with and that are skiers or boarders.