Hi Everyone,

 

I'm new to the forum as I'm picking up the above on Saturday and really looking forward to it, it's bloody quick 😀.

 

I've spent the last 5 years in 4 wheel drive Outlanders, so the even the heaviest snow we've had in that time was no bother. 

 

I'm mindful that the Superb is a lot quicker, auto and putting it through the front wheels at the same time. 

 

How have others who own this version found its manners in the Winter?

 

I've been driving 20 years, pretty competent and typically drive the way you should in the snow. But I'd be keen to know if anyone felt they had to go as far as winter tyres or snow socks, or if sensible winter driving was enough.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Baz

 

 

 

I've just swapped my P7s for a set of Vredestein Quatrac 5 all-season tyres. We had an inch of snow a couple years ago and it doesn't get ploughed where I park. The Pirellis were not very confidence inspiring. After predictions of a long, cold winter this year, I thought I'd play it safe.

How are 4WD Outlanders better than other ordinary FWD vehicles in braking or cornering on snow and ice?  They probably aren't since the biggest factor involved is tires and how efficiently they can grip (or not). It's not my intention to sound patronizing or critical, I just hear about this flawed AWD benefit often, but somehow always from people in countries where snow/ice driving isn't a given but rather depends on the year and location.

Setting off is only one of the three critical situations at which one needs to ensure sufficient performance for a safe trip and probably the least important as failure in setting off, even though very inconvenient, does not involve any speed at all. So definitely, AWD systems help there (to an extent) and you can be on your way.  So what happens when you start needing the tires to take a corner or even worse, brake, unexpectedly as it usually happens when people drive in the snow, over slippery surface? Sensitive driving can not protect you from others and in the right (actually: wrong!) conditions, even 20mph are more than enough to lose control without winter tires. It's not about heavy snow fall either. In fact it's more the times after it has snowed and the roads are well frozen where the extra traction from winter tires together with sensible driving are needed.

My point is, if you've gone through so many winters with just AWD's on summer tires it means you don't really have what we call winter conditions, meaning you'll be just fine with any other car. Ok maybe in the worst days plan your parking accordingly so that setting off is easy but other than that I don't see why you'd be worried more.  But if you foresee regular driving in snow/ice, Outlander or not I'd switch to a winter tire set without a second thought.
 

PS. We've all seen on YT how nice those big AWD SUV's slide down frozen roads when not on winter tires but I have a personal contribution to this as a passenger from several years ago. We'd gone up a mountain full of snow in a Toyota RAV4 with summer tires, and at lunchtime the driver was all proud about how his AWD car tackled the climb without issues, and it definitely did. However, on our way down, due to either misjudgement from his side, or just a very slippery surface after the sun had melted a bit of snow to proper ice that wasn't there earlier, at some point the car lost all traction and was sliding uncontrollably towards the left side which was a cliff. Out of pure coincidence, the front end gripped at the very last moment and the car turned to the right side where the mountain was and crashed lightly on a wall of snow without a scratch to the car or passengers. So much for AWD bragging...

 

Fit winter or all season tyres and you’ll easily outperform what your outlander could do, safely.

As mentioned by @newbie69, tyres are key. In the UK, a good all season should be a good choice if you live in a place where chances of snow is higher and where it's always wet. 

 

Don't worry about traction starting off if you can't steer or turn. 

I stick 17" wheels with continental winter contacts on mine Nov-Mar. Far better in the cold/damp as well as snow. (Still nowhere near as good as our 4wd CRV with all-season cross tyres on it.)

 

53 minutes ago, KeteCantek said:

As mentioned by @newbie69, tyres are key. In the UK, a good all season should be a good choice if you live in a place where chances of snow is higher and where it's always wet. 

 

Don't worry about traction starting off if you can't steer or turn. 

Indeed. Tyres tyres tyres.  A FWD car with Winter biased all-seasons or dedicated Winter tyres will leave a 4x4 on Summer tyres at the bottom of a snow covered hill.  IME there's not much between the all-season and Winter tyres I've had.  

 

@Baz80 - if you want to go all-seasons then you're limited with the Sportline's 19's; a few Ling-Longs, Maxxis AP2 or Vredestein Quatrac 5's.  I've had the Quatrac 5's on my previous and current Sportlines and they are pretty damn good and also more than happy in the Summer months too.  

44 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

Indeed. Tyres tyres tyres.  A FWD car with Winter biased all-seasons or dedicated Winter tyres will leave a 4x4 on Summer tyres at the bottom of a snow covered hill.  IME there's not much between the all-season and Winter tyres I've had.  

 

@Baz80 - if you want to go all-seasons then you're limited with the Sportline's 19's; a few Ling-Longs, Maxxis AP2 or Vredestein Quatrac 5's.  I've had the Quatrac 5's on my previous and current Sportlines and they are pretty damn good and also more than happy in the Summer months too.  

Maybe there is Goodyear vectors in the size too. Otherwise Quatrac is probably it. Or get a set of 18s and go cross climate+.

Ditto most of the above. 

Used to have an octy vrs that I would put winters on. Could literally plow snow with it, drove really well in cold/wet or icy/snowy conditions on the winters, have also used all seasons on other cars since then and found them to be excellent as well. 

Defo recommendation for the vredestein quatrac (you may need the "pro" version to get your size rather than the "5" version, not sure). 

Edited 14 November, 20196 yr by Gmac983

31 minutes ago, Gmac983 said:

Ditto most of the above. 

Used to have an octy vrs that I would put winters on. Could literally plow snow with it, drove really well in cold/wet or icy/snowy conditions on the winters, have also used all seasons on other cars since then and found them to be excellent as well. 

Defo recommendation for the vredestein quatrac (you may need the "pro" version to get your size rather than the "5" version, not sure). 

The "Pro" version isn't available in this size and according to an email I got back from Vredestein UK, it won't be available any time soon either...and there's no plans to update the Quatrac 5. 

 

41 minutes ago, KeteCantek said:

Maybe there is Goodyear vectors in the size too. Otherwise Quatrac is probably it. Or get a set of 18s and go cross climate+.

Nope.  The Vredesteins and Maxxis' are the only 'mainstream' manufacturers' offering all-seasons in 235/40 R19. 

Oh it must be due to snow then 🤣:

 

 

 

£227 each, I guess they have 'no' or very limited stock.  

Edited 14 November, 20196 yr by penguin17

11 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

.and there's no plans to update the Quatrac 5. 

I don't follow? Why does the 5 need updating? 

It's available on oponeo at £166 in the 19" size. 

 

My mistake I initially thought it was 20's we were looking at re' my other post. 

 

 

Edited 14 November, 20196 yr by Gmac983

1 minute ago, Gmac983 said:

I don't follow? Why does the 5 need updating? 

It doesn't IME but it is getting on a bit now. Apparently there's a significant difference in performance between the Quatrac Pro and the 5 so if the Pro wasn't getting rolled out in more sizes I queried whether the 5 would be getting an update then. I read somewhere that the Pro was mainly aimed at the SUV market and the sizing would back that up but there's already the Quatrac 5 SUV....so if the Pro model is replacing that but sizes were limited then I thought there may be an updated or replacement Quatrac 5 to cater for cars/more sizes.   

 

The Quatrac 5 has been around for nearly 6 years, well before the current crop of top all-season tyres, and both GY and Michelin (and others) have released and updated their offerings in that time but nothing from Vredestein as yet.  Don't get me wrong it's a good tyre but development and materials have no doubt moved on in the last 5-6 years, so it could be better. 

@penguin17

Fair enough. 

Probably look out for a quatrac 6 to join the pro sometime in the future and the 5 and 5 SUV to be dropped perhaps. 

Used the 5's extensively and 3's, can't fault them really. Can't comment on others as haven't used them. 

Have also used Hankook icebears (Winter) back on my VRS and were decent, although they will be very outdated now. 

Edited 14 November, 20196 yr by Gmac983

Thanks everyone, some good answers in there.

 

The car only has 2,800 on the clock since new. So it's probably a waste to go for all seasons, knowing there's a good set of summer tyres unless I sell the factory set.  So I think I'll have a look around for some decent winter tyres and approach it that way.

I test drove a 220 last summer and could barely stop it wheel spinning in the wet. Get some winter tyres =sorted. 

Spun the wheels twice today on 1/4 throttle, so I'm with you all!

12 hours ago, Leccy said:

I test drove a 220 last summer and could barely stop it wheel spinning in the wet. Get some winter tyres  a 280 =sorted. 

 

FTFY 😁

7 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

 

FTFY 😁

well that is what I did - a nice white 280 sport line combi 😆

1 hour ago, penguin17 said:

 

FTFY 😁

The 280 was very tempting!

Stuck our 220  on 17" 215/55 michlin alpin 6 winter tyres for the winter.

 

so far its a vast improvement over the awfull continental tyres that were on it.

 

havent hoofed it yet, but under load it seems to grip, then slip a little rather than just entering rampant wheel spin.

 

a 280 would be the answer (and i would prefer it generally), but decent winter tyres help, ours will be leaving continental tyres behind and be going onto decent michelin pilot sports next summer.

1 minute ago, Pessimal said:

Stuck our 220  on 17" 215/55 michlin alpin 6 winter tyres for the winter.

 

so far its a vast improvement over the awfull continental tyres that were on it.

 

havent hoofed it yet, but under load it seems to grip, then slip a little rather than just entering rampant wheel spin.

 

a 280 would be the answer (and i would prefer it generally), but decent winter tyres help, ours will be leaving continental tyres behind and be going onto decent michelin pilot sports next summer.

Which Conti's were on it?  Were those from the factory?  

not sure, would hope they were conti sports, but i just did not get on with them, seemed to go into rampant wheelspin with little provocation, and were even worse with any steering lock applied.

 

think they were the original ones, but i have the sneeking suspicion that the car was given a track day or something before i had it, given that the car also had grumbling brakes, and i did wonder if they had got overheated or something causing then to go off or something.

 

am hoping some fresh michelin tyres for next year will be an improvement

Edited 15 November, 20196 yr by Pessimal

2 minutes ago, Pessimal said:

not sure, would hope they were conti sports, but i just did not get on with them, seemed to go into rampant wheelspin with little provocation, and were even worse with any steering lock applied.

 

think they were the original ones, but i have the sneeking suspicion that the car was given a track day or something before i had it, given that the car also had grumbling brakes, and i did wonder if they had got overheated or something causing then to go off or something.

 

am hoping some fresh michelin tyres for next year will be an improvement

Can thoroughly recommend PS4's 👍

that was my first choice.

 

i'm waiting for mytyres to be on the ebay 20% off again so i can get some cheap

8 minutes ago, Pessimal said:

that was my first choice.

 

i'm waiting for mytyres to be on the ebay 20% off again so i can get some cheap

Same as what I did for mine and also the GY Vectors 4S' for my wifes Fabia.  A code usually appears around the end of the month.