Whats Your VRS Like In The Snow?

[Pete_VRS]

Well the snow is here and i've had my first experiences of driving my VRS in the snow!

The post is a question to everyone and ok yes we all love the car but im going to be totally honest with my answer!!

Here it goes!

Mine is terrible! Scary and to be honest next time it does snow im walking or getting the bus!

Here's what happened!

Typical English roads, it finially snows and what do we get - fully maintained roads, gritted up and cleared for safe motoring... Nope, no grit, no one out moving the snow away, all we get is snow snow and errrm snow!

My house is basically on the top of a hill so there's no way getting around the fact that i do have to go up an incline at some point of my journey. As i got to the bottom of the hill (this being a main road in my area so it's always busy) i couldn't see any tarmac at all, all i could see was a white covering of snow all the way up to the top. The VRS in fairness had handled the roads really well to this point so i approached the hill full of confidence!

How wrong i was!!!

The car basically wheel span all the way up, the traction controll light on the dash was constantly on and oh yes, i stopped traffic completely! I was also gutted to see how easily other cars were finding the hill :(

I also found my self sliding backwards at one point so you can imagine how i was bricking it - the people in the car behind me must have also been!!

Im sure it's down to the fact that the standard alloy wheels are quiet wide so maybee slapping stock steel wheels on through the winter months would improve handling!

Great car....

Crap in the snow!

Cheers.

[mrmo]

what sort of tyres you using, and particularly the state of the tread, There is a real reason for winter tyres on the continent.

[nbr_uk]

Not sure if you could get stock steelies large enough to clear the front brake callipers.

I know what you mean though - I got stuck on my driveway last year at one point!!!

[VRSPhil]

Last year (with Parada tyres) mine was terrible... This year I have dunlop SP9000's and it's pretty good actually. I came to a T junction on an upward slope earlier where most vehicles were sliding all over the place... I drove straight out no problem

[ScoobyChris]

Thinner tyres, or if you're feeling brave, try going up the hill in reverse

Chris

[Kaiserb_uk]

Or those tyre sock thingies.

[Ender]

Last year I drove to end of the road parked walked home got in the mondy and continued to work.

[Bodge]

just do what our european cousins do. get 4 more wheels with full on winter tyres on them. then you can just swap the wheels over when its a bit slippy.

expensive but handy.

ooh you could even get some studded tyres for rallytastic grip action!! you could blast around then!

[PaulVRS]

Well the snow is here and i've had my first experiences of driving my VRS in the snow!

The post is a question to everyone and ok yes we all love the car but im going to be totally honest with my answer!!

Here it goes!

Mine is terrible! Scary and to be honest next time it does snow im walking or getting the bus!

Here's what happened!

Typical English roads, it finially snows and what do we get - fully maintained roads, gritted up and cleared for safe motoring... Nope, no grit, no one out moving the snow away, all we get is snow snow and errrm snow!

My house is basically on the top of a hill so there's no way getting around the fact that i do have to go up an incline at some point of my journey. As i got to the bottom of the hill (this being a main road in my area so it's always busy) i couldn't see any tarmac at all, all i could see was a white covering of snow all the way up to the top. The VRS in fairness had handled the roads really well to this point so i approached the hill full of confidence!

How wrong i was!!!

The car basically wheel span all the way up, the traction controll light on the dash was constantly on and oh yes, i stopped traffic completely! I was also gutted to see how easily other cars were finding the hill :(

I also found my self sliding backwards at one point so you can imagine how i was bricking it - the people in the car behind me must have also been!!

Im sure it's down to the fact that the standard alloy wheels are quiet wide so maybee slapping stock steel wheels on through the winter months would improve handling!

Great car....

Crap in the snow!

Cheers.

The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago - the first winter in my VRS. I actually got stuck on a flat road with a heavy camber. There was me and a guy in a brand new 5 series BMW completely stuck. Every time we tried to move forward we just slid into the kerb. We gave up when a kid on a moped came past us with both his feet down sliding through the snow. We abandoned the cars and walked home. That evening I remembered a conversation I'd had with someone regarding traction control and about turning it off when in snow. I walked back to my car later that evening, turned the traction control off and the car just pulled away with no drama at all.

[VRSPhil]

Has anyone seen the video where Tiff Nedel (spelling?) is demonstrating the effects of traction control on a Jaguar (S or X type... can't remember which). He's on an icy slope and simply can't get up with it switched off.... then he turns it on and drives straight up. I think Skoda/VAG need to steal that system!

As someone else mentioned about switching tyres... a friend of mine moved to Luxemburg a couple of years ago and told me that out there it's the norm to have the tyres switched for summer/winter seasons!

[bengie]

no snow this year and the cars still not fixed but last year i had no issues at all with the octavia at all, it just drove anywhere and every where and only got silly if i stamed my foot down for the fun of it

[Pete_VRS]

I actually feel much better now so cheers for all the feedback!!

It's good to hear it's not just me who finds it difficult to drive the car in the snow! I had a Seat Ibiza 16v Cupra Sport a few years back with a set of 17" wheels on - 225 width!!

If you think the VRS is poor you should have been in that car!!! It was better than a sledge!! Going up hill was difficult, but when you came to an incline you needed to go down :eek::eek::eek: truely frightening stuff!

Big wheels - snow conditions, its just asking for problems!

BMW drivers, especially the M3's etc etc must dread the snow! :eek:

Cheers

[bengie]

mine has 225/45/17 btw

[VRSPhil]

It's not a vRS though, is it?

[mattbeef]

mine was fine last year tbh

T1S Toyos turn the traction control off and driving was a doddle. you just have to be over careful with braking and putting the power on

[David 8]

What Matt said, turn off traction go easy, no problem

[vrs-si]

i did wheel spin a cpl of times today mainly in first and second today as it snowed up in northumberland. but was nt too bad. i am dreading the b roads to work when it finally white outs

[octywagon]

I could'nt move last year in a couple of inches of snow, on the flat - traction on or off - I think it was the dreaded eagle f1 tyre effect, no blocky tread just smooth with v's cut in. Have changed them all now ready for this year so we shall see. :confused:

[Johnny50]

Mine was terrible lastnight, no matter how gentle i was on the throttle, the traction control would kick in.

In the end, i opted for no traction control, and moving away in 2nd gear with light throttle.

[ethos]

I don't know, but I REALLY want to try

Last year we had loads of snow and it took me 8 hours to travel 15 miles in my astra DTI. I ended up taking a back road which was the WORSE idea ever as theres a massive steep hill, massive drop and a ford halfway down?!!!!! Was fun though...

[Octavia Vrs!]

Still not had snow here yet this year but a couple of years ago mine was dangerous. Worst things are the brakes - the ABS cuts in WAY to eairly and does not slow you down at all. Had a Renault Clio the year before that and that was great fun in the snow - the Octy is just Scary! I was running standard rims and standard Conti tyres with good tread depth. If it does snow here I'll grab the keys to my motorbike before i grab the Octy ones

[RichB86]

HMMM little worrying considering the roads i need to use to get to work.

[bengie]

It's not a vRS though, is it?

it has a vRS bumper

[gathy]

:rofl:mines like white on the top and black on the sides etc :rofl:in the snow

[soldatov]

Sorry to here your not enjoying the snow.

Ours not a VRS just a Octy 4x4 Amb with Pirelli winter carving ( no studs) pic taken 2 days ago close to where we live, and snow still here and more forecast - 4c. Never the slightest wiggle on any incline or any surface so far. Seen plenty of VRS on same roads though.

http://www.jones.hr/skoda/01-01-08_1333.jpg