Winter Tyres

[rich83]

Winter tyres are daft....

Which ones did you try, Rich?

None. Don't need to.

I'm running a048s at the moment in the rain, and they are fine.... Ok maybe a little slippy at times.

I've driven thru 8/9 winters on summer tyres and I'm still here.

[stealthwolf]

Honestly, I'd suggest trying them. I was skeptical but took the plunge a couple of years ago when it started snowing. There's a gentle sloping road near me and where other cars were spinning their wheels to get up, I managed to go up the slope without a hitch. Even in cold weather, I've noticed a difference in grip and performance.

In fact, the only time I've had problems is where the road is so thick with snow, I couldn't travel down it due to clearance issues.

[rich83]

I'm not doubting that they work jaz! 

[stealthwolf]

 

[rdfcpete]

You might not need them per se - I was of this opinion too.


...Until I tried some Nankang SV-2s last winter, £100 a corner. Just the two up front. The difference was night and day. They make snow an absolute ease to drive through and ice/black is no longer the hazard it could have been. I didn't get stuck once and I followed Defenders and Discoveries up an A road that was closed locally. The copper assumed I had Quattro, but I don't and didn't want to argue it so I left it at that  

To do it properly I'd recommend four, but even with just the two there's no doubt the car felt safer and more planted in all areas. The back slides out more with two winters and two summers on the rear, but that was a nice side effect for an empty car park in the snow

[flashp]

Every winter these threads pop up and every winter the camp divides! 
I ran my first set 3 winters ago and never bothered with them before that. I was happy enough without but I prefer to have them now I've had a taste of the benefits.

To those considering running 2 on the front only instead of 4...don't. You'll be asking for trouble. If you have a tyre bay whose advice you trust just ask them. If you don't like the advice you can always convince yourself they were trying to sell you 2 tyres you don't need. 

[rich83]

Well... quite frankly if you fit just 2 to the front, then you are very very silly indeed! Youll be going backwards in no time at all!

[Andy]

just leave your car in the garage when it snows

[Scottymon]

Guaranteed with all this talk of snow we'll have the hottest winter on record.

[Tortaruga]

The missus reliably informs me that this will be the coldest winter in 100 years. Some French meteorological website she was on claims low sunspot activity as the root cause.

 

[flashp]

The child in me loves snow...especially that moment when you throw open the curtains and there it is. Then there's that special silence you get when nothing's moving. Love it. Bring it on! 

I never liked sun spots anyway. 

[Scottymon]

The missus reliably informs me that this will be the coldest winter in 100 years. Some French meteorological website she was on claims low sunspot activity as the root cause.

 

If that's the case I'm buying me one of these:

[rich83]

The child in me loves snow...especially that moment when you throw open the curtains and there it is. Then there's that special silence you get when nothing's moving. Love it. Bring it on! 

I never liked sun spots anyway. 

I agree flash. It's ace when it snows, I love it 

[Hedge]

Snow + S6 was epic.

Not sure if the kids walking to school mere inches from me doing my Hannu Mikkola impression appreciated it or not though. Quattro FTW! 

[Marc-5-GTI]

I love the snow.. Plenty of empty car parks around me, with raised kerbs which makes things more interesting....
I did go around a round about and come out the other side facing backwards when I had the Polo though... Hence my reasoning for winters this year!
70bhp with 195/45 = loss of control
200bhp with 215/45 = I need winters