Car Selection Choice for Snow

[AndyKnight]

If we get dumped on from a great height as the news is predicting for tomorrow what car should I drive?

I have the choice of 2016 Skoda vrs diesel fwd on goodyear asy3's OR my S3 on 19's and lowered wearing pilot sport 4's.

Thoughts?

 

[Pinky1959]

Cant go out in cars or go to work ! when its snowing , stay at home ......

 

[deanshaw24]

If we get dumped on from a great height as the news is predicting for tomorrow what car should I drive?

I have the choice of 2016 Skoda vrs diesel fwd on goodyear asy3's OR my S3 on 19's and lowered wearing pilot sport 4's.

Thoughts?

That’s like saying “I’m going swimming tomorrow, I have a choice of wearing swimming trunks or boxers, what would be best”

 

[AndyKnight]

I was assuming that haldex on low profile summer tyres might not be much better (or even worse) than a high torque diesel engine on tyres which score consistently high in wet conditions.

 

[Vertigo1]

Stay at home!

Failing that, I'd go for something with skinny tyres over big fat ones, even if the latter had AWD. In your case I doubt the Skoda's tyres are much narrower than the S3 so that'd probably be better.

Just don't drive like you're immune to the snow - see far too many muppets who think AWD will solve all their problems. 4 x zero grip = zero grip.

 

[-Ju-]

I would take the S3 every time but then it's also safer at home so go in the skoda.

 

[davc]

That’s like saying “I’m going swimming tomorrow, I have a choice of wearing swimming trunks or boxers, what would be best”

Budgie smugglers lol

I'd take Pinky's advice and stay at home.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

You do not have suitable tyres on either car for snow conditions.

 

[Ormesome]

Defo stay at home. Without winter tires then it’s a no brainer unless the roads get cleared quickly where you are. I got caught in around 5mm of snow today, literally a small coating and my Pirelli P7 summer tires where all over the place. Luckily it cleared quickly as I drove but made me really think I should get winter tires. Doubt Quattro will help you as your grip is only as good as your tires.

 

[Wxm]

FWD on winter tyres will always be better than AWD , it’s not traction you need to worry about , it braking!

 

[jungle650]

Auto Express magazine had an interesting article a few years back... Summer vs Winter Tyres , AWD vs FWD... completed in 2 Ford Kuga’s at Milton Keynes Snow dome.

I cant remember the exact distances but in summary the results were something like...

Summer Tyres -

FWD car with Summer Tyres went about 3m and then slid back down. So basically went no where, and actually ended up worse than if car had not been driven, as slid back past start line.

AWD car with Summer Tyres went a little further up the slope but not by much. However it too, slid back down , but stopped only just ahead on the FWD car.

Winter Tyres -

FWD with Winter tyres drove about 3/4 of the way up the slope. Got stuck but did not slip back down.... an amazing achievement when you think how steep that was.

AWD with Winter tyres drove all the way up and over the top and repeated it several times... just for fun!

Skinny tyres and Winter Rubber will always win over Summer Tyres irrelevant of how many wheels are driven or how wide the rubber is. @Wxm also makes a very good point re traction and braking.

I had a very scary moment a few years ago in a 4WD car with wide summer rubber going down a sharp hill in a light sprinkerling of snow / ice and I was only doing about 10mph!

Last few years we have had Continental Winter Rubber on a cheap FWD runner about. Used to love the looks I used to get from stranded 4X4 owners as I used to drive around and up / down hills with ease. Sadly we sold that. So back with the rest of the majority of peeps on Summer rubber for the time being.

Therefore staying in doors as much as possible with the recent snow !

Jungle

 

[Timi8888]

I just had a drive in my 1 series with summer tyres. It was AWFUL. I guess I’lol need to get a winter set of alloys for the S3! I never realised how much better they would be till I read some of your comments!

 

[mikemod]

I've been driving round on winter tyres for the last three four days and without them my car would be parked in the garage.
With them, taking care, it's just live driving on normal roads even on the surface below which is snow on hard packed ice.

This is a very steep hill, again all hard packed snow and ice, no issues, just drove down it and back up it again on the way home.

I hit the brakes a few times on this surface and the car just stops, you don't even feel the ABS cutting in.

Snow covered roads no issues either.

My car has 15K miles on it and the original tyres still have about 4.5mm left on them, as I put the winters on in November until March, so over 3 or 4 years they don't actually cost any more to run, just the price of a second set of rims.

 

[Daveotto]

Stay home, but if you must drive then S3 and make sure you take it out of dynamic/individual and stick it in auto or comfort mode and as an added precaution take 3-4psi out of each tyre

 

[Vertigo1]

I'm in Brum and it's biblical here - good 6-8 inches of snowfall and it's still coming down. Wouldn't take the car out in this if you paid me. I trust my own ability, it's all the other muppets I don't.

 

[mikemod]

Was just checking the Google traffic in Brum area, not looking good..

 

[S3GEEZER]

We must have got 3-4 inches here in Radlett, Herts! I’m not going anywhere today! ️️️


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Ormesome]

Question! And sorry in advance for jumping this thread! Why do people usually change rims, meaning they have 2 sets at home(summer set & winter set) instead of just paying around £20 to change tires over to standard rims?My local tire place does this for that price so if you imagine that rims/alloys might cost £400 or so depending on quality, it would take 10yrs to make my money back! Can’t be because of the set up or alignment issue cos if you fit the winter rims at home then you might still have set up issues so your only saving on the fitting. Never really understood this myself, alloys are alloys! There to be used! You don’t see Audi advising not to use the existing alloys in the winter!

 

[jungle650]

Question! And sorry in advance for jumping this thread! Why do people usually change rims, meaning they have 2 sets at home(summer set & winter set) instead of just paying around a £20 to change tires over to standard rims?My local tire place does this for that price so if you say that rims/alloys might cost £400 or so depending on quality, it would take 20yrs to make my money back! Can’t be because of the set up or alignment issue cos if you fit the winter rims at home the. You might still have set up issues so your only saving on the fitting. Never really understood this myself, alloys are alloys! There to be used!

Its a fair question... people change rims for 3 - 4 main reasons.

1) Generally people choose a smaller winter wheel than their standard set up. This means tyres are cheaper. 18’s rather than 19’s... or 17’s instead of 18’s etc. Generally speaking there are more tyre choices in 17/18’s than 19’s for example

2) Having a 2nd set of wheels which you can store yourself means that you can put them on the car at your own convenience. ( presuming u have a trolley jack ) saving yourself £20 each change and £40+ each winter/ summer change.

3) Although the initial outlay of purchasing rims and/or winter tyres can be expensive they generally end up paying for themselves. This is two fold... 1) Extra set of rims if purchased used can generally be sold for same / similar price to purchase. For example I paid £200 for a used pair of alloys on my cheap run about after my local tyre place offered them to me when I went in to swap to winter tyres .. I sold them on after 3 years of hard use for £175.. so cost me virtually nothing. Summer / Main alloys also kept perfect for ownership of car. 2) Switching tyres means that they actually last a lot longer ... Winters can last for many years if switched back to Summer tyres before temps rise. And ofcourse this means Summer tyres only see 6 - 9 months use so also last longer.

4) If you live Midlands upwards in the UK or are anywhere else in Europe / rest of world where you can get bad weather using Winter tyres keeps you moving and improves braking and your own safety 10 fold. In many countires its actually law to switch tyres. If you are involved in a winter accident in Germany for example and you are using summer tyres, they throw the book at you.

So in short, although initial expense can be high, they actually dont end up costing that much in the long run. ( Some man maths needed ) ...Tyres / wheels can be sold on and they are much safer if you really must keep mobile during the colder / icy months. Bonus is also that Summer Rims are kept away from Road / Salt / Winter grime. So stay looking fresh/ new for longee... Helps with future resale value etc !

Fresh layer of snow this weekend in the UK has already seen plenty of stranded vehicles. Especially where I live... Summer tyres are named as such for a reason !

You can also buy all year round multi purpose tyres, but these are a compromise but are very well suited for many people if you dont get extremes.

Jungle

 

[mikemod]

Question! And sorry in advance for jumping this thread! Why do people usually change rims, meaning they have 2 sets at home(summer set & winter set) instead of just paying around £20 to change tires over to standard rims?My local tire place does this for that price so if you imagine that rims/alloys might cost £400 or so depending on quality, it would take 10yrs to make my money back! Can’t be because of the set up or alignment issue cos if you fit the winter rims at home then you might still have set up issues so your only saving on the fitting. Never really understood this myself, alloys are alloys! There to be used! You don’t see Audi advising not to use the existing alloys in the winter!

Actually they do if the alloys are the type fitted to the S3, it says in the manual

• Machined, polished or chrome-plated rims must not be used in winter conditions. The process used to manufacture these types of wheel rim does not provide adequate surface protection against corrosion, and the rims can be permanently damaged by road salt or similar.

That is one reason I change to a different set of rims, and this statement means Audi can get out of the dreaded white worm issue although some will still replace under warranty.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Stay home, but if you must drive then S3 and make sure you take it out of dynamic/individual and stick it in auto or comfort mode and as an added precaution take 3-4psi out of each tyre

Sorry@Daveotto that is bad idea to remove pressure out of the tyre. It does not improve traction, braking or steering ability. In fact it makes it worse as you have increased the contact area which is not what you want....skinny tyres win out on snow. Just a point of view from Canada.

 

[New S4 Man]

I took the S3 out to the local shop today just for fun really and to see how it handled the snow. it's on summer tyres so wasn't expecting much.

The car handled 6 inches of snow with aplomb. I've seen half a dozen of my neighbours getting completely stuck throughout the day in our crescent, using both rear and fwd cars.

I though quattro haldex on the S3 was mainly a marketing gimmick but i'm pretty impressed considering how many others managed to get completely stuck here. It just plowed on thorough and i felt the power going to the back when the fronts started to slip. Good shiz.

 

[Scott Petrie]

Leave it at home. I took mine out once, couldnt get back up hill and into my drive. I eventually took a run at it after gritter had been, and its been parked up for 2 days now as its snowed more since then and no gritter in sight

 

[Daz Auto]

We were out last night. So we took the A3 with winter tyres. For the first 4 miles the roads were covered in snow. The tyres never spun, slipped, understeered or skidded at all. Same on the way home with no traction control or ABS.

 

[Daveotto]

Sorry@Daveotto that is bad idea to remove pressure out of the tyre. It does not improve traction, braking or steering ability. In fact it makes it worse as you have increased the contact area which is not what you want....skinny tyres win out on snow. Just a point of view from Canada.

A quick google says it a bit Marmite some say lower some say leave as they are and no real definitive advice from any of the motoring organisations

 

[Ormesome]

Its a fair question... people change rims for 3 - 4 main reasons.

1) Generally people choose a smaller winter wheel than their standard set up. This means tyres are cheaper. 18’s rather than 19’s... or 17’s instead of 18’s etc. Generally speaking there are more tyre choices in 17/18’s than 19’s for example

2) Having a 2nd set of wheels which you can store yourself means that you can put them on the car at your own convenience. ( presuming u have a trolley jack ) saving yourself £20 each change and £40+ each winter/ summer change.

3) Although the initial outlay of purchasing rims and/or winter tyres can be expensive they generally end up paying for themselves. This is two fold... 1) Extra set of rims if purchased used can generally be sold for same / similar price to purchase. For example I paid £200 for a used pair of alloys on my cheap run about after my local tyre place offered them to me when I went in to swap to winter tyres .. I sold them on after 3 years of hard use for £175.. so cost me virtually nothing. Summer / Main alloys also kept perfect for ownership of car. 2) Switching tyres means that they actually last a lot longer ... Winters can last for many years if switched back to Summer tyres before temps rise. And ofcourse this means Summer tyres only see 6 - 9 months use so also last longer.

4) If you live Midlands upwards in the UK or are anywhere else in Europe / rest of world where you can get bad weather using Winter tyres keeps you moving and improves braking and your own safety 10 fold. In many countires its actually law to switch tyres. If you are involved in a winter accident in Germany for example and you are using summer tyres, they throw the book at you.

So in short, although initial expense can be high, they actually dont end up costing that much in the long run. ( Some man maths needed ) ...Tyres / wheels can be sold on and they are much safer if you really must keep mobile during the colder / icy months. Bonus is also that Summer Rims are kept away from Road / Salt / Winter grime. So stay looking fresh/ new for longee... Helps with future resale value etc !

Fresh layer of snow this weekend in the UK has already seen plenty of stranded vehicles. Especially where I live... Summer tyres are named as such for a reason !

You can also buy all year round multi purpose tyres, but these are a compromise but are very well suited for many people if you dont get extremes.

Jungle

Interesting points. Most of what you wrote applies to simply having or not having winter tires though. I am 100% on board with having 2 sets of tires but unless your one of the few owners who have an A3/S3 with the rims that @mikemod mentioned in his above post, then I don't see the point in having separate rims. Having said this, keeping your existing normal Audi rims looking pristine is a valid reason and personally, as an A3 owner with 17inch alloys, the only reason why I might consider a separate set of alloys/rims.

Actually they do if the alloys are the type fitted to the S3, it says in the manual

• Machined, polished or chrome-plated rims must not be used in winter conditions. The process used to manufacture these types of wheel rim does not provide adequate surface protection against corrosion, and the rims can be permanently damaged by road salt or similar.

That is one reason I change to a different set of rims, and this statement means Audi can get out of the dreaded white worm issue although some will still replace under warranty.

Good to know. Cheers mate

 

[MikeParkin]

But this is always fun!

 

[Daz Auto]

I though quattro haldex on the S3 was mainly a marketing gimmick but i'm pretty impressed considering how many others managed to get completely stuck here. It just plowed on thorough and i felt the power going to the back when the fronts started to slip. Good shiz.

Obviously having 'drive' on all 4 wheels is an advantage vs 2 wheel drive, when grip is limited. Just remember that 4 wheel drive is little help when cornering and no help when you are braking. Grip comes from your tyres, not your drive system.

Our FWD A3 has winter tyres fitted. These tyres provide much better grip for accelerating, cornering and braking on snow and ice.

My car has summer tyres and has not moved since the snow started.

 

[Lehn]

Obviously having 'drive' on all 4 wheels is an advantage vs 2 wheel drive, when grip is limited. Just remember that 4 wheel drive is little help when cornering and no help when you are braking. Grip comes from your tyres, not your drive system.

Our FWD A3 has winter tyres fitted. These tyres provide much better grip for accelerating, cornering and braking on snow and ice.

My car has summer tyres and has not moved since the snow started.

Your signature kind of sums it up the best way possible

 

[Daz Auto]

But this is always fun!

It's always fun, until something happens!

Please be careful out there people.

It is so easy to lose control in those conditions. This video reminds me of one of my accidents -

 

[MikeParkin]

It's always fun, until something happens!

Please be careful out there people.

It is so easy to lose control in those conditions. This video reminds me of one of my accidents -

That's going to far to be honest but agreed, it's all good till it goes wrong.

 

[Daz Auto]

Interesting points. Most of what you wrote applies to simply having or not having winter tires though. I am 100% on board with having 2 sets of tires but unless your one of the few owners who have an A3/S3 with the rims that @mikemod mentioned in his above post, then I don't see the point in having separate rims. Having said this, keeping your existing normal Audi rims looking pristine is a valid reason and personally, as an A3 owner with 17inch alloys, the only reason why I might consider a separate set of alloys/rims.

For our A3 - we just have the tyres, no extra rims. As with everything there are advantages and disadvantage. You certainly don't 'need' extra rims.

We have a set of tyre bags to keep us and the car clean. These bags cost just £25 for the set. Usually when the time changes, summer and winter, we load the tyres into the boot of the A3 and go get them changed. It costs £25 to get them changed and they also get balanced. The advantage for me is that my wife can do this herself. The tyres by themselves are quite light and the tyre bags have handles.

On my last car I bought a set of old rims and put winter tyres on them. There are pros and cons to this method. I could change the tyres anytime myself. Though this usually involved an evening of heavy lifting and I am not getting any younger. Obviously there is no chance that the garage will damage your alloys. However, my tyre wrench slipped and I damaged one of my good alloys The car looked crap with the winter alloys on.

If I was to get winter tyres for my car I would just be buying the tyres, no alloys. In my experience it's much easier and cheaper. Tyres + alloys is fine for you young fit men with lots of money.

 

[Daz Auto]

The tyre storage bags can be ordered directly from Audi - https://store.audi.co.uk/audi-wheel...TNj-qmlaBpjbZCDgtERgwM8jPW39Qj-RoCx9cQAvD_BwE

There is a larger size available.

Note: it is 1 set of 4 as it says at the bottom of that page and not just 1 bag as VW tried to tell me. I told the parts monkey to just order 1 and 4 bags arrived.

 

[Carefree69]

Sod changing tyres/ rims twice a year, I've more important things to be doing. I've never had winter tyres in 20+ years of driving and not once have I even slightly gone into a skid. It's about how you drive that counts.

In any case, all that faffing about for the odd day each winter, most of the time it's mild and without a snowflake in sight.

Nah, I'll stick with driving properly, it's done me well so far

 

[Daz Auto]

Sod changing tyres/ rims twice a year, I've more important things to be doing. I've never had winter tyres in 20+ years of driving and not once have I even slightly gone into a skid. It's about how you drive that counts.

In any case, all that faffing about for the odd day each winter, most of the time it's mild and without a snowflake in sight.

Nah, I'll stick with driving properly, it's done me well so far

You are lucky that you have never really needed winter tyres.

We live in the countryside and the roads for several miles are not gritted. This past few days, these roads are covered in compacted snow and are 'like a bottle'. I'm not happy that my wife has to drive in these conditions. However, I make sure that her Audi A3 is as safe as possible by getting winter tyres fitted to it every year. For my wife's safety and my piece of mind - it is well worth 2 hours and £25 twice a year.

With over 30+ years of driving: I have to say that, in my experience, winter tyres make a big difference in winter conditions.

 

[Carefree69]

I too live out in the sticks, I'm literally surrounded by farm fields. Maybe it's just pure luck that I've never felt the urge to stick winter tyres on then, it's never even occurred to me.

I'm not knocking anyone who does whatsoever, I'm just saying that I've never felt the need that's all.

Most of it is about how you drive, the best winter tyres that money can buy will not stop you skidding on ice/snow if you drive like a d!ck.

If I lived in Alaska then I might be persuaded, but with the odd cold snap here and there that we get in the UK I just don't think I can be bothered. Ninety five per cent of winters around my way are positively balmy

 

[Rideen]

Sod changing tyres/ rims twice a year, I've more important things to be doing. I've never had winter tyres in 20+ years of driving and not once have I even slightly gone into a skid. It's about how you drive that counts.

In any case, all that faffing about for the odd day each winter, most of the time it's mild and without a snowflake in sight.

Nah, I'll stick with driving properly, it's done me well so far

Probably because you've never encountered something like this mate. And this is what we call mild snowfall here.

 

[Carefree69]

Fair point.

 

[Svenedin]

Does anyone know what Audi charges for their "tyre hotel" service in the UK (storing tyres until they are switched for Summer/Winter tyres)?

ATS charge £7.50 a tyre.