A3’s in snow

[SamR92]

Had about 6” of snow today, trying to get traction to get up a hill on a country road, struggled for about 30 mins trying to get up the hill, finally got up and all the cars behind had no issues at all

First time driving this car in proper snow since I got it almost 3yrs ago, is it just me, or are they useless in snow? (No Quattro, nor winter tires)

 

[donovan2123]

Traction on or off?

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[dadracer55]

Wide/Low profile summer tyres are dreadful in snow (or on ice). 4WD and those same tyres wont make much difference. Winter tyres will make a big improvement to the point where a 2WD drive car on winter tyres will have better grip than one with 4WD and regular summer tyres.

 

[SamR92]

On, the light was going crazy.

Upon reflection, I should have probably tried it off, but the ****** behind me kept sitting right up my ****, so the pressure was on to not go backwards. I’m sure I’d have made it had the car in front not slowed down so much, managed the steepest part ok, the bit I got stuck at was much less steep

 

[SamR92]

Wide/Low profile summer tyres are dreadful in snow (or on ice). 4WD and those same tyres wont make much difference. Winter tyres will make a big improvement to the point where a 2WD drive car on winter tyres will have better grip than one with 4WD and regular summer tyres.

Yeah, get new car in March, defo be switching to winter tires next winter. Never had a need for them really before, as I only ever drove on trunk roads, however since moving into the middle of nowhere, I’d be stupid not using them. Winter tyres on all 4, or just front?

 

[Flying Scotsman]

I hate to say this but 6" of snow and summer tyres are nuts to attempt driving in. Not just for you, but other road users. Time to park it, until the roads have been cleared.

To answer above, all four tyres. You will spin out with only fronts

 

[ictus_duplo2]

S3 is quite good in light snow until you have to stop. Learned that lesson last year.

 

[Jassyo06]

Drove past a S3 tonight that had ploughed off the road on a downhill off ramp facing up the way wtf..... Drove 20 miles home just now, in the Mrs wee fiesta what a machine in the ice compacted snow no need for winter tyres on a fiesta diesel..... Just cars with big fat low profile tyre’s and even better still as @Flying Scotsman says....... Stay in the house as a lot of folks driving tonight are a danger to themselves, even more so a danger to other divers, tonight on my way home on the M73 going on to the M80 there's a old codger driving on a 70 mph motorway at 20 mph with his hazard warning lights on..... Not or in danger of getting stuck just stupid to think by putting on his hazards it would be ok to drive at 20 mph on a motorway that had hardly any snow on it just slush

 

[davc]

Been out having fun in mine today. The local Aldi car park was empty earlier so thought it would be rude not to lol.

Winter tyres FTW.

 

[donovan2123]

Defo need to switch traction off in snow as it is to invasive and won't let you put power down to get slip to get you moving.

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[SamR92]

I hate to say this but 6" of snow and summer tyres are nuts to attempt driving in. Not just for you, but other road users. Time to park it, until the roads have been cleared.

To answer above, all four tyres. You will spin out with only fronts

Thankfully not 6” still on the roads, maybe 2” or so. Wouldn’t have gone out in it, but was on way home from work, and roads were pretty much clear for the most of it, just sadly they don’t bother clearing that part of the road. Ditching on a steep hill, blocking all the cars behind me, in the pitch black in the middle of nowhere wasn’t really an option

 

[SamR92]

Drove past a S3 tonight that had ploughed off the road on a downhill off ramp facing up the way wtf..... Drove 20 miles home just now, in the Mrs wee fiesta what a machine in the ice compacted snow no need for winter tyres on a fiesta diesel..... Just cars with big fat low profile tyre’s and even better still as @Flying Scotsman says....... Stay in the house as a lot of folks driving tonight are a danger to themselves, even more so a danger to other divers, tonight on my way home on the M73 going on to the M80 there's a old codger driving on a 70 mph motorway at 20 mph with his hazard warning lights on..... Not or in danger of getting stuck just stupid to think by putting on his hazards it would be ok to drive at 20 mph on a motorway that had hardly any snow on it just slush

Guy went past me in a Mercedes sprinter on the M8 earlier, doing well in excess, on fresh snow that had yet to be driven on, he almost ended up in the crash barrier as the road bends

 

[Jassyo06]

Guy went past me in a Mercedes sprinter on the M8 earlier, doing well in excess, on fresh snow that had yet to be driven on, he almost ended up in the crash barrier as the road bends

Yeah mate ****** nutters on the roads at both ends of the spectrum

 

[Carefree69]

This country grinds to an embarrassing halt whenever the white stuff falls, and colder parts of Europe/the world must p!ss themselves laughing at us. The last time the South East had a dusting it made headline news on every news bulletin......*** get a grip, literally.

Never had winter tyres and for the very occasional time we do get a bit of snow it’s hardly worth the effort. Just drive according to the conditions.

Oh, and before anyone pipes up, I live very rural indeed and my roads are never gritted.

Jesus, we’d be in serious sh!t if we lived somewhere that got proper winters.

 

[Jassyo06]

My car is well tucked up in the drive covered in 6/7 of snaw and it won't move again til the SNAW has completely melted, it wouldn't get out the estate with them tyres on it anyway

 

[GaryP]

Best car I ever had for Snow driving was an old Rover 214SLi 5 door hatch. Got me everywhere that did, even did a winter season in the Alps and never let me down (apart from when the snow was bonkers deep!!). Cream interior didn't hold up too well though living in a ski resort!


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[Flying Scotsman]

Oh believe me, we also get nutters in my part of the world when the snaw blows. The real fun begins with inexperienced drivers when the snow freezes. Yes I know in the South of Brexit that snow tyres may be an unwarranted expense but when it does snaw do everyone else a favour and park it, if you do not have snow tyres. As most of you have no idea how to drive in those conditions, as you have very rarely driven on snow and compacted icy roads. If you do, your local body shop will be licking their chops and you will love the increase on your insurance, come renewal time.

 

[Carefree69]

Oh believe me, we also get nutters in my part of the world when the snaw blows. The real fun begins with inexperienced drivers when the snow freezes. Yes I know in the South of Brexit that snow tyres may be an unwarranted expense but when it does snaw do everyone else a favour and park it, if you do not have snow tyres. As most of you have no idea how to drive in those conditions, as you have very rarely driven on snow and compacted icy roads. If you do, your local body shop will be licking their chops and you will love the increase on your insurance, come renewal time.

And that is it^^. Most people don’t know how to or can’t be bothered to drive according to conditions. Never caught me out in nearly 30 years.

 

[makelja]

Oh believe me, we also get nutters in my part of the world when the snaw blows. The real fun begins with inexperienced drivers when the snow freezes. Yes I know in the South of Brexit that snow tyres may be an unwarranted expense but when it does snaw do everyone else a favour and park it, if you do not have snow tyres. As most of you have no idea how to drive in those conditions, as you have very rarely driven on snow and compacted icy roads. If you do, your local body shop will be licking their chops and you will love the increase on your insurance, come renewal time.

Hear hear.
We have had these funny videos on TV here from countries where summer tires are used in snowy situations.
I just cannot understand people who go out driving in snow and summer tires. Just crazy.

Like this:

 

[rnm37]

The shared driveway bit down to the row of houses where I live is very slightly uphill heading towards the main road - the guy next door to me has a BMW 116d and was spinning like crazy this morning trying to move up this incline.

Felt quite smug just getting in my car next to him and driving off (obviously I offered him a lift...)

 

[oli356]

Only been driving for 4/5 years but never had to drive in snow, just because we never get any down south! I was away the last time we had some in December.

I'd be interested to go out and drive in it, at least in the early hours of morning when the roads are clear.. But I wouldn't even try to commute to work, traffic is bad enough usually without cars spinning out haha.

 

[Carefree69]

That’s my point. I kind of get why you might want to use winter tyres in some parts of the UK/World but daaaan saaaaaf we rarely ever get frost let alone snow.

Granted, this winter so far has been pretty cold (but still not that cold in comparison to some countries) but the last 4/5 winters have been really mild, therefore I personally have never felt the need, that’s all I’m saying.

 

[TonyH38]

Winter tyres are not just for snow they give better grip at low temperatures

 

[lgooch]

My 2.0 tdi 8p with 18” rims is okay in the snow. However my 1.4tfsi 8v with the same size tyres is damn right hopeless. Not sure if it’s the different brand of tyre is due to the front end being lighter. It’s possibly the worst case I have ever tried driving on snow. Even a light fluttering renders it useless. Anyone else found this ?


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[Jassyo06]

After last night's snow we've had around 8-9inches of snow, gritters don't grit housing estates or housing schemes no more, so there's plenty of people out with snow shovels etc, l cleared about 6 inches of snow off my car yesterday and its now covered again, my Mrs wee fiesta had no snow on it last night as l had been out driving it for over a hour, we are only 340ft above sea level here so not that high, highest point around Lanarkshire is 720ft above sea level so **** knows what that will be like,Scotland even central Scotland is a totally different world from England =South of Manchester

 

[Jassyo06]

My 2.0 tdi 8p with 18” rims is okay in the snow. However my 1.4tfsi 8v with the same size tyres is damn right hopeless. Not sure if it’s the different brand of tyre is due to the front end being lighter. It’s possibly the worst case I have ever tried driving on snow. Even a light fluttering renders it useless. Anyone else found this ?


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My 15plate S3 with Conti’s was good in the snow 225/40/18 my new car P zero 235/35/19 couldn't get me out of the estate on a day like today

 

[Carefree69]

Winter tyres are not just for snow they give better grip at low temperatures

I realise that and if I lived in a country or area that got proper winters I’d probably consider them

 

[BMB - 77]

I stay not too far away from Jassy and the S3 has been brilliant in the snow and that is on the pzeros. The only car to make it into the car park yesterday .
I have been impressed with how it has handled the snow/ice. But the amount of people that don’t know how to drive in snow is incredible. That’s what causes most of the traffic issues in the snow

 

[New S4 Man]

+1 on the S3 being really quite good in the snow. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference the haldex system makes.

 

[Jassyo06]

A just dont want to get my car dirty......hence its virtually been a ornament since xmas only done 1200 miles in Scotland in just over 3 months lol

 

[Dan Halen]

It's times like this that I wish I could justify even a good set of AS tires on secondary wheels. I had dual sets on my last two cars (I'm even still sitting on the damn AS setup I had for the last car that's been gone two years), and that enabled me to go play in the snow comfortably. My commute is two miles each way now, so there's zero justification for a second set of tires. It's a small consolation that they've also razed my snow play lot, so I'm not sure where I'd go. And the S3, with the idiotic (read: unfriendly for screwing around) electronic parking brake, would probably tone down the fun somewhat, anyway. I've just been taking the wife's Golf wagon out on deserted roads for that kind of fun.

 

[4K]

Drove past a S3 tonight that had ploughed off the road on a downhill off ramp facing up the way wtf..... Drove 20 miles home just now, in the Mrs wee fiesta what a machine in the ice compacted snow no need for winter tyres on a fiesta diesel..... Just cars with big fat low profile tyre’s and even better still as @Flying Scotsman says....... Stay in the house as a lot of folks driving tonight are a danger to themselves, even more so a danger to other divers, tonight on my way home on the M73 going on to the M80 there's a old codger driving on a 70 mph motorway at 20 mph with his hazard warning lights on..... Not or in danger of getting stuck just stupid to think by putting on his hazards it would be ok to drive at 20 mph on a motorway that had hardly any snow on it just slush

Yet mention to anyone on the Audi S3 Facebook Page that their predominantly FWD Haldex S3's are pretty useless in proper snow* with their summer tyres on and you're likely to get shot.

 

[Jassyo06]

Yet mention to anyone on the Audi S3 Facebook Page that their predominantly FWD Haldex S3's are pretty useless in proper snow* with their summer tyres on and you're likely to get shot.

Best to avoid Fudbook......knowing the types on there...

 

[oli356]

A just dont want to get my car dirty......hence its virtually been a ornament since xmas only done 1200 miles in Scotland in just over 3 months lol

Some people need a weekend car.. You need a winter car

 

[Jassyo06]

Some people need a weekend car.. You need a winter car

Nah a old van more like for work lol my last S3 was pummeled by gritter lorries and it won't ever happen again ever,unless you stay in cumbernauld or anywhere close you have no idea the damage they can do your car in just one winter, as they grit the roads up here from October to March mate

 

[Flying Scotsman]

I feel for you no gritters here. Just snowplows with salt spreaders and brine solution prior to freezing conditions. Quite something to watch them operating on multi lane highways/motorways. 2,3 or more operating alongside each other at an angle. The lead snowplow in the left lane, remember I drive on the right, sends its plowed snow to the vehicle on its right and so on and the last snowplow shoves the whole mess onto the verge. They do this travelling at about 50mph depending on conditions.

 

[GaryP]

I feel for you no gritters here. Just snowplows with salt spreaders and brine solution prior to freezing conditions. Quite something to watch them operating on multi lane highways/motorways. 2,3 or more operating alongside each other at an angle. The lead snowplow in the left lane, remember I drive on the right, sends its plowed snow to the vehicle on its right and so on and the last snowplow shoves the whole mess onto the verge. They do this travelling at about 50mph depending on conditions.

Video clip please..! ️️️


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[davc]

Yet mention to anyone on the Audi S3 Facebook Page that their predominantly FWD Haldex S3's are pretty useless in proper snow* with their summer tyres on and you're likely to get shot.

I drove past an S3 stuck in the snow last night, the look on his face was priceless lol.

He probably thought damn I need to get a saloon they're awesome in the snow!

 

[Dan Halen]

Video clip please..! ️️️


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An example:

 

[GaryP]

An example:

Just like the greens staff at Augusta for the Masters Golf...!!! UK could learn a lot from this video!


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