Won't adjusting tyre pressures resolve the issue if you're on a single journey and remember to put them back once the snows gone? Obviously I don't mean dropping to the point where you can roll the tyres off the rims, but maybe a drop of 4-5psi?
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Recently came back from a week in Budapest. The temperature was milder than here (-1 to 10 degrees) and everyone had winter tyres on.
It must be a UK obsession for summer tyres all year round.
Admittedly typically its cooler than the UK during the winter as average temperatures are usually +4/-4 during the winter.
According to another website its an average of +2 to +7 during winter in England (seemed a bit high to me?)
As pointed out earlier, if 7 degrees is when we should be thinking about changing to winter tyres then for at least three months of the year they would appear advisable. Seriously considering it now.
It must be a UK obsession for summer tyres all year round.
Admittedly typically its cooler than the UK during the winter as average temperatures are usually +4/-4 during the winter.
According to another website its an average of +2 to +7 during winter in England (seemed a bit high to me?)
As pointed out earlier, if 7 degrees is when we should be thinking about changing to winter tyres then for at least three months of the year they would appear advisable. Seriously considering it now.
The average UK motorist sees tyres as an irritating expense that should be kept to a minimum.
Then on an enthusiasts site like this, you see lots of threads asking what are the best tyres to get for ultimate grip & performance, yet few of those people are interested in maintaining best tyre performance in winter when the winter tyre option is there and provides better performance.
It would be like an F1 team spending millions on developing their cars, but then saying "we're only going to take slick tyres with us, we think a set of wets is a bit expensive, we'll just drive really slowly if the weather turns"
Agreed. Can't stand it when people spend loads of money on a car and then skimp big time on tyres (Chinese budget crap). Utter madness.
Imo tyres are probably one of the most important items on a car (if not the most)considering what they have to do and the consequences of getting it all wrong.
Just like tyre pressures........
Sooooooo important but why don't people (Joe Public) ever check them?????
Imo tyres are probably one of the most important items on a car (if not the most)considering what they have to do and the consequences of getting it all wrong.
Just like tyre pressures........
Sooooooo important but why don't people (Joe Public) ever check them?????
With the car off the road for most of this winter I won't be getting winter tyres this year, but I'm definitely going to be buying a set ready for next year - probably mounted on a spare set of wheels to allows easy changeovers.
It's something I wish I'd done earlier - I'd feel a lot more comfortable running a decent set of winter tyres in this weather we have now.
It's something I wish I'd done earlier - I'd feel a lot more comfortable running a decent set of winter tyres in this weather we have now.
Well I had to abandon mine this morning
Zero grip despite having plenty of tread (205x45x16s)
Tried traction on and off
I have never driven a car that is so bad in the snow
I've not read the four pages of comments and suggestions, but I experienced exactly the same with our FR TDI last Tuesday. Last Thursday was a mess too, so I tried a trip out in my Fiesta Mk6.5 and exactly the same.
Both cars have the same Bridgestone Turanzas and there is no tread across the tyre, therefore offering no bite in the snow. The next tyres will have a bit of something for the next time we get stuck. I'm even contemplating a set of proper winter tyres.
Agreed. Can't stand it when people spend loads of money on a car and then skimp big time on tyres (Chinese budget crap). Utter madness.
Imo tyres are probably one of the most important items on a car (if not the most)considering what they have to do and the consequences of getting it all wrong.
Just like tyre pressures........
Yes I agree as well with the previous post, a guy at work once had a smart MR2 - previous model and tended to use thinks like "Lucky Horse" tyres - scarey! There are a few "things" that we seem to get wrong in UK, first "never use winter tyres" - well there is no good government advise on this - maybe they hope we will keep off the roads in adverse conditions, and apart from Costco, no tyre outlet seems to try to ease us into considering using them, next "discs should last the life of the car" - well anyone like us that drive basically German cars know that that does not work. The problem is, I think, that a lot of UK drivers are not really responsible or "professional" about how they use their cars and coupled with the number of days in an average year's motoring that real benefits would be felt by the average driver by using these tyres. Remember that in some mainland EU countries, the local authorities can, by announcements on local radio/tv, close all roads to non emergancy traffic untill sweeping and gritting has been carried out - we just get left to go out and get stranded or block the road, if we don't try to get to work we mainly don't get paid - different cultures really. For a lot of UK drivers they just do not have the facilites to safely store the second set of wheels - but probably neither do our EU neighbours. Maybe insurance companies could give an incentive to use winter tyres between November and March/April - its a tricky problem! Maybe we need to look into why some EU countries mandate the fitting and use of winter tyres, but I think that you might find it is to get access to remote areas where road clearing can not be guarrenteed, so no winter tyres in these areas = fine and confiscation of car. My neighbour skis in UK and EU so always fits steels with snow tyres during winter - to front only!
I have had snow tyres before on a light rwd driver with 240hp; Bridgestone LM-25 H/130 .. guess what.. it did not snow in the 18 mths I had them on while they wore out. They were really nasty compared to Goodyear F1 on everything except ice. I certainly did not notice a step change at lower temperatures which you do get a bit of in Aberdeen. They certainly gave at least one very heart stopping moment in the wet compared to none on F1 in ice or snow ... now given the wet/snow/ice balance... I go for min 3-4mm deep tread at the start of winter on a soft tyre.. this gives reasonable snow performance but for ice... which you need snipes which are the small little gaps in the main tread blocks. P-zeros have better ice performance compared to T1S or F1 because of snipes so I compromise by using them while losing out decent summer performance.
The hype of "cold temperature" tyres is just that.. a good soft tyre like an F1 or T1S will do just as well in our -4C to +12C winter temperatures. If we had -20C to +2C for extended periods I would say different .. but we don't. Continental europe away from the moderating temperatures of the sea does go into continental deep freeze mode .. so they need cool temperature tyres.
Now if it get really cold/snowy I have a chunky 4x4 when I finally finish repainting/rebuilding it.. but suspect it's tyres are hard and I know they have no snipes.. so probably bad on ice..
The hype of "cold temperature" tyres is just that.. a good soft tyre like an F1 or T1S will do just as well in our -4C to +12C winter temperatures. If we had -20C to +2C for extended periods I would say different .. but we don't. Continental europe away from the moderating temperatures of the sea does go into continental deep freeze mode .. so they need cool temperature tyres.
Now if it get really cold/snowy I have a chunky 4x4 when I finally finish repainting/rebuilding it.. but suspect it's tyres are hard and I know they have no snipes.. so probably bad on ice..
I agree, but one other thing about four wheel drive, traction control and ABS, as is clearly pointed out in the owner's manual for these cars, you will end up against the laws of phyics, as grip will be there and you can get/keep moving, but stopping becomes an issue if you are not careful, in these conditions. What I try to achieve by having a full time four wheel drive equiped car is 1) getting out of my long steep driveway 2) if the road is clear of stuck cars (and it usually is when I leave home) be able to drive as far as the nearest bus route which should have been gritted 3) get to a place of safety if the worse happens and we get "caught out " by changing weather conditions. Other than that, especially at weekends and evenings it is use common sense and suffer personal inconvenience instead of taking stupid risks. The big thing is to start being smart enough to know when, in the few ocasions we get short heavy snowfalls, conditions have changed enough to forget getting into the car.
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you havent read your handbook then your spose to turn esp off turns abs off aswell in the snow,i think the cupra done better than a diesel which turbo works sooner on,i didnt let the turbo spool up and managed better than my dads diesel,as the cupra turbo works at just under 2000rmp.
I left home a little after 6:30 this morning for my 30 mile journey to work, arrived at 7:40.
normally a 40 min drive took an hour and 10, not too bad really.
About an hour drive home at 5 too.
Just took my time taking advantage of the low end torque, cruise control on the straight roads. Managed 60mpg average both ways, and i quite enjoyed it! Same again tomorrow only worse judging by the forecast and current weather outside!!
just winds me up when people don't drive correctly, like me!
people this evening crawling along with the rear fog lights on when its completely clear for miles ahead.
people this morning coming flying up behind me on the dual carriageway with no lights on in the blizzard so not visible until they're overtaking you, and cos there's so much snow in the outside lane they're using the very left of their lane and nearly take your wing mirror with them.
normally a 40 min drive took an hour and 10, not too bad really.
About an hour drive home at 5 too.
Just took my time taking advantage of the low end torque, cruise control on the straight roads. Managed 60mpg average both ways, and i quite enjoyed it! Same again tomorrow only worse judging by the forecast and current weather outside!!
just winds me up when people don't drive correctly, like me!
people this evening crawling along with the rear fog lights on when its completely clear for miles ahead.
people this morning coming flying up behind me on the dual carriageway with no lights on in the blizzard so not visible until they're overtaking you, and cos there's so much snow in the outside lane they're using the very left of their lane and nearly take your wing mirror with them.
The manual doesn't say to turn ESP off in the snow. I would rather have it stopping me going sideways and my wheels from spinning
How do you turn of the ABS I only have a esp button by the handbrake on my FR, maybe the cupra is different.
why would you not want ABS and ESP to help you?
? My diesel's turbo kicks in just under 2000rpm...
and "cupra" could mean petrol or diesel? diesel isnt a model.
bmw thats swearing. although in the snow could be fun.the old ladas are good fun though as there rear wheel drive and they dont matter.
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