Quattro vs winter tyres? - Page 2

Eddy · 23-10-13, 07:28 PM

Had Continental winter contact tyres to an A2 (the fwd aluminum one) yes they are branded as Winter tyres but the tread pattern was good as an all season tyre.
They didn't get too hot in the summer at high speed, were very good on a cold morning (not just winter) good in the wet and could cope with some snow.

The thing is you want the best for the conditions and your family, which is un-known as you could be running out at 3 in the morning when the roads are flooded and cold, you want a good quality softer compound tyre so you chance of stopping quickly is optimum.

An all season tyre is the best of both worlds.

Someone I work with was in the same boat as you, he lives up a steep drive, missus was expecting a sprog during winter. So what did he do, he bought a Mazda 6 mps (the 4wd one) oh then he fitted some "winter tyres" with not too aggressive tread pattern.
So, 2 years later, his missus is due with another bag of joy, still got the Mazda and not changed the tyres over.

Hope this help

Timo · 23-10-13, 07:31 PM

Hmm ok, thanks for the replies, quite a few interesting points raised above and certainly a bit more to think about. So from what i can gather winter tyres seems like the best improvement I could make for the snowy weather, but quattro would probably improve things further still, but more in drive ability rather than getting enough traction to get from a to b?

Isimmo · 23-10-13, 08:09 PM

I think your answer lies in the question... You're looking for a new daily,, whilst you live in Shropshire.... So, realistically speaking you've got less than 5 days of untreated snow on A roads this winter, and maybe less than 10 on back roads.... Whilst you've got most of the winter with variable grip across the chassis in generally mild conditions...

Intelligent (eg, understand, learn and don't drive like a knob) use of quattro with a good all round tyre will be a better winter long option than full winter tyres for 10+ degrees most of the winter on a 2WD car.... whilst this is all, IMHO, the benefits gained from quattro, all year around, come sudden summer downpour, or a fine winters night with a patchy frost is far more practical than tyre managing a 2WD car. Whilst I appreciate quattro is about managing traction, it also manages deceleration with diffs locked, and, balances the chassis. After all, having a progressive, balanced chassis is far superior to a snappy unpredictable one. IMHO, I'd rather take on a winter (Southern) UK with a quattro on decent all year tyres than a 2WD car with winter specialist tyres.

john johnson · 23-10-13, 08:24 PM

Simmo put it rather more eloquently that wot I cud . I found I could get around in a 2wd vehicle with normal tyres quite easily . Also found the quattros quite ok on summer tyres if all traction aids are off ....leave em on and it gets a bit lairy. This was in several inches to a foot plus of snow . I can't drive for toffee in general but am pretty demon in snow oddly

Timo · 23-10-13, 09:07 PM

Hmm, nicely put Isimmo and what you have said I guess is what was going through my mind prior to the last couple of weeks when a few friends had mentioned winter tyres were the way to go. As you say for most conditions in the area i live a well driven quattro with reasonable tyres should be sufficient, in fact most of the time I've managed in the snow in my old 2wd coupe (on 45 profile non winter tyres), once it was dug out of the white stuff that is. I'm just thinking I'd rather play it safe with a little one on the way and would like to be able to get out of my rather steep lane quickly in the snow if the need arises.

Coxy · 23-10-13, 09:12 PM

borrow my landy!

and the A6 you drove on winter tyres wasn't a quattro..
handled a little better than the 968 on shit chinese slicks!! That's one journey I won't forget!

geneandbolly · 23-10-13, 09:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHWrO2BxWI4

'nuff said . . .

Isimmo · 23-10-13, 09:22 PM

We live on quite a steep hill, and generally, after the first snows have re frozen and the road has turned to sheet ice, we're the only household able to get up and down,we've never not put all of our cars onto the driveway, as all four cars are 4WD, three quattros and a Land Rover... Thee quattro's are all on Toyo T1R's and they don't like, (IMHO) powder snow, but can cope brilliantly with pretty much everything else, including sheet ice.

Incidentally, the rallywreck did three Sunseeker events on Toyo T1R's on loose gravel with the diffs locked, and the grip wasn't far off wet tarmac....

Timo · 23-10-13, 09:24 PM

Quote:

borrow my landy!

and the A6 you drove on winter tyres wasn't a quattro..
handled a little better than the 968 on shit chinese slicks!! That's one journey I won't forget!

Your landy! What the landy that has broken its diff twice in the confines of your own field? No ta!

Thought that a6 was a quattro? Well in that case I better change my o.p to say I have driven a 2wd on snow tyres! And it was dam good to be fair! That porsche 968 was feckin terrible on the other hand - can't believe you got the thing home in one piece after spinning it off the motorway so many times!

Coxy · 23-10-13, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timo

Your landy! What the landy that has broken its diff twice in the confines of your own field? No ta!

Thought that a6 was a quattro? Well in that case I better change my o.p to say I have driven a 2wd on snow tyres! And it was dam good to be fair! That porsche 968 was fleck in terrible on the other hand - can't believe you got the thing home in one piece after spinning it off the motorway so many times!

diff was ok, it was the clutch that was bo11oxed. Now has new clutch!

and yep 968 in the snow with shit tyres is not something I would ever do again EVER!
when we saw that first fleck of snow falling gently down as we left Telford on the 54 we should have aborted mission!

23-10-13, 07:31 PM	#12
Timo Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Shropshire Posts: 352	Hmm ok, thanks for the replies, quite a few interesting points raised above and certainly a bit more to think about. So from what i can gather winter tyres seems like the best improvement I could make for the snowy weather, but quattro would probably improve things further still, but more in drive ability rather than getting enough traction to get from a to b? __________________ 2000 Audi A4 1.8T sport avant (family wagon) 1996 Audi Coupe 8V Byzanz purple (gone to a new home oop north) 1994 Audi Coupe 16V Amethyst pearl (gone but not forgotten) 1969 Burgundy 912

23-10-13, 08:09 PM	#13
Isimmo Super Moderator Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sissix-by-the-sea Posts: 15,218	I think your answer lies in the question... You're looking for a new daily,, whilst you live in Shropshire.... So, realistically speaking you've got less than 5 days of untreated snow on A roads this winter, and maybe less than 10 on back roads.... Whilst you've got most of the winter with variable grip across the chassis in generally mild conditions... Intelligent (eg, understand, learn and don't drive like a knob) use of quattro with a good all round tyre will be a better winter long option than full winter tyres for 10+ degrees most of the winter on a 2WD car.... whilst this is all, IMHO, the benefits gained from quattro, all year around, come sudden summer downpour, or a fine winters night with a patchy frost is far more practical than tyre managing a 2WD car. Whilst I appreciate quattro is about managing traction, it also manages deceleration with diffs locked, and, balances the chassis. After all, having a progressive, balanced chassis is far superior to a snappy unpredictable one. IMHO, I'd rather take on a winter (Southern) UK with a quattro on decent all year tyres than a 2WD car with winter specialist tyres. __________________ 1985 WR quattro, 1985 20vT RallyRep, 1993 MTM ABY S2 Avant. 2010 S3 Sportback.

23-10-13, 08:24 PM	#14
john johnson Moderator of sausages Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sheffield Posts: 13,331	Simmo put it rather more eloquently that wot I cud . I found I could get around in a 2wd vehicle with normal tyres quite easily . Also found the quattros quite ok on summer tyres if all traction aids are off ....leave em on and it gets a bit lairy. This was in several inches to a foot plus of snow . I can't drive for toffee in general but am pretty demon in snow oddly __________________ Mr OCD http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t144/jsquatts/ Daily rs4 b7 with buckets that play havoc with my piles And if you are reading this as James may would say ' you're a cock '

23-10-13, 09:07 PM	#15
Timo Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Shropshire Posts: 352	Hmm, nicely put Isimmo and what you have said I guess is what was going through my mind prior to the last couple of weeks when a few friends had mentioned winter tyres were the way to go. As you say for most conditions in the area i live a well driven quattro with reasonable tyres should be sufficient, in fact most of the time I've managed in the snow in my old 2wd coupe (on 45 profile non winter tyres), once it was dug out of the white stuff that is. I'm just thinking I'd rather play it safe with a little one on the way and would like to be able to get out of my rather steep lane quickly in the snow if the need arises. __________________ 2000 Audi A4 1.8T sport avant (family wagon) 1996 Audi Coupe 8V Byzanz purple (gone to a new home oop north) 1994 Audi Coupe 16V Amethyst pearl (gone but not forgotten) 1969 Burgundy 912 Last edited by Timo; 23-10-13 at 09:14 PM.

23-10-13, 09:12 PM	#17
geneandbolly 4 ring whore! Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: The Psychiatric Ward, North Ayrshire Posts: 7,490	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHWrO2BxWI4 'nuff said . . . __________________ 1997 Audi S6 Ruby Red

23-10-13, 07:28 PM	#11
Eddy Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Glasgow Posts: 904	Had Continental winter contact tyres to an A2 (the fwd aluminum one) yes they are branded as Winter tyres but the tread pattern was good as an all season tyre. They didn't get too hot in the summer at high speed, were very good on a cold morning (not just winter) good in the wet and could cope with some snow. The thing is you want the best for the conditions and your family, which is un-known as you could be running out at 3 in the morning when the roads are flooded and cold, you want a good quality softer compound tyre so you chance of stopping quickly is optimum. An all season tyre is the best of both worlds. Someone I work with was in the same boat as you, he lives up a steep drive, missus was expecting a sprog during winter. So what did he do, he bought a Mazda 6 mps (the 4wd one) oh then he fitted some "winter tyres" with not too aggressive tread pattern. So, 2 years later, his missus is due with another bag of joy, still got the Mazda and not changed the tyres over. Hope this help

23-10-13, 09:12 PM	#16
Coxy 4 Ring Mafia Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: on the side of a hill in Shropshire! Posts: 28,215	borrow my landy! and the A6 you drove on winter tyres wasn't a quattro.. handled a little better than the 968 on shit chinese slicks!! That's one journey I won't forget!

23-10-13, 09:22 PM	#18
Isimmo Super Moderator Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sissix-by-the-sea Posts: 15,218	We live on quite a steep hill, and generally, after the first snows have re frozen and the road has turned to sheet ice, we're the only household able to get up and down,we've never not put all of our cars onto the driveway, as all four cars are 4WD, three quattros and a Land Rover... Thee quattro's are all on Toyo T1R's and they don't like, (IMHO) powder snow, but can cope brilliantly with pretty much everything else, including sheet ice. Incidentally, the rallywreck did three Sunseeker events on Toyo T1R's on loose gravel with the diffs locked, and the grip wasn't far off wet tarmac.... __________________ 1985 WR quattro, 1985 20vT RallyRep, 1993 MTM ABY S2 Avant. 2010 S3 Sportback.