What makes the perfect Winter car

[ChrisHGTV]

There's another video I saw years ago of a Range Rover on wet grass, despite all the electronic traction modes, it just seems to sit in the same position with all 4 wheels spinning on the grass. Wish I could find it again.

This is what happened to my friends. It was actually quite comical.

 

[Mactech]

Compared to Summer tyres - and specifically very wide, very low profile, ultra high performance Summer tyres - quality Winter tyres make undrivable cars drivable in snow, and transform cars in general cold, wet, wintery conditions.

There’s a common belief that Winter tyres are only better on snow, but that‘s just when the difference is most noticeable because it’s dramatic from the outside. The rest of the time the difference is there but you can only really few it from behind the wheel so most don’t realise.

Ask any race driver about tyres and grip for the given conditions....but only if you have time for the answer
The race driver already has a handy grasp of Newtonian physics, something that many drivers on the road are blissfully unaware of.

 

[rf065]

The tyres Russ, the tyres. Most of them these days seem to have 22” wheels with wide low profile tyres - great on the road, not so much anywhere else. That and the fact a lot of owners don’t know how to drive them or take advantage of all the trickery, wouldn’t occur to them to put it on low and just let the tickover get them going.

Well aware of that, I've been using winter tyres for 15 years now. The video though is hilarious, that's why I mentioned it. I've tried to find it many times but failed.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

i had skid pan training “back in the day” but I can’t think of any places to do this now, except at Mercedes World. Are these places still around anywhere?

 

[Dryce]

There's another video I saw years ago of a Range Rover on wet grass, despite all the electronic traction modes, it just seems to sit in the same position with all 4 wheels spinning on the grass. Wish I could find it again.

I have a relative who had a RR and it was poor in wet fields on standard wheels/tyres. In a wet field once the wheels start to spin - then one front and one rear wheel spinning means no drive.

I'm assuming they still use the torsen centre diff - in which case the basic traction is split proportionately front and rear so at least one front and one rear wheel will turn. Then with the front and rear diff locks set these would mean all four wheels would turn - so no fancy traction.

I suspect some owners forget they have diff locks as the basic torsen setup works so well with no intervention most of the time.

 

[ALFAitalia]

i had skid pan training “back in the day” but I can’t think of any places to do this now, except at Mercedes World. Are these places still around anywhere?

They do it by the airstrip in the middle of Goodwood Race circuit just a few miles from me.

Spin and Slide | Drifting Experiences in Sussex | Goodwood Motor Circuit

Spin & Slide is a thrilling, adrenaline-fueled experience that allows you to push the car and your driving skills to their limits on the low-grip area.

www.goodwood.com

 

[NJSS]

I have winter tyres on my Discovery, smallest wheels possible & carry chains when advisable,

I considered a Fiat Panda 4x4 for my winter trips to France & Spain - but its very light on equipment, and if you were to have an accident, you & the car are very exposed.

I should add that I have driven in my Discovery to & from Καλαμάτα (Kalamata) in the Peloponnese peninsula in December 2,250 miles each way, with a passenger on the way out & 2 plus a dog on the way back. - lots of snow in the alps but no problems.

​

 

[MSG2004]

Winter tyres, decent ones make ALL the difference.
Putting a couple on winter contact Continentals on my C class about 11/12 years ago made it drive better than any other cars around in the snow and packed - the C class was an Avatagarde model with wider tyres at the back but it still did the trick

 

[BTB 500]

There's another video I saw years ago of a Range Rover on wet grass, despite all the electronic traction modes, it just seems to sit in the same position with all 4 wheels spinning on the grass. Wish I could find it again.

As an aside I once had to drive my SL (10" wide rear wheels) up a gentle slope on wet grass and quickly came to a halt. To my surprise putting the gearbox into 'W' totally transformed it, and I drove to the top without any problem. '80s technology to the rescue

I have also driven it on snow a couple of times after being caught out by the weather while away at meetings. That was rather more nerve-wracking, but I did get home OK both times (over 100 miles in one case).

 

[Curve]

Oh... an 1995 Mitsubishi Shogun (or Pajero) 2.8 two door.... I had a deal to by one a couple of months ago... and the wife said no!! ... yet she's the one piling miles on MY M4...

 

[Curve]

Just for you Mr Dazzler........
View attachment 152146

Oh... that is gorgeous,... there was a restored 'twincab' one Sold on Collecting Cars for circa £125k and it appeared on line a few weeks later for (I think it was) £175k

 

[Fastcar155]

Oh... an 1995 Mitsubishi Shogun (or Pajero) 2.8 two door.... I had a deal to by one a couple of months ago... and the wife said no!! ... yet she's the one piling miles on MY M4...

Agreed , I have a long wheel base diesel 2.8 similar to yours but the car has the insulated body.
Not the fastest car but it does the job.

 

[Smart320]

Even though there was plenty of tread on all 4 tyres I checked the manufacturing dates on my tyres as had had the rear two on it since we bought the Rav 6 years ago. Discovered the 2 rear Pirelli Scorpions were manufactured in 2011 , Eek , front Goodyears were 6 years old and the spare a 10 year old Hancook.
Just had 5 Michelin CrossClimate 235/60/16 tyres fitted to the and had all 4 wheels aligned , bought via Asda Tyres and fitted at a local independent tyre depot .
Cost was £ 879 less £ 25 cash back from Michelin. About 25% of the value of the car ….
However returning home in the rain , noticeably quieter and I am hoping that it will turn out to be a really good winter car when the temperatures drop, unfortunately going to have to wait at least another 6 months to find out.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Ouch....tyre prices are rocketing.......

 

[BTB 500]

Even though there was plenty of tread on all 4 tyres I checked the manufacturing dates on my tyres as had had the rear two on it since we bought the Rav 6 years ago. Discovered the 2 rear Pirelli Scorpions were manufactured in 2011 , Eek , front Goodyears were 6 years old and the spare a 10 year old Hancook.
Just had 5 Michelin CrossClimate 235/60/16 tyres fitted to the and had all 4 wheels aligned , bought via Asda Tyres and fitted at a local independent tyre depot .
Cost was £ 879 less £ 25 cash back from Michelin. About 25% of the value of the car ….
However returning home in the rain , noticeably quieter and I am hoping that it will turn out to be a really good winter car when the temperatures drop, unfortunately going to have to wait at least another 6 months to find out.

Unlike internal structural damage from kerbing/potholes etc. age-related degradation is external and easy to spot - it's caused by exposure to UV light, so normally occurs on the outward facing sidewalls. If a tyre isn't often (or ever, in the case of a spare) exposed to UV then it will potentially be fine for decades. But if your car is always parked outdoors in a sunny climate then 6 years could be optimistic. IMHO it's just another thing to check for when doing the pressures and looking at the tread.

The 2011 tyres you removed have presumably been through quite a few MOTs (where they would be carefully inspected) without any advisories whatsoever, so in all likelihood they were fine.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Not necessarily. They only check for cracks deep enough to see the chords (along with correct size type etc of course)........not how hard/brittle or how old it is. If its still round, not cracked to the cords its a pass (advise at worst) no matter how dangerous it might be in the rain due to its rock hard dried out thread!!! A tyre over 10 years old will fail on a coach or a minibus though.

 

[Smart320]

The ride is definitely much better with the new tyres, think the old tyres were exhibiting the effects of hardening of the rubber due to age. Braking better , think I had just got used to less grip and drove accordingly

 

[C320]

G wagon!

 

[BTB 500]

Not necessarily. They only check for cracks deep enough to see the chords (along with correct size type etc of course)........not how hard/brittle or how old it is. If its still round, not cracked to the cords its a pass (advise at worst) no matter how dangerous it might be in the rain due to its rock hard dried out thread!!! A tyre over 10 years old will fail on a coach or a minibus though.

In my experience any visible cracking/crazing on a car tyre will get reported as an MOT advisory, to cover themselves if nothing else. A tyre that's gone hard will almost certainly have some cracking.

My point is just that replacing simply based on age isn't necessarily appropriate - I've seen cracking on tyres that were only a couple of years old, and tyres that were 20+ years old (spares, in particular) that still looked and felt brand new. Our 2007 Vito still has the original spare and that's in perfect condition (I drove on it - in the rain - last year). AFAIK the spare in my 1997 SL is also original - I've never used that but check it periodically and would have no hesitation in using it if necessary.

 

[ALFAitalia]

My space saver is the one that came with the car....so at least 2009! I've never had to use it but I would. To be honest I've never heard of anyone replacing a space saver tyre just due to its age!! But personally I like my road tyres under 5 or 6 years old....its rare they last that long anyway. And I change tyres over 10 years old on anything I buy regardless of what it looks like.....it will have hardened and wont grip anything like as well as a new one...even of the same tyre.. When I sell caravans I cant let anything go out of the gate with tyres over 5 years old.