Winter Tyres are a must on a rear drive Merc

[mercalot]

The E Class 350 is my first Merc. When I bought the car in the back of my mind I was worried about the snow in winter because of the rear wheel drive. When the first snow hit last week I decided to drive the car with standard tyres and found that they were far from ideal (spinning at every opportunity). I then took a very deep plunge last weekend, just over £1000 for a set of Vredestien Wintrac Extremes. I had no option due to total lack of availability and took what was available, no cheap option from My tyres etc. The price has been pushed up by demand and lack of supply, better to order in the summer if I had realised the benefit. I live 25 miles from my work in Wishaw and was caught in the snow blizzard that hit, I could not get home because of the solid traffic jams (decided not to try to get home because of the problems that day and night- good decision) and had to stay nearby with a friend. Next day I picked up my car and drove home in some very icy and snowy conditions. The difference the tyres make is totally amazing and has given me total confidence in the car. I was thinking about swapping for an ML but now do not need to need to do this (I do not want to go off road). So unless the snow is too deep I cannot see a problem in the future. The tyres are a must if you live in Scotland as I do. You have the option to leave the car the drive or fit winter tyres and continue to drive during the winter. The winter tyres are a clear option. It will transform your confidence in the vehicle.

 

[LTD]

I'll have winter tyres for next year on all our cars.

The recent weather has made my decision a lot easier

 

[mercalot]

I'll have winter tyres for next year on all our cars.

The recent weather has made my decision a lot easier

well done! I had no idea about the tyres before i had a rear drive car and looked for ways of solving the issue. I will be fitting winters on my wife's front wheel drive Mini. If it totally transforms a RWD it will improve any other drive.

 

[rf065]

I bought the same tyres for my CLK a few years ago, the rears are now down to 3mm (recommended changed at 4mm) but they still go through anything the winter can throw at it, including roads on Monday that an Audi A5 quattro on summer tyres was just wheelspinning and not moving, after pushing him out of the way, the CLK just moved off without even the traction control light coming on. We had 30cm of snow on Monday and the CLK with worn winter tyres just keeps going!

Russ

 

[MJH]

I've got a tax exempt Landrover with a modern 200Tdi engine I use when it gets too bad it cost me less than a set of Vredestien winter tyres too ! Every man should have at least one Landy in his life it's an excuse to go out play whenever the weather turns bad but to say it's one extreme to the other switching from Merc to Landy is a slight understatement !

3 bags of cement in the boot of your Merc help a lot

 

[mercalot]

I've got a tax exempt Landrover with a modern 200Tdi engine I use when it gets too bad it cost me less than a set of Vredestien winter tyres too ! Every man should have at least one Landy in his life it's an excuse to go out play whenever the weather turns bad but to say it's one extreme to the other switching from Merc to Landy is a slight understatement !

3 bags of cement in the boot of your Merc help a lot

The Land rover/Daihatsu and other 4 wheel drives were thought about before i bought winter tyres (so i could leave the Merc at home). My mates got a defender and it is freezing even with the heating on. All the lower cost ones (on Ebay) looked like the seats had been attacked by Rottweilers. This said i don't think i have ever seen a broken down Land Rover-Defender so not a bad choice.

 

[MJH]

All the lower cost ones (on Ebay) looked like the seats had been attacked by Rottweilers.

That's called character in LR circles

Reliability .......hmm there's a saying "if you want to go anywhere get a LR, if you want to actually get there, buy Japanese"

 

[Toff190]

Well after my rendition of Torvill and Dean's Bolero last Thursday. its winter tyres for me next year too.

 

[moonloops]

Well you paid 3 times the cost of my winter tyres that I got 2 weeks ago. Just shows the supply and demand piss taking that's going on...

 

[x332race]

Noticed winter tyres on mytyres are at least £20 more expensive each than a month or so ago! Good job I bought mine last year!

 

[Sp!ke]

Every man should have at least one Landy in his life it's an excuse to go out play whenever the weather turns bad but to say it's one extreme to the other switching from Merc to Landy is a slight understatement !

A mate of mine was out in his old landy on the weekend sporting a newly fitted (barn find) engine he bought for £40.

Looks *almost* unstoppable.

[YOUTUBE]UqWC-lOTa-g[/YOUTUBE]

 

[LTD]

That Landy needs decent tyres.

 

[Sp!ke]

Actually the tyres look pretty knobbly when not full of mud like that.

The conditions there are pretty awful as you can see by his attempt to walk across the track.

[YOUTUBE]36H3N8vJkAc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[MJH]

That Landy needs decent tyres.

Winter or Snow ?


Quality Landroverage there Spike, you've got to love low tech and old school prices. Just done a gearbox transplant on mine for £50

 

[tpwuk]

£1000 for a set of winter tyres? I don't think so! I agree with buying an old LR as a winter hack. Sell it in summer for probably the same money.

 

[camerafodder]

I would strongly advise anyone NOT to just go out and spend £500 on a 4x4 hack. They cost a lot to maintain and run properly and have a lot to go wrong. The most likely scenario (and we see it here in Cumbria a lot) is that inexperienced person buys 'cheap' 4x4 moneypit, uses it right when you do really need a 4x4 and then something breaks leaving said person stranded and at the mercy of someone else recovering it.

Spike's video illustrates this point well. Its great fun but with decent tyres he would have had more chance of getting through that mudhole, decent tyres would probably cost more than that 4x4 itself. Also remember, it looks he's just out having a blast in the woods and a good laugh it looks too! However out on the public highway in snow is a different ballgame.

 

[kwakdonut]

The E Class 350 is my first Merc. When I bought the car in the back of my mind I was worried about the snow in winter because of the rear wheel drive. When the first snow hit last week I decided to drive the car with standard tyres and found that they were far from ideal (spinning at every opportunity). I then took a very deep plunge last weekend, just over £1000 for a set of Vredestien Wintrac Extremes. I had no option due to total lack of availability and took what was available, no cheap option from My tyres etc. The price has been pushed up by demand and lack of supply, better to order in the summer if I had realised the benefit. I live 25 miles from my work in Wishaw and was caught in the snow blizzard that hit, I could not get home because of the solid traffic jams (decided not to try to get home because of the problems that day and night- good decision) and had to stay nearby with a friend. Next day I picked up my car and drove home in some very icy and snowy conditions. The difference the tyres make is totally amazing and has given me total confidence in the car. I was thinking about swapping for an ML but now do not need to need to do this (I do not want to go off road). So unless the snow is too deep I cannot see a problem in the future. The tyres are a must if you live in Scotland as I do. You have the option to leave the car the drive or fit winter tyres and continue to drive during the winter. The winter tyres are a clear option. It will transform your confidence in the vehicle.

You live in Scotland

You bought a BRAND NEW, REAR-WHEEL drive car

You then whinge about the tyres

Can you see where I'm going here?

I think that £1000 would have been better spent on some specialist winter driving course.

Yes, it's easy for me to say that down here in the cosy, warm South. But in over 20 years of driving, I have never needed winter tyres. And believe me, I have driven in EVERY imaginable weather condition and in different countries too.

If it's too bad, I don't take the car. Otherwise I am careful and avoid all the mistakes the numpties make. I am not a perfect driver but your post is just plain daft.

 

[x332race]

Sorry kwakdonut but IMHO mercalot took the correct course of action in purchasing winter tyres. This was the best and safest course of action. No specialist driving course will help you if you cannot get basic traction. I feel sure that the first thing that an instructor at a specialist winter driving course would recommend would be fitting winter tyres.

Yes, I have driven on snow with normal tyres and managed to get around, but "manage" is about the best way to describe progress. With winter tyres getting around is a lot easier and safer. I spent 2 winters in the French Alps and believe me I know what a difference the correct tyres make!

I think mercalot should be congratulated on his sensible decision to fit winter tryes.

 

[fuzzer]

You live in Scotland

You bought a BRAND NEW, REAR-WHEEL drive car

You then whinge about the tyres

Can you see where I'm going here?

I think that £1000 would have been better spent on some specialist winter driving course.

Yes, it's easy for me to say that down here in the cosy, warm South. But in over 20 years of driving, I have never needed winter tyres. And believe me, I have driven in EVERY imaginable weather condition and in different countries too.

If it's too bad, I don't take the car. Otherwise I am careful and avoid all the mistakes the numpties make. I am not a perfect driver but your post is just plain daft.

i give up seeing posts like that

 

[kwakdonut]

Sorry kwakdonut but IMHO mercalot took the correct course of action in purchasing winter tyres. This was the best and safest course of action. No specialist driving course will help you if you cannot get basic traction. I feel sure that the first thing that an instructor at a specialist winter driving course would recommend would be fitting winter tyres.

Yes, I have driven on snow with normal tyres and managed to get around, but "manage" is about the best way to describe progress. With winter tyres getting around is a lot easier and safer. I spent 2 winters in the French Alps and believe me I know what a difference the correct tyres make!

I think mercalot should be congratulated on his sensible decision to fit winter tryes.

Am not having a go at his decision to fit winter tyres but his decision to purchase what is a brand new, rear wheel drive vehicle (with their inherent problems of traction in poor weather) and of course, as standard, not fitted with winter tyres.

I know everyone has a choice of whatever car they wish to buy, but in this case, the OP is lucky enough to have sufficient funds to not only purchase a brand new car but a grands worth of winter tyres too!

Maybe just a case of the 6 'P's should come in here - Proper Preperation Prevents Piss Poor Performance!!