Winter Tyres or Chains for a Roadtrip to Switzerland..video

[Graeme4130]

They wear out quickly too. Mine are down to 5mm after circa 3000miles
Not sure if they've been really 'needed' this winter so far, but they're definitely night and day compared to the somewhat average Pzeros on my summer wheels when the temp gets below 7-8deg

In the 2-3" of snow this morning, my car went up the hill near to my home with ease when a neighbour was generally struggling in his allroad and a chap in a merc had given up and gone the other way

Not sure buying them was a justifiable expense, but time will tell and they'll be good for next winter too, so we'll have to wait and see

In retrospect, a more sensible option would've been to fit the wife's countryman with winters (and saved a fortune) and used that on the few day's they've been really useful, but where's the fun in that

[Surrey Sam]

Yes I ran winter tyres on an R8 and all season tyres on a Gaylander

I don't doubt for one second they are better

My point Is more they are not anywhere near necessary in England

I'm not putting them down.

Ok, I recall you running R888's on the R8''s but never any mention of winters when it came to more specialist tyres?

I think its altitude dependent really; plenty of snow on the North Downs from when I lived there over the years, 2010 was quite bad. As a small child my family and I were also caught out in the terrible winter conditions of 1981 where we were stranded overnight on the motorway, so perhaps I'm over cautious. IIRC even HRH and her entourage were caught out in the conditions and had to seek refuge in a pub that year.

[HYFR]

Dunlop winter sport 3D

[HYFR]

Shyte PIC but all I got

[HYFR]

The all seasons were shyte on the Gaylander! With those things on it handled like a boat

[Surrey Sam]

Shyte PIC but all I got

I wasn't doubting you. Your opinion just raised my eyebrows, considering your repertoire of owned machinery and penchant for fitting them with the 'best' things available.

Not surprised the gaylander felt like a boat after the R8, the Q5 feels just the same after a drive in the RS4. Oddly the Range Rover Sport never quite felt that way, I must say that car was my guilty pleasure with its elevated position and TDV8 surge

[HYFR]

Haha, I'm pretty sure it wasn't the tyres causing the aGaylander to handle like that!

[Surrey Sam]

A 60 odd tyre profile is never going to help that though

[carsarecool]

Am I being stupid or is the driver of this mondeo stupid? RWD??

[Graeme4130]

Am I being stupid or is the driver of this mondeo stupid? RWD??

You've missed a perfectly good photoshop opportunity to add an 's' into that sign behind

But you're right, all mondeo's are either front or 4wd

[Ian_C]

Am I being stupid or is the driver of this mondeo stupid? RWD??

Oh dear. That reminds me of all the pics of 1 series in the snow the UK a few years back!

[carsarecool]

I didn't see a 4x4 badge on it and aren't you supposed to put them on the front anyway?

[carsarecool]

Looks like a fun road trip. How was the fuel consumption? Or should I ask

Average speed 58. 25.9mpg. 85 on the motorway, variable else where (obviously, such as 20-25 up the mountain.

DIS readout from journey home, my mate was a bit more heavy right footed than me on the way home so worse MPG. £450 in fuel, £100 in tolls and £140 for Eurotunnel to get to Grimentz in Switzerland and back.

85 on the motorway was mandatory to stop the flaps opening on the Milltek and perfect to keep the rozzers at bay.

First road trip in long, long time and planning one to the 'ring in April.

Click it's a Video...

[carsarecool]

Video of Trip I put together:

http://youtu.be/a8esFu2PPtw

[Foxy]

On the subject of winters, I run them on two of our cars (the family mini and our SQ5) and I take my chances with the other stuff. It's worth bearing in mind that snow is only part of the reason to choose winters, on a PES winter driving course at Silverstone a couple of years ago they demonstrated stopping distances in cold, wet weather, the winter shod cars out stopped normal rubber by around 15 yards. For me this remains the most compelling reason to fit winters, sure they're better in snow but as someone said we don't get too much of that, however we get plenty of cold, wet days and from what I witnessed they could save your bacon.