Winter tyres or quatro - Proof of which is best

[shabazmo]

Check out the link. Just as I expected, but not sure what is cheaper, a quatro or a set up 4 wheels and tyres

Winter tyres vs 4x4 Car Video | Autocar

[EssexGonzo]

I read the print version of this story.

For acceleration off the line winter tyres started ok but were soon overtaken by 4WD on normal tyres. But for braking and cornering, winter tyres and 2WD trumped 4WD.

Their conclusion was clear - for snow and extreme conditions winter tyres were worth it and better than 4WD. Don't bother dragging 4WD hardware around. For the other 350 days of the year 4WD or winter tyres may not be necessary.

Don't expect the Quattro owners to agree with this - they have a purchase to justify. :-)

[beavim]

Why do all these discussions always focus on quattro OR winter tyres. There are many people out there (myself included) that have the real winner: quattro AND winter tyres.

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[belly buster]

Why do all these discussions always focus on quattro OR winter tyres. There are many people out there (myself included) that have the real winner: quattro AND winter tyres.

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I guess you can compare hopping on your left leg to hopping on your right leg. But you can't really compare either to running!

[adamss24]

I drive FWD cars and quattro cars on a daily bassis, i will choose a quattro every time ! If you have the right tyres for the weather then there's not much that could stop you in your tracks ! For normal pottering round town and legal speeds on smooth motorways FWD is the sensible choice, for any other situation quattro is the solution ! Also i would not call the above test a conclusive test, the Yeti is using a Haldex based 4 wheel drive system which is FWD till the front wheels slip THEN the clutch sends power to the rear wheels ! Try it on a proper Torsen quattro- no mickey mouse electronic gizzmos- and the results are much more different !

[kennyh]

It would be nice to see that test on an Audi Quattro vs FWD.

Very interesting nonetheless!

I've put winter tyres on my other (the wife's) car. An Mx-5 that normally goes nowhere in the snow. And now it's quite happy get up the steep hill at the end of my driveway.

I've not put winter tyres on my A7 Quattro; partly because of the cost, but I also wanted to see how it would do. It's not perfect in the snow, but WAY better than a Jag XF on normal rubber that was my last car.

[JimC64]

Nice one thanks for sharing, really interesting.

I think beavim said it best though.....why not have both as the clear winner....lol

[shabazmo]

Why do all these discussions always focus on quattro OR winter tyres. There are many people out there (myself included) that have the real winner: quattro AND winter tyres.

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There was a good reason why I chose the title "Winter tyres or quatro - Proof of which is best", and that was because my wife like many others in our village insist on 4wd for those 5 days of snow each year, and refuse to accept that snow tyres are a good alternative. Of course both would be the best choice. There is also the fact that many choose quatro, not because of snow but because of how the car handles in the dry and wet. Good debate for the pub though!

[beavim]

The argument of 4wd on summers against 2wd on winters is very valid, just a shame these always forget the combined winner. As for the chelsea tractors, they should just be banned from the road unless you have at least 4 kids , (flame suit on...)

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[EssexGonzo]

The argument of 4wd on summers against 2wd on winters is very valid, just a shame these always forget the combined winner. As for the chelsea tractors, they should just be banned from the road unless you have at least 4 kids , (flame suit on...)

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No doubt that the combo is the winner. It's just that it's a touch challenging for me to fit Quattro to my 2WD every winter. And I'm too tight to drag the hardware around all year. ;-)

And Chelsea Tractors - or knob extensions - totally with you there. The X6 across the road is comical to look at and was comical on the snow with its foot wide 15 profile tyres on our snowy hill recently. As long as he thinks he's cool for the rest of the year, that's all that matters. The drivers of these things really do believe that they have elevated social status.