How did your Golf handle the snow?

[cj57]

I love my Golf, build quality, performance, handling in the wet and dry, BUT it has to be the worst car I've ever had for dealing with snow and ice. This recent snow isn't the worst I've seen or driven in, but on the slightest snowy incline the wheels have spun and the wheels wouldn't grip - Bridgestone 225x24 17" with only 5k miles on so not a bad set of rubber. Anyone else experieced this?

[zollaf]

i believe the bridgestones have mainly tread around the circumference of the tyre, with no blocks on the edges. rather like a sledge. good for dispercing water, but useless in mud and snow.

[percymon]

I love my Golf, build quality, performance, handling in the wet and dry, BUT it has to be the worst car I've ever had for dealing with snow and ice. This recent snow isn't the worst I've seen or driven in, but on the slightest snowy incline the wheels have spun and the wheels wouldn't grip - Bridgestone 225x24 17" with only 5k miles on so not a bad set of rubber. Anyone else experieced this?

i only had 150 miles on mine in the first snowfall, 17" bridgestones - bl00dy awful! I've driven my boxster with 265 wide summer Tyres indeeper snow with mode success. I'm buying winter Tyres come October!!

[moe360]

My Pirellis P zero's been pretty good not had any problems and the tyres gave me very good grip in the snow and ice in the last 2 weeks.

Quite impressed considering these are performance tyres which are not made for these type of conditions.

[andywell]

Mine was pretty grim. 225/40R18 Bridgestones are pretty awful in the snow and even worse on ice. I have actually bought a second hand set of alloys and Veredestein Wintrac winter tyres and now have them fitted to the car. Bring on the snow!!!!!!

[lanciamug]

Yes the traction in the bad conditions isn't really related to the car, other than the weight ditribution, it's all about the tyres. Having wide, low profile summer compound tyres on, in the snow is never going to be good.

We should follow our european brothers and have a tatty set of winter wheels with winter tyres and wear them Nov - Mar. Job done. I don't understand why the government and tyre manufacturers are not already telling us to do this. After all the tyre manufactures already state that summer rubber is only suitable down to 7 deg C (yes thats plus 7!)

I would have thought that the money grabbing state would be fining us for not using winter tyres. Or am I in danger of giving them an idea?

[andywell]

There would probably be a public outcry if we went down the winter tyres road. Millions of motorists would be claiming that they couldn't afford it etc. It does make sense though

[moe360]

Yes the traction in the bad conditions isn't really related to the car, other than the weight ditribution, it's all about the tyres. Having wide, low profile summer compound tyres on, in the snow is never going to be good.

We should follow our european brothers and have a tatty set of winter wheels with winter tyres and wear them Nov - Mar. Job done. I don't understand why the government and tyre manufacturers are not already telling us to do this. After all the tyre manufactures already state that summer rubber is only suitable down to 7 deg C (yes thats plus 7!)

I would have thought that the money grabbing state would be fining us for not using winter tyres. Or am I in danger of giving them an idea?

Yes you are in danger of giving them an idea l0l so please do not argue for it or we will all be hit hard in the pocket by your idea !!!!!

I called my local kwikfit to get an idea how much winter tyres will cost the sales guy said for my Golfs wheel size it will be over 100 quid a tyre !!! i was like *** he said that he has only sold like 2% of the stock they have.

If winter tyres were discounted heavily by the government lets say like 100 quid for a full set which would make it more affordable and accessible to everyone then I could consider them for that price.

If its going to cost me over 500 quid for a set for 2 weeks worth of driving then its to much for me I don't even drive that much in these bad conditions and its always safer to just avoid going out unless its urgent.

I think the government should give out winter tyres or provide discounts to all road tax payers as it will save lives as some people would avoid the costs of fitting them, save the time and resources of the emergency services and most of all save lives !

Gordon Brown are you reading this if you want my vote give us all winter tyres or make them part of some scheme !!!!!

[zollaf]

the govt cant even supply enough gritters or snowploughs to keep roads open when we get a bit of snow. what hope do you have of getting snow tyres out of them. i think they need to concentrate on clearing the roads and the pavements first.

[PhilDon]

I love my Golf, build quality, performance, handling in the wet and dry, BUT it has to be the worst car I've ever had for dealing with snow and ice. This recent snow isn't the worst I've seen or driven in, but on the slightest snowy incline the wheels have spun and the wheels wouldn't grip - Bridgestone 225x24 17" with only 5k miles on so not a bad set of rubber. Anyone else experieced this?

didn't travel too far, but mine was reasonably OK - standard 16" wheels with 205/55 Hankooks - never had any experience of that brand of tyre before, but when it comes to snow the basic rule of thumb is that as the width of the tyre increases & the pofile decreases, the performance gets worse
around 10 yrs ago I had an Audi 80 sport with fabulous fat tyres - wouldn't move an inch in snow when "normal" cars were coping without any diffficulty