[bobtail]

Well having snow tyres on the EC last two winters I got to use them for the 1st real time yesterday.

Two plus inches or 50mm (for the younger ones or our Brexit friends) of fresh snow gave them a good trial.

A steep snow covered hill was a good test, the last time I drove it in snow was in a 4wd mini on new summer tyres and it struggled but got up.
I had to knock the traction control off to give some power and wheel spin but the EC got up, impressed.

On summer tyres the car would have not got up that hill I am sure of that, breaking is also much better worth the investment.

Anyone else running on snow tyres? or who wished they were the last week or two?.

 

[Maleko]

My street is on a steepish bank, and haven't needed snow tyres yet. One day when we had bad snow the street was really bad, not even a 4x4 would have got up, like a sheet of ice! Gritted it and then it was fine.

I tend to try and go for decent all weather tyres, seem to do the job! Make sure your tyres are properly inflated when weather starts getting bad and good to go.

I do think that if you live in a bad area then snow tyres are a must!

 

[colinJYD]

Have never bought winter tyres on any car.

When its snowing and ice, I just go back to my cozy bed

This is from decades of experience of near crashes, with streetlamps, walls and other parked cars during unexpected ice spinouts

 

[bobtail]

LOL yes a option for some. Lets see what the rest of the winter brings. Must be more EC owners out there running on winter tyres ?.

 

[oldbiker]

LOL yes a option for some. Lets see what the rest of the winter brings. Must be more EC owners out there running on winter tyres ?.

I know we are softies down here in London, but we don't need snow tyres because as soon as there's 1mm of snow on the ground, then London comes to a stand still with transport, trains and airports shutdown, so everything in grid lock and you can't go any where and the useless mayor again says lessons will be learnt

 

[bobtail]

LOL yes a different world at times North hills southern sun.

On a bad weather theme not ES related but could be , the VW stood since christmas in the snow and minus 7 some nights, today both wiper blades decided to give up the ghost and a light bulb went off.

Lesson for today use the car more, never had the same problems in one day before, and no the blades were not stuck to the screen and it passed its MOT on Christmas eve, merry christmas!!!

 

[Moth]

It's something I've often thought about getting but for us, snow happens only a couple of days a year so I struggle to justify them.

 

[bobtail]

5" of snow today and the tyres working great, no real wheelspin unless you go daft, braking better, definitely giving more confidence to go out in the sticks on winter tyres with only 2WD.

:laugh:

 

[Moth]

I've been reading about cross climates and think they might be a better option for me next time round with us not getting that much snow.

 

[bobtail]

Beast from the East how did you cope?

We will see next few days. >

 

[oldbiker]

We had a snow "flurry" here in London this morning. Didn't last long, but it was enough for our "Southern" rail networks operators in the morning to issue warnings of leave work early, Like 6 o clock pm or early or else they could not say you would get home by train. The snow lasted for about half an hour and soon went, rest of day was sunny but cold. 'HeyHo' Look for reports on the news for panic buying at the supermarkets over the next few days from us Londoners at reports of more snow on the way

 

[colinJYD]

As I said, I just go back to my cozy bed if its snow and ice.

Just cannot deal with it, after over 40 years of driving

Anyway, we have missed the brunt of it on the West Coast Central belt of Scotland, and only had a few flakes of snow, but other parts of the UK are not so lucky.

 

[colinJYD]

We are up to our eyes in snow today, must have came down during the night

 

[bobtail]

Its on its way guys, 3ft drift locking the ES in on the drive today, but AWD VW ON SNOW TYRES got out and about today.

I am noticing more and more cars in car parks running winter tyres, they must have learnt the hard way?

 

[colinJYD]

Definitely staying off road in this snowy weather, I mean parked up and forget it, as I am in a red alert area in Scotland, and just taking it easy watching TV and drinking a beer, better than all those poor sods stuck for hours stationary on the motorway.

 

[colinJYD]

 

[bobtail]

Yes a testing few days, dug the ES out of the drifts yesterday 4 days at -6 7 and more started on the button. Gave it a good run in the white stuff it would not of got around without the winter tyres.

Starting to melt now, so the wadding depth might be its next challenge.

 

[colinJYD]

Its a good heavy battery on the Ecosport, and started first thing after five days of being snowed in. Town ran out of milk, bread and fresh veg

My wifes poor smart car required the battery charger treatment to get started as did not have jump leads. Luckly I bought a cheapo (£18) new battery charger off Ebay in October last year, and four hours of charging her sealed battery in the smart car, the engine jumped to life.

Roll on the end of Winter

PS...these new small plastic cased battery chargers are great with just a red, amber and green (fully charged) light to tell how the battery is charging. I remember my old mans lethal metal cased battery charger, that was like something out of Frankenstien's laboratory with big dials showing voltage and current and burning smells coming off it, and acid bubbling with fumes from the car's open battery cells. Real nasty stuff.

We have come a long way since then.