Winter tyres - but on which car?

[toxicated]

I know winter's not here yet, but it's coming...

I'm going to buy winter tyres for this year. I've not priced them yet and whilst it would be great to put them on both cars I don't know if that'll happen. I'm thinking of this mostly for when I need to get off the hill we live on when there's snow on the ground.

Assuming I've got to choose one car, which would be your suggestion? Heavy rear wheel drive E-class estate or light front wheel drive 500 Abarth Esseesse?

Thanks!

[Rawwr]

On whichever has wider tyres.

[StuartGGray]

Stick All Seasons on the Merc.

[furrywoolyhatuk]

Personally I would go choose the fwd fiat. You hit the nail on the head with the lightness aspect. It's all very well having traction when accelerating in the slippery conditions but you have to stop again at some point!

[Rickyy]

The Fiat I would have thought, the Mercedes may be heavy, but I doubt much of the weight will be over the rear wheels.

[jon-]

If you can live without the merc when it's snowy, I'd put them on the Fiat

[CYMR0]

The Fiat will do better in the snow, the Mercedes will need the winter tyres more.

So the question is whether you need to keep mobile at all costs - in which case go for the Fiat - or if being mobile is only worth it to you if you have the ability to shift stuff, in which case, Merc.

[Shaw Tarse]

Merc.

[poing]

We have two cars, Renault Twingo and MX5. It's the MX5 that gets the winter tyres because the skinny fwd car is less likely to get stuck. Although it's worth noting that I prefer RWD cars in the snow and the MX5 is seriously good fun when it's all white outside.

Partly this comes down to the other half working 6 miles away on easy roads and me working 25 miles away on pretty bad roads. She's not that confident in the snow so driving the MX5 scares her and if I want any chance of getting to work in the MX5 then it needs the winters on it. If we could just use one car every day and leave the other at home then the Twingo would have the winters on it because it would pretty much go anywhere in that case.

[loafer123]

toxicated said:

I know winter's not here yet, but it's coming...

I'm going to buy winter tyres for this year. I've not priced them yet and whilst it would be great to put them on both cars I don't know if that'll happen. I'm thinking of this mostly for when I need to get off the hill we live on when there's snow on the ground.

Assuming I've got to choose one car, which would be your suggestion? Heavy rear wheel drive E-class estate or light front wheel drive 500 Abarth Esseesse?

Thanks!

My wife had them on her E-class very successfully.

We still have them on steelies in the garage - I'm going to sell them when it snows...PM me if you want to discuss!

[stargazer30]

I'd say the merc. Its well known the little light FWDs have the advantage in the snowy weather. Snow doesn't like RWD, thick tyres, and no weight over the driven wheels.

In my case my winters are ready to go on the MR2

[750turbo]

toxicated said:

I'm going to buy winter tyres for this year.

Thanks!

FFS, learn to drive to the conditions!

[Captain Muppet]

750turbo said:

toxicated said:

I'm going to buy winter tyres for this year.

Thanks!

FFS, learn to drive to the conditions!

It's fair to assume that anyone who doesn't currently have winter tyres and also isn't dead can already "drive to the conditions".

But it's easier having grippy tyres.

People like easy, easy is normally good.

[Output Flange]

750turbo said:

FFS, learn to drive to the conditions!

Clever.

OP, I had a set of winter tyres on my old BMW 540 estate and it was unstoppable - also live at the top of a steep hill, so it made the ascent and descent easier and safer.

[Jasandjules]

750turbo said:

FFS, learn to drive to the conditions!

Sure but there are times when you can't move the car - ever tried to get a car up or down a pretty steep snow covered road in ordinary tyres? Ever watched a succession of cars just roll back and bounce off the kerbs?

Winter tyres are a safety feature which IMHO is pretty valuable. I like my ABS in the Passat, but I also like the grip I have with winter tyres on (the ABS went mad a few years ago in heavy snow when I didn't have winter tyres).

[300bhp/ton]

toxicated said:

I know winter's not here yet, but it's coming...

I'm going to buy winter tyres for this year. I've not priced them yet and whilst it would be great to put them on both cars I don't know if that'll happen. I'm thinking of this mostly for when I need to get off the hill we live on when there's snow on the ground.

Assuming I've got to choose one car, which would be your suggestion? Heavy rear wheel drive E-class estate or light front wheel drive 500 Abarth Esseesse?

Thanks!

I'd price up the tyres first. Winters can be hugely expensive. Can you fit smaller steel wheels on the Abarth? Some 15" rims would make winter tyres a lot cheaper to buy.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Rawwr said:

On whichever has wider tyres.

wide tyres aren't an advantage in snow

unless you go REALLY wide

[cure]

Is it a stupid idea to put winter tires only on the front axle of a rwd car, resulting in a controllable but tail happy car for the snow? I'd find it a bit of a waste of snow time to have the rear wheels gripping in the white stuff.

[TheInternet]

cure said:

Is it a stupid idea to put winter tires only on the front axle of a rwd car, resulting in a controllable but tail happy car for the snow?

Controllable because you're not moving at all?

[Output Flange]

cure said:

Is it a stupid idea to put winter tires only on the front axle of a rwd car

Yes.

Obviously.