I have a Skoda Yeti 4x4 2.0l diesel. I fitted Michelin Crossclimate 2 tyres before the winter. In the recent UK snow which brought a lot of problems for traffic, it was stunningly good. I found where people were having to push cars uphill, it just drove up normally. I found it a pleasure to drive, safe, confidence-inspiring and fun. People with summer tyres and two wheel drive were having serious problems and I saw a few incidents.
I drive a 400bhp RWD car with winter tires in the Midwest U.S. using Blizzak WS-60 and WS-70 (newer version) and for those that haven't used a winter or snow tire, you don't know what you're missing. They're truly remarkable. That braking test could have been the difference between life and death or at the least no damage and damage on the vehicle.
this is a good review for new car buyers. Instead of me, buying an AWD car, I can go with a FWD and get a good set of winter tires. This saves alot of money.
I have an Audi A6 front wheel drive estate. I purchased a second set of wheels and put winter tyres on them. They go on the car once the temperature goes below 7 degrees and stays below for some days. I can honestly say, if you have never driven a car with this type of tyre on in the winter, then do so. They are worth every penny. As the video shows, going uphill with winter tyres on, even on my front wheel drive car will leave a 4x4 standing if it's on summer tyres. My advice: buy some if you live in an area where snow can or does cause a problem. You won't regret it.
Excellent test particularly as it upset so many chumps who mistakenly shelled out thousands on safari vehicles replete with winch and overnight survival kit for the 5 mile trip to Reading town centre.... fuming they are.
Argh but you see, there's that all-important, life or death situation know as picking up the kids from school! I mean, it can be very dangerous out there having to double park just because nobody is prepared to walk a matter of minutes to and from their destination. Better yet the car is higher than most other cars, because we are more important than everyone else down there even if we have to parachute to the floor to get out. These commoners don't know just how hard it is when it comes to keeping up appearances!
My choice in order -1)4x4 winter tyres 2)front wheel drive winter 3)rear wheel drive winter 4)4x4 all season 5)fwd all season 6)rwd all season 7)4x4 summer 8)ice hockey puck 9)fwd summer 10)rwd summer 11)ambulance 12)hearse. Front wheel drive on winter tyres is by far the best choice for most people.I live in a country where winter tyres are compulsory.They make a huge difference.I would only drive choice 1 or 2
Norwegian point of view: It's good to see that the rest of Europe is discovering winter tires. It doesn't get any clearer than this that you're better off with winter tires on any car. Imagine a pedestrian crossing full of schoolchildren and yourself in a hurry to work on a ice cold morning and those extra meters of stopping distance is a life and death situation - even if you only have say 2 weeks of winter each year as some countries probably do. I myself drive a '09 Pajero ( Montero/Shogun ) with 265/65-17 Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 spiked tires, not the best winter vehicle as it's heavy with wide tires but certainly not the worst either. Oh and by the way: Unexperienced winter drivers should always stick to a 2WD vehicle with winter tires, as it's easier to get a feeling for the grip and to correct mistakes.
Would you mind explaining more in depth why an inexperienced driver should stick with 2WD? I'm looking to get my first car sometime within the next year, and until then will be using a mid-90s Subaru with AWD. Obviously I will be using winter tires no matter what I choose. I got my license a few years ago but haven't done any winter driving since I got it(I actually haven't driven since I got it due to some health issues I was having so I again qualify as being a 'new and inexperienced driver as I'm out of practice.)
Ah, I'll give it a try! With a 2WD you'll feel much earlier and for a significantly longer period of time ( we're talking seconds here though ) that it's about to loose grip, and thus you as a driver would have more time to react. It's also a big factor that with a 2WD you will have a bigger chance to regain control because two of your wheels will "automatically" adapt to the vehicle speed while with a 4WD the driver himself have to manipulate wheel speed during a slide - and if he don't the engine will function like a all-wheel-brake making the vehicle slide uncontrollably. With that said - if you drive carefully during slippery conditions, slow down and only apply brakes before curves ( never in one ) and keeping a steady pace through curves not jerking about with the steering wheel - it'll take significantly longer on bad conditions for a 4WD to loose grip than for the aforementioned 2WD... Good luck and always remember to test your vehicles limits on a safe location during your first time driving on ice and snow! :)
Yeh I have full winter tyres for 2000mile trip from Albania to UK. Problems only come in the UK cos when I slow or stop in the snow all the other dicks slide into you. I don't know why they are so fucking tight and drive summer slicks all winter. Idiots cos if there is a jam I just get stuck in it. Way behind the times.
Equaliser I lived in Albania for three years. When it snowed hard in Tirana (Jan 17) the number of accidents I saw was simply hilarious. I was waiting to pick up a friend near TEG and a procession of Albanians came down the hill and crashed into each other., one after the other. In my discovery with good winter tyres it was slippery but the Albanians just kept on coming like it didn’t matter- as if they were so macho the ice had no effect on them. Well it did. Albanian drivers are, in my experience, the very worst I have had to encounter. Nobody in Albania can even use a roundabout and overtaking on blind bends is normal... so I’m not sure where you have been driving in the uk...
I also do not understand the purpose of the video. I have 4x4 and all the time I use winter tires in winter. Of course the grip is better. Works totally different. Who buy 4x4 just to "skip" the winter tires can be named idiot.
Thank you. An excellent demonstration. I tapped a vehicle in front of me entering a roundabout during a snow and I've long thought that had I winter tires I might not have hit him.
They didn't figure it out, they demonstrated it. This is an important test because in the UK people frequently are under the impression that they can be safe on snow with standard tyres just because they have 4 wheel drive. This video is a quick and simple test showing otherwise, and it needed doing. Well done Autocar. I am just surprised the winter tyred car lost the acceleration test. Would be intersting to see a 4x4 on summer only tyres, which a lot of vehicles seem to come with now.
the main thing to understand is more grip [softer rubber compound] usually means the tires wear out faster and in the case of racing or rock crawling cost a $h!tload to replace all of them. which is what you pay for more grip =+ acceleration and better handling and braking
Since I already own the 4x4 blue Yeti, and snow is not very frequent in Greece, the option for me is an all season tire (Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons) or the new Michelin Cross-Climate which is advertised as summer tire with snow capability!!!
I have a 2wd drive Yeti and swap the tyres over as the seasons change. The difference with winter tyres in the cold months is very noticeable. I have passed 4wd owners left stranded at the side of the road simply because they are on summer tyres. A lot of people don't understand that they are not just for snow conditions , a winter tyre performs better when temperatures drop below 7 Celsius.
I drove my Civic with winter tires through the rocky mountains in Canada in winter and I was fine. I think it is more how you drive too. I just took my time and went slowly down the mountains.
There is a quite useful rule in Germany: von "O" bis "O". Which means from October till eastern use the winter tyres. A set of decent winter tyres costs 500-600 € and I agree it is quite a lot. But think that way 600 € is a lot cheaper than repairing a crashed car.
2001 Lincoln Town Car rear drive, V8, posi diff. if you are driving in areas of heavy snow, dirt roads, unsalted roads, Blizzak is the way to go. They work wonders in country settings. I've driven in every snow condition mother nature can create, and pulled through better than most 4X4's! A bit sloshy on dry highway driving, performance in city snowy driving conditions (Chicago areas) isn't all that grand. Switched to Michelin X-Ice, very good city/suburb tire. Incredible stopping power, you just have to remember not to tailgate, otherwise the car behind you will rear end you. And fortunately that has not happened! Great job on the video!
Interesting, thanks for the test. I now know that buying a FWD wasn't that bad of a choice. I'm going to get a set of winter tyres immediately, as winter in Michigan is not known for being mild.
Here where I live, winter tyres are mandatory. So I use them every winter. Before they passed the law I used summer tyres, and I can tell you, the difference is night and day. You can definitely feel that 35% extra traction. A set will last you 3 winters.
The best option would be awd car with winter tires. No matter what tests people run they always don't show the full capabilities of awd/4x4 vehicles. I would like to see a test done with fwd car with snow tires compared to awd car with snow tires.
Fitted a set of general grabbers to my discovery this year, they're not winter tyres but I've been amazed at the improvement over the standard tyres, at least 25% better off road, only slightly noisier on road, and in the snow they are 100% better. I will never put anything else on it from now on.
Of course you could buy a set of chains and outperform both cars. Now thats cheaper. I live in southern Germany have a 4x4 winter tyres and carry chains but we do get snow 3 months of the year.
You will when driving in snow in a busy city. Mind you driving without winter tires in illegal here and most have studded winter tires. I work with delivery in a hilly city above the arctic circle and it's really helpful to even be able to start on an icy hill as well as fill small gaps in a busy roundabout.
Here in the UK is that a lot of people will go out and buy a 4x4 (like the Yeti, or Ford Kuga or whatever) just for in case it snows, Andrew Frankel is suggesting that you don't need the 4x4 element, just some decent tyres. Obviously having winter tyres on a 4x4 is the better solution, but some (most) of us don't own a 4x4 and he's just showing what we mere mortals can do just fine with a 2wd car and winter tyres. It's not a comparison of 2wd vs 4wd.
By definition 4 x4 run off front wheel drive before you switched to 4 x 4 mode. It means that when you are on the 4 x 4 mode, all tires turn in unison. Front and back tires are working the same way. If the véhiculé, regardless of the weather, in alway’s in 4 x 4, fuel consumption is hight, cornering and other manoeuvres are less effective. I own an Awl car on snow tires (law). The normal mode is front wheel drive. I manually engage the AWL function. Then a computer takes over and sends traction on the wheel (s) that are not spending. Traction on spinning wheel’s is redirected. It is very efficient because it basically shots off a 60km an hour. Some vehicules are on permined AWL modes which is more expensive to run. I leave in an very snowy are or worse with black ice or sleet.
I remember when my mate let me drive his evo V on unsalted snow and on summer tires. It accelerated surprisingly well in a straight line (althought it wanted to go sideways), but when it came to braking i bashed the curb, fortunately keeping the rim in one piece. Conclusion? AWD/4WD is good, winter tires are better still.
Winter tires have more grip, you can brake harder, go on a steeper slope, corner faster, recover from a skid faster than all seasons. AWD doesn't help you when you don't have grip. AWD + winter = unstopable, but just for commuting, winter tires on your exisiting car is better than all seasons.
Basing this on a lifetime spent in Finland, and the snow depth being now again in the region of 13in/33-34cm in my area, winter tyres will do the work. Just try to remember to think in terms of braking and lateral grip rather than how well the car will get off the line. AWD does not create grip from nothing as you saw in the braking test. What comes to grip distribution between the axles, rear axle should always have the better tires as that is the worst of the two when lost.
the tires on the FWD car there is NOT good winter tires! they actualy looks to be a fair bit worn down! I'm from norway and just THINKING on driving with summer tires make me SICK! i drive a Volvo 940 and have NO problem. all season is an emrgancy soution. winter tires IS needed. look at me driving my car on "Daily drive on the snow covered roads in Norway"
As winter tyre is not mandatory in UK , they call summer tyres standard , because it rains most of winter . In some Europeian states you must have winter tyres during some part of year , or like in Serbia only when there is ice and snow on the road (that means that everyone must have winter tyres , except those who car with expensive tyres and 4X4 , so it is cheaper for them to pay ticket) .
Have that with my Jeep. Ppl think I'm stupid for putting snow tires on my liberty here in the mountains......well, for me, it's safety first when the roads are covered in the white stuff.
correct me if im wrong but i thought some winter tyres are designed so that snow/ice will stick on the tyre. This is because the coefficient of friction between snow and snow is higher than tyre and snow given it more traction.
i would guess that they mean summer tires. But still, even with all season tires the result would be the same, since they do not perform very good in any condition (yes i know, still better then summer tires in the snow).
This. I have a 2010 fiat panda front drive only but with snowtrac tyres she absolutely leaves most cars for dead on ice and snow even up hills she just sucks it up and is so confidence inspiring great under the braking too...very safe.....so many 4wd owners out there today think oh well i can just stick to year tyres (or probably dont even think about winter tyres) cus i have all wheel drive then wonder why a fiat pandas just whizzed around them 🤣
Hi, it clearly means to me he is talking about the standard tyres the car comes with. A 4x4 2012 Yeti has Dunlop Sport SP01 or Good Year Eagles. Your Welcome.
Dear presenter, it is not clear what do you mean by "standard tyres". Those can be All-seasons or summer tyres and there is a sizeable difference between the two. You should clarify that either in the description or preferably altering the video. Or even better, do not be afraid to mention specific tyre models so the reader has access to more information if needed. Cheers, regards from Lithuania.
Good point. Cheap AWD tends to equal BAD AWD. Actually, I know a guy who had a Honda CR-V and he could not get uphill to his cottage because its AWD was so terrible. He said it was only giving power to one wheel at a time. I hear Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Qashqai are no better, but aparently the Nissan Juke has more advanced torque vectoring so maybe the next Qashqai will too. Also, the newest generation of Haldex that VW will use on everything Golf platform-based is supposed to be very good.
your straight line breaking is a good test but you have changed two variables tires and weight, if you could change one at a time that would give you more compilable results
I just wish they had swapped the winters on to the AWD and ran the same tests again. Get those numbers as well. My experience driving and AWD Passat with high quality winters has been great.
Our son is currently up in the French Alps with my AWD X Type Jaguar on Pirelli winter tyres, I guess it's the best combination, however on the dry these tyres flex a lot.
In the UK the tyre manufacturers don't generally make a distinction between 'summer tyres' and 'all season tyres'. You have normal tyres, sports tyres, eco-tyres, cheap tyres etc. but 'summer' and 'all season' are not generally part of the marketing terminology in the UK.
No kidding! Anyway, the argument they used is that WInter tires are extra cost, but the fact is while true, you can rotate between WInter & summer tires (every 6 month or so), so unless you plan on owning the car for only short period, the cost difference end up negigible.
I have an AWD car on summer tyres (with the front tyres just about within the legal limit) and drove it throughout the few days of snow we had. Didn't have any problems at all. Not worth buying winter tyres, just be aware of your braking points and keep your distance.
standard tires are the same as summer tires which are best in dry or rainy conditions better in rain than all season. the tire compound in standard tires is meant for more endurance harder rubber compound[less grip] all season has more siping to the tread than standard & not as much as winter tires all season has softer rubber compound and more grip but not as soft or grippy as winter tires and for additional grip on ice winter tires with studs[spikes that pierce the ice]
I'd like to see a comparison with the same vehicles and tyres, but in conditions where it is a bit warmer - say 10C. I fitted winter tyres and found them very good when we had the snow. But the weather has warmed and they're very slippery now. I have switched back to my normal tyres - but not sure how practical it is to keep switching when the temperature goes above/below 7C
Better yet, get awd AND winter tires. Drove my friend's STi on snow tires and it's utterly insane. We tried to purposely get stuck on an uncovered parking lot and the STi wasn't even trying. Plowed through the parking lot like there wasn't even any snow on there.
I can see why british people might think this is good test, since there aren't too many really snowy days in britain, but in finland(for example) nobody wouldn't even consider buing 4x4 and leaving it with regular tyres. In the proper winter you need winter tyres no matter what wheel drive you have.
I like the fuss UK makes of winter tyres. Rest of the europe actually use them, in some countries they are even mandatory. Guess why, because they work (if you get yourself a decent set not a cheap kumhos or something).
What does braking have to do with four wheel drive. Of course if you have better traction tires your gunna stop faster, whether you have 4wd or not. Try going up a steep snowy hill and see who will make it up further. That would be a real snow test.
And the snow magically disappers when you are going downhill again. Or when you meet some curves. The snow also magically disappears when you have to break. If you live in such a fantasy world, yes, then, going uphill might be a real snow test. I the real world, a real snow test also has to take into account the other elements of driving...
Very important fact is the one in witch, even if there is no snow, but you have very low temperatures, the winter tyres will act alot better than others.The most common type of accident i see when i go with my friends to the mountin resorts in winter is people with big expensive SUV's in a ditch or in an accident with an innocent driver.4WD isn't magic..even 4x4 specialized rally cars use special winter tyres on snow
I don't think anyone is doubting that? However, as someone who has a 4x4 (Octavia Scout) on winter tyres, I know that in corners and for stopping, I have more weight affecting the car which equates to reduced grip. I also have a higher centre of gravity and thus more prone to losing grip in a corner. my partner drives a Toyota GT86 that has 200hp through the rear tyres and has winter tyres. On roads she can go exactly where I can go, and sometimes faster. :)
Just some good A/Ts instead of street tires and the 4wd will outperform the 2wd with winter tires. Even a fully locked 4x4 would slide around with those street tires on.
The other problem with this arguement is that whilst people think, oh yes, I’ll get winter tyres if the weather changes.... they never do. Snow in the UK is unpredictable, nobody except those with garages or workshops have space to store a set of winter tyres and you aint going to get them in time if the snow does dump... plus at that point you’re probably snowed in anyway. Live in Scandinavia sure, you know snow is inevitable and you gear your garage accordingly. But in the UK nope, you might have smugly watched this video thinking yep im 2WD im buying s winter set of tyres and wheels... but you wont
No he is not. a 4WD system is a system that can be used in 2WD mode and 4WD mode. This is usually found on crossovers, or midsize SUV's. An AWD system is a 4WD system that cannot be changed in to a 2WD system, under any circumstances. when a car maker says they have a "4X2" they are saying 4 wheels, 2 wheel drive (just pointing it out)
So many of you missed the point. 4WD drivers tend to rely on 4WD to stay out of trouble, not bothering to change to winter tires, especially here in the US. They forget, too, that 4WD only helps when going forward. The rest of the time, you're either turning or stopping -- and the tires make the biggest difference. FWD with winter tires beats 4WD with all-season tires. 4WD owners need to understand that before they find themselves in a ditch again.
one benefit you get with 4x4 is that if you loose grip under hard acceleration the car remains controllable i.e. you can control it with both steering and throttle. One your FWD loses traction you will understeer. In winter times there is nothing better than AWD (preferably symmetrical)
With AWD car you have better acceleration, but braking is the same as FWD or RWD car. In corners you will have more fun, but everything else is same as FWD-RWD. Winter tires improve everything, in my country we have snow every year, I have another set of wheels with winter tires, I use it for 3-4 months a year, so one set of tires is good for 4-5 years. And winter tires don't help only in snow, but in every condition when temperature is about 5 or below...
AWD is just a marketing term to distinguish full-time 4WD cars from off-road 4x4's with part-time and low range. The only real difference between AWD and 4x4 is a low-range gear box.
I have a VW 4motion but it came with summer tyres in the UK. I was very disappointed. I was trying to buy Continental DWS all season tyres as we only have 1 or 2 weeks when we need winter tyres in the south UK. But I can't get them here and Continental won't even answer my emails. I wanted to know why they don't sell them here. In the US and over in Europe they do.
If you are concerned about safety you should have your full HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON .... You become way more visible. I've plowed and salted for many years....nothing worse than a car with no lights on.
The question itself seems very strange to me (a Swiss). When winter Comes and the temeratures go low, why wouldn't you have winter tyres anyways? Only this winter, I've had to help 1 german, 1 korean and a whole Family of italians out of the snow because they've got stuck on their summer tyres. I myself am driving an Octavia 4x4 with winter tyres and I've yet to get stuck or have Problems.
The biggest misnomer is people thinking an ALL SEASON is the best tire for everything. It's actually NOT. It's OK in the rain and dry and only OK in very light snow. Snow/winter tires are AWESOME for cold weather and ice and snow, but SUCK at anything else (including rain). Summer tires offer best warm weather handling in both wet and dry temps. Many think summer tires aren't good in rain, but they are superior to All Seasons.
All this "test" proved is that winter tiers are a lot better than all season tires. All wheel drive gives a vehicle many more handling advantages than ascending hills. Equipping both these two vehicles with snow tires would have made for a more interesting argument for the need of all wheel drive.
Bought a 2018 FWD Chevy traverse spent $700 on snow tires 14 inches snow made it home no problems. 4 wheel drive on that truck was extra$2800 not worth it to me.
Which means 90% of the "4x4" SUVs (like the Yeti and many others) provide very little benefit when going around a corner which is exactly the point. The point of the video is not to compare a sophisticated high end expensive AWD system vs a low end cheap FWD system. Even if you did, I bet the winter tires would still provide more grip on a large curve like a freeway off ramp.
They did not test 4X4 with Winter as the result will be clear as daylight. Comparison of 4WD or winter tires as a stand alone are not crystal clear, not for me at least. But now I know. Makes no differences to me as WInter tires are mandatory where I live. I would love a 4X4/AWD if cost is not a factor, but no SUV! But that should be fix when I get my next car, an S3 or maybe an A4 with Quattro .
I agree 4X4 with winter tires= best
I have a Skoda Yeti 4x4 2.0l diesel. I fitted Michelin Crossclimate 2 tyres before the winter. In the recent UK snow which brought a lot of problems for traffic, it was stunningly good. I found where people were having to push cars uphill, it just drove up normally. I found it a pleasure to drive, safe, confidence-inspiring and fun. People with summer tyres and two wheel drive were having serious problems and I saw a few incidents.
I drive a 400bhp RWD car with winter tires in the Midwest U.S. using Blizzak WS-60 and WS-70 (newer version) and for those that haven't used a winter or snow tire, you don't know what you're missing. They're truly remarkable. That braking test could have been the difference between life and death or at the least no damage and damage on the vehicle.
this is a good review for new car buyers. Instead of me, buying an AWD car, I can go with a FWD and get a good set of winter tires. This saves alot of money.
I have an Audi A6 front wheel drive estate. I purchased a second set of wheels and put winter tyres on them. They go on the car once the temperature goes below 7 degrees and stays below for some days. I can honestly say, if you have never driven a car with this type of tyre on in the winter, then do so. They are worth every penny. As the video shows, going uphill with winter tyres on, even on my front wheel drive car will leave a 4x4 standing if it's on summer tyres. My advice: buy some if you live in an area where snow can or does cause a problem. You won't regret it.
Excellent test particularly as it upset so many chumps who mistakenly shelled out thousands on safari vehicles replete with winch and overnight survival kit for the 5 mile trip to Reading town centre.... fuming they are.
Argh but you see, there's that all-important, life or death situation know as picking up the kids from school! I mean, it can be very dangerous out there having to double park just because nobody is prepared to walk a matter of minutes to and from their destination. Better yet the car is higher than most other cars, because we are more important than everyone else down there even if we have to parachute to the floor to get out. These commoners don't know just how hard it is when it comes to keeping up appearances!
I have the two wheel drive here in the Czech Republic and this was valuable. Many thanks.
My choice in order -1)4x4 winter tyres 2)front wheel drive winter 3)rear wheel drive winter 4)4x4 all season 5)fwd all season 6)rwd all season 7)4x4 summer 8)ice hockey puck 9)fwd summer 10)rwd summer 11)ambulance 12)hearse.
Front wheel drive on winter tyres is by far the best choice for most people.I live in a country where winter tyres are compulsory.They make a huge difference.I would only drive choice 1 or 2
Finally a normal, informative test without the unnecessary boring bits about the psychological makeup of the summer tire compound :). Cool!
Norwegian point of view:
It's good to see that the rest of Europe is discovering winter tires. It doesn't get any clearer than this that you're better off with winter tires on any car.
Imagine a pedestrian crossing full of schoolchildren and yourself in a hurry to work on a ice cold morning and those extra meters of stopping distance is a life and death situation - even if you only have say 2 weeks of winter each year as some countries probably do.
I myself drive a '09 Pajero ( Montero/Shogun ) with 265/65-17 Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 spiked tires, not the best winter vehicle as it's heavy with wide tires but certainly not the worst either.
Oh and by the way:
Unexperienced winter drivers should always stick to a 2WD vehicle with winter tires, as it's easier to get a feeling for the grip and to correct mistakes.
Would you mind explaining more in depth why an inexperienced driver should stick with 2WD? I'm looking to get my first car sometime within the next year, and until then will be using a mid-90s Subaru with AWD. Obviously I will be using winter tires no matter what I choose. I got my license a few years ago but haven't done any winter driving since I got it(I actually haven't driven since I got it due to some health issues I was having so I again qualify as being a 'new and inexperienced driver as I'm out of practice.)
Ah, I'll give it a try!
With a 2WD you'll feel much earlier and for a significantly longer period of time ( we're talking seconds here though ) that it's about to loose grip, and thus you as a driver would have more time to react.
It's also a big factor that with a 2WD you will have a bigger chance to regain control because two of your wheels will "automatically" adapt to the vehicle speed while with a 4WD the driver himself have to manipulate wheel speed during a slide - and if he don't the engine will function like a all-wheel-brake making the vehicle slide uncontrollably.
With that said - if you drive carefully during slippery conditions, slow down and only apply brakes before curves ( never in one ) and keeping a steady pace through curves not jerking about with the steering wheel - it'll take significantly longer on bad conditions for a 4WD to loose grip than for the aforementioned 2WD...
Good luck and always remember to test your vehicles limits on a safe location during your first time driving on ice and snow! :)
Thanks for the explanation. I do plan on doing just that, I think my dad has a few parking lots in mind. :)
Yeh I have full winter tyres for 2000mile trip from Albania to UK. Problems only come in the UK cos when I slow or stop in the snow all the other dicks slide into you. I don't know why they are so fucking tight and drive summer slicks all winter. Idiots cos if there is a jam I just get stuck in it. Way behind the times.
Equaliser I lived in Albania for three years. When it snowed hard in Tirana (Jan 17) the number of accidents I saw was simply hilarious. I was waiting to pick up a friend near TEG and a procession of Albanians came down the hill and crashed into each other., one after the other. In my discovery with good winter tyres it was slippery but the Albanians just kept on coming like it didn’t matter- as if they were so macho the ice had no effect on them. Well it did. Albanian drivers are, in my experience, the very worst I have had to encounter. Nobody in Albania can even use a roundabout and overtaking on blind bends is normal... so I’m not sure where you have been driving in the uk...
Regardless 4 X 4 or 2wd if you have winter you run winter tires.
I also do not understand the purpose of the video. I have 4x4 and all the time I use winter tires in winter. Of course the grip is better. Works totally different.
Who buy 4x4 just to "skip" the winter tires can be named idiot.
Thank you. An excellent demonstration. I tapped a vehicle in front of me entering a roundabout during a snow and I've long thought that had I winter tires I might not have hit him.
They didn't figure it out, they demonstrated it. This is an important test because in the UK people frequently are under the impression that they can be safe on snow with standard tyres just because they have 4 wheel drive. This video is a quick and simple test showing otherwise, and it needed doing. Well done Autocar. I am just surprised the winter tyred car lost the acceleration test. Would be intersting to see a 4x4 on summer only tyres, which a lot of vehicles seem to come with now.
the main thing to understand is more grip [softer rubber compound] usually means the tires wear out faster and in the case of racing or rock crawling cost a $h!tload to replace all of them. which is what you pay for more grip =+ acceleration and better handling and braking
Since I already own the 4x4 blue Yeti, and snow is not very frequent in Greece, the option for me is an all season tire (Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons) or the new Michelin Cross-Climate which is advertised as summer tire with snow capability!!!
It's nice to see a test that *isn't* sponsored by a tyre manufacturer. Not that I'm saying they're biased in any way whatsoever, no not at all..
I have a 2wd drive Yeti and swap the tyres over as the seasons change.
The difference with winter tyres in the cold months is very noticeable.
I have passed 4wd owners left stranded at the side of the road simply because they are on summer tyres.
A lot of people don't understand that they are not just for snow conditions , a winter tyre performs better when temperatures drop below 7 Celsius.
I drove my Civic with winter tires through the rocky mountains in Canada in winter and I was fine. I think it is more how you drive too. I just took my time and went slowly down the mountains.
There is a quite useful rule in Germany: von "O" bis "O". Which means from October till eastern use the winter tyres.
A set of decent winter tyres costs 500-600 € and I agree it is quite a lot. But think that way 600 € is a lot cheaper than repairing a crashed car.
4wd with proper winter tyres are best suited for winter conditions
2001 Lincoln Town Car rear drive, V8, posi diff.
if you are driving in areas of heavy snow, dirt roads, unsalted roads, Blizzak is the way to go. They work wonders in country settings. I've driven in every snow condition mother nature can create, and pulled through better than most 4X4's! A bit sloshy on dry highway driving, performance in city snowy driving conditions (Chicago areas) isn't all that grand. Switched to Michelin X-Ice, very good city/suburb tire. Incredible stopping power, you just have to remember not to tailgate, otherwise the car behind you will rear end you. And fortunately that has not happened! Great job on the video!
Interesting, thanks for the test. I now know that buying a FWD wasn't that bad of a choice. I'm going to get a set of winter tyres immediately, as winter in Michigan is not known for being mild.
Here where I live, winter tyres are mandatory. So I use them every winter. Before they passed the law I used summer tyres, and I can tell you, the difference is night and day. You can definitely feel that 35% extra traction. A set will last you 3 winters.
The best option would be awd car with winter tires. No matter what tests people run they always don't show the full capabilities of awd/4x4 vehicles. I would like to see a test done with fwd car with snow tires compared to awd car with snow tires.
Fitted a set of general grabbers to my discovery this year, they're not winter tyres but I've been amazed at the improvement over the standard tyres, at least 25% better off road, only slightly noisier on road, and in the snow they are 100% better. I will never put anything else on it from now on.
it would be interesting to see what difference winter tires would make on the 4x4 car, that would be useful
Winter tires have softer rubber compounds that remain flexible at low temps. Much better grip especially on ice.
Of course you could buy a set of chains and outperform both cars. Now thats cheaper. I live in southern Germany have a 4x4 winter tyres and carry chains but we do get snow 3 months of the year.
Nice test. I however want to see a test with an RWD car with snow tires vs the AWD model with regular tires.
You will when driving in snow in a busy city. Mind you driving without winter tires in illegal here and most have studded winter tires.
I work with delivery in a hilly city above the arctic circle and it's really helpful to even be able to start on an icy hill as well as fill small gaps in a busy roundabout.
OMG you should get a Nobel prize for that astonishing revelation!
Here in the UK is that a lot of people will go out and buy a 4x4 (like the Yeti, or Ford Kuga or whatever) just for in case it snows, Andrew Frankel is suggesting that you don't need the 4x4 element, just some decent tyres. Obviously having winter tyres on a 4x4 is the better solution, but some (most) of us don't own a 4x4 and he's just showing what we mere mortals can do just fine with a 2wd car and winter tyres. It's not a comparison of 2wd vs 4wd.
In motoring circles the term standard tyre usually refers to an normal manufactures approved summer tyre.
By definition 4 x4 run off front wheel drive before you switched to 4 x 4 mode. It means that when you are on the 4 x 4 mode, all tires turn in unison. Front and back tires are working the same way. If the véhiculé, regardless of the weather, in alway’s in 4 x 4, fuel consumption is hight, cornering and other manoeuvres are less effective. I own an
Awl car on snow tires (law). The normal mode is front wheel drive. I manually engage the AWL function. Then a computer takes over and sends traction on the wheel (s) that are not spending. Traction on spinning wheel’s is redirected. It is very efficient because it basically shots off a 60km an hour. Some vehicules are on permined AWL modes which is more expensive to run. I leave in an very snowy are or worse with black ice or sleet.
I remember when my mate let me drive his evo V on unsalted snow and on summer tires. It accelerated surprisingly well in a straight line (althought it wanted to go sideways), but when it came to braking i bashed the curb, fortunately keeping the rim in one piece. Conclusion? AWD/4WD is good, winter tires are better still.
2wd with studded snow tires works very well. 4x4 with studded snow gets better acceleration but not worth the maintenance cost imp
Winter tires have more grip, you can brake harder, go on a steeper slope, corner faster, recover from a skid faster than all seasons. AWD doesn't help you when you don't have grip. AWD + winter = unstopable, but just for commuting, winter tires on your exisiting car is better than all seasons.
Basing this on a lifetime spent in Finland, and the snow depth being now again in the region of 13in/33-34cm in my area, winter tyres will do the work. Just try to remember to think in terms of braking and lateral grip rather than how well the car will get off the line. AWD does not create grip from nothing as you saw in the braking test. What comes to grip distribution between the axles, rear axle should always have the better tires as that is the worst of the two when lost.
the tires on the FWD car there is NOT good winter tires! they actualy looks to be a fair bit worn down!
I'm from norway and just THINKING on driving with summer tires make me SICK! i drive a Volvo 940 and have NO problem. all season is an emrgancy soution. winter tires IS needed. look at me driving my car on "Daily drive on the snow covered roads in Norway"
As winter tyre is not mandatory in UK , they call summer tyres standard , because it rains most of winter . In some Europeian states you must have winter tyres during some part of year , or like in Serbia only when there is ice and snow on the road (that means that everyone must have winter tyres , except those who car with expensive tyres and 4X4 , so it is cheaper for them to pay ticket) .
Have that with my Jeep. Ppl think I'm stupid for putting snow tires on my liberty here in the mountains......well, for me, it's safety first when the roads are covered in the white stuff.
You live among stupid people.
correct me if im wrong but i thought some winter tyres are designed so that snow/ice will stick on the tyre. This is because the coefficient of friction between snow and snow is higher than tyre and snow given it more traction.
i would guess that they mean summer tires. But still, even with all season tires the result would be the same, since they do not perform very good in any condition (yes i know, still better then summer tires in the snow).
This. I have a 2010 fiat panda front drive only but with snowtrac tyres she absolutely leaves most cars for dead on ice and snow even up hills she just sucks it up and is so confidence inspiring great under the braking too...very safe.....so many 4wd owners out there today think oh well i can just stick to year tyres (or probably dont even think about winter tyres) cus i have all wheel drive then wonder why a fiat pandas just whizzed around them 🤣
Yea I have to ask as well. What about 4x4 with winter tyres. That's got to be much safer?
Hi, it clearly means to me he is talking about the standard tyres the car comes with. A 4x4 2012 Yeti has Dunlop Sport SP01 or Good Year Eagles. Your Welcome.
Dear presenter, it is not clear what do you mean by "standard tyres". Those can be All-seasons or summer tyres and there is a sizeable difference between the two. You should clarify that either in the description or preferably altering the video. Or even better, do not be afraid to mention specific tyre models so the reader has access to more information if needed.
Cheers, regards from Lithuania.
Good point. Cheap AWD tends to equal BAD AWD. Actually, I know a guy who had a Honda CR-V and he could not get uphill to his cottage because its AWD was so terrible. He said it was only giving power to one wheel at a time. I hear Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Qashqai are no better, but aparently the Nissan Juke has more advanced torque vectoring so maybe the next Qashqai will too. Also, the newest generation of Haldex that VW will use on everything Golf platform-based is supposed to be very good.
your straight line breaking is a good test but you have changed two variables tires and weight, if you could change one at a time that would give you more compilable results
I just wish they had swapped the winters on to the AWD and ran the same tests again. Get those numbers as well.
My experience driving and AWD Passat with high quality winters has been great.
Our son is currently up in the French Alps with my AWD X Type Jaguar on Pirelli winter tyres, I guess it's the best combination, however on the dry these tyres flex a lot.
In the UK the tyre manufacturers don't generally make a distinction between 'summer tyres' and 'all season tyres'. You have normal tyres, sports tyres, eco-tyres, cheap tyres etc. but 'summer' and 'all season' are not generally part of the marketing terminology in the UK.
No kidding! Anyway, the argument they used is that WInter tires are extra cost, but the fact is while true, you can rotate between WInter & summer tires (every 6 month or so), so unless you plan on owning the car for only short period, the cost difference end up negigible.
Where I live the fwd with winter tyres can't get up hills, but with 4wd summer tyres you can get up hills. QUATTRO POWER!
I have an AWD car on summer tyres (with the front tyres just about within the legal limit) and drove it throughout the few days of snow we had. Didn't have any problems at all. Not worth buying winter tyres, just be aware of your braking points and keep your distance.
standard tires are the same as summer tires which are best in dry or rainy conditions better in rain than all season. the tire compound in standard tires is meant for more endurance harder rubber compound[less grip] all season has more siping to the tread than standard & not as much as winter tires all season has softer rubber compound and more grip but not as soft or grippy as winter tires and for additional grip on ice winter tires with studs[spikes that pierce the ice]
Winter tyres do kick arse. I had continentals on last time on my pug, they were mint. I've got marangoni on my Bmw now and they mint fun
I'd like to see a comparison with the same vehicles and tyres, but in conditions where it is a bit warmer - say 10C. I fitted winter tyres and found them very good when we had the snow. But the weather has warmed and they're very slippery now. I have switched back to my normal tyres - but not sure how practical it is to keep switching when the temperature goes above/below 7C
Better yet, get awd AND winter tires. Drove my friend's STi on snow tires and it's utterly insane. We tried to purposely get stuck on an uncovered parking lot and the STi wasn't even trying. Plowed through the parking lot like there wasn't even any snow on there.
I can see why british people might think this is good test, since there aren't too many really snowy days in britain, but in finland(for example) nobody wouldn't even consider buing 4x4 and leaving it with regular tyres. In the proper winter you need winter tyres no matter what wheel drive you have.
Would've been interesting to see a 4x4 yeti on winter tyres to see how much lateral g's it could pull more than the fwd one.
I like the fuss UK makes of winter tyres. Rest of the europe actually use them, in some countries they are even mandatory. Guess why, because they work (if you get yourself a decent set not a cheap kumhos or something).
What does braking have to do with four wheel drive. Of course if you have better traction tires your gunna stop faster, whether you have 4wd or not. Try going up a steep snowy hill and see who will make it up further. That would be a real snow test.
And the snow magically disappers when you are going downhill again. Or when you meet some curves. The snow also magically disappears when you have to break.
If you live in such a fantasy world, yes, then, going uphill might be a real snow test. I the real world, a real snow test also has to take into account the other elements of driving...
in the uk standard tyres are usually what would be classed as summer tyres.
I have had both 4x4 and winter tyres on FWD car, winter tyres out perform every time.
Very important fact is the one in witch, even if there is no snow, but you have very low temperatures, the winter tyres will act alot better than others.The most common type of accident i see when i go with my friends to the mountin resorts in winter is people with big expensive SUV's in a ditch or in an accident with an innocent driver.4WD isn't magic..even 4x4 specialized rally cars use special winter tyres on snow
Now add winter tires on the 4x4 and it will out perform the front wheel drive on winter tires in every way except stopping should be about the same.
I don't think anyone is doubting that? However, as someone who has a 4x4 (Octavia Scout) on winter tyres, I know that in corners and for stopping, I have more weight affecting the car which equates to reduced grip. I also have a higher centre of gravity and thus more prone to losing grip in a corner. my partner drives a Toyota GT86 that has 200hp through the rear tyres and has winter tyres. On roads she can go exactly where I can go, and sometimes faster. :)
Just some good A/Ts instead of street tires and the 4wd will outperform the 2wd with winter tires.
Even a fully locked 4x4 would slide around with those street tires on.
The other problem with this arguement is that whilst people think, oh yes, I’ll get winter tyres if the weather changes.... they never do. Snow in the UK is unpredictable, nobody except those with garages or workshops have space to store a set of winter tyres and you aint going to get them in time if the snow does dump... plus at that point you’re probably snowed in anyway.
Live in Scandinavia sure, you know snow is inevitable and you gear your garage accordingly. But in the UK nope, you might have smugly watched this video thinking yep im 2WD im buying s winter set of tyres and wheels... but you wont
No he is not. a 4WD system is a system that can be used in 2WD mode and 4WD mode. This is usually found on crossovers, or midsize SUV's. An AWD system is a 4WD system that cannot be changed in to a 2WD system, under any circumstances. when a car maker says they have a "4X2" they are saying 4 wheels, 2 wheel drive (just pointing it out)
Most SUVs come with all-year-round M+S tyres, so I would prefer comparisson between all-year M+S tyres and proper winter tyres!
So many of you missed the point.
4WD drivers tend to rely on 4WD to stay out of trouble, not bothering to change to winter tires, especially here in the US.
They forget, too, that 4WD only helps when going forward. The rest of the time, you're either turning or stopping -- and the tires make the biggest difference.
FWD with winter tires beats 4WD with all-season tires. 4WD owners need to understand that before they find themselves in a ditch again.
one benefit you get with 4x4 is that if you loose grip under hard acceleration the car remains controllable i.e. you can control it with both steering and throttle. One your FWD loses traction you will understeer. In winter times there is nothing better than AWD (preferably symmetrical)
Can't blame you, I would do the same. Don't really fancy sliding off a mountain myself
2:46 did they run over the cameraman?
With AWD car you have better acceleration, but braking is the same as FWD or RWD car. In corners you will have more fun, but everything else is same as FWD-RWD. Winter tires improve everything, in my country we have snow every year, I have another set of wheels with winter tires, I use it for 3-4 months a year, so one set of tires is good for 4-5 years. And winter tires don't help only in snow, but in every condition when temperature is about 5 or below...
AWD is just a marketing term to distinguish full-time 4WD cars from off-road 4x4's with part-time and low range.
The only real difference between AWD and 4x4 is a low-range gear box.
I have a VW 4motion but it came with summer tyres in the UK. I was very disappointed. I was trying to buy Continental DWS all season tyres as we only have 1 or 2 weeks when we need winter tyres in the south UK. But I can't get them here and Continental won't even answer my emails. I wanted to know why they don't sell them here. In the US and over in Europe they do.
Interesting comparison & results!
If you are concerned about safety you should have your full HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON .... You become way more visible. I've plowed and salted for many years....nothing worse than a car with no lights on.
Is there a test about using winter tires in the summer?
try a FWD with just snow tyres on the front wheel and test control of having snow tyres on all 4 wheel
Shoot!Just all weather tires for my truck were 600 bucks.Cant imagine what those costs. I just put my slow tires on.
certainly a compromise but a all season tire works much better in snow than summer tires, although they dont last as long
Hey. How about 4 wheel drive, AND snow tires? You get the best of ALL worlds :)
The question itself seems very strange to me (a Swiss). When winter Comes and the temeratures go low, why wouldn't you have winter tyres anyways? Only this winter, I've had to help 1 german, 1 korean and a whole Family of italians out of the snow because they've got stuck on their summer tyres. I myself am driving an Octavia 4x4 with winter tyres and I've yet to get stuck or have Problems.
Unfortunately in the UK very few people fit winter tyres, but a lot of people think they need a 4x4 because they live half a mile up a country lane.
Very interesting. I wonder how 4wd with WINTER tyres would compare to fwd with winter tyres.
Nothing can beat proper winter tires. Exept maybe an SUV equipped with proper winter tires. There is no contest here, and I haven't hit play yet :)
But how much better is an AWD with Winter Tyres compared to a 2WD on Winter Tyres.....?
I'm a student. I paid that for some all season tyres a few months ago.
The biggest misnomer is people thinking an ALL SEASON is the best tire for everything. It's actually NOT. It's OK in the rain and dry and only OK in very light snow. Snow/winter tires are AWESOME for cold weather and ice and snow, but SUCK at anything else (including rain). Summer tires offer best warm weather handling in both wet and dry temps. Many think summer tires aren't good in rain, but they are superior to All Seasons.
All this "test" proved is that winter tiers are a lot better than all season tires. All wheel drive gives a vehicle many more handling advantages than ascending hills. Equipping both these two vehicles with snow tires would have made for a more interesting argument for the need of all wheel drive.
Are standard tires Summer tires or all-season. How did you come up with standard tires? What’s the Standard? 🙄
they should show the studded rally tires
Bought a 2018 FWD Chevy traverse spent $700 on snow tires 14 inches snow made it home no problems. 4 wheel drive on that truck was extra$2800 not worth it to me.
I keep thinking of Monoprice every time I hear your intro/outro.
Which means 90% of the "4x4" SUVs (like the Yeti and many others) provide very little benefit when going around a corner which is exactly the point. The point of the video is not to compare a sophisticated high end expensive AWD system vs a low end cheap FWD system. Even if you did, I bet the winter tires would still provide more grip on a large curve like a freeway off ramp.
There are proper winter tires and then there are those, with which it takes 15 seconds to accelerate from 0-30 mph.
What they mean by "standard tires"? Summer tires or all-weather tires?
They did not test 4X4 with Winter as the result will be clear as daylight. Comparison of 4WD or winter tires as a stand alone are not crystal clear, not for me at least. But now I know. Makes no differences to me as WInter tires are mandatory where I live. I would love a 4X4/AWD if cost is not a factor, but no SUV! But that should be fix when I get my next car, an S3 or maybe an A4 with Quattro
.
I'm guessing there was plenty of slip, so the awd system was on constantly, right? Just a guess :)