How does the FR / Cupra drive in the snow?

[The Pielander]

With the impending arrival of snow this weekend I was wondering how the Ibiza with all the latest gizmos (XDS, EDL, ESP, TC, ABS) handle in the snow? I never got to drive the Boc in the snow last year and the Grande Punto Sporting I had for 6 months was absolutely terrible to drive and I constantly got stuck. I've been reading about the XDS system and apparently it really helps with traction and keeps you moving safely. Am I right to expect big things of the XDS system?

 

[m0rk]

no, you'll still be limited by the lack of grip of the tyres.

XDS is for faster stuff no?

 

[sly200sx]

I was thinking the same, also considering the steel wheel and snow tyre combo from mytyres... Delivered for under £400

 

[Deleted member 55436]

It can't be any worse than my last car, a tuned smart roadster. No weight + rear wheel drive = sideways only...

 

[nightflight]

My 1.6tdi was phenomenal in the snow last year. Only got stuck twice and had to take a different route once.
I've gone and got some 15" BBS alloys and some Nokian WRG2 tyres for this winter which will hopefully improve it further.

 

[Generic]

My 1.6 got stuck on my driveway for a week and I had to use the missus's Ka for a few days as it was great in the snow.

If my new FR is anything like the 1.6 I'm going to be unhappy.

 

[FR_POWER]

I can tell u that XDS, ABS and ESP can do all that stuff at high speed because i had near accident during the snowy winters while over taking at 60mph while the car was nearly going sideways, never again, learnt my lesson! ESP will not let the car rev over 2,000RPM as i remember on the snow and the DSG can help you move up little hills slowly because it has that anti stall feature.

 

[Shunter]

I was wondering what its going to be like in the snow with the DSG box - this is my first automatic (which i am loving BTW). They always say to get into as high a gear as possible to stop wheelspin - so would you use the paddles or do you reckon the box will do it anyway as the revs go up.

 

[sicasey]

Clicky;

http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3696

 

[robin cur]

Its snowing hard at the moment here in norwich S-----g myself as i will be leaving for work shortly and Just got my car back yesterday after spending £300 on having the wheels refurbed in black, A little off topic sorry.

 

[R22 JGB]

The tyres will be too wide to grip in snowy conditions. Last winter I got stuck going DOWNHILL in my Passat despite having traction control!!! Mind you the snow was deep but I still had to dig the car out to go down the street.

Have a look at fotos of rally cars on the Swedish rally, the tyres are like bicycle tyres, this is to get the weight of the car down into the snow. A wide tyre just rides on the top and ESP XDS ABS don't do a lot. One good thing is you have a handbrake, so you can steer from the rear. The Passat had that stupid electric device, it was 'king useless!!

 

[adventureandy]

Wide tyres are no good for the snow, looking at Sly200sx post set me thinking if you swap the wheels to winter ones which are smaller i.e. from wide 16" to skinny 15/14" how will this affect the cars handling and speedo readout? I have a 1.6Tdi which is bad in the snow to the point where I have snow chains, or use the girlfriends car which has skinny 13" wheels.

 

[ShiftySid]

Its snowing hard at the moment here in norwich S-----g myself as i will be leaving for work shortly and Just got my car back yesterday after spending £300 on having the wheels refurbed in black, A little off topic sorry.

You're in Norwich? Same here mate!

 

[R22 JGB]

Wide tyres are no good for the snow, looking at Sly200sx post set me thinking if you swap the wheels to winter ones which are smaller i.e. from wide 16" to skinny 15/14" how will this affect the cars handling and speedo readout? I have a 1.6Tdi which is bad in the snow to the point where I have snow chains, or use the girlfriends car which has skinny 13" wheels.

Standard tyre on the 1.6 Sport is 215/45R16, diameter is 600mm
195/55R15 is 596mm diameter
195/60R15 is 615mm OD
185/60R15 is 603mm OD
175/65R15 is 609mm OD

If you were to drop to a 14" rim you will probably have trouble with the inside of the rim catching on the brake calliper

 

[Sorgrim]

Some comments from icy Finland At least on icy road there is only minimal understeer when cornering and that is something I'm not used to with my previous FWD cars. Maybe that's the advantage you get with XDS...or the combination of XDS+ESP+TC and brand new studded tyres.

 

[nightflight]

you'll not got 14" over the front caliper, my 15's just clear them.
I'm running 195/65R15's over winter, by my (by my i mean an online calcuator tool) calculations it means my speedo reads about 4% too low, which nicely cancels out the factory under-read.
(they also make the car so much more comfortable!)

 

[mardon]

I can't fit normal (as in on Sira) alloys over the AP calipers let alone 14's!! I'll just have to take it easy!

 

[R22 JGB]

Just got my snow tyres fitted today. Struggled trying to get some steel wheels, eventually got 2 for £30 from a VW breakers.
The tyres I've got are Pirelli P Zero K6 M+S 205/65 x 15 Rally tyres, these are probably the biggest wheels that will fit under the arches! They just clear the arch!! But they certainly work!!



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[Rob-TSI]

I had a tiptronic Audi last year and it was crap due to it not letting u change up a gear till u reached the correct speed, in a manual u can select a high gear to reduce wheel spin

 

[sly200sx]

Well I've been out to play in the snow and early indications of the DSG is very good. Light touches of the loud pedal required tho and once on the move its fine!