2WD Plus Winter Tyres Easily Beats 4WD In The Snow
Are you a big fan of four-wheel drive as an alternative to winter tyres? Prepare yourself for a dose of crushing disappointment.
Chances are you know someone who is under the assumption their 4x4 is a magical winter-beating unicorn that doesn’t need winter tyres. Unfortunately, that’s rather inaccurate. Tyre Reviews has released a new video showing the wild difference between a typical 4x4 on typical summer tyres and a two-wheel drive car on winter rubber.
Two BMW X1s get tested at Goodyear’s facility in northern Finland. The front-wheel drive one is fitted with Goodyear UltraGrip Performance winter tyres while the four-wheel drive car uses the excellent Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3. You can probably see where this is going.
For a start, summer tyres don’t stop a car very well on snow. We all like stopping before we hit stuff, right? As for traction on snow and ice, forget climbing any hills on those summer tyres. As the video shows, all four wheels simply spin away uselessly.
We’d offer some mitigation, in that most road surfaces are at least partly cleared of snow, even if they’re not gritted fully. Most roads should therefore have a tiny bit more purchase than the Finnish snow, but still. The points Tyre Reviews makes are spot-on.
Take 10 minutes to watch this, not just because Jonathan Benson’s biceps are always impressive, but mainly because it’s important food for thought – and a fascinating way for car geeks to gain some context without having to crash our own cars…
Comments
TOP DRIVES TOLD US A LIE!!!! Use all-surfaces in races in dirt and snow also gravel..
No surprise here. I live in New England, and have always had fwd cars with winter tires with no problems. Well, until I got a WRX with awd and winter tires.
AWD gets so many people in to trouble here, because they can get going in conditions that they really can’t stop in. All anyone who isn’t a car person seems to care about is if they get stuck. So they either want awd of winter tires. I’m one of the few that actually runs with both, and would never run without winter tires around here. I have always said being able to stop and corner is a bit more important. A lack of either is what usually causes accidents in poor winter conditions.
Even better yet, I have my girlfriend running studded winters in her Camry. Her car is more stable than mine in certain conditions.
Lol, i already experience it as i rode with my father’s SUV and he’s sliding like crazy. Trying to counter steer with 4WD and i told him that if you ain’t got grip, the car ain’t got sh** to go.
While on our way, i laughed at every luxury cars ranging from BMW to Mercades that are slipping on snow due to incompetence to buy winter tires with their fat wallet.
Just saw the picture and rememberd that BMW are making FWD car now. Trying not to cry
This guy knows it all too well
Who remembers the presenter from the old carthrottle youtube video with ethans prius? Rating hot or not
alex? he is still presenting, he does the 2 guys 1 car show
I like how every year, we’ve got the same stories. Only this time it’s powered by bmw. Last year it was a pick up vs a saloon or a wagon in Canada
yeah but every year we get new drivers on the roads, some with the knowledge and some ignorant of it sadly.
idunno when, but somebody proved that from BMW’s Xdrive, Audi’s Quattro and mercedes’ 4matic, Quattro was the best
I want to see an all-weather tyre vs winter tyre. And winter tyre vs summer tyre in the summer or maybe all three vs each other in the summer and winter
Would be more interesting to see winter tires compared to all season tires.
0 grip x4=0grip
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