Traction control in the Ford Escape also controls the engine. So just when you're trying to get up the driveway it cuts your power if the wheels are spinning. Thing is you have to go into a menu to turn it off, it's not just a button.
It's nigh impossible to make this argument to the non believers. I'd rather have four snows and front wheel drive than awd and all season. Possibly even rear wheel drive w/ snows. Four cars stuck in one driveway in the last two weeks prove this but still doesn't convince people.Most of these systems pulse the affected wheels' brake and will decrease engine power. Both of which are not always helpful, depending on the situation. Also the entire system can only work as well as the traction generated by your tires. So ironically and counterintuitive to what non car people might think, winter tires are needed for traction control to function well. Go figure.
It's nigh impossible to make this argument to the non believers. I'd rather have four snows and front wheel drive than awd and all season. Possibly even rear wheel drive w/ snows. Four cars stuck in one driveway in the last two weeks prove this but still doesn't convince people.
Is it better to go narrower than stock for snows or is the trade off on dry and possibly ice not worth it?
Because you want her car to be handicapped so you get to the mt first?I always go narrower and taller personally. We just put some winter sneakers on TeleBetty's new Audi. Went from 19" rims down to 16"s!!! (minus 3 sizing)
Because you want her car to be handicapped so you get to the mt first?
I get it. I doubt I'll change rims this yr.
But... If dry handling is that much worse as is with snows, doesn't downsizing make it worse?
Makes sense.Everything is a compromise. I want MAX possible snow performance, period. If your driving platform is well balanced, it is not that big of a deal.
If not it will do the bad things it does on summer tire only worse. Taller sidewalls make a huge difference with the seasons pot holes, frost heaves and ice pack stutter. The taller tires added volume @ lower air pressure make the ride far less tiresome. This has become ever more important with the unfortunate trend in 18" and 19" wheel and extremely low profile tires (30-40 series)
Going from a 19" to a 16" on a modern Audi defeats the purpose of the Audi. There are plenty of 18" and 17" snow tires that will provide whatever the 16" will provide.I always go narrower and taller personally. We just put some winter sneakers on TeleBetty's new Audi. Went from 19" rims down to 16"s!!! (minus 3 sizing)
Going from a 19" to a 16" on a modern Audi defeats the purpose of the Audi. There are plenty of 18" and 17" snow tires that will provide whatever the 16" will provide.
BOT?Bot problem = no problem?
Going from a 19" to a 16" on a modern Audi defeats the purpose of the Audi. There are plenty of 18" and 17" snow tires that will provide whatever the 16" will provide.
You all know we got some heavy wet snow here in Tahoe the past 24 hours which created another test for Elwood. OK, Since the Yukon is blue, and the GSW AT is blue, I am now referring the Yukon as Jake and the Alltrack as Elwood..the Blues Brothers. OK, since arrived at Northstar, we got a good 10" of heavy muck and the parking lot just has one pass of a snowplay maybe 3 hours before we left. which left a good 15" snow back behind the Alltrack. As we walked up to the car there was a Forester that was stuck and it's owner shoveling a path so he could get out. Tricia and I cleaned off the car and I put it in Off Road Mode to see what he could do. Elwood had bot problem backing out over the berm with a few spins of the wheels. Impressed. As we went to exit there were no less than 10 cars stuck in the remnants of the snopwplow passings and in those 10 cars, 5 were Subarus, WRX's (understandable) 2 more Forester and a Crosstrek who was getting pulled out by a pick up. Was it the difference of this car being an Alltrack or was it that theyse cars didn't have snow tires..or both? Dunno, but this is one impressive little car.
Last tank of fuel was 375 miles range and 27.5 MPG. I think with regular tires I can easily get 400 plus miles on a tank with close to 30MPG.
You all know we got some heavy wet snow here in Tahoe the past 24 hours which created another test for Elwood. OK, Since the Yukon is blue, and the GSW AT is blue, I am now referring the Yukon as Jake and the Alltrack as Elwood..the Blues Brothers. OK, since arrived at Northstar, we got a good 10" of heavy muck and the parking lot just has one pass of a snowplay maybe 3 hours before we left. which left a good 15" snow back behind the Alltrack. As we walked up to the car there was a Forester that was stuck and it's owner shoveling a path so he could get out. Tricia and I cleaned off the car and I put it in Off Road Mode to see what he could do. Elwood had bot problem backing out over the berm with a few spins of the wheels. Impressed. As we went to exit there were no less than 10 cars stuck in the remnants of the snopwplow passings and in those 10 cars, 5 were Subarus, WRX's (understandable) 2 more Forester and a Crosstrek who was getting pulled out by a pick up. Was it the difference of this car being an Alltrack or was it that theyse cars didn't have snow tires..or both? Dunno, but this is one impressive little car.
Last tank of fuel was 375 miles range and 27.5 MPG. I think with regular tires I can easily get 400 plus miles on a tank with close to 30MPG.
I would seriously discourage anyone from trying such a drastic change in tire size/width on a modern car. While a slightly narrow tire will provide marginally better performance in loose snow, not ice; this much change will SIGNIFICANTLY alter the driving dynamics of the car on dry pavement, especially it's emergency handling/cornering capability as the contact patch is much smaller and the sidewalls much more flexible.
Modern car suspensions are designed around particular tire sizes, major deviations in tire size will comprise that design.
BTW, going bigger, plus sizes (bigger contact patch), will hardly effect the cars handling at all, but it may be more susceptible to aquaplaning depending on tread pattern.
Bot problem = no problem?
BOT?
HAHA, typo from Phil. I fixed it. Yes he meant - no problem."Elwood had bot problem backing out over the berm with a few spins of the wheels."