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mrszymon
Member Since: 17 Apr 2012
Location: London
Posts: 425
 
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I have both snowsocks and chains for our Landrover Discovery 3. I can't envisage ever actually needing them.
Where we stay in Chamrousse, there is a parking area just in front of the apartment and to get there you have to negotiate a turn joining two levels which drops at a 50% gradient - the same drop in height as the length of the drop. To get down, you turn right from one level, go very sharp down, then turn right again to get onto the next level. If you miss the second turn, you go into the side of the apartment building. Going back up is the opposite - left, hard up, left again, and if you fall backwards you hit the wall. Did I mention that the slope is basically solid ice? Yes they put grit on it, but it's seriously steep, and cars without snow chains on aren't allowed down there. I've seen cars with winter tyres try and fail to make it all the way up (trying to save time by not using the chains which he'll only have to take off again at the top).
The Discovery, however, isn't fazed by this at all. The car is on AT tyres, not true winter tyres. Put it in Snow mode, it raises up to off-road height, changes to the low ratio gearbox, and turns on Hill Descent Control...and its like there is no ice and snow on the road. Going up, there is no wheelspin of any kind, just grip from all four corners (or at least that's what it feels like). Going down is even better - I just let go of the pedals and steer, the Hill Descent Control moves the car slowly and evenly down, using the ABS to control the speed of each wheel individually.
That said, I am very glad that we have the chains in the car, if only because we were once stopped by the Gendarms on our way up to the resort, where they demanded to see our chains...
Overall very impressed with the car in snow 
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 2nd Jan 2014 1:08 pm |
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mse
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 2702
  
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They are capable.
BTW my AT's are full winter tyres (Mountain Snowflake logos) so you can get AT's that are winter tyres.  Mike
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| 2nd Jan 2014 7:34 pm |
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mrszymon
Member Since: 17 Apr 2012
Location: London
Posts: 425
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my GG AT's also have a snowflake and m&s markings, but it seems that doesn't make them a true winter tyre...but I don't know enough about it, perhaps someone will explain...
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| 2nd Jan 2014 7:51 pm |
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mse
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 2702
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I know a little about tyres, but im no expert - heres how I understand it
Snowflake and/or with the Mountain are winter tyres as they have, not only a different tread but importantly a different compound of rubber, meaning they work better at low temperatures.
MS, M+S or M&S (Mud and Snow) are not true winter tyres, but have certain manufacturing characteristics which mean they work in cold winter/mud conditions (I think its a tread design). Ive personally have good success with M+S tyres in snow and mud...but they wont be as good as Mountain with (or without) the snowflake as the compound - despite being better than summer tyres, on M&S isnt as good
You then have snow tyres, with or without the spikes in them Mike
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| 2nd Jan 2014 8:13 pm |
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pagoda
Member Since: 13 Aug 2009
Location: Not London Anymore (or the US for that matter)
Posts: 1928
  
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You're right; the snowflake makes them proper winter tyres, which would explain how that tricky bit of road is negotiable in your car. I could barely get up a gentle incline with a mix of snow and a little ice on my wranglers when I was caught out last year. These conditions really show the worth of winter tyres in my view. PAGODA
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| 2nd Jan 2014 8:20 pm |
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mrszymon
Member Since: 17 Apr 2012
Location: London
Posts: 425
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Oh rats, now I'm going to have to check the tyres properly to make sure whether they actually have a snowflake too or just the M+S marking, I don't recall. I didn't *think* they were proper winter tyres, just All Terrain (AT)!
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| 2nd Jan 2014 10:03 pm |
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lespes
Member Since: 17 Sep 2009
Location: Sitting Down
Posts: 2232
 
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“M+S†tyres, or Mud and Snow tyres, have been specially designed to improve your car’s performance in mud and fresh or melting snow. “M+S†relates to the tyre’s tread design which generally has solid grooves and/or the tread blocks are spaced further apart than those on standard tyres. Some “M+S†tyres are also all-season tyres, suitable for all year round, however their performance is not as high as designated summer tyres in hot weather or Cold Weather tyres in cold weather. Not all Mud and Snow tyres have been tested as Cold Weather tyres. On the other hand, all Cold Weather tyres carry the M+S mark.
The "Alpine" symbol 3-peak-mountain with snowflake will be present if the snow tyre is classified as "snow tyre for use in severe snow conditions". These are available in the UK but are primarily designed for the Alpine Market, Germany France Austria D4 Landmark MY16 Santorini Black THE LAST
D4 HSE MY12 Marmais Teal: Gone. Missed a lot!
Freelander 2 SD HSE MY11 Silver:Thankfully gone.
D4 HSE MY11 Silver: Gone missed !
Range Rover Sport MY06 HSE Buck Blue: Gone missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Facelift MY Red Gone Missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Cobalt Blue: Gone Missed!
Discovery D1 Auto Oxford Blue Not missed at all!
Discovery D1 Avalon Blue First LR! missed!
Now demoted to a VW
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| 2nd Jan 2014 10:17 pm |
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mse
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 2702
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That's what I recall M+S is the tread pattern
In the UK we really don't get the extreme of heat or cold to justify either too often
The main stream tyres don't tend to be specialist - hence you don't get many proper winter tyres...not many MS tyres either (a legal requirement in places like Germany in the winter!). Land Rover didn't fit MS tyres for a while, just summer tyres, to some cars Mike
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| 2nd Jan 2014 11:34 pm |
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