Chains or snow tires or both?
01-29-2019, 05:52 AM
#1
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Chains or snow tires or both?
Never taken my Q7 to the mountains/snow and need advice from those who have. Should I put snow tires or chains or both on my 2018 Q7 bought/driven in Sunny Sothern Ca with stock prestige Audi Sport 21” Goodyear summer tread. Heading to Mammoth with the wife/kids and want to make sure we’re not slippin and slidin.
Appprecite the feedback and advice.
- the family guy.
Appprecite the feedback and advice.
- the family guy.
01-29-2019, 07:26 AM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Winter tires for sure, and you may even need 19" rims for those. Chains will really depend upon the condition of the roads...like if there is always expected to be a layer of ice and snow on the roads. Otherwise winter tires will do it
01-29-2019, 08:11 AM
#3
In CA you are required to carry chains in the winter while driving in the Sierra. Said that, Q7 with M+S or winter tires qualifies for no chains in R2 conditions. In my experience driving 1500+ miles this winter through snow/mountains, Q7 was super stable and controllable even in very bad conditions with patchy ice on the road and falling snow. Basically I feel that if I need chains in Q7 then I better not drive at all.
01-29-2019, 08:56 AM
#4
AudiWorld Member
Yeah, if you had good all-seasons and the roads were clear/good, you'd be OK with just bringing chains in case of a storm. However, with your Summer tires, they will be like hockey-pucks and get no grip regardless of ice or snow, just because of the cold. If you go a few times a year, invest in a set of snow tire/rims (on 19 or 20" rims) and swap out for the trip. People underestimate how much better snow tires are than all-season tires in wintery conditions, and even all-seasons are way better than summers. Here in Utah, I routinely see people in AWD vehicles slipping all 4 wheels and ending up all over the road with all-season tires while I don't even feel an inkling of a slip with dedicated snow tires.
01-29-2019, 09:12 AM
#5
AudiWorld Member
Yeah, if you had good all-seasons and the roads were clear/good, you'd be OK with just bringing chains in case of a storm. However, with your Summer tires, they will be like hockey-pucks and get no grip regardless of ice or snow, just because of the cold. If you go a few times a year, invest in a set of snow tire/rims (on 19 or 20" rims) and swap out for the trip. People underestimate how much better snow tires are than all-season tires in wintery conditions, and even all-seasons are way better than summers. Here in Utah, I routinely see people in AWD vehicles slipping all 4 wheels and ending up all over the road with all-season tires while I don't even feel an inkling of a slip with dedicated snow tires.
01-30-2019, 03:56 AM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Yeah, if you had good all-seasons and the roads were clear/good, you'd be OK with just bringing chains in case of a storm. However, with your Summer tires, they will be like hockey-pucks and get no grip regardless of ice or snow, just because of the cold. If you go a few times a year, invest in a set of snow tire/rims (on 19 or 20" rims) and swap out for the trip. People underestimate how much better snow tires are than all-season tires in wintery conditions, and even all-seasons are way better than summers. Here in Utah, I routinely see people in AWD vehicles slipping all 4 wheels and ending up all over the road with all-season tires while I don't even feel an inkling of a slip with dedicated snow tires.
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01-30-2019, 04:31 AM
#9
AudiWorld Member
01-30-2019, 08:09 AM
#10
AudiWorld Junior Member
Just carry chains. To have a full 2nd wheel set for just quick mountain trips is a waste unless you want to be swapping tires every time you go up to the mountains. I've never met anyone who does that. I lived in San Francisco and did a lot of city driving but did drive up to Tahoe 2-3X a month and had an AWD Passat Wagon with All-season tires and made it up fine. Carried chains but never used them. Now on another note, I did have the Goodyear All-seasons living here in Bend when I got my Q7 and they were horrible, in the snow and chunked out. I swapped them out for the pirelli's all-season and was able to score the Goodyear snow tires which have been great. Now that I live full time in a place that has actual winters, I stepped up my game and have 2 sets of tires. But if I was still living in an area with no snow (LA, SF, etc) and heading up to the mountains on occasion, I would never bother with getting another set of tires or wheels even if the tires were the Goodyear AS.