Technology is useless in the winter unless you have good winter tyres (Test)

Here is the proof that computers and all-wheel drive not suitable for winter tires

We have many times talked about this before and will say again: in the winter you need to use winter tires, regardless of how modern and stuffed with electronics of the car. The fact is that electronic assistance systems, being only an auxiliary means, not able to prevent the loss of controllability of the car “wearing” the tires are not in season or, equivalently, equipped with an old, worn winter tires. Tires are the only part of vehicles that come in contact with the road surface, suggesting their leading role in handling.

Even the AWD system in the case of using the wrong tires will not be an effective assistant in the fight for security. These examples we also many times assorted:

Here’s proof that all-wheel drive is useless in the snow compared to winter tires

Here’s proof that all-wheel drive is useless in the winter without winter tires

But once again remind the drivers how important the right choice of tires, even if we are talking about these tires as “winter” and “all-season”. The example is extremely revealing (comparative testing begins with 0.51 minutes):

Video taken from YouTube channel Tire Rack

In this video, conducted a series of tests that demonstrate how important winter tires on ice.

It is important to note that the test involved cars with identical equipment, technical equipment and auxiliary systems. One (gray Toyota Camry XV70) shod in “seseseko”, the other, a white sedan is on wheels winter tires “Velcro”.

Sedans were three types of tests: acceleration, braking and the passage of the 90-degree turn on the ice.

As you can see, a white Toyota passed all tests perfectly. Acceleration it was more efficient by almost 3 seconds: 4.34 seconds, against 7.31 seconds at the machine on the “vsesezonka”.

For braking from a speed of 20 km/h on ice grey Toyota had to overcome 15 meters is a failure. While winter tires on the same car has stopped at 11.5 meters, i.e. 3.5 meter faster, which in practice will allow to avoid collision. Note that in the first case, not helped traction control (ASR), and the second, an anti-lock (ABS).

Third test – rotate. Speed 17 km/h, 90-degree rotation. Guess who wins? Question, if anything, a rhetorical…

But testing the all-wheel drive crossovers. The conditions of the test remain:

Video taken from YouTube channel Tire Rack

Here are the results really a bit different from those we saw above. All-wheel drive is less demanding on the tyres, when it comes to all-season and winter tires “Velcro”, however, the payout still remains for winter tires.

The crackdown on the “winter” in 0.60 seconds faster (3.70 seconds “vsesezonka” and 3.10 for the winter “Velcro”). Note the difference in the dynamics of dispersal between all-wheel and front-wheel drive crossover sedan, especially on normal tires.

But the braking on four-wheel drive crossover was much less effective – 17.3 meters on all-season wheels. With winter tires it’s much better – 10.2 meters. The best score in the tests. The difference between races 7.1 meter!

Turn the crossover on pauletich-poluzimnie tire failed. System electronic stability couldn’t help anything.

What conclusions you want to announce?

The fact that even the cheapest winter tires is better the most expensive “vsesezonka” is a fact. No expensive system will not help you if you don’t “change” for the winter. All-wheel drive is not a panacea. And Yes, one small shtrishok. Tires are really expensive accessory. But think – is it better to spend 50 thousand times in two, three, four years and buy a nice set for winter or to break the car in the first “day of the tinman” by investing in repair of the same money or more? The question, again, seems rhetorical…