passat in Snow

Rico567 · Dec 9, 2013

So- what wheels/tires do you have on this car? 17" or 18"? Stock tires, or???

WildBill said:
Very impressed with my TDI's performance this week in a North Texas Ice Storm. If you are going to drive a sedan in the snow, I don't see how you can get much better than the FWD Passat. The accelleration is so easy to control to prevent spinning, and the ABS Brakes had me stopping straight every time. We had about four inches of freezing rain and sleet fall this week, so that is about as deep as I think you'd want to attempt without getting high centered in a rut somewhere, but very impressive still. I was one of the few in the crew that made it to work, and I have a 30 mile commute to Dallas.

I pulled into a school parking lot which was closed for the day, lot's of open room to play, starting, stopping, turning. The most impressive thing to me were the brakes, which I would slam on at 25 mph to see what would happen. You can feel the ABS at work, and I was simply amazed at how I stopped straight every time. I drove by fender benders and abandoned vehicles which were turned opposite traffic the whole way, and ended up driving a coworker home who didnt want to attempt it.

So, on flat roadways, I am very confident now with this vehicke in snow and ice. I wouldn't want to do any serious downhill though without proper tires. Storms like this don't happen every year in my neck of the woods, but nice to know I am covered when it does happen.

tdiatlast · Dec 9, 2013

RoadRunnerTR21 said:
I posted this quote 11 months ago and now it has come true. Flight cancellations from the NE delayed my return to Dallas by a day. In some respects that was a blessing. That said, on Saturday morning I had my first opportunity to drive the Passat on icy roads and I was very surprised how well it handled the poor road conditions. I never really had any issues at all other than a few bridges that were like cobblestone roads. I did learn one thing that I thought I would pass along. Long ago (over 40 years) I learned a technique that I would use when driving a vehicle with a automatic on ice. If you are slowly trailing another vehicle and they start to slow down, I would put the vehicle in neutral and coast as opposed to using the brakes. The advantage here is that the drive wheels would stop trying to move the vehicle forward and you would naturally slow down. This technique does not work with the DSG. As we all know, at slow speeds when you lift off of the accelerator our cars slowdown on its own pretty well. If you were to pop it into neutral, you will have the sensation of speeding up.

So the lesson learned for me is to always leave the car in gear. It does a great job all by itself.

RoadRunner: I was just experimenting with this yesterday, and so far, I find your advice is consistent with my experience.
I've taken the liberty of highlighting the pertinent aspects of your post. Additional feedback on this advice is welcome, as the DSG is rather quirky. It just doesn't perform like any previous automatic transmission.

phlfly · Dec 9, 2013

I think Passat Tdi is good on snow as it could be for FWD. I think it's due heaver front axle. I think TDi engine is heavier than standard i-5 or V6.

dogger37 · Dec 9, 2013

Second winter now running 215/55-17 Michelin X-Ice Xi3. Tires have been very impressive. Have yet to get stuck and have been into some pretty deep snow ( I live in central PA) I do wish the traction control was able to be shut off but I think the system works well for what it is. The Michelins didn't come in a 205 or I would have gotten those.

40X40 · Dec 9, 2013

RoadRunnerTR21 said:
I posted this quote 11 months ago and now it has come true. Flight cancellations from the NE delayed my return to Dallas by a day. In some respects that was a blessing. That said, on Saturday morning I had my first opportunity to drive the Passat on icy roads and I was very surprised how well it handled the poor road conditions. I never really had any issues at all other than a few bridges that were like cobblestone roads. I did learn one thing that I thought I would pass along. Long ago (over 40 years) I learned a technique that I would use when driving a vehicle with a automatic on ice. If you are slowly trailing another vehicle and they start to slow down, I would put the vehicle in neutral and coast as opposed to using the brakes. The advantage here is that the drive wheels would stop trying to move the vehicle forward and you would naturally slow down. This technique does not work with the DSG. As we all know, at slow speeds when you lift off of the accelerator our cars slowdown on its own pretty well. If you were to pop it into neutral, you will have the sensation of speeding up. So the lesson learned for me is to always leave the car in gear. It does a great job all by itself.

That trick was for REAR wheel drive cars...

I got to try my 2012 Passat in snow/ice this last weekend and I am quite happy with it!!

Bill

das_dub · Dec 10, 2013

I too got to try my Passat in the snow and ice this weekend. I think it performed very well. I have a SEL with the stock wheels and Continental tires. The DSG did fine pacing and coasting in the slush.

Jbdesigns · Dec 12, 2013

I can say thus much. My 13 passat 6mt had the original hankooks last year with only 2000 miles on them when we first got snow. They worked ok and I cautiously got thru the winter. This year, those tires had 28,800 miles on them. We got snow this week and I literally couldn't go anywhere. Not up my driveway, not down the street , nowhere. Plus the traction control prevents any wheel spin which was frustrating.
I got snow tires put on today and as I always knew, it's a totally different car and performed admirably.
I wanted 16" wheels and the generals but the steel wheels I tried rubbed the brakes. I know some others had rubs and others didn't but the wheels I tried rubbed. So I had to settle for putting 17" tires on my stock rims. Cooper winter claw. I wanted the generals but couldn't get them quickly and waited too long to get them. The coopers will work, are a bit noisy but oh well, at least I can use the car now.

So, worn tires are terrible in snow on this car.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

drcoopster · Dec 13, 2013

Jbdesigns said:
I wanted 16" wheels and the generals but the steel wheels I tried rubbed the brakes. I know some others had rubs and others didn't but the wheels I tried rubbed. So I had to settle for putting 17" tires on my stock rims.

16" steel wheels will work if they're OEM VW wheels, but most aftermarket wheels will have a bead at the seam that hits the front brake caliper.

I'm using the General snow tires and they're excellent. I think they're even quieter than the OEM-fitment Hankooks.

VeeDubTDI · Dec 13, 2013

I think driving down the road on bare steel rims would be quieter than the Hankooks.

drcoopster · Dec 13, 2013

VeeDubTDI said:
I think driving down the road on bare steel rims would be quieter than the Hankooks.

Traction would be better, too.

50pascals · Dec 13, 2013

This is not meant as a dig to anyone who has posted here, but I will say that if you have not driven regularly a car with good snow tires you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.

I am amazed at the number of posts that say the stock Hankooks or Conti's are good in the snow.

I happen to have the Conti's but brand, etc. doesn't matter. Unless you have dedicated snow tires, your tires suck in the snow - PERIOD.

When I say they suck I mean they in no way approach even a fraction of the acceleration or handling that they would on dry pavement. Real snow tires achieve a level of performance very near that of dry pavement.

So being able to propel forward, brake and steer at 15 to 20 mph is not an acceptable level of performance. Being able to drive within 5 or 10 mph of the posted speed limit is.

I owned my Passat for a few snow storms last winter - I considered the car undriveable. I instead drove my '99 Forester L model. I now have Nokia Hakka R2's on the Passat and am very happy.

Not quite as good as the Subaru Forester with 4 snows, but very very good.

jrm · Dec 13, 2013

x2 on that, I buy the most aggressive snow tires available as our wet snow packs the tread fast. As for the stockers, I drove our NMS for a few miles in 4" of wet snow with the stock 18's and it did ok for street tread. The most scary drive I have ever had was my old Infinity Turbo G20 with worn wide summer tires- that thing was like a hovercraft without control in the snow!

VeeDubTDI · Dec 14, 2013

You're absolutely right... there is no comparison.

dzcad90 · Dec 14, 2013

What's a good source for "snow wheels"?

I had steelies on my '09 Jetta, but I'm not sure of fittment for steelies on the NMS.

PassatSE4me · Dec 14, 2013

Well have a dig at me then.

We just got 6 inches and it's still falling. The Hankooks presented no problem for me at all. Are they as good as snow tires? I'm sure not. But to make it out as if the car is un-drivable is ridiculous. The car drives and handles fine.

You don't need snow tires to drive the NMS (or any car for that matter) in the snow. You just need to know how to drive in the snow in the first place.

compu_85 · Dec 14, 2013

16" steelies at the dealer are cheap, I think Drew spent less than $70 each.

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Roishe Cheng · Dec 15, 2013

50pascals said:
This is not meant as a dig to anyone who has posted here, but I will say that if you have not driven regularly a car with good snow tires you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.

I am amazed at the number of posts that say the stock Hankooks or Conti's are good in the snow.

I happen to have the Conti's but brand, etc. doesn't matter. Unless you have dedicated snow tires, your tires suck in the snow - PERIOD.

When I say they suck I mean they in no way approach even a fraction of the acceleration or handling that they would on dry pavement. Real snow tires achieve a level of performance very near that of dry pavement.

So being able to propel forward, brake and steer at 15 to 20 mph is not an acceptable level of performance. Being able to drive within 5 or 10 mph of the posted speed limit is.

I owned my Passat for a few snow storms last winter - I considered the car undriveable. I instead drove my '99 Forester L model. I now have Nokia Hakka R2's on the Passat and am very happy.

Not quite as good as the Subaru Forester with 4 snows, but very very good.

+1. I went to school in Schenectady, NY and drove through many blizzards in a 99' Maxima with 16" Nokian WRs. It was a FWD car and the handling, braking and turning were incredible. I drove my Passat last night on hard packed snow and the Contis did a decent job *at 25 mph." No way would I push faster than that on hard pack. I noticed they did a much better job in in the slush.

When you put a set of high quality dedicated winter tires on a car, the first time driving on unplowed snowy roads leaves you with a high sense of confidence, sometimes too high, because you can stop so well, others may rear end you so you need to drive with that in mind

. I traded in my AWD FX45 for which I had a set of Blizzaks for, that was an absolute snow beast with Nissans ATESSA AWD system.

donDavide · Dec 15, 2013

compu_85 said:
16" steelies at the dealer are cheap, I think Drew spent less than $70 each.

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk 2

Try to get used, go to www.car-part.com MK5s have the right lug pattern, B5 and up also. And I highly recomend General Altimax Artic, great tires, I pass AWD all of the time in my Golf.

drcoopster · Dec 16, 2013

dzcad90 said:
What's a good source for "snow wheels"?

I had steelies on my '09 Jetta, but I'm not sure of fittment for steelies on the NMS.

Craigslist or eBay

Any MKV or newer Golf/Jetta OEM wheels will fit as long as they're 16" or larger. Mine are 16" steelies from an '08 Jetta.

Many aftermarket 16" steelies will not fit due to very tight clearance between the front brake caliper and the inside of the rim.

I'll second the Altimax Arctic recommendation. I'm up in New England right now and they are brilliant in the snow here.

torqueit · Dec 16, 2013

I had my first experience with the Hankook's and deep snow. Awful. No traction and lots of spin. Very unnerving. May have to break down and get winter tires.

dieselyeti · Dec 16, 2013

This is my 2nd winter with my Passat; I got by no problem last year with the factory Hankooks. I was a bit surprised to see they're M&S rated, but never got a chance to see how well they do as there wasn't much snow last season. I've read a lot of folks say they're too loud, but I haven't had that issue.

I bought a set of Federal Himalayas a month ago, and got caught flat-footed by this weekend's snowfall. Lucky there wasn't much snow and I'm having them mounted on the factory rims this week; the Hankooks are my summer tires on VW Goal rims which are coming off.

blue_jetta · Dec 16, 2013

50pascals said:
This is not meant as a dig to anyone who has posted here, but I will say that if you have not driven regularly a car with good snow tires you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.

AMEN!

I have Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires on the 2005.5. I went to my company holiday party on Saturday night and we had snowy/icy conditions. The driveway of the place had a long steep hill. I watched several vehicles spin their wheels and some even started to slide backwards down the hill when they lost all forward momentum. The minivan in front of me needed 3 tries to get all the way up the hill. When it was my turn, I effortlessly climbed the hill. Some of my co-workers are believers now.

donDavide · Dec 16, 2013

blue_jetta said:
AMEN!

I have Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires on the 2005.5. I went to my company holiday party on Saturday night and we had snowy/icy conditions. The driveway of the place had a long steep hill. I watched several vehicles spin their wheels and some even started to slide backwards down the hill when they lost all forward momentum. The minivan in front of me needed 3 tries to get all the way up the hill. When it was my turn, I effortlessly climbed the hill. Some of my co-workers are believers now.

The Generals are basically the same tread @ half the price, I also had the Hancook iPike on my Mk3 and was very close in tread pattern but not as as good as the Generals

jrm · Dec 17, 2013

Yup, I drove home a few years ago during freezing rain- 2" of solid water topped ice. Granted not in the NMS, but another FWD car with studded generals on aired down to 20psi

ChadS99SVT · Dec 17, 2013

50pascals said:
This is not meant as a dig to anyone who has posted here, but I will say that if you have not driven regularly a car with good snow tires you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.

Sooo True. There is no comparison.

mikeymike214 · Dec 20, 2013

Got me a pair of pirelli tires and it's a huge upgrade over the oem. Oem last year in the snow couldn't make it up my hill in the driveway but the pirellis made it up this year no problems. Tires are important and make a huge difference in the snow. I seen many awd cars stuck in snow just cause you have awd doesn't mean your car is super car. The car handled ok with the oem tires but with the new ones it's a champ in bad weather. Overall passat is a great handling car in snow.

motorhead426 · Jan 2, 2014

50pascals said:
This is not meant as a dig to anyone who has posted here, but I will say that if you have not driven regularly a car with good snow tires you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.

I am amazed at the number of posts that say the stock Hankooks or Conti's are good in the snow.

I happen to have the Conti's but brand, etc. doesn't matter. Unless you have dedicated snow tires, your tires suck in the snow - PERIOD.

When I say they suck I mean they in no way approach even a fraction of the acceleration or handling that they would on dry pavement. Real snow tires achieve a level of performance very near that of dry pavement.

So being able to propel forward, brake and steer at 15 to 20 mph is not an acceptable level of performance. Being able to drive within 5 or 10 mph of the posted speed limit is.

I owned my Passat for a few snow storms last winter - I considered the car undriveable. I instead drove my '99 Forester L model. I now have Nokia Hakka R2's on the Passat and am very happy.

Not quite as good as the Subaru Forester with 4 snows, but very very good.

I have a very similar view of snow tires. I haven't driven in the winter without snow tires since 2000... And all the people I know that have never experienced them call me a "tire snob." My response is always "you just proved your ignorance to me..."
The people that do listen, never go back to all season tires in the winter. Now I'm on the fence... when my car arrives (on order) this month, can I make it through 2 months without snow tires? Or do I bite the bullet and try to find snow tires?

NSTDI · Jan 2, 2014

Keep an eye out for a good set, I have 16 inch (rubber is the same diameter as the stock 18's) Audi wheels I found for a good price. Your car could arrive early or late too, so that may effect your needs. Plus, you will need them for next year anyway.

With good snows, you can drive circles around all seasons on snow and ice. I've had 4 snows since 1988.

Don

hockeypuck · Jan 2, 2014

Hankook's and snow

I am coming from an audi quattro that I used to run winterforce tires on for reference sake. The hankooks are not great. I have run fw drive cars with snows and understand the full spectrum. I have needed to relearn how to anticipate the road ahead with the hankooks.. but they are manageable. Standard tranny will help if you know how to caress the low rmp range. I will not get my self into a bad situation on a steep hill... just find another way around if the conditions merit.

B00ST00 · Jan 2, 2014

Drove in the snow for the first time with my passat. Factory tires did fine, snow was 2" +/-.

passat in Snow

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