Winter, Snow, Ice...

[wimpog]

How does Golf, J, JSW TDI handle in winter? I understand it is not a 4x4 SUV, but are there any problems on icy/snowy roads? Does the Electronic Stability Control help at all?
I'm a bit concerned because my current vehicle is Honda CR-V 4x4, which has no problems in winter.
Any feedback is appreciated.

[chittychittybangbang]

It handles fine, the stability control and yaw control are a huge help.

However, it cannot overcome the laws of physics and neither can your Honda CR-V. If the tires are overwhelmed you can't move or stop if you have no traction. Winter tires are the best bet for any car. But if you aren't having any problems in the CR-V, you won't have any problems in a modern car with stability and yaw control. There are a few exceptions - if you see a parking spot with over a foot of snow and want to take it, I wouldn't recommend it :P

[darrelld]

Originally Posted by wimpog

How does Golf, J, JSW TDI handle in winter? I understand it is not a 4x4 SUV, but are there any problems on icy/snowy roads? Does the Electronic Stability Control help at all?
I'm a bit concerned because my current vehicle is Honda CR-V 4x4, which has no problems in winter.
Any feedback is appreciated.

This past winter in Dallas we had 12" snow on top of ice one day with outside temps in the teens. I drove my 2010 Jetta TDI (17" Michelin MXM4s) every day 26 mile round trip to work without incident. My wife drives a 2010 Subaru Outback and under most conditions the Jetta could match the Outback. Where the Jetta started having problems and the Outback excelled was deep snow drifts that exceeded the Jettas ground clearance.

In Dallas we have no plows to clear the road.

[speedracer1407]

Originally Posted by wimpog

How does Golf, J, JSW TDI handle in winter? I understand it is not a 4x4 SUV, but are there any problems on icy/snowy roads? Does the Electronic Stability Control help at all?
I'm a bit concerned because my current vehicle is Honda CR-V 4x4, which has no problems in winter.
Any feedback is appreciated.

Actually, I've found my Golf handles our typically brutal chicago winters surprisingly well. Now, granted, I came from a 2000 Mazda Protege ES, which for some reason, handled way, way, worse than most FWD cars. It was scary, even.

But I've also driven quite a few cars on snow-covered Chicago roads, and the Golf handles it better than most cars in its size/weight class. As chitty mentions, the traction and stability control do a great job preventing excessive wheel spin and fishtailing, but as with any car, it won't save you from simply driving too fast for the conditions.

Ultimately, the available traction from road/tire contact is what determines how well a car handles winter conditions. And I've found the golf to be better than most.

[wimpog]

What's yaw control?

[chittychittybangbang]

Stability controls brakes the wheels from a stop to prevent the wheels from spinning. This helps you get moving from a stop. It really does make a big difference but if you're in deep snow or slippery mud there's still no substitute for awd. But we're talking areas with deep snow, not something that was plowed a few hours ago. The one problem is that it can lull you into a false sense of security in low traction conditions. You don't think it's that slick until you go to stop.....and you don't!

Yaw control uses accelerators and the steering wheel sensor to try to straighten out the car if you're sliding or skidding while moving. Unlike ABS, yaw control or ESC/ESP does result in a significant reduction in accidents.

Neither can do anything for stopping. This is mostly a function of speed, weight, and traction. If you're driving too fast for conditions nothing can save you. Snow tires do greatly raise winter traction so it's recommended to use them. However, you could also just really slow down and wait for the roads to clear.

[golfTDI1]

I have quite a bit of experience driving front wheel drive cars in deep snow, and during heavy snowfall as its really building up and also on snow over thick ice.

The Golf really exceeded my expectations last winter even with the stock 17" Continentals. The traction control function of the ESP kicked in a few times during the ice/snow season, but not overly so (this also has to do with the driver knowing when not to use to much throttle). This car gives excellent road feedback in snow...I always knew whether I was going too slow, fast or just the right speed for the conditions and the overall handling was very secure. I always felt comfortable and in control.

I tested the yaw control/ESP when I was on the parkway in deep snow, almost home and pretty much momentum and a little bit of power was the only thing keeping me going...if I stopped I probably would have been hard pressed to get it going again. I finally reached my exit, but to my dismay the exit ramp had not been plowed, so there was a large burm and then the unplowed ramp. I was enough to be scary, but I felt that I might be able to get through. It didn't look like it was impossible. I blasted through that burm with almost no problem, of course I lost a lot of speed but still had some momentum to get going, but the back end of the car caught part of the snow drift and began to slide out to the right. I gently moved the steering wheel to the right and gave a little bit of throttle and right then the ESP kicked in and I could definitely feel the power compensation and some strategic one wheel braking occur and the car straightened right out! I'm pretty sure that I would have gone for a little ride if the ESP hadn't kicked in no matter how experienced I was as a driver. I continued on my way without incident. It was awesome.

Because I work on-call and I do a lot of driving and far, I will be putting 4 snow tires on the car this winter. I can only imagine how well it will do on snows considering it did an amazing job on performance geared all-seasons.

[JettaTDiPA]

Thanks for info - I just took delivery on mine 3 months ago (traded in Escape 4wd) so haven't driven in snow yet.. I do live in snow country - my biggest concern is when the driveway gets plowed in (which happens often). My only concern is the 5.4" ground clearance (The front bumper is already torn half off due to unknown event- it goes in for repair tomorrow)
My limited experience with my JSW tells me it will do fine on snowy roads- as far as traction and handling - as long as it is driven correctly for conditions.
I will endure some less than perfect weather in order to drive my VW. If I lived on top of a mountain and no snowplow in sight- might would be different. But living in a small town, it's not the end of the world- just wait till they plow.

Originally Posted by chittychittybangbang

It handles fine, the stability control and yaw control are a huge help.

However, it cannot overcome the laws of physics and neither can your Honda CR-V. If the tires are overwhelmed you can't move or stop if you have no traction. Winter tires are the best bet for any car. But if you aren't having any problems in the CR-V, you won't have any problems in a modern car with stability and yaw control. There are a few exceptions - if you see a parking spot with over a foot of snow and want to take it, I wouldn't recommend it :P

[MischievousMk6]

pretty bad winter last year for NY (and most of the country for that matter). With 16in steelies and Dunlop 3D's, my golf was pretty much unstoppable in the snow......who needs AWD?!? lol

[chittychittybangbang]

Originally Posted by JettaTDiPA

Thanks for info - I just took delivery on mine 3 months ago (traded in Escape 4wd) so haven't driven in snow yet.. I do live in snow country - my biggest concern is when the driveway gets plowed in (which happens often). My only concern is the 5.4" ground clearance (The front bumper is already torn half off due to unknown event- it goes in for repair tomorrow)
My limited experience with my JSW tells me it will do fine on snowy roads- as far as traction and handling - as long as it is driven correctly for conditions.
I will endure some less than perfect weather in order to drive my VW. If I lived on top of a mountain and no snowplow in sight- might would be different. But living in a small town, it's not the end of the world- just wait till they plow.

Park a little farther from the curb and shovel the driveway. My driveway gets plowed in too and there's no solution other than getting the shovel and clearing that few feet. Sorry!