Hi all, new user here looking for some advice.
We have a 2013 countryman S 2wd and up till now have loved it. It's primarily my wife's car so I don't get to drive it as much as I like. But we just moved from Texas to southern Wisconsin and had our first experience driving in winter conditions.

Long story short it's about 10 degrees and 3 inches of snow on the ground. My wife was driving us about 2 miles to a restaurant and back. The entire time we were going 15-20 mph and the abs was going on and off constantly. Meanwhile I'm seeing mini-vans passing us like nothing's going on. Then our driveway has about 20% incline and it seems impossible to get more then a third of the way up without loosing all traction and tires spinning.

This was enough to cause my wife ( who grew up here) to burst into tears and now wants to sell the car she loves. Now I'm originally from Southern California and have never really dealt with winter, so I'm at a loss as to what to do. So I thought I would ask here to those who have the same car what you all have experienced.

I should mention it does have the oem run flat tires with about 20k miles on them. Which as far as I can tell the tread looks fine. Should I look into getting winter tires? Have a dealer take a look at it?

Also if I'm having traction issues would shifting into sport mode or flipping the sport button help at all?

Thanks for any advice or help you all can give.

 

Run Flats?

20K miles?

That there is your problem.

Sport Button won't help. Get better tires, or a winter tire set. Tell her she can keep the car she loves.

Run Flat traction goes to near zero in the cold. At least thats what I found.

 

IMO Bridgestone Blizzaks and you will never look back.

 

What size wheels? The 18s only come with summer tires, but all seasons are an option on the 17s from the factory. Even if you do have all seasons, they're typically only good in the snow when they're new. I'd recommend getting a set of good winter tires, like blizzacks.

You should also turn on DTC in the snow if you have that option. It allows the wheels to spin a bit before cutting engine power and is recommended in the snow.

Run flats have nothing to do with traction. No idea what the the first reply is on about.

 

+1 winter tyres are a must for your clime. I don't think sport button will do anything, but the DSC button might. I'm not sure what DSC options the CMs has, my 2013 MCS hardtop has DSC on by default (best for normal driving), then by pressing DSC button nonce shifts into DTC (traction control) mode: this will maximize traction (at the expense of some safety you get in DSC mode). If you then press and hold the button it will shift into ELSD mode. Especially for getting up the driveway, I would try DTC mode.
But 1st and foremost, good tyres!

 

I found them to get far too hard in the cold (they were the all seasons 7,000 miles). First snow we had, they were almost as bad as a past set of summer tires I had. I swapped them out for some generic Good-Year all-seasons with a set of wheels I had planned to run this winter.

Difference was night and day.

 

So was the difference the brand, run flats vs regular, or just new tires vs worn? I'm no huge fan of run flats (replacing mine next week with conventional tires), but I think they have a worse reputation on this forum than is realistic. People seem to seek out new reasons to dislike them.

My CM came with Pirelli all season run flats that were decent in the snow when they were new, and I have a set of run flat blizzaks on my wife's Clubman that are fantastic in the snow. I'm more likely to pin blame on worn tires than run flats, but maybe it's just me.

 

If you do a set of winter tires get them studded.

 

Two other things to consider...well, three: VERRRY steady on the throttle with higher than normal RPM; i.e. stay in low or 1st gear until adequate momentum is achieved when faced with inclines of just getting the beast rolling. In any adverse condition, RPM is your friend. Maintain sufficient inertia to get past/through what lies ahead. And finally, If something doesn't give a satisfactory outcome don't keep doing the same thing expecting a different result.


Oh yea, ditch the runflats just because...

 

I had read how "bad" the run flats were here on NAM before I even took delivery of my car. I assumed, a lot of it was cry-baby talk.. which, yes, for the most part is. They do ride stiffer (which is good with me), tend to be noisy at speed (not a fan of that), "can't be fixed" (which I laugh at).. they really were "ok" tires.. until we got our first snow.

To be fair, I run my tires at 38 PSI (Nitrogen, we have a sweet machine at work). Running them at 34 made them 100x more quiet, ride super smooth, but handled like poop. (Conti- SSR Run Flats)

Anyhow, FF to the first super cold weather and snow "week" in NJ. When the temp dipped below 30 the tires lost a lot of bite. Then the snow came, tires were pretty tricky. I'm not a cry baby snow/winter driver. I had prepped a second set of tires/wheels (Stock Mini wheels 16", with Good Year Eagle Sport All Seasons).

In terms of the OPs drive home - I can easily see how driving in the snow with 20K miles on them would be a scary event if they were not used to winter driving.

Pulled my car into the shop, swapped sets, pulled out. I literally had more traction on the way home, better stops, better everything on the way home than I had when I had come into work that morning.. Temps were the same, road surfaces where the same..

I had 7,000 miles and a solid 8/32" on each tire on the Conti-SSRs, I'll keep them for the spring/summer set, but I doubt I'll replace them with the same brand/model. I don't track my car, I drive it as a daily, but I drive it "spirited".

I had used several Conti products in the past (tires, belts, hoses, t-belts, etc) and I think its a good company.. but I can see how people complain about the SSRs.

True, I guess I was too quick to jump on the faults of run-flats... I assumed that the OP had the brand as my experiences. Not "all" run flats are bad.

 

Fwd car is FINE for any maintained road....
Actually more than adequate till you get about 5 inches orcevrn more of the powdery snow common up in Wisconsin ( in my experience)....
It is all about tires....
Imo stay away from studs...they are illegal in many areas..destroy roads when used on bare pavement... And perform HORRABLY ON BARE PAVEMENT, but just slightly better on ice than a modern ice/snowtire like a blizzack branded tire....
A deep treaded alseason can do ok in the snow...but does not grip well...if you go this way...slowdown.
Dedicated snow tires do better...but you must still SLOW DOWN A BIT!!
For those that have not grown up with snow driving...the first few years s can be a scary thing....just rember...stopping at the bottom of a hill (even a shallow one) can be impossible in some cases unless you have snow tires...so looking farther ahead is needed.
Good luck...
Going out late at night in a unplowed parking lot, and driving around is good practice, as is a winter driving school!!!

 

Thanks for all the advice. The first thing I should of done was check what tires were on the car. I just assumed they were all season, but they are continental ContiPremium contact 2. Which according to tire rack (which I discovered thanks to this site ) are summer. Which from what I understand, in this weather they might as we'll be bald.

So first thing tomorrow I'll be looking for new tires. Not sure if I'll stay with run flats or not. Since it's my wife's car, and she works in an ER she's either coming home or heading to work at odd hours. So I'd feel better knowing she can keep going if something happens. Although looking at the comments against them here I'm tempted to swap um out.

 

Again IMO replace with Blizzak LM-60s and take Zippy's advice around finding an unplowed parking lot to practice. Although I live on LI and we don't often get slammed, I have many family members in the southern NH region and they all drive with dedicated non studded winter snow/ice tires, even on all their Subarus. My other half is also on 24/7 call as the OR nurse manager at a trauma center and during last year's blizzard she took my Legacy GT with Blizzaks instead of her Outback with all season tires. She drove 20 miles through almost 3' of unplowed roads, never once got stuck and she drove around snow plows that were abandoned. I'm a big fan of Blizzaks, even have them on her Audi A8 Quattro.

 

I have a CMS 2wd. Don't be discouraged. This car is great in the snow with the right tires. I have the Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3s non RFT. This is not as aggressive as a Blizzak, but it is a great tire. It is available in the stock 205/55/17 size from the rack.

 

Winter tires

 

Buy winter tires and get a good relationship with a tire shop that can swap them off and on in the later winter and again early winter.

Either that, or buy some cheap wheels with winter tires and swap them out yourself with your summer wheels/tires.

I promise you, a FWD car with winter tires will outperform an AWD car with summer or all seasons in the snow. I know. I have an Audi A4 Quattro and thought all seasons would be good enough. How wrong I was. Winter tires made the thing feel like it would drive up a ski slope.

 

Here is a good article & video on winter vs all weather tires.

http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-...bat-1462180324

 

Easiest / best thing to do is get a winter set of wheels and tires. Blizzarks are great. Tire Rack can put together a complete set. All you need to do is bolt them on and reset for the new tire pressure sensors.

 

I also have the Primacy Alpin PA3s on 205/55-R17 and they're great. They slipped a little in the snow when I first put them on. But after the first 100 miles, they were all broken in.

 

Seems to be a lot going on here. I'll just give you my experience.

I bought my all4 countryman in august. Our first cold snap and snow was in early december. About 8-10 inches of snow and then it hung around for several weeks due to the 20F highs and -15F lows. (northern nevada)

I have the stock continental all seasons. Frankly, I thought they rocked in the snow. You must take traction control off (the button that makes the little slippery when wet icon). Then the car does not cut power when it feels the wheels slip. Stay easy on the throttle (I have manual and a little blip is all it needs). It's just like putting it in locked 4-low. Or stepping on the brake while applying throttle in 4x4 automatic. You get the tires to synchronize without spin. I have tested it on several icy inclines and I rocket up them. I left a lot of people spinning their wheels and sliding backwards at stop signs on hills. The only way I could make it slip was if I mashed it too the floor just to see if it would break loose.

I live at the end of several miles of unplowed snowy road. And I had soooo much fun on it!

As for the tires, I have 5000 miles on them.

 

best way to deal with this white stuff, stay home

 

I also have the continental all seasons. The first winter I was up in South Bend, IN, for the holiday with all the lake effect snow. The car handled very well. Now that I have just over 28k on the tires, the first snowfall here in Indianapolis, I noticed a little more slipping. Tires still have a good amount of tread left.

With the 6 inches we got yesterday, I turned traction control off (learned from this thread ) for the first time and the car handled much better. I also drive an automatic, so I shifted into the manual mode and used the paddle shifters to stay in lower gears. Worked like a charm. Hopefully the same will be true if we do get the potential 12 inches they are talking about on Sunday then the deep freeze.

I am also moving to Vermont this summer, I am gonna stick with my S FWD Countryman. I am gonna take everyone's advice and get some good winter tires and hopefully have no problem.

 

Try Nokian Hakkapeliitta or WRG series. We have the WRG 3 on 205/60/16 and they are just awesome tires.

 

i have a 2012 all4 with sport suspension (10 mm lower than standard suspension) and found thru trial and error that a 205/70R16 fits with no rubbing

test proceedure was to mount up tires, put 4 ~200 pound people in the car and check for rubbing, then add 2 more ~200 pound people sitting on ther boot edge and check again

205/75R16 rubbed with 4 people aboard, but may work with standard suspension ... i do not know

i wanted the largest tire that fit for for 2 reasons:

1) more sidewall to protect rims from potholes
2) more ground clearance ... i gained about 3/4" of ground clearance vs the 225/45R18 summer tires

the grandtrek sj6 is also rated as an offroad tire in addition to being a studless ice and snow tire

i have a buddy with a bmw 3 series awd (x-drive) that runs the Blizzak WS-60s or 70s (i can't remember which) the studless ice and snow bridgestones

we went out on a vacant airport ramp covered in about 5 inches of unplowed snow (1/4 mile x 1/2 mile concrete) and the dunlops seemed to work better than the bridgestones, i could accelerate faster, turn sharper and stop shorter than the 3 series bmw ... may not be the best test, it may be the all4 system is just better than the x-drive system in adverse conditions

later the same day, with 9 inches of snow, i could drive thru even with the belly dragging, but the bmw could not, he got stuck

we swapped cars with the same results

on dry roads, the dunlops do not have the traction of my summer tires, but i can still take the coverleaf on/off ramps at 2x posted vs 3x posted on the summers

overall i am very happy with the dunlops

i bought the dunlop grandtrek sj6 studless ice and snow tires in the 205/70R16 size from alex @ tirerack .... last time i checked they were $84 each

scott