BorntoBill

How bad are the stock michelin's in the snow/ice? I'm thinking Mammoth or BBear from LA soon.

BiZzAro ThAi

you may not have to use them, but you still need to carry them...CHP has turned me away before, and I was in a 4x4 Jeep with AT tires...beyond that I would not go in the snow without all seasons or snows

Gop-Dogg

The stock tires are performance tires. Do NOT attempt to go into the snowy mountains with them on. I drove during an Indiana winter (~6" of accumulation) with the stock Blowtenza tires. I only managed to survive that stunt unscathed because my commute at that time was 4 miles. I still ended up sliding up onto a curb and through several red lights. Quattro will allow you to start moving eaily, but you cannot stop the car.

DMoore

Don't do it.

Any time you're in the mountains, the weather can change abruptly. Even if it's clear when you go up, you could get caught in snow. Stock S4 summer tires are DANGEROUS in snow, and you cannot put chains on them because there's not enough clearance. Therefore, if it snows and chains are required - you cannot drive legally.

If you have an S4 and want to go to the snow, your choices are (1) snow tires; (2) take a different car; or (3) don't go.

On the other hand, with proper snow tires and chains in the trunk (even though you can't put them on the car, the CHP doesn't know that) the S4 may just be the best snow car around. IF it's properly equipped.

DMoore
'01 S4

trebien

A 2wd car with chains or even decent snow tires is much better than a AWD without.

Really.

Now, of course, an AWD with snow tires is great.

jcrb

Under no circumstances EVER try to drive on Z rated SUMMER tires in the snow or ice, you will have NO traction, not little traction, NO traction.

s4rocket

Get snow tires and carry cable chains - or buy a snow car - an allroad with snows maybe..

George @ BostonAudi

Buy snow tires or buy a new car.

EmpireS4

I used to drive a mustang with bald summer tires all the time to BBear and weekends to mammouth. chains rule! they won't let you up to BBear without chains if there is any snow on the ground.

BillK

I forget who it was, but one guy here made the mistake of leaving his stock tires on until the first snow in Minneapolis hit. Even though he drove <b>very</b> carefully, he ended up rear-ending a van on the way to the tire store to get his snows put on.

You can get going on the OEM tires, but they have <b>no</b> resistance to sliding; speed rated tires literally turn into hockey pucks in the cold.

I've never tried it, but from everything I've heard, if you managed to park an S4 with the original tires on snow, you could probably push the car sideways <i>by hand</i>...