Bit Dissapointed With Cts Snow Performance

[CorollaTS05]

i know its not a 4x4 off roader etc, but i just thought with its weight and traction control it would have got me up a hill near work. It was ice underneath and snow on top, not massively steep, but i had to stop half way up due to traffic lights and then do a hill start. the car was going no where, and it wasnt my driving, i know what im doing, i tried gently dipping the clutch, crawling on the clutch, reversing further back and having more attempts, and then all this in 2nd gear, wasnt having non of it, after 10 mins i lost my temper and started attacking the hill with lift lol, (i no thats the wrong thing to do).

after 10 - 15 mins i reversed all the way back down the hill and 20m back on the flat, set off got to 10 mph ish and held it, had to go through the red light and join the road.

ive noticed the traction control is only helpful when on the move, not actually on the initial set off (start).

tbh i think the cts is in need of wider tyres for its size too, skinny 195's which my yaris had on. gonna go 205's when im up for tyre/wheel change.

anyway moan over, thanks for reading.

[T Sport 1978]

How can you blame the car when it is purely to do with the tyres that are used? A set of appropriate winter/snow tyres of equal size would have got you up that hill.

[Sagitar]

How can you blame the car when it is purely to do with the tyres that are used? A set of appropriate winter/snow tyres of equal size would have got you up that hill.

I agree with that.

Going wider is likely to make things worse.

[farhanali89]

dude dont blame the car....kangzys dc5 wouldnt keep traction better than my TS today and hes got an LSD!

[Rolla_SR]

i know its not a 4x4 off roader etc, but i just thought with its weight and traction control it would have got me up a hill near work. It was ice underneath and snow on top, not massively steep, but i had to stop half way up due to traffic lights and then do a hill start. the car was going no where, and it wasnt my driving, i know what im doing, i tried gently dipping the clutch, crawling on the clutch, reversing further back and having more attempts, and then all this in 2nd gear, wasnt having non of it, after 10 mins i lost my temper and started attacking the hill with lift lol, (i no thats the wrong thing to do).

after 10 - 15 mins i reversed all the way back down the hill and 20m back on the flat, set off got to 10 mph ish and held it, had to go through the red light and join the road.

ive noticed the traction control is only helpful when on the move, not actually on the initial set off (start).

tbh i think the cts is in need of wider tyres for its size too, skinny 195's which my yaris had on. gonna go 205's when im up for tyre/wheel change.

anyway moan over, thanks for reading.

And this is one advantage of me having a diesel :) with the torque i put down i have no problems stop starting on hills even with 'skinny' tyres B)

[Norfolk n Chance]

ive noticed the traction control is only helpful when on the move, not actually on the initial set off (start).

Err... you should turn Traction off initially to set off then turn it back on once moving.... otherwise you will go nowhere...

I have had no problems whatsoever even on some steep hills near me with my 'skinny' tyres

[CorollaTS05]

im not so much blaming the car, just was expecting more from traction control as its the first time ive tested it to its limits this winter.

how would wider tyres make things worse? more rubber more traction surely...

i thought more torque would make things worse (harder) to put the powerdown.

[Mr_T_Sport]

ive noticed the traction control is only helpful when on the move, not actually on the initial set off (start).

Err... you should turn Traction off initially to set off then turn it back on once moving.... otherwise you will go nowhere...

I have had no problems whatsoever even on some steep hills near me with my 'skinny' tyres

Norfolks right! It even says in the hand book that you should turn tc off on snowy /icy roads if struggling for traction. I live on a steep road and have had no problems whatsoever getting up it and its really slippy at the moment.

[s.illes79]

Interesting, I just wanted to start a topic: impressed with CTS snow performance.

I only have summer tires on the car ( who needs winter tires in London, I thought )

I was out yesterday, It was -1, -2, icey roads. I have to say it coped very well.

1. I tried to stop on a small hill. TRC off. I was going nowhere ... TRC on, managed to get moving with some effort. I had to help to the TRC, but we "managed" to start

2. Tried to turn, but the car was understreering. VSC was nowhere. So back to 1st, release the gas. Still not turning, crap. I had to help with the handbrake :) started to oversteer and turned into. Released the handbrake VSC kicked in and stopped the overstreer. Not sure why it didn't stopped understreer. VSC is

This was basely on ICE. I have some winter driving experience back from Hungary.

ABS make a very weird rattling noise on ice, is it normal? it feels very odd

[CorollaTS05]

i was very impressed with the vsc, as you can turn where as u would normally not be able to on ice. Just the traction control really. I watched the 5th gear about the traction control etc, and he went up a step pure ice hill in an x type jag explaining the benifits of trc i think i was just expecting more, although i have felt it working on the move, just the initial set off it was useless.

[s.illes79]

i was very impressed with the vsc, as you can turn where as u would normally not be able to on ice. Just the traction control really. I watched the 5th gear about the traction control etc, and he went up a step pure ice hill in an x type jag explaining the benifits of trc i think i was just expecting more, although i have felt it working on the move, just the initial set off it was useless.

yeah I have seen that 5th gear, but if I remember correctly he wasn't starting on ice, he was already moving. Maybe jags have better TRC.

They are more expensive than TS.

Also I think you have to work with the TRC and not against it. Even when the car is moving I was able to spin the wheel in second easily. 192 BHP is NOT a must on ice. LOL

[jonnnnnnnnnnnno]

Don't ride uphills park at the bottom lol

[FoxX]

I've been on snowy roads recently, i'm finding when I have a few other people in the car to weigh it down it grips a lot better and when i'm on my own.

I've had to turn the traction control off in instances though as it cuts all the power when the wheels are spinning and you can see the dash lights dipping its trying that hard.

Dont think the Toyo R's are helping though, I've said this before but I think I need a proper winter tyre with a different tread to expect any decent grip. Might try a Toyo 888 next time. But yea widers tyres, if you use the idea of the snow shoe - larger area spreading weight more evenly across the surface of the snow. You would really want to use the rally concept and use a thinner profile to cut through to the tarmac.

Do a lot of offroad biking and we use a thin rear tyre to cut though mud to bed rock for better grip.

Have fun in the snow :)

[-T- Sport]

I've personally had no problems at all with my Toyo's Had 215/35/18's in the snow early in the year and now have 215/40/18's and they're rather good. I've not slipped anywhere really. and I've actually not had too much break judder either.. lol.

I dont think 888's will help in the snow though. If the UK's supposed to get like this more frequently now I'd just buy a proper set of Snow Tyres and keep em on some spare wheels or something.

[myromeo]

I've got bridgestones on mine and I would say there utterly average in the snow, a lot better than my previous two cars but still pretty hoeless!

I also ended up flooring it up a hill yesterday on the theory that traction control would work thinks out, it didn't but I got up!

Enjoying the predictability of fwd in snow tho is good, even managed to spin the impreza at <5mph!

[rallyfan1986]

Would be nice if you could turn off the ABS and VSC.

ABS is crap in the snow, no chance of stopping, and VCS put me in a ditch because it didnt like me sliding round a corner!

[eddieinvader]

i know its not a 4x4 off roader etc, but i just thought with its weight and traction control it would have got me up a hill near work. It was ice underneath and snow on top, not massively steep, but i had to stop half way up due to traffic lights and then do a hill start. the car was going no where, and it wasnt my driving, i know what im doing, i tried gently dipping the clutch, crawling on the clutch, reversing further back and having more attempts, and then all this in 2nd gear, wasnt having non of it, after 10 mins i lost my temper and started attacking the hill with lift lol, (i no thats the wrong thing to do).

after 10 - 15 mins i reversed all the way back down the hill and 20m back on the flat, set off got to 10 mph ish and held it, had to go through the red light and join the road.

ive noticed the traction control is only helpful when on the move, not actually on the initial set off (start).

tbh i think the cts is in need of wider tyres for its size too, skinny 195's which my yaris had on. gonna go 205's when im up for tyre/wheel change.

anyway moan over, thanks for reading.

Have a look in your manual it says to knock it off for snow. I made the same point in a post last week.

[Norfolk n Chance]

The problems people face driving in the snow is driver technique.....

This morning i had to stop on a hill and drive a woman's A3 to the top as she was sat wheel spinning due to having her foot flat to the floor...

I then returned for my CTS and drove that up with no problems as well....

If you know what you're doing and how to work with the driver aids then you shouldn't have too many problems...

[eddieinvader]

The problems people face driving in the snow is driver technique.....

This morning i had to stop on a hill and drive a woman's A3 to the top as she was sat wheel spinning due to having her foot flat to the floor...

I then returned for my CTS and drove that up with no problems as well....

If you know what you're doing and how to work with the driver aids then you shouldn't have too many problems...

Totally agree with this. Too many people seem to think more is better when it comes to power in weather like this.

[KPARRIS-JONES]

When driving his huge automatic Omega Estate, my grandad just let the engine take it without using any throttle. :D It worked very well!

[eddieinvader]

When driving his huge automatic Omega Estate, my grandad just let the engine take it without using any throttle. :D It worked very well!

BEST WAY MINIMUM POWER !

[Big_g]

I found today that her Tsport yaris is better in the snow/ice than the poofy corolla. The corolla stops you having any fun, where as the yaris is yeeehaa :)

TRC and VSC is more hassle than its worth to be honest, even in the dry, a hard launch just causes axle hop all over the place, ready for the diff to spit the dummy :(

[Karma Supra]

When driving his huge automatic Omega Estate, my grandad just let the engine take it without using any throttle. :D It worked very well!

BEST WAY MINIMUM POWER !

Bahhhhhh

Squirt of throttle and a dab of oppo.

The only car we have been able to use in the last week is the MR2 lol

[andycam06]

havent had any problems either, nice handy driving, iav 215/45/17 kendas, they seem to be holding themselves nicely, touch wood