If they really are enforcing snow tires or chains requirement, you may have a problem. Although the stock Contis are probably good enough to handle a few inches of compacted snow if you take it easy, they aren't snow + ice rated and the highway patrol may not be impressed when you show them the snowflake on your Terrain Response knob (but you can try)... :wink: The accessory chains Land Rover sells for the Sport won't work on low profile tires such as your 20s - they only fit 18 and 19" stock setups - and nobody was able to suggest an aftermarket chain that could fit a 20" rim last year, when a similar post came up. Of course, you could buy a set of 20" snow tires (the 275/40/20 Pirelli Scorpion Ice&Snow always become available around this time of the year), with those tires on a 4x4 I am sure they would let you through without objections. But that seems like such a waste of money if this is a one-time round trip, plus you're leaving tomorrow.

Good luck to you and have a great trip, that's quite a hike in one shot even without snow to slow you down. I hope the weather forecast is wrong. Every time I go up to local mountains when "chains or snow tires" are required in winter around here, I never get stopped by anyone, there are checkpoints but they wave me right through (my 18" all terrain tires are not snow rated, although they look like they could be... Perhaps that's good enough for CHP.) In that case, set your TR to snow, switch to CommandShift, slow down and don't touch the brakes unless you really have to. You'll be fine. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Thanks a lot umbertob, well I guess I will just have to hope for the best. I have toyo proxes st tires and have heard good things about them so I am hoping that they will work just as well, if not better than the contis. Again its unfortunate that there is so little available for our range rovers when it comes to actual offroading and our limited choice of rims/tires and chains is frustrating. I forget who said this on here, it might have been you but this quote deffinitely seems to sum it up

"19" all terrain tires in the US are simply non existent and yet, in its infinite wisdom, Land Rover picked that size rim as stock equipment when designing the Sport. God Bless them"

Again thank you for your help and happy thanksgiving, milo

 

Honestly by the time you pay to buy four new tires to use pretty much once in the snow, it might be easier to just pay for a plane tickets and avoid the drive all together. Especially if your nervous about it. :lol:

 

Honestly by the time you pay to buy four new tires to use pretty much once in the snow, it might be easier to just pay for a plane tickets and avoid the drive all together. Especially if your nervous about it. :lol:

I don't know, referb winter/snow tires for my truck are $87 a piece from Tire Rack. And a plane ticket is what, $1200? Plus a rental when you get in town.

Just buy a set of snow tires at a local tire place and get them mounted, takes about three hours to do.

Leo

 

I don't know, referb winter/snow tires for my truck are $87 a piece from Tire Rack. And a plane ticket is what, $1200? Plus a rental when you get in town.

Just buy a set of snow tires at a local tire place and get them mounted, takes about three hours to do.

Leo

Finding a set of refurbished 20" snow tires in sunny San Diego may not be so easy in one day... :wink:

 

I was worried too but for some reason, my 19" HSE Contis have M+S on them. Go figure, they worked okay in the snow for me. Your mileage may vary.

If they really are enforcing snow tires or chains requirement, you may have a problem. Although the stock Contis are probably good enough to handle a few inches of compacted snow if you take it easy, they aren't snow + ice rated and the highway patrol may not be impressed when you show them the snowflake on your Terrain Response knob (but you can try)... :wink: The accessory chains Land Rover sells for the Sport won't work on low profile tires such as your 20s - they only fit 18 and 19" stock setups - and nobody was able to suggest an aftermarket chain that could fit a 20" rim last year, when a similar post came up. Of course, you could buy a set of 20" snow tires (the 275/40/20 Pirelli Scorpion Ice&Snow always become available around this time of the year), with those tires on a 4x4 I am sure they would let you through without objections. But that seems like such a waste of money if this is a one-time round trip, plus you're leaving tomorrow.

Good luck to you and have a great trip, that's quite a hike in one shot even without snow to slow you down. I hope the weather forecast is wrong. Every time I go up to local mountains when "chains or snow tires" are required in winter around here, I never get stopped by anyone, there are checkpoints but they wave me right through (my 18" all terrain tires are not snow rated, although they look like they could be... Perhaps that's good enough for CHP.) In that case, set your TR to snow, switch to CommandShift, slow down and don't touch the brakes unless you really have to. You'll be fine. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I was worried too but for some reason, my 19" HSE Contis have M+S on them. Go figure, they worked okay in the snow for me. Your mileage may vary.

I think that "real" snow tires should bear the mountain w/ snowflake logo below to be considered OK in lieu of snow chains by the highway patrol, if they are really checking. Most all season tires these days are M+S rated, but they are no substitute for a dedicated ice and snow tire, whether studded or studless, when the going gets tough.

 

I was worried too but for some reason, my 19" HSE Contis have M+S on them. Go figure, they worked okay in the snow for me. Your mileage may vary.

I think that "real" snow tires should bear the mountain w/ snowflake logo below to be considered OK in lieu of snow chains by the highway patrol, if they are really checking. Most all season tires these days are M+S rated, but they are no substitute for a dedicated ice and snow tire, whether studded or studless, when the going gets tough.

I looked this up last year. According to DMV & Caltrains, M/S is good enough. However, you may be right.

From Caltrains

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm

and more from CA DMV

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27459.htm

Here is a link about the severe snow tires:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tire3.htm

When I went to Tahoe last year, I didn't need chains and the truck operate just fine.

However, BIG HOWEVER, I would put on chains on any car regardless of tires if there was a big enough blizzard.

 

Be sure and give yourself enough stopping distance between you and the car infront of you and dont get over confident and go to fast. Just take your time (if its bad weather) your truck will go anywhere.

 

I drive in the snow and ice with mine and no issues, 7 inches is nothing. Use the snow mode on your TC (it really works!), and make sure you know how to properly work your anti-lock brakes. Keep your distance, be aware of what's going on around you, take your time, and don't drive tired!!

 

I drive in the snow and ice with mine and no issues, 7 inches is nothing. Use the snow mode on your TC (it really works!), and make sure you know how to properly work your anti-lock brakes. Keep your distance, be aware of what's going on around you, take your time, and don't drive tired!!

jacksun is that with the stock wheels and tires or did you end up purchasing all-season tires?

 

ok here we area again

I live in the alps, so I know snow. I drive a quattro, so I know all wheel drive, we also have a SUV 4x4.

I would never dream of driving through SNOW (not wet roads, but forecasted heavy snow) with M+S or regular summer tires. Expecially if oyu have some kind of responsibility for the people riding with you.

Stopping distance is GREATLY extended with non-winter tires, as well as just keeping the car on the road. I don't even wan't to talk about temperatures where the snow becomes soggy and ends up just plugging up your tire threads and you basically driving a slick tire.

go get a pair of winters and if you dont ever need them again, sell them on ebay. or even better, I dunno if that's possible over there, but we can actualy "rent" winter tires from tire places.

if thats not an option ... fly, get a different car with winter tires on them, or wait for better weather ...

 

I drive in the snow and ice with mine and no issues, 7 inches is nothing. Use the snow mode on your TC (it really works!), and make sure you know how to properly work your anti-lock brakes. Keep your distance, be aware of what's going on around you, take your time, and don't drive tired!!

jacksun is that with the stock wheels and tires or did you end up purchasing all-season tires?

All stock rims and tires, 19 inch Conti's, and I'm talking Alberta Canada winters.

 

All stock rims and tires, 19 inch Conti's, and I'm talking Alberta Canada winters.

that's good to hear. i was debating getting all season tires right away, but i'll try the stocks this winter and get all seasons next

 

I'm absolutely no use in this thread.

I've never seen snow on a road in over 45 years of driving. In fact, I've only ever seen snow a few times in my life and I've never driven on/in it.

 

Snow, isn't that just cold mud?

 

Snow, isn't that just cold mud?

Very likely.

Rob - you are game enough to advertise that you drive a Camry? :shock:

They are the bane of my life. I'm always being held up by old farts driving bloody Camrys! I hate bloody Camrys.

Ron (who used to have a company Camry.... )

 

I drive it very little, it is my Wife's. It is a stock V-6 six speed auto and tops out over 142, according to the FDLE Undercover Officer who couldn't catch up in his 300 Chrysler until we stopped! Boy, he was p*&&ed off! Oh well, speed test complete! Hence, "the sleeper" name.

I drive the Yukon daily, about 5k miles a month. The RR and Scout are driven frequently when I am close around the area.

Btw, my Wife is ready for a V6 LR3 soon, but she likes to run all over the SE USA shopping and the fuel prices have been holding her back. No big deal to her to drive 3-4 hours to go to a specific store. She does not drive slow either. A common auto has it's advantages on the highway during monthly quota time for the cops.

 

I drive it very little, it is my Wife's. It is a stock V-6 six speed auto and tops out over 142, according to the FDLE Undercover Officer who couldn't catch up in his 300 Chrysler until we stopped! Boy, he was p*&&ed off! Oh well, speed test complete! Hence, "the sleeper" name.

I was only going 85mph. :wink:

 

Driving in snow is very different. You have to look at the type of snow and the temp of the road. A good indicator is if the snow is blowing across the road (right on top of it) means its very cold and the road is frozend but if the snow seems to dissolve the road is warm and should be ok. When the road is cold driving is much more difficult. Best to stay on the fresh powder for traction staying out of ruts. Be sure to always watch for "black ice" The most common problem is you get over confident and it is too late to realize you cant stop.

 

Driving in snow is very different. You have to look at the type of snow and the temp of the road. A good indicator is if the snow is blowing across the road (right on top of it) means its very cold and the road is frozend but if the snow seems to dissolve the road is warm and should be ok. When the road is cold driving is much more difficult. Best to stay on the fresh powder for traction staying out of ruts. Be sure to always watch for "black ice" The most common problem is you get over confident and it is too late to realize you cant stop.

Or move to Florida. :wink:

That interesting, never heard of black ice?

Leo

 

Black ice is just plain nasty....you can't see it on the road because it just looks wet and generally the entire road looks the same. It's an interesting experience when your driving along on a wet road and suddenly your back end wants to trade places with your front end, many a ditch gets visited because of the black ice.
Generally the conditions appear when snow has fallen, traffic melts the snow on the road but the temperature and wind are cold enough to freeze the melted snow on the road.
We see numerous snowfalls every year, some only a couple of inches, some a few feet. Temperatures can dip down to the minus 35 celcius mark with windchills on top of that making it feel like minus 45 celcius (by the way, minus 35 celcius is minus 30 fahrenheit)

If the dealer here sold the RRS with tires unacceptable for our conditions they would be in big trouble, both legally and from a customer perspective. I've never used winter tires, only chains when necessary in the mountains. For everything else the all season M+S have been fine.

 

If the dealer here sold the RRS with tires unacceptable for our conditions they would be in big trouble, both legally and from a customer perspective. I've never used winter tires, only chains when necessary in the mountains. For everything else the all season M+S have been fine.

The OP was looking for info on driving his S/C through snow because they don't come with M+S tires. I have driven mine in 6" snow and it does okay at best. Turning and braking are when you feel the limitations of the tires and quite honestly, I wouldn't want to drive my S/C in any mountains as it is now. Your HSE has decent all season tires... If what you're saying is true, what tires come on an S/C out there in Canada?

 

Stock tires in Canada are....

HSE - 255/50R19 Continental CrossContact UHP 107Y
S/C - 275/40R20 Continental 4x4 SportContact 106Y

 

I just called my dealer today to get some snow tire put on and he said it wasnt worth the money and it would run the same on slicks. I find that a little odd. I have all season tires and have driven through blizzards when the roads have been closed without any trouble but I would feel safer with snow tires. I only have 17k easy miles on my current tires. Now I'm just more confused.