What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Snow chains on a Volkswagen Golf GTD
According to the manual, the tyres on this car (GTD) cannot be fitted with snow chains. We are driving to the French Alps where snow chains must be carried. The car has winter tyres, although these are NOT compulsory in France. Volkswagen can supply snow socks, but I do not think they comply with the French Law.
A new German law apparently requires all cars in winter to have both winter tyres and carry chains.
So what on earth do drivers of Golf GTDs do in Germany?
I get no sense out of the VW dealer; VW UK have given me conflicting responses, but no definitive answers. The AA has some information on their website.
I could put K-Summit chains on, but they are hugely expensive for something which will probably not be used. Alternatively, Thule supply a thin chain that might fit.
The latest suggestion from VW (UK) is to buy another set of steel wheels with another set of smaller winter tyres. I have not priced that, but it cannot be less than £1000!
A new German law apparently requires all cars in winter to have both winter tyres and carry chains.
So what on earth do drivers of Golf GTDs do in Germany?
I get no sense out of the VW dealer; VW UK have given me conflicting responses, but no definitive answers. The AA has some information on their website.
I could put K-Summit chains on, but they are hugely expensive for something which will probably not be used. Alternatively, Thule supply a thin chain that might fit.
The latest suggestion from VW (UK) is to buy another set of steel wheels with another set of smaller winter tyres. I have not priced that, but it cannot be less than £1000!
Asked on 22 November 2011 by flyingscotsman
Answered by
Honest John
What the Germans would do would be to fit smaller wheels (usually steel) with deeper profile winter tyres that could also be fitted with standard snow chains.
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage Guide
Cold-snap snow-how: Advice on coping with the freezing weather, including videos, facts and winter driving advice.
Honest John's Guide To Winter TyresSimilar questions
When driving in snow in my Juke AWD should I switch off ESP and use 50/50 4WD or Variable 4WD?
Which axle should chains be fitted to on a Honda CR-V given that it has a unusual inter-diff?
I'm thinking about buying a set of winter tyres and wheels. Should I buy narrow wheels and tyres (to dig into the snow) or wider ones (to have more rubber gripping on the snow). I recall that rally drivers...
Related models
Comfortable and quiet on the move, enjoyable to drive. Nicely trimmed with great attention to detail. 1.4 TSI sweeter to drive than a diesel.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
