Quote:
Originally Posted by Xc902017
I bought the Konig/Thule K-Summit chains for my 20” XC90 last year for a trip to the Alps. They fit absolutely fine (front wheels). In the event I didn’t need them in the Alps but did test them on a snowy UK day and they performed really well.
People often think about chains/ socks in terms of traction uphill but it’s the coming downhill bit that you need to worry about!!
They weren’t cheap but I figured the families safety was paramount particularly as the Chalet is off the beaten track. IMHO socks are fine to get you going, and as an emergency measure, but I wouldn’t personally rely on them for an Alps trip etc.
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I just returned from the alps in a T8. Exactly the same, bought the K-Summits, but didn't use them. Interestingly the vendor said that the major issue is removing the nut covers on the hub, as they are quite tight.
I found the XC90 very stable on ice and snow. The only issue I had was that the car was parked in a space, just off the road. A couple of days before departure, I tried to move the car out of the space, just to ensure it would be possible on the day of departure. I found, even in AWD mode, that the front wheels did a lot of spinning.
I thought in AWD mode, that if the car sensed slipping wheels it would send power to the back wheels via the electric motor? The back wheels were on dry and snow free ground, so should have allowed the car to move out of the space, but they didn't seem to kick in.
Anyway, on the day of departure, I got it out no problem, and it felt very safe coming down the icy roads. Interestingly, at Moutiers, I had 16 miles of range from braking regeneration!