Volkswagen Golf GTI 2016 Owner's Manual page 625

traction on snow and ice because of their design
(width, rubber composition, tread design).
Volkswagen strongly recommends that you
always have winter tires or all-season tires
installed on all 4 wheels on your vehicle,
especially when winter road conditions are
expected. Winter tires also improve the vehicle's
braking performance and help reduce stopping
distances during winter weather. Volkswagen
recommends installing winter tires once
temperatures are below +45 °F (+7 °C).
Winter tires are no longer suitable for winter
driving once the tread pattern is worn down to a
depth of 3/16 in (4.8 mm). In addition, winter tire
performance decreases with age – independent
of the tread profile depth.