Where we’ve moved to is likely to be more prone to difficult winter conditions. The wife is getting a full suit of 4 retreaded winter tyres for her MX5 but finding some for mine is turning out to be hard work. I’m now looking at cheap winter tyres, or possibly part worn Bridgestones for the same price- can’t really stretch to £300 odd for a suit of new name-brand tyres.

Is it worth it? Or would I be better off just sticking with the high quality summer tyres I have on now? (Michelin Pilots)

What size are you looking for?

205/40/17 or 205/45/17.

I wouldn’t go cheap cheap, but how about these:
http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/nankang/sv-2/205-40-r17-84v-233543

Seem to get decent reviews:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Nankang/SV2.htm

Personally I thought the cheap winter tyre my g/f had fitted to her car were lethal, but didn’t mention that too her… she was impressed with them though.
I’d keep the ones you’ve got on, for as long as possible and save up for the decent winter tyres, the issue with this though is that prices go up as we approach winter proper. Can you get an steel rims for your car (off cheaper models)? As these tend to be thinner width, so the winter tyres should be cheaper (or so I’m told)

Or these:
http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/nexen/winguard-sport/205-40-r17-84v-145953

Review:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Nexen/Winguard-Sport.htm

A set of good quality tyres on steel wheels from a scrappie or Ebay shouldn’t cost you more than £400 with fitting and they are definitely worth the money, the grip is incredible. We have Avon Ice Touring, which cost around £40 each.

Why not just buy the tyres and get them fitted to your existing wheels? Fitting and balancing should be a tenner each.

can’t really stretch to £300 odd

I would consider a set of cheaper tyres and wheels to fit if I could find a set- it’s a Skoda so there’s got to be some steelies out there. We found it nigh on impossible to find steel wheels for my wife’s car cheaper than alloys though. Plan is really to get them fitted to my existing wheels, though.

I will look into those dooosuk, seems reasonable.

I’ve not used enough to have a properly informed opinion, but it seems like it’s fairly easy to make a winter tyre that’s alright at winter, but harder to make them work in the warmer and dry. So frinstance I’ve left my snowproxes on all year but the cheapies my brother used felt like any other cheap crap tyre in the dry despite being good on snow and ice.

I ended up getting a used set on wheels- it seems like there’s a good secondary market, people sell the car then sell the wheels-and-winters separately. Worth finding out what other wheels fit your car too

Had Nankang all season tyres on my Bongo for the last three years, winter and summer. They seem to grip well in the wet and dry, high temps and low temps. Never got stuck in the snow either but I guess the 4wd helps too.

Today I took delivery of 4 of these for £60 a corner. Nokians. Not cheap junk

http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/nokian/wrd3/215-55-r16-97h-416458

I also got 4x steel rims for Mrs Stoner’s VW.

All in less than €350

Have a look for some Falkens on oponeo (othre websites available)

Which model Skoda?

I ran an Octavia vRS which had 18’s but decided to use smaller steel wheels to save kerbing and make it easier just to swap over wheels and not faff swapping tyres on rims.

It took 205-50-16’s which opens up a wider range of tyres and cheap 2nd hand wheels.

I still have them in the shed…

It’s a Fabia.

Found a set of Roomster steel wheels with Vredestein winter tyres with 6mm tread on them for £125- suspect that’s the most sensible option.

Sounds like a bargain. Snap them up.