That TCS tyre test is on lovely dry alpine snow, graded to break up the ice. You do not get that in Glasgow.

My wee car came with new winter tyres. They were hard, noisy, scrabbly, nervous and aqauplaney in the wet and no discernable difference in snow. (2 or 3 days)
I have since put on new toyo proxies with massive deep V treads (much deeper than brand new winter tyres) and grip is significantly better in already wet winter conditions. (Scotland 365 days year)

On compressed icy snow, performance will only be improved with chains or studs or off road tyres. This is the only situation I have seen people get stuck or crash. A shovel is more useful at this time to get going, then its a case of not stopping, tactical waiting and letting the accidents happen in front of you. I also can’t afford to store or buy them.

Make of that what you will. Can’t say I didn’t try them.

As an aside, the four seasons for the yeti worked out 6 quid a corner cheaper than the P6000s they replaced. Pretty mush fit and forget at the price.

It was the latter I assumed Northwind, probably incorrectly.

Will be purchasing some of these (sans white writing) within the next month or so…

Winter tyres have been on my cars for the last 7 winters. Bradford/Leeds & surrounding areas are gridlocked when it snows. I just use all the hilly routes to easily & safely get to work or back home.

Any thoughts on this: I have 4 winter wheels/tyres without tyre pressure sensors. However, I just bought a car with TPMS & it appears I should fit sensors to the winters which will need calibration. All this means several hundred quid.

Would the dashboard warning light become irritating if I don’t bother?

cbike – Member

On compressed icy snow, performance will only be improved with chains or studs or off road tyres

This is completely untrue tbh

I’m needing front tyres and was thinking of thinking about trying Michelin Cross Climates http://www.evo.co.uk/features/15600/michelin-cross-climate-vs-winter-and-all-season-tyres

Any thoughts on this: I have 4 winter wheels/tyres without tyre pressure sensors. However, I just bought a car with TPMS & it appears I should fit sensors to the winters which will need calibration. All this means several hundred quid.

Would the dashboard warning light become irritating if I don’t bother?

Yes, your warning light will probably come on each time you start. My Mini Cooper does when I put the steel rims with Nokian WR D3’s on; one audible alarm ‘bong’ and then an amber warning light. TPMS Sensors were nigh on £300 IIRC so I can live with that!

Waste.of.money.

Are those Winter specific, STR. All-terrains are lousy on ice if they aren’t.

Michelin Alpin are excellent on compressed icy snow. Chains improve things most in deep soft snow and studs on ice.

Edukator – yes, apparently the new design has been given snowflake status

Snow socks here for the 2 days a year it snows in Yorkshire. If I lived in the frozen north I might consider winter tyres

househusband how do you find those Nokians? Mike bought D4s which appear to be an updated D3.

Well, it’s £521 for a set of steels AND the top (in various tests) Conti TS850’s on them.

Yes, but only the ‘steels’ cost is extra as you are ‘saving’ your summer tyres while using the winter ones.

But tbh I never bothered when down south and only bought them last year as I got a new job which means a 10 mile commute down untreated country roads plus a long single-track climb.

b r – Member

Yes, but only the ‘steels’ cost is extra as you are ‘saving’ your summer tyres while using the winter ones.

And even then, it’s not money down the drain as the wheels retain value (I’m the other end of that value train, I bought my winter wheels and tyres used, from someone who’d sold the same car with its original wheels and summer tyres)

People always see the tyres as an extra expense, but that’s only the case if you usually drive around on the rims. Or, if you do so few miles that you’ll never need to replace tyres.

househusband how do you find those Nokians? Mike bought D4s which appear to be an updated D3.

There wasn’t any proper snow over last winter, not this end of Fife anyways, but there was some ice if I recall. Guess I’d have to do a back-to-back test to be able to do a fair comparison between them and the tyres that came on the car but they just got on with it! We’re pretty rural so the roads do get flooded, quite muddy and ‘greasy’; I’ve always found winter tyres better able to cope with that as much as they do ice and snow. Had winter tyres on previous car for three years, commuting 90miles/day, and had no idea how much difference they made so didn’t hesitate in getting them for my new Mini last year.

I’ve had Pielli Snow Controls until now, but got Nokians off the back of reviews and a price of £60 a corner, so interested to see how they go.

Edukator – yes, apparently the new design has been given snowflake status

Snowflake and Mountain logo or just a snowflake?

FWIW , I’ve had winter tyres, Michelin Alpin and Vredesteins fitted to my Subarus every winter for the last 7 or 8 years. Here in deepest Surrey we had 5 severe winters (snow on the ground for 1 month plus) on the trot. I was caught out once by snow in early November and though I could get where I wanted to be driving was more interesting than it needed to be. The winters were fitted the next day.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a no brainer; fit the winters and carry oin as normal, whatever the weather does. They work equally well on muddy roads but aren’t that great in offroad mud. But then offroad tyres are pretty shit on compacted snow. Horses for courses…

Waste.of.money.

No.They.Are.Not

As has been stated before, effectively they are cost neutral if the vehicle is kept for a few years. You are balancing the cost of tyres winter/summer over a longer period, and the second set of wheels have a value.
And as the winter tyres cost less than summers on my car, by £45 per tyre, even the depreciation on the steel wheels is balance out.

The only problem is stumping up the cost in the first place.

There’s also storage, and the requirement for a decent jack – the one supplied with the car is usually a PITA to use, and if it’s a heavy car, may not survive frequent use.
Having said that, I’m currently shopping for a set, plus trolley jack having just sold the Discovery.

£30 to have mine changed over at the local tyre place.

There’s also storage, and the requirement for a decent jack – the one supplied with the car is usually a PITA to use, and if it’s a heavy car, may not survive frequent use.

Unless you own a high performance car, and drive it like such. There’s no real reason not to use winter tyres all year round. At least 2 major motoring organisations have recommended doing so. Little bit of a trade off in summer performance….but let’s be honest, that’s when you least need it.

I’ve ordered 4 Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons, Generation 2 for my Octavia. I was looking for either those or Michelin Cross Climates. The garage doing my MOT could get the Goodyears at more or less matching online prices – £73 each. So I’ll get the MOT and tyres done in one go.

Summer tyres are usable most of the time but I had a very close call coming out from a bothy on a single track road on fresh snow last winter. Even braking from 10mph the car was skidding for yards at a time.

the first and second placed all season tyres actually beating the Continental winter tyre in snow braking, traction and handling! Furthermore, at the tested temperature (7c) the Goodyear all season tyre beat both the summer and winter tyre in wet handling and braking.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Auto-Express-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm

I’m looking on Black Circles, all the winter tyres seem to have appalling ratings for Noise, Fuel and wet weather grip?

Anyone recomend some?

Snowflake and Mountain logo or just a snowflake?

Aggressive All-Terrain Traction: Exceeding RMA Severe Snow Traction performance requirements.3to confidently get where you want to go.
Side Biter Lugs: Protruding sidewall rubber blocks that provide increased mud, snow & rock traction, especially in aired-down driving situations. Mud-Phobic Bars: Raised bars in the shoulder tread area that helps to release compacted mud for enhanced traction in muddy and soft soil conditions. Serrated Shoulder Design: Staggered shoulder blocks that provide greater maneuverability in soft soil and deep snow conditions. Locking 3-D Sipes: 3-D active sipe technology, that provides more biting edges for significantly increased snow traction. 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake: Exceeds Rubber Manufacturer Association (RMA) Severe Snow Traction requirements.

If you try mytyres.co.uk, once you’ve specificied your size and winter tyres, you can sort the results by noise, grip, etc.

Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 in 195/65 R15 are 68Db B for wet grip, and C economy.

Believe Mchelin Cross Climate are low noise and good ratings as well.

Alpins versus Conti Eco tyres:

Noise: not noticed any difference (edit: but pedestrians might)
Comfort: the Alpins are more supple over poor surfaces
Fuel: 3% worse on the instant readout on the same road at the same speed.
Wet weather grip: Alpins good whatever the temperature, Contis no better even in Summer and awful near zero celcius.
Dry grip on warm roads: The Alpins slide very progressively, the Contis offer slightly more grip but let go. Braking with the Alpins at 30°C+ the ABS is felt slightly earlier so I assume less grip.
Feel: the Alpins have a slightly heavier and more reassuring feel through the steering wheel.

I take the Alpins off in Summer but reluctantly. I’ll probably buy the new Michelin Winter tyres that can be used all year next time.

Considering putting Michelin Cross Climates on the wife’s car, she will need new tyres soon and there not much more than normal Michelin and she’s out in all weathers and a decent commute.

And the other thing. Winter and pot holes I prefer driving on my cheaper and taller (45 section) winter wheels rather than the 30/35 section tyres my car came with!

Ran some Hankook iCept Evos for a season and then the full year as I forgot to take them off. Honestly? No better than the MAXXIS MA-P1’s I had as summer tyres, in fact the wet performance was even worse. Dunno if that’s just Hankook though as the eco pish I have now can’t take corners either (comical screeching at sensible speeds in the dry leading to sliding when it gets wet).

I just bought a car with TPMS & it appears I should fit sensors to the winters which will need calibration. All this means several hundred quid.

I’ve just ordered wheels & winter tyres from mytyres.co.uk and they were only £20.50 per wheel extra with TPMS sensors fitted – nothing said about calibration so I assume that’s included.

Calibration usually just involves pressing a button in the car when you put them on, to tell the car ‘the tyres are correct just now, let me know if they change’. It’s not something you do to the tyre or sensor.

Another year, another winter tyre thread, another assembly of the Flat Earth Society.

Ran some Hankook iCept Evos for a season and then the full year as I forgot to take them off. Honestly? No better than the MAXXIS MA-P1’s I had as summer tyres,

The Hankook iCept managed to come last in 7 of the 12 categories and last overall in the Autoexpress test. Maybe it’s Hankooks that are crap and not the winter or all season tyre concept?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/89339/hankook-winter-icept-rs-tyre-review

I had the old icebears, they were decent enough, drove much like any other £60 tyre but with extra cold-driveyness. The V12 Evos I have for “summer” came well recommended too, haven’t got much to compare them with mind but they do a good job. So I don’t think it’s hankook in general but obviously some tyres are good and some less good.

So, steel or alloy then? And if alloy, silver or black? 😀

Being a complete tyre nerd, I actually love the winter tyre debate, so I will weigh in now. 😀

To those of you who say that winter tyres are a waste of money, I say you are just. dead. wrong.

Winter tyres have as much to do with temperature as they do with what lies on the road surface, and will make a performance difference from about +5 on down.

The rubber compound changes according to the tyre’s designation, and so your ability to stay stuck to the road will improve radically with the right tyre for the weather.

This test is a good one, because rather than being performed on snow (which so many of you English seem to think never falls south of Newcastle), it is performed on ice, which, we will all acknowledge, can develop anywhere. Take a look:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s[/video]

I need run flats..

Kryton, I’m not convinced you do.

Honestly i’d rather fit some all season tyres, rather than just summer treads, but i can only get them for the front wheels of my car – nobody makes them in the breadth needed for the rears. I don’t commute by car so its a weekend wagon only and going full winters is probably only preferable in the SE for 3-4 weekends tops!