I have a set of Vredestein Quatrac 3’s whilst not a full on winter tyre, they are alot better than the Conti’s that i used before. I needed tyres in December last year and they were the only “winter” ish tyres i could get. Have since done c20k on them and they still have plenty of life in them. If my car wasn’t 11 years old i might think about dedicated winter tyres next time, but i suspect the car might die soon.

I’ll add my 2p. I have fitted winter tyres (Hankook Icept Evo) to my TDI Audi A2. It is the only car in the street that has not got stuck on the nearby hills at some point, and when I tried to use it to tow a focus up the hill, it got about half way – an old (non-diff lock) Defender with mud tyres tried and only pulled it about quater way up! They are seriously impressive, so much so that my partner is fitting them to her car too next year. They are sold out everywhere now…

I dunno if they’re worth it

After over 30 years of driving in & around Northern England [40K mls/year] I’ve only been stuck twice & both times it was because a truck had jack-knifed blocking the road

I think mrmo has it nailed! Vredestein Quatrac 3 are proper 4 season tyres. Maybe even m+s rated?

Anyways – maybe he was lucky enough to have to buy tyres in December so snow was in the back of his mind. Or he lives in the highlands?

The rest of us buy tyres from Jan – Nov and just live with whatever wide low profile stuff comes on our new cars, or get whatever branded stuff kwik fit etc happen to have in stock without asking about snow / winter.

Then we get stuck in the snow. So we start a what tyres thread, buy even more tyres, need a shed to store them in, and a torque wrench to make sure they’re on ok…..

Gosh – that sounds like mountain bikers!

Still – I was out tonight digging out a neighbours car. He saw me drive off this morning in 8″ snow (on winter tyres – he didnt know) with no fuss – thought I was mad but decided to try himself. His car was blocking the road 5 foot from his house all day ’til I rumbled back up the hill tonight.

However when the current tyres die I might buy some ‘all season – m&s’ like the Quatrac’s (if I can get them in size) and see how I get on year round.

either fit 4 winter tyres or dont bother.
if you only fit to the front cos your FWD, the rear of the car/van will break traction prior to the front leading to a spin. if you fit to the rear only youll stay in a straight line but gain no grip to get moving.

the Quatracs are m&s rated, they have the little picture of a mountain and snowflake on the side, not actually sure what that means though.

I was commuting between Cheltenham and Chester and thought it would make sense to replace the barely legal Contis with something a bit more suitable for 6 months of winter commuting, remember December last year wasn’t tropical in mid wales, i got bored of the M6 after a couple of trips so started using more scenic routes. Quatracs were what i could get, and have done the job.

Fitted Quatrac 3’s on the old Passat estate I bought a while ago, it had some really bad no name things on there. Lived in Canada for a year and ran winter tyres all year round with no problems so did a bit of research and figured i’d try the Vredstein here, wanted something to allow me to drive pretty much everywhere muddy roads, and dirt tracks etc. they’ve been great in all weathers and they were great today on snowy ungritted back roads around Surrey hills, unfortunately it was everyone else that got stuck and stopped me moving.

I had a set of Nokian WR G2s put on my Mondeo a couple of weekends ago. Obviously I’ve not had them very long but they’ve been very good in the cold and dry of the last few weeks and were remarkable on the way home tonight in the snow/slush/wet.
None of my local fitters could get hold of them, or any of the other highly rated winter tyres so I got them from Pneus Online and had them fitted at my local fitter.
I’m quite looking forward to driving to work tomorrow in the frozen snow!

unfortunately it was everyone else that got stuck and stopped me moving.

Bosh. Precisely why I haven’t bothered.

I asked my dad to pick up some part worn snow tyres off ebay for me that were local to him at the start of last week, and he told me off for being tight. What he didn’t seem to understand is I don’t do many miles, and I didn’t want tyres lying around the garage all year. Now all the prices have gone ballistic.

Not that it matters as I’m stuck offshore.

unfortunately it was everyone else that got stuck and stopped me moving.

Bosh. Precisely why I haven’t bothered.

Typical fatalistic British sheep mentality – other people get stuck, so I may as well join them.

Me, I like to at least attempt to not be the one that blocks the road, and may even be the one that hauls your ass out the ditch.

I’d say yes on this basis…..

despite having driven round the Scottish Highlands a lot in the last 20 years – in all sorts of desperate conditions, I’ll sheepishly put my hand up and say that I’ve just been converted to the benefits of winter tyres after having had a set fitted to my wifes car over the weekend. Stunning levels of grip compared to the decent summer tyres that were on it.

Oh and for storage, KwikFit will keep the summer ones for you – £45 per season IIRC,

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

either fit 4 winter tyres or dont bother.

nonsense

If you have a front wheel drive car with winter tyres on the front and the back end goes there is a good chance of counter steering to prevent a spin. If you’ve got more traction with the driving and steering wheels you will have a more controllable car even if the back wheels have “normal” tyres still. That’s an assertion based on experience.

Classic example of supply and demand with Mytyres.

I bought a set of GT Champiros 8 days ago for £67.50 each delivered. Today they are £109.40 😯

either fit 4 winter tyres or dont bother.

nonsense

If you have a front wheel drive car with winter tyres on the front and the back end goes there is a good chance of counter steering to prevent a spin. If you’ve got more traction with the driving and steering wheels you will have a more controllable car even if the back wheels have “normal” tyres still. That’s an assertion based on experience.

I will hazard a guess I have more even more experience and I’ll agree with nwilko.

Winter front / summer back is :
1. Cheap
2. Fun
3. Very, very scary.

It’s fine uphill, really pretty dangerous downhill.

I gather it’s not just that we use all-season tyres not winter tyres… More that most people fit fairly fair-weather tyres. We want economy, low noise, long life…

My brother spent the other day first putting the winter tyres on his little diesel Combi, then merrilly pulling stuck 4x4s on road tyres out of the warehouse unit he rents Not got a set myself but thinking about it, I’ll take any edge I can get. I wouldn’t ride in winter on small blocks…

Monk

I’ve got a Transporter and have only fitted them to the front and only bought cheapo ones at that.

Last night on the way home it meant i could get off the main roads and still take shortcuts. Plus when i got home i could drive up the short hill to my house and park on my empty street!

Typical fatalistic British sheep mentality – other people get stuck, so I may as well join them.

Me, I like to at least attempt to not be the one that blocks the road, and may even be the one that hauls your ass out the ditch.

missed the point entirely.

the only times in the last 17yrs since I passed my test I have ever got stopped in snow + ice, its been because of stuck lorrys + vans. winter tyres wouldn’t wouldn’t have magically evaporated the traffic jam in front of me.

Another example of MyTyres bumping up the price. I bought some Hankook Optimo 4S all season tyres last friday for £64 each they were £122 each on Monday morning.

My wifes car has winter on all four wheels but two winters ago she just had the front two wheels on winter tyres and that does make a massive difference. Just treat everything with caution but you will have the grip to go where you want.

Winter tyres lose their snow benefit at 4mm of grip but they start out life with about 10mm don’t buy part worn tyres off ebay.

Winter tyres lose their snow benefit at 4mm of grip but they start out life with about 10mm don’t buy part worn tyres off ebay.

The ones I picked up with 5mm of tread left have made a huge difference, thanks.

Live update!!

Making my way home across a snow covered/car jammed city (Bradford) my snow Tyres have meant I have been able to take all the side street short cuts.

Can’t do owt about nobs who forget how traffic lights and roundabouts work…
I’m still stuck in jams on the main drag but it helps and means as other people spin put I drive safely past.

Just put some on the classifieds, 195 65 R14’s on wheels to fit Peugeot/Ford 4 stud 8)

Winter tyres lose their snow benefit at 4mm of grip but they start out life with about 10mm don’t buy part worn tyres off ebay.

I think the reason that loads of part worns are on ebay is that in some countries there is a legal limit of 6mm for winter tyres.
Yes they probably lose their effectiveness in thick snow, but for most of the stuff we encounter they are still going to be far better than summer tyres. They still have wider grooves/softer compound/sipes in the blocks etc.

And yes, MyTyres are responding to the demand. Considered getting some new winter tyres from them that were at £88.20. Looked the next day, thinking I’d more than likely buy a set and they were up at £108.20…..

I’m watching some part worns on eBay, but they aren’t the right size & will put my speedo out by 5% so not sure whether to get them or not.

Part worn tyres will still give you a benefit but you may get one winter of use for two thirds of the price after fitting. Buy new and they will last three years.

Autocar comparison;

Autocar test

My winter tyres worked fantastically this morning. 8 miles of twisting, hilly Hampshire B roads with up to 8 inches of fresh and compacted snow dealt with superbly. ABS didn’t kick in at all and no wheelspin. Some sliding about in and out of ruts left by other cars but nothing scary. Being a seasoned MTBer definitely helps with driving in snow 🙂

I know they were only making a generalised point in the Autocar test but surely it couldn’t have been that difficult to find 2 cars that shared a little more in common than a badge and RWD 🙄

either fit 4 winter tyres or dont bother.

nonsense

If you have a front wheel drive car with winter tyres on the front and the back end goes there is a good chance of counter steering to prevent a spin. If you’ve got more traction with the driving and steering wheels you will have a more controllable car even if the back wheels have “normal” tyres still. That’s an assertion based on experience.

think about it,
your front tyres being snow/ winter will always have more grip than youre rear normal tyres. The rears have lost traction and the cars now spinning, counter steering the front will not increase the friction between the rear wheel that has no traction, you cant apply power to the rear wheen to get it rotating at the vehicles speed as the fronts are the driven wheels.. Front wheel drive cars are deisgned with understeer as its safer, the premise being you use the correct amount of speed for the road conditions in the 1st place, if you loose the back end your boned with FWD (unless you think driving like a rally driver is appropriate for the public road)..
If you put your better tyres on the rear it will be less likely to break traction than the front hence safer (the steering wheel acts at the front), but you will need to drive at a speed that keeps traction at the front IE slow the hell down. If you want to drive safety on snow / ice and keep traction fit 4 snow tyres. Danger with winter tyres at front and FWD is you get traction to reach a nice high speed in a straight line then turn in to find the rear has no grip and exit the corner backwards.
Ive driven on snow extensively in the arctic cirle & Northern Ontario with normal tyres, specific winter tyres and also studded tyres fitted to all 4 wheels on high powered RWD saloons, FWD hatchbacks and lumbering 4×4’s in each case the driver needs to slow down. Finally try taking skid pan course and get the instructor to just break traction at the rear (needs a rig)and see what you can do to recover in a FWD car, its all a big mess in your pants by then.

nwilko

I agree with that and having had only winter tyres fitted to the front of my FWD car for the past couple of days I can confirm that it takes a loooooong time to correct once the back end goes + the ABS kicks in on the first tyre to lose traction making braking only marginally better.

Thankfully I got the rear winters last night which are being fitted now. Without the fronts on however, I seriously doubt I would have even made it to the garage.

this is valid IMO
Two snow tyres will keep you mobile, but if you want to drive any distance at any speed you really are better off with four.
Go to a carpark, drive at moderate speed then hit the brakes on even a slight bend. This will simulate coming round a corner to find a car coming the other way a bit wide. Then go and buy the other two snow tyres 🙂

I have FWD and winter tyres only on the front (still waiting for the other two) and the amount of traction on steeps hills is amazing. Completely missed the ‘car park’ around Bradford last night by staying high. Yes the snow was deeper but never a moment of hesitation. Even climbed a very steep hill which was ‘impassable’ according to the radio 😀

nwilko is right about normal tyres on the rear. You do have to slow right down before making a turn otherwise the backend slides away. A couple of times I had to correct slightly. Going down I just used 1st or 2nd and let the engine do the braking.

Just wish I’d bought some last winter.

can’t be arsed to read all of that but here in Scandinavia everyone uses them and they make a really big difference.

Nokian WR G2s on my Subaru. Fantastic, managed to get to work today for the first time since Monday while everyone else near me who has anything less than a Defender is stuck at home.

Would have made it in yesterday as well but ground clearance became the problem instead.

£64 a corner when I got them on Friday, currently £168 😀

Regarding the front wheels only/all four wheels debate this vid seems to show even less control under heavy braking and cornering with winter tyres only on the front than just leaving 4 all season tyres on.

nwilko, I certainly can’t compete with your winter driving experience and since I am a firm believe in experience being more important than theory I’m on a hiding-to-nothing with this, BUT your argument for “why” simply does not stack up. You’re suggesting a car that starts to spin with non-winter tyres on the rear cannot be recovered OR I have totally missed your point.

Forget the argument about different tyres on front and back for a moment. If the back end goes on a FWD car it is because it has lost traction and counter-steering can correct it because it allows the rear wheels to find traction again. Many of us on here will have had to do that at some stage and not necessarily in winter. If you have 4 winter tyres on and the rear end breaks lose, what do you do? Counter steer. There’s simply no difference in what you have to do. A tyre losing traction is a tyre losing traction.

Winter tyres on the front allow you to get around much more easily than no winter tyres on. They don’t give you carte-blanche to drive “normally” and I agree you need to be careful on the bends AND know what to do if it all goes wrong. I would rather be moving carefully than just be stuck not going anywhere at all.

as for this…

unless you think driving like a rally driver is appropriate for the public road

Regardless of what I’m driving and with what wheels, if I need to drive like a rally driver to avoid a spin/crash/accident then of course I will. If more people on our UK roads knew some of those skills we wouldn’t come to a standstill at the first sign of the white stuff…

…and of course if they put FOUR winter tyres on 😉

One of my Nokian WR G2s today, just to show all the extra sipes in the tread blocks, and the impression left in the snow. I know, I’m a geek!

nwilko, I certainly can’t compete with your winter driving experience and since I am a firm believe in experience being more important than theory I’m on a hiding-to-nothing with this, BUT your argument for “why” simply does not stack up. You’re suggesting a car that starts to spin with non-winter tyres on the rear cannot be recovered OR I have totally missed your point.

Forget the argument about different tyres on front and back for a moment. If the back end goes on a FWD car it is because it has lost traction and counter-steering can correct it because it allows the rear wheels to find traction again. Many of us on here will have had to do that at some stage and not necessarily in winter. If you have 4 winter tyres on and the rear end breaks lose, what do you do? Counter steer. There’s simply no difference in what you have to do. A tyre losing traction is a tyre losing traction.

Winter tyres on the front allow you to get around much more easily than no winter tyres on. They don’t give you carte-blanche to drive “normally” and I agree you need to be careful on the bends AND know what to do if it all goes wrong. I would rather be moving carefully than just be stuck not going anywhere at all.

as for this…

unless you think driving like a rally driver is appropriate for the public road

Regardless of what I’m driving and with what wheels, if I need to drive like a rally driver to avoid a spin/crash/accident then of course I will. If more people on our UK roads knew some of those skills we wouldn’t come to a standstill at the first sign of the white stuff…

…and of course if they put FOUR winter tyres on

final comment,
if youve got winters on the front and normal on the rear the car has grip/traction biased towards the front, if the snow & ice can only offer a fixed amount of friction you will always reach the point where the rears loose traction before the front, how can you reverse this relationship once the rears are sliding, more braking will increase the spin, more throttle will potentially straighten the car and increase speed which means you now cant get round the corner that caused you to loose the back in the 1st place.
Counter steering / steering where you wish to go is valid for recoving from a skid but is more suited to RWD.
The reason youve lost the rear on that corner was that 2weeks ago you fitted winters on the front with oodles of traction that got you moving too fast for the amount of grip your rears can generate, kaboom hello ditch/tree….
FWD with winters only on front is similar to lift off oversteer in a 911, a knife-edge..

Re sheet ice the only thing that works is studded tyres that can bite, but these are destroyed on dry tarmac and destroy the road surface + creating dust/health issues.

re second hand winters if the sipes (multiple cracks if you like) on each tread block are not present (their not full depth of each tread block) the winter tyre has massively reduced grip than compared to its new state, (you may be wasting your money)..

Why do you only put snowchains on the front on FWD vehicle then?