I am generally a huge advocate of winter tyres for cars, due to the fact that:
a) I'm originally from Canada, so know the benefits first-hand,
and
b) even if temperatures are not nearly as extreme here, the combination of proper compound and tread for the conditions still makes for safer driving.
Obviously, though, I am hardly an expert.
As a result, I am seeking opinions - especially on all-season tyres.
With budget a concern (though not an insurmountable one), would you just get a not-perfect-for-summer-[i]or[/i]-winter, but high-quality all-season tyre and so save yourself money (and the space that gets taken up by an extra set of wheels)? Or would you just go for it, and get the extra set of wheels with good winter tyres on them, with a view to switching for the summers you already have around March time?
Or would you just go for it, and get the extra set of wheels with good winter tyres on them, with a view to switching for the summers you already have around March time?
This, but I've always had storage space.
I've put proper winter tyres (Pirelli's) on both our cars. Both the wife and I can get called into work at any time of the day or night, and snowy/icy/very wet roads are a regular occurrence here during winter, so for me it was worth the outlay (roughly £800 for tyres and wheels for both cars). I suppose their value depends on where you live, what the weather does there, and how essential use of your car is.
Where do you live? If it's prone to snow, and your keeping the car for a while it may be worth buying extra winter wheels/tyres as they do in Canada.
I worked there for a while myself and seem to remember they had to be changed by law from around Nov-March.
I considered doing this last year myself but managed to get by without although they would have helped in the snow for sure.
I'm doing about 2500 miles a month up and down the motorway so I've just fitted a set of winter tyres for the first time ever.
I live in South Wales, and though I don't use the vehicle for commuting to work, I do drive up to Gloucester once a week, while my parents and a brother live up North - meaning that I take the family up that way every once in a while. All of our family travel is done in this vehicle (holidays, touring, etc. - some of which takes place in the winter, though most in the summer).
Having driven a 1.0l automatic Opel Corsa to [url= http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=46.113007,6.750004&spn=0.011275,0.01929&t=f&z=16&vpsrc=6&ecpose=46.10483838,6.75000429,2017.84,0,44.992,0 ]here[/url] on powder snow and sheet ice with winter tyres, I am convinced of the benefits of winter tyres. It was, in places, a granny ring climb on an MTB. And I went on my hoop when I stepped out the car after parking it.
For UK, I rely on my gf having a car that works ok on snow, and living 30 mins walk of a railway station and a bus terminus that will get me to work. We also have remote access that is OK. I missed 2 days work last year because of the snow and ice, and we had what is meteorogically known as "shitloads" of it.