[Closed] Winter car tyres - any suggestions for good bad avoid?

anyone happen to know what OEM tyres Audi supply ? I have one coming in a few months and wondering about asking them to change to all-weather tyres. Or maybe live with them till they need replaced ? (not a company car, purchase on a PCP)

[quote=benp1 ]Interested to know how far south (within the UK) people fit winter tyres. Last year it didn't really get that cold over winter (I'm in North London), so winter tyres would have been quite a bit more hassle to fit and use. For example, my dad has some but didn't bother fitting them over winter, he lives round the corner
we had one morning's worth of snow and a couple of icy spells (though roads are fairly well gritted), but temperatures probably were 3-5C for a lot of it
I have the opposite problem. Having monitored temperatures on my commute, there wasn't any month in which the temperatures didn't drop below 7C at least once.

anyone happen to know what OEM tyres Audi supply

They are round black and made from rubber...

depends what performance is graded on.

perhaps performance when above 7 is brought down by the fact they will wear faster ?

Its well documented that in warm and wet conditions winters are worse than summers. and over all a bit wallowy

But thats a risk ill live with over spending 9 months of the year on the right side of the axis 🙂

if you live on the south coast and do all your driving in the day your milage may vary.

Michelin Crossclimate.

They really are great tyres.

Pros:
Exceptional in the wet (no wheelspin in 2nd in a 260bhp FWD hatch)
Very quiet
Good durability
A genuine 4 season tyre just fit and forget
Cons:
Not quite as secure as a full winter in really poor conditions
Lacks the ultimate grip of a summer tyre on warm dry roads

"Nothing to do with winter/not winter tyres.
That's just driving like an idiot."

Oh i agree.

I met a chap in a clio who had rammed into a snow drift on the road so hard his sump had lifted his wheels clean off the ground - and when i looked at trying to recover without damaging the car i asked how he ended up there ....."well i didnt think it would be an issue as i have winter winter tires" (was on brimmond for those that know the area)

Jam bo

My ex-FIL used to rally and takes his cars seriously (ex automotive engineer).
He uses winter tyres all year round now and reckons there's little degradation and wear isn't significantly greater.

i'm not disputing that all tyres have compromises and you pick which suits you best but that diagram is shit and misleading.

i had my graphics team run out and quickly get you another one drawn up jambo.

[img] [/img]

Vredstein Quadtrac5's here.

Ran Goodyear EfficientGrip summer tyres before, the Quadtracs feel just as good in the dry but much better in the cold/wet. No noticeable impact on fuel economy or road noise. Not tested in full on snow yet though.

As it stands, I can see myself sticking with the Quadtrac5's permanently.

so as long as it doesn't snow, summer tyres are better?

does it snow at 7degrees? I'm confused 😉

thats why they kept the first graph simple so as not to confuse delicate flowers.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

and my favorite regardless of what the tire says on the side wall always remember .....

[img] [/img]

your graphics team aren't too busy at the moment then....

what happens if the car behind you has summer tyres on 😉

thats their issue - shouldnt be so close.

better to be the car infront with the winters on than the car behind the car with winters hitting the car with summers 😉

certainly for insurance purposes.

id be more worried about the number of cars running around at or around the legal limit than which season their tires are rated for.

I have a steel girder for a rear bumper.

Braking's important but going in the direction you want to go is just as important, your stopping distance doesn't help that much if you're going backwards across a lane of oncoming traffic...

Does seem to me that the newer all weather tyres are shifting the argument a bit? I mean, performance varies, some winter tyres are already good in the dry but that's not always the case. Reading reviews of the new stuff is the first time I've thought of maybe not replacing my winter tyres next time and just going with something balanced.

anyone happen to know what OEM tyres Audi supply

They are round black and made from rubber...

POSTED 41 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

jolly good, that's me sorted then , cheers 🙂

The graphics are getting closer to reality.

Is there any rubber in the mix of modern tyres?

I have run Winter tyres all year round and think it's a better option than running Summer tyres all year round, but as I have a set of Summers I swap. Even at 40°C+ I didn't notice any difference in normal driving with the Alpins though I'd have probably lost a few metres in an emergency stop. My Summer tyres are Conti-eco-fuel-saving horrors which I'd like to change but they look like lasting as long as I'll have the car.

Winter tyres being crap in warm weather is true for Nordic tyre models but I believe they are not available in UK and Germany.

Does seem to me that the newer all weather tyres are shifting the argument a bit? I mean, performance varies, some winter tyres are already good in the dry but that's not always the case. Reading reviews of the new stuff is the first time I've thought of maybe not replacing my winter tyres next time and just going with something balanced.

Honestly Michelin Crossclimates are extrodinary. When anyone asks I start to sound like I've drank Michelin branded KoolAid, but they really are that good. For normal driving in the UK (not setting lap times at Cadwell Park in the summer or trying to drive up the Lairig Ghru in winter) they have no compromises and are the best performing tyres I've ever had for wet conditions.

Their main current drawback is they only make them up to 17"

Their main current drawback is they only make them up to 17"

I was just about to phone the dealer and negotiate a swop for new car till I got to that bit 😯

Reading reviews of the new stuff is the first time I've thought of maybe not replacing my winter tyres next time and just going with something balanced.

I'll never buy summer tyres again. The only minus point for my all seasons was they cost £10 or £15 a corner more than a top summer tyre. Maybe a shorter life. But 10k on them and plenty tread left. So I'll be happy with 20k. Anything better a bonus.

The advantages in cold wet weather when grip is an issue far outweigh a yard or two lost in dry summer emergency stops.

If you're likely to be driving in Scotland on your winters then having a decent set is worth a lot. Just like on the bike, there are many different winters so all of these graphs are a bit misleading and are very generalised. One design and compound may be excellent on dry snow in a German test but may be compromised on a slushy highland road at 0C.
If you are talking about the A9 in winter, then I'd want to be on one of the better tyres; you don't have to spend a fortune, Goodyear Ultragrip 8+ or 9 are excellent in my own experience and the better tyres from the likes of Vredestein, Nokian and Continental are equally good. If you're in Scotland, you could do a lot worse than phoning Ladybank/Target Tyres at Blairgowrie, where the local knowledge will be hard to beat.
We leave winters on year round on the Mrs' low-mileage Skoda Fabia; I've EfficientGrip Performance for the summer and Ultragrips in winter on the Passat.

I was just about to phone the dealer and negotiate a swop for new car till I got to that bit

Yeah, 225/45 R17 and 225/55 R17 are the two biggest sizes.

Apparently Michelin are thinking of releasing 18" versions but they are a tad reluctant as they feel that larger higher performance cars using 18 and 19" wheels would be better off on dedicated summer or winter tyres

Anyway Cont's will be OEM on the majority of Audis

Goodyear Vector 4 seasons come in a couple of 18 and 19" sizes.

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/tyres/goodyear/vector-4-seasons-g2.html

Driving up to a ski resort you get most of the snow types you're likely to meet in the UK in 15-20km.

Wet
Wet with a few crystals
Slush
Firm slush
Fresh wet snow
Fresh snow
Fresh dry snow
Polished ice where the sown has been blown off.

Depths depending on when the plough last went through or if the road is on the plough route at all.

Not many places better to test Winter tyres than France and Germany.

@ianc that's the trouble with bigger wheels specced on some car models. I don't recall what came on my car but we ran Conti's thereafter (may have been those from new but that was in 2007) and even the normal summer ones where great in UK and Alps snow.

thanks for info jambalaya. The spec says they are 225/55/17 but doesn't say any more, so I have mailed the dealership to see what they can tell me. It will sit in a shed or disused airfield most of this winter though, as I am taking deliver 1st March after company car is returned. The build tracker app thingy told me it left the factory and got put on a ship to the UK a few days ago !

I met a chap in a clio who had rammed into a snow drift on the road so hard his sump had lifted his wheels clean off the ground

Thankfully had a couple of shovels and some strips of carpet in the boot.
Took about 10 minutes to get it out.

[quote="mmannerr"]Winter tyres being crap in warm weather is true for Nordic tyre models but I believe they are not available in UK and Germany.Yeah, we had a really rapid thaw about 10 years ago. Went from -10 and 15-20 cm of ice/snow to +10 and bone dry roads in about 3 days.

The tyres would actually start to bobble up and leave bits of rubbery powder in the garage if i brushed them. The traction control light also spent a lot of time flashing as the tyre moved around. A lot.

Roundabouts at 30kph should not trigger the traction control light.

Most of the tyres i've had are actually illegal in the UK.

You can get bigger winter tyres, much bigger. Guy at work has his AMG C63 on 18 or 19" winter tyres, something like 40 profile.

The problem with the Michelin Crossclimate is exactly:

Their main current drawback is they only make them up to 17"

Nokian Weatherproof are very similar in performance and also an all-weather tyre but available in larger sizes and with XL ratings and the like.

@ghostly my Volvo was outside the dealership system, definitely some ATS budget thing the previous owner had put on.

Don't see the point of maintaining large wide tyres with low profiles for snow. Thin tyres cut through better and taller side walls allow lower pressures if required without smashing rims or for when you rediscover the kerb in the snow.

Need big tyres to fit over big rims to fit over big brakes........

Fair point, but more a pointer to go to the smallest possible rim size, rather than just stick with what is on there.
For big, Pirelli Sottozero go up to 21" I think.

Because your average diesel A4 doesn't need 19" rims.

Given the cost of Winter tyres for the bigger dimensions some forumites might find it cheaper to buy a Winter car. I suggest a Citroen AX GTi on Alpins for snowy days - possibly the most fum you'll ever have without breaking the speed limit.

Audi gave me the option of a second set of alloys and winter tyres for only £1900...and £140 a year for the 'audi hotel' , which includes changing them over spring and autumn and storage in secure indoor bags..... Could buy a used Jimny for that 😯

[quote="Edukator"]I suggest a Citroen AX GTi on Alpins for snowy daysI'd suggest getting a grip. Chances of that starting at -20 are between remote and none existent........ not to mention the frostbite while you wait to get some warm air out of the heater......

😉

Better chance of it starting than a diesel below -20. I've only ever owned one diesel and learned to park it facing downhill with a clear run out of the resort. When it's really cold the recovery truck does great business - with diesels.

Edit: I also kept a spare battery nice and warm indoors.

@ianc I think as I posted before sadly for me the local dealer was the worst part of owning the car £1900 😐

Don't see the point of maintaining large wide tyres with low profiles for snow. Thin tyres cut through better and taller side walls allow lower pressures if required without smashing rims or for when you rediscover the kerb in the snow.

This. 2CVs are legendary in the snow not least due to their "bicycle" tyres. My Swiss mate had an A3 3.2 Quattro with low profiles for the summer and normal wheels and snow tyres for the winter.

Meh the landy started at -28 it's a diesel.

The van didnt. It was parked next door with the same fuel - also diesel.

jambalaya - Member
@ianc I think as I posted before sadly for me the local dealer was the worst part of owning the car

Yeah, £1900 for wheels and tyres is just silly 👿

Mine appears to come with 17 inch wheels anyway, so once original tyres are work I can put Michelin cross climates on at £150 a corner....

[Quote="Edukator"]Better chance of it starting than a diesel below -20. I've only ever owned one diesel and learned to park it facing downhill with a clear run out of the resort. When it's really cold the recovery truck does great business - with diesels.Funnily enough, in a country which actually knows about these things, sales of tinny, badly made, French rust buckets are pretty much in single figures. As in actual sales.

And diesels start first time everytime.
My record is 42 degrees below zero. -30 is pretty much every year, once or twice. -20 is for about a month or 6 weeks......

Seriously, I'd take a diesel with a filter heater (pretty much standard across Europe since the late 90s) and a battery with some proper grunt (even when cold) over petrol, a cold battery specced for an AX and French electrics from the 80s.

And no. Is not my fault the French are too daft to fill up with winter diesel before going somewhere cold.

Typing "panne de diesel grand froid" into search yields pages of diesels that won't start when they're cold.

As you clearly don't have much affection for the French or things French could you let me know where you're from, Ghostlymachine, so I can take the Micky out of wherever you're from in an unfair sterotypical manner.