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How wet ?
When the road has just been a bit wet I've never pushed the CCs anywhere near hard enough to find out. When the road is awash with standing water the deeper the tread and the earlier you change them the better - which is the case with Winters. The hosed circles they use in tests don't tell you what the tyre is going to do in a down pour on the M1 or if the wet surface turns ou to be several cms deep - look for an aquaplaning test. I don't worry much about wet grip, I've slowed and increased distances to adjust, I am wary of standing water and mud.
The Winter Wheels now have the Cross Climates on.
A bit of a change of tactics.
My 'summer' wheels have thr same identical tyres so hopefully I can now maximise the mileage on my tyres now as well. The summer.wheels can inherit the more worn tyres and I can keep.them gleaming and more polished!
My plan is that the winter wheels can get the salt attrition , are less precious (and easier to clean) and as the tread wears I can put them on the summer wheels, keeping the best treaded ones for winter.
Pleased with them so far, not 'quite' as good as a full winter tyre , but I am not doing the huge commutes and be first down the valley like I used to be.and its pretty marginal for sensible driving conditions. I think it maybe a touch more noticeable in the frost/ ice but once on the main salted roads no difference in feel.
I found that on my wife's car with wide 225 size footprint the all seasons were definitely not as good , esp in slushy snow.
Full winter was hugely better and went up a size with 17s and not 18's on second hand wheels (for pot hole countermeasures).
A narrower wheel does help a bit and reminds me of my old 2cv I had as a student.it was brilliant in snow on skinny tyres.
We looked at buying a Golf R estate but they not available on 17 wheels. SO put us off. 18 s are not great for country roads and pot holes etc.
Fashionable low profile wheels are not for me, but that's a whole new topic!
How wet ?
When the road has just been a bit wet I've never pushed the CCs anywhere near hard enough to find out. When the road is awash with standing water the deeper the tread and the earlier you change them the better - which is the case with Winters. The hosed circles they use in tests don't tell you what the tyre is going to do in a down pour on the M1 or if the wet surface turns ou to be several cms deep - look for an aquaplaning test. I don't worry much about wet grip, I've slowed and increased distances to adjust, I am wary of standing water and mud.
The same tests say that summer tyres have better resistance to aquaplaning than all season tyres.
I don't drive an SUV, but yeah, interesting.
I had the misfortune of driving a van without winter tires to the strathpuffer this weekend ....Michelin agilis.
It reminded me of how little control those who swear summers are all they need actually have.
shovels , grit and chains were carried and deployed when necessary....... Even getting out of deeside.
We looked at buying a Golf R estate but they not available on 17 wheels.
A 17” winter tyre is an option on a mk 7.5 Golf R hatch according to the tyre pressure sticker on the door pillar. They were never sold in the uk with 17’s as standard. The alternative is to buy a second set of 18’s as finding a suitable 17” set in the uk is difficult and much more expensive
All of the part worn places around here sell Mud and snow tyres exclusively (as far as i know in the spring and summer as its only time ive been) the last 2 pairs ive had were £20 per tyre fitted and were literally brand new.
I've got a new EV and the tyres are cheapo's but, at the moment, budget doesn't stretch to replacing them. I've always used CC's on my other cars. I'm no driving god but I was honestly shocked just how much the cheap tyres changed in the recent cold weather. Anything below 4c and the tyres just lost any usable grip, it was like the changed from being rubber to hard plastic. It was really striking.
I have driven a Skoda Scout 4wd on summers (work car) and my own Octavia fwd on all seasons on fresh snowy side roads on the same night. There is no comparison all seasons are night and day better.
Its about 15 years since I had a car without all seasons. My new car has summers and I am not looking forward to getting caught in any snow in it.
Planned trips I will use Mrs IRCs carvwhich has the proper all seasons for Scottish year round driving.
I have driven a Skoda Scout 4wd on summers (work car) and my own Octavia fwd on all seasons on fresh snowy side roads on the same night. There is no comparison all seasons are night and day better.
I drove my Cayenne (lots of power, 4wd, big tyres, good tread) and our Fiesta (1.0L so no power, fwd, skinny 'summer' tyres) on the same day in the snow and the Fiesta was much more assured going round the corners. If you can't get winter tyres then go skinny and no power FTW.
I've got a new EV and the tyres are cheapo's but, at the moment, budget doesn't stretch to replacing them. I've always used CC's on my other cars. I'm no driving god but I was honestly shocked just how much the cheap tyres changed in the recent cold weather. Anything below 4c and the tyres just lost any usable grip, it was like the changed from being rubber to hard plastic. It was really striking.
This is a big part of the perception that EVs are rubbish in snow. Cheap or expensive, the tyres are optimised for easy rolling, and many are wide / low profile.
I got very lucky last winter and picked up a full set of Judd alloys shod with proper winter Vredestiens, barely used, for £500. Turns out a Model Y 4WD with off road assist switched on is a seriously impressive snow car! It'll handle 8" deep snow no problem, and stop and go with ease on the shiny polished stuff as seen at the Puffer last weekend.
i priced up a set of size matched 17" Cross climates for our incoming EV this morning - 900quid.
Simultaneously i priced up a set of skinny winters on 16" steels fully assembled and delivered for 600 .....
Neither extremely palatable but i know which is the better option.