Winter tyres vol 2

[Slow]

Timbuk2 said:

Slow said:

Timbuk2 said:

I'd avoid Snowprox, I fitted them to my mum's car and was unimpressed although didn't actually get to try them in the ice/snow. In all other fields they were far far worse than the normal tyres I'd replaced. When it comes to winters I wouldn't bother with budgets. Go for the best or don't bother.

Sorry but thats utter st.

Couldnt move 2 inches in the snow in my e46 on almost new summer tyres.

Fitted the cheapest possible winter tyres as I am poor and now suddenly I could drive everywhere, even 2 foot snow drifts were no problem. I dont buy winters for the cold weather, I buy them for snow and ice.

Did you miss the bit where I said I didn't use them in the snow and ice? I'm not sure what you're trying to say, that I'm lying about them being worse in every other condition (APART FROM SNOW AND ICE) than the normal tyres? Because I can assure you I'm not, why would I.

I do agree that they only seem to be advantageous in the ice and snow which is usually only a few days a year - mind you on those days you get to feel smug if you get the change to drive on snow. On snow the Nokians let me do 60mph on a country lane with confidence.

I was just trying to say, even though I worded it badly, that I buy my winters for the ice and snow. Not too bothered how they perform in the wet, I don't push the car hard. In the highlands in the countryside we get quite abit of snow and ice so it's almost a requirement.

[shoestring7]

tezzer said:

I've fitted a set of Continental winters on my runabout mini.

Frosty morning last week, country roads around me were particularly icy, but hated the feel of the winter tyres, best described as "floaty". The car felt completely unstable, a horrible experience, compared to my normal Hankooks.

Will report back once winter proper arrives.......

My experience of Conti Winter Contacts is that they took a long, long time to 'come in' - I'm talking several hundred miles.

SS7

[tenohfive]

jon- said:

We braking from 50mph the Toyo Snowprox S943 stopped in 45.7 meters compared the best winter at 36.8 meters.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Winter-T...

As pointed out, they'll be fine in snow, but not so great for the other 99% of winter.

But they'll still suit some peoples needs. Not mine, no, but they work perfectly fine some people (posters in this thread included.)

So I can see why the 'buy best or go home,' attitude doesn't wash with everyone. We keep coming back to this same point in this thread: there are lots of options out there, more every year. It's not a black and white choice and there are more shades of grey to choose from with decent all seasons, CrossClimates, surprisingly well performing budgets and the high end marques getting better. So there's no real need for the scorn upon the budgets; they fulfil a role.

I'm not defending budgets here - as stated many times above, I've spent a sodding fortune on good rubber - I just don't think that people should have to justify an informed decision.

[jon-]

tenohfive said:

jon- said:

We braking from 50mph the Toyo Snowprox S943 stopped in 45.7 meters compared the best winter at 36.8 meters.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Winter-T...

As pointed out, they'll be fine in snow, but not so great for the other 99% of winter.

But they'll still suit some peoples needs. Not mine, no, but they work perfectly fine some people (posters in this thread included.)

So I can see why the 'buy best or go home,' attitude doesn't wash with everyone. We keep coming back to this same point in this thread: there are lots of options out there, more every year. It's not a black and white choice and there are more shades of grey to choose from with decent all seasons, CrossClimates, surprisingly well performing budgets and the high end marques getting better. So there's no real need for the scorn upon the budgets; they fulfil a role.

I'm not defending budgets here - as stated many times above, I've spent a sodding fortune on good rubber - I just don't think that people should have to justify an informed decision.

I'm not sure I agree in this case. If someone is going to the expense, and trouble of fitting winters, they're clearly concerned about safety, as lets face it, most of us CAN just about get by on summer tyres in snow.

If they're concerned about safety, giving up 30 odd percent wet braking for 5 months a year is a huge penalty in safety, and one people need to be educated about.

Not all tyres are created equal, and the gap is even larger for winter rubber.

[popeyewhite]

jon- said:

If they're concerned about safety, giving up 30 odd percent wet braking for 5 months a year is a huge penalty in safety, and one people need to be educated about.

If they're concerned about safety they should know a number of winter tyres are actually worse than summers in the wet, some are only 7-10% better. A handful, the very best, are up to 30% better in the wet. However this is often at the expense of grip in the snow and ice.

[Monkeylegend]

popeyewhite said:

If they're concerned about safety they should know a number of winter tyres are actually worse than summers in the wet, some are only 7-10% better. A handful, the very best, are up to 30% better in the wet. However this is often at the expense of grip in the snow and ice.

Would be interesting to read the tyre tests that produced these results. Can you post a link please, not sure which tyres to go for next so all info is welcome.

[mad4amanda]

All I can add is that I ran a set of 953 snowproxes on my v8 e34 5 series and then on my c class for a winter they were brilliant and not just in snow and ice they were the first winter tyres we tried and we wouldn`t be without them now.
They lasted 4 winters at 12k per year the last winter I left them onas they were down to abut 4mm and they lasted a summer and autumn and were fine . I replaced them with some all weather Quartrac 3 which have been ok if a little faster wearing.

[monthefish]

johnwilliams77 said:

Can't decide between toyosnow prox on my BMW versus Pirelli sottozero 235/45/17

Prices quoted are£360 fitted and £425 fitted for the sottozeros

Worth the extra?

I've run Pirelli Sottozero (II) for 4 years now. They are superb.

Bought them originally as there was an article in Evo (I think) where they were testing a Koenigsegg in winter and it was running Pirelli Sottozeros and thought, if they're good enough to handle 800+bhp, they should be fine for a 220bhp Audi.

[Patrick Bateman]

Swapped my winter wheels over today. The worst thing about doing it yourself is noticing a couple of extra bubbles in the paint you hadn't noticed before.

[bertie]

johnwilliams77 said:

Can't decide between toyosnow prox on my BMW versus Pirelli sottozero 235/45/17

Prices quoted are£360 fitted and £425 fitted for the sottozeros

Worth the extra?

It's sixty five quid extra....come on!

[johnwilliams77]

bertie said:

It's sixty five quid extra....come on!

Must be great if money comes so easy to you. It seems so mild during the day at the minute it's not worth winters at all! Currently 11c!

[bertie]

johnwilliams77 said:

Must be great if money comes so easy to you. It seems so mild during the day at the minute it's not worth winters at all! Currently 11c!

Just saying if you're happy to be thinking about spending £360 on winter tyres, and I agree it's a good idea, then an extra £65 isn't much.

[Slow]

bertie said:

johnwilliams77 said:

Must be great if money comes so easy to you. It seems so mild during the day at the minute it's not worth winters at all! Currently 11c!

Just saying if you're happy to be thinking about spending £360 on winter tyres, and I agree it's a good idea, then an extra £65 isn't much.

I spent £400 on winter tyres. Not including the £60 fuel + £50 fitting. Was completely broke after untill next college payment. Simply couldnt of paid £65 extra as I didnt have it.

[Davie]

Happy to report that 2 weeks and errr... 1,000 miles in... and the Vredestein Quatracs are coping fabulously well with our current pishy, cold weather and are proving to be very quiet, very grippy and have had no detrimental effect on the handling which let's be fair, wasn't exactly Atom spec to start with so any drop in poise would be akin to hurling a deckchair off the Titanic.

Coped well with this unexpected (note the bikes, definitely unexpected!) dumping on snow last week... a good six inches, she said... and first on a single track road for 32 miles through the Highlands. Matey's other half's new Polo TDi got stuck on three occasions wearing whatever VW fit as standard these days whereas the Volvo barely broke traction once and when it did, it was when it was being poked with a pointy stick.



£220.00 for four 205.55.16's so all in all, can't complain...

I'm converted.

[George111]

Still 13C outside today . . .

[RicksAlfas]

George111 said:

Still 13C outside today . . .

At what point will our correspondents from the south realise that the weather they have, is not the same as what other (more fortunate ) souls receive elsewhere?

[redddraggon]

George111 said:

Still 13C outside today . . .

5C here.

[Davie]

I find it fascinating that people are watching temperature displays... I have visions of numerous southerners dropping their cornflakes and rushing out to hastily fit their winter tyres as soon as the display hits 7degs. Then rushing to swap over again three days later when it reaches 8degs. Is it really that exact or is this just going too far now?

[johnwilliams77]

Davie said:

I find it fascinating that people are watching temperature displays... I have visions of numerous southerners dropping their cornflakes and rushing out to hastily fit their winter tyres as soon as the display hits 7degs. Then rushing to swap over again three days later when it reaches 8degs. Is it really that exact or is this just going too far now?

It is consistently above 10c during the day it doesn't make much sense to buy them especially as they're designed for colder temps.

[Davie]

johnwilliams77 said:

It is consistently above 10c during the day it doesn't make much sense to buy them especially as they're designed for colder temps.

That's why I'm not sure winter tyres make sense for our climate - one day it can be snowing, the next it can be quite mild and bright, the next it can be frosty.