Winter tyres vol 2

[Silverbullet767]

It may be too early for winters, but I'm glad I took my car into BMW. They informed me that the wastegate was starting to chatter and they would like to have it booked in to check it, my warranty runs out tomorrow so I was glad for them to have a look at it. Apparently it's a very labour intensive job, which doesn't sound cheap! I'm glad they'll sort it under warranty. (JB4 removed as a precaution)

[Elroy Blue]

First time on winters for me and I can't believe how much quieter they are. Some slight understeer at higher temps, but the car is a far nicer place to be with them on.

[Targarama]

Hugo a Gogo said:

Targarama said:

I need some all-seasons for the wife's Fiesta Titanium. I can't find anything decent. Anyone help?

I need 195/45 x 16.

Seems Vredestein don't do Quatracs for this size, nor Kleber their Quadtracker.

I don't want to get winters if I can help it.

Kleber do a quadraxer in that size http://www.reifen.com/de/TyreSize/DetailTyre/CarAl...
v expensive though

185/55 you'll get a Quatrac

Thanks - 185/55 is too much of a difference to the speedo though. 185/50 might work, will look around.

[Fox-]

Elroy Blue said:

First time on winters for me and I can't believe how much quieter they are. Some slight understeer at higher temps, but the car is a far nicer place to be with them on.

This is what stopped me being disappointed we'd wasted money on winters. As it turns out they've proved entirely pointless as an 'upgrade' because not once since fitting them to a spare set of wheels in October 2013 have conditions been such that there is any credible performance gain over the summer tyres but because the Summer tyres are 17" RFT's and the winters are 15 inch non RFT's the transformation in the way the car rides, handles and generally drives has been so excellent that I kinda forgot what a waste of time the whole purchase was

It's always a shame when April comes round and it's time to ruin the car again.

We might get a chance to try them properly this year as we are going to Germany for a week at the end of December - if the forecast is for snow we'll take the MINI instead of the 5 Series

[Tunku]

Fox- said:

Elroy Blue said:

First time on winters for me and I can't believe how much quieter they are. Some slight understeer at higher temps, but the car is a far nicer place to be with them on.

This is what stopped me being disappointed we'd wasted money on winters. As it turns out they've proved entirely pointless as an 'upgrade' because not once since fitting them to a spare set of wheels in October 2013 have conditions been such that there is any credible performance gain over the summer tyres but because the Summer tyres are 17" RFT's and the winters are 15 inch non RFT's the transformation in the way the car rides, handles and generally drives has been so excellent that I kinda forgot what a waste of time the whole purchase was

It's always a shame when April comes round and it's time to ruin the car again.

We might get a chance to try them properly this year as we are going to Germany for a week at the end of December - if the forecast is for snow we'll take the MINI instead of the 5 Series

Snow isn't required to exploit the tyres. Wait till the first time you hit a deep puddle faster than you'd like and see how the steering doen't react. In fact, cold rainy weather is probably my main reason for using them.

[jon-]

I've been trying to write the 2014 winter tyre buying guide today. It's a difficult sell with the temperatures so high, and there being very little movement in the market since 2013.

I'm going full out all season this year.

[Sonic]

Might want to warn anyone with a post-2012 car of the TPMS sensors in the wheels and the EU regs

I'm still finding it crazy that my winter-tyre equipped car would currently fail an MOT despite running rings around it's MOTable summer-tyre equivalent at the slightest hint of snow, ice or slush.

[Fox-]

Tunku said:

Snow isn't required to exploit the tyres. Wait till the first time you hit a deep puddle faster than you'd like and see how the steering doen't react. In fact, cold rainy weather is probably my main reason for using them.

I already pick summer tyres with the best possible wet weather performance so don't usually have issues anyway. Until the roads are icy or slushly IMHO there is no credible benefit over a UHP tyre. It's somewhat difficult to do a direct comparison as the two cars are very different but I would be very surprised if the wet performance of the Ultragrip 8's are as good as that of the Assymetric 2.

Which is why I'm hoping the roads go slushy

[Targarama]

smifffymoto said:

Targarama said:

I need some all-seasons for the wife's Fiesta Titanium. I can't find anything decent. Anyone help?

I need 195/45 x 16.

Seems Vredestein don't do Quatracs for this size, nor Kleber their Quadtracker.

I don't want to get winters if I can help it.

I used to run Nokian WR G2 all year round when we lived in the Pyrenees.Firstley on an Outback,then a Passat and lastly a Pathfinder,with no problems at all,winter or summer over Cols and very twisty roads.


There is nothing to worry about.

I'm now thinking of a set of 195/45 Nokian WR A3s - seem the best option for this odd size.

[jock mcsporran]

Sonic said:

But unbeknown to me the Ford has embedded sensors in the tyre valves, which means now i've changed to a winter set of wheels without sensors the bloody computer alert goes off with a TPMS malfunction every time you drive it which is very annoying.

Strange, our 2014MY C-Max uses the rings and just resets from the info display on the dashboard. No issues when we switched to winters and back to summers.

[Thirsty33]

OMG - not this one again...........

I have them - whether you want to is up to you but it is a fact they are better when the weather gets cold and wet. Period. Pain in the arse to change every 6 months, even when you have spare wheels and to store. Only for those who really care and want to keep up speeds safely in the winter.

As for the "I've never had an issue with my summer tyres in winter" crowd or "I am a driving God I don't need them" crowd, do you see any F1 driver going "I am a driving God, put away those inters I'll stay on slicks thanks"? Better traction is better traction, however good the driver.

Yes, we could all slow down instead when its wet in winter and not go out when it snows. Personal choice.

I am not sure I will bother when I am 60 - too much effort, perhaps I will settle for all season tyres.

[Fox-]

Who is your rant directed at? You don't appear to have quoted anyone and I can't see anyone else arguing about it so I presume it's me.

Of the two cars in my profile one has winter tyres on and one has summer tyres on. I do apologise if my opinion offends you.

[Patrick Bateman]

When it's close to freezing I can buy it but, as someone who's used them for 4 years, the '7 degrees and under' stuff really does grate.

[SkinnyP]

Its still positively hot here in the north west, I even keep the upstairs windows open at night

[tenohfive]

I should have been suspicious that the anti-winter tyre brigade haven't piped up for awhile. It seems they've been busy elsewhere:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-he...

[g3org3y]

Tunku said:

Snow isn't required to exploit the tyres. Wait till the first time you hit a deep puddle faster than you'd like and see how the steering doen't react. In fact, cold rainy weather is probably my main reason for using them.

It'd be nice if it actually started to get cold to feel the benefit!

I was up in Scotland over the weekend and did the swap to winters a couple of days prior in preparation. Coldest temp I saw when driving was 7.5, typically around 9-10 with on/off rain.

At these temps the Hankook winters feel too soft. Turn in is vague and they do not inspire confidence at all which is a real shame given some of the very nice twisty roads through the Scottish Borders. To be honest, I'd have been better off keeping the Vreds on. Once the temp starts to get <5, I find the Hankooks notably better. Ride was very nice on the motorway with the downsize to 16s though!

[Davie]

Targarama said:

I'm now thinking of a set of 195/45 Nokian WR A3s - seem the best option for this odd size.

Appreciate the tyre snobs won't like them... but just paid £170.00 delivered for four Nankang SV's in that size. Car doesn't do a high annual mileage and is driven my a 58 year old woman. For the money, they seem pretty good so far. I did look at others but they were nigh on double the price and I just couldn't justify that given the usage the car gets.

[Bonefish Blues]

I've seen those mentioned in positive terms elsewhere, too.

[Fox-]

Davie said:

Appreciate the tyre snobs won't like them...

But isn't the whole winter tyres thing something for us tyre snobs? People who don't care about tyres won't even bother with winters in the first place so this is what I don't get about the Nangkangs. Why make the concious decision that you care more about tyres than Mr Average, bother to get a set of winters for additional safety margin and then throw it all away by buying Nangkangs? They get universally panned in every objective report you read, the only positive reports are from people who have spent a few hundred quid on them and not crashed into anything so assumed they are amazing.

They are not even THAT cheap!

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-EVO-Wint...

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Winter-T...

I mean come on, 29th!?

If you are that not bothered about tyre performance save yourself some money and don't bother in the first place is surely the answer.

[Dog Star]

RammyMP said:

Or your could drive round with the summer tyres in the boot? What is the range on the sensors? Will they be detected at that distance?

This is the kind of innovative, lateral thinking that made this country great! Genius