Winter tyres vol 2
Discussion
St John Smythe said:
Because in the North you tend to get snow and cold weather. Down here in the South it tends to get a bit damp but that's about it.
There is more to "the South" than London. The Chilterns, Cotswolds, Downs and other hilly bits quite often attract snow and ice. London is a few degrees warmer than surrounding countryside so is not a good gauge to weather on the same latitude.I bought a set of Cooper Winter tyres for a holiday to the Alps in the first week of Jan. i bought snow chains too in case we had trouble like the boxing day changeover day carnage.
As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
Bluebarge said:
St John Smythe said:
Because in the North you tend to get snow and cold weather. Down here in the South it tends to get a bit damp but that's about it.
There is more to "the South" than London. The Chilterns, Cotswolds, Downs and other hilly bits quite often attract snow and ice. London is a few degrees warmer than surrounding countryside so is not a good gauge to weather on the same latitude.prand said:
I bought a set of Cooper Winter tyres for a holiday to the Alps in the first week of Jan. i bought snow chains too in case we had trouble like the boxing day changeover day carnage.
As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
That's an honest review if ever there was one, and a very interesting point regarding the fuel consumption.As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
swanny71 said:
Snow rating are appreciably better than even premium summer tyres at this time is year even above the 'magic' 7 degrees C.
The "magic 7 Celsius" is complete nonsense anyway. How can anyone believe that all summer tyres have been deliberately engineered to lose grip at exactly the same temperature?swanny71 said:
Oh and it snowed/hailed here this morning enough to turn the roads white - much better off being on winters.
Driving on hail gives minimal grip, irrespective of tyre choice.I have lived in the south west all my life, and never used winter tyres. That said the weather on Dartmoor is certainly a lot harsher.
Blaster72 said:
I don't understand why where you live makes a difference.
Don't these people ever leave their local area?
Doesn't take a lot of thought to realise that the majority of people don't drive to the other end of the country on a regular basis. Don't these people ever leave their local area?
f1nn said:
That's an honest review if ever there was one, and a very interesting point regarding the fuel consumption.
I don't find any great difference in fuel consumption when running winter tyres - there is an increase, but it is marginal (5% or less), and will be nothing like 1/3 higher. Cars use more fuel in the winter anyway but if the difference is of that order, I would be looking for something else as the cause - maybe left the handbrake on? 
I have a full set of OEM BMW wheels with Summer Tyres and another full set of OEM BMW wheels with Winter Tyres.
The initial outlay is substantial - but you get most of that back by saving the wear on the summer tyres and also you do get something back when you sell the Winter wheels and tyres when you change to another vehicle.
I typically fit the Winters when the clocks go back in October and take them off when they go forward again in March.
Some cars are not affected as badly as a rear-wheel drive car with sporty summer tyres but seeing as that is what I tend to drive I just fit the optimal tyre for the season.
This Winter so far, I think I could have run on Summer tyres no problem at all if I am totally honest. There have been winters in the past where I would not have been able to complete my journey without the winter tyres at all.
So in short, I do think they are worth it but that will vary from person to person a great deal.
The initial outlay is substantial - but you get most of that back by saving the wear on the summer tyres and also you do get something back when you sell the Winter wheels and tyres when you change to another vehicle.
I typically fit the Winters when the clocks go back in October and take them off when they go forward again in March.
Some cars are not affected as badly as a rear-wheel drive car with sporty summer tyres but seeing as that is what I tend to drive I just fit the optimal tyre for the season.
This Winter so far, I think I could have run on Summer tyres no problem at all if I am totally honest. There have been winters in the past where I would not have been able to complete my journey without the winter tyres at all.
So in short, I do think they are worth it but that will vary from person to person a great deal.
hora said:
Somehow I've ended up with TWO sets of wheels both with winters on.
So I need to keep running a set down over the next 6months or so - from google winters on in summers only suffer slightly on wet and dry braking. Anything else?
Winters in hot weather behave much like summers in cold weather - the difference isn't night-and-day but there is appreciably less grip in all situations. Winters also tend to be quite soft so have a relatively high wear rating.So I need to keep running a set down over the next 6months or so - from google winters on in summers only suffer slightly on wet and dry braking. Anything else?
In my experience good winter tyres seem to have similar grip on a hot summer day to cheap summer tyres so if you'd be happy running some Chinese brand you've never heard of in the dry you'll be fine on winters. Of course the winters will be much better in the wet than cheap summer tyres.
Edited by kambites on Monday 2nd March 14:28
Dave Hedgehog said:
dunlop SP sport 3D, breaking distance from 100 (in germany) in the warm is 10 times longer than normal!
Where did you read that Dave?Lets take the Highway code (conservative) stopping distance for 70mph - just the braking distance part.
Thats 75 metres. If what you say is true for the Dunlop SP Sport 3D this stopping distance would now be 750 metres. In other words half a mile.
I may be alone but I'm finding that very hard to believe.
Bluebarge said:
St John Smythe said:
Because in the North you tend to get snow and cold weather. Down here in the South it tends to get a bit damp but that's about it.
There is more to "the South" than London. The Chilterns, Cotswolds, Downs and other hilly bits quite often attract snow and ice. London is a few degrees warmer than surrounding countryside so is not a good gauge to weather on the same latitude.Blaster72 said:
kambites said:
I'm guessing he means 10% longer than normal, which is believable. 
Makes sense 
damn thing took 500 meters to stop with my foot fused to the floor and had smoke pouring of the front brakes, it was like trying to stop on water
put the MPSS's back on (as it was warmer) and it returned to smacking my head on the steering wheel every time i braked
Dave Hedgehog said:
Blaster72 said:
kambites said:
I'm guessing he means 10% longer than normal, which is believable.
Makes sense damn thing took 500 meters to stop with my foot fused to the floor and had smoke pouring of the front brakes, it was like trying to stop on water
put the MPSS's back on (as it was warmer) and it returned to smacking my head on the steering wheel every time i braked
t to me - so on the MPSS (whatever they are) you stopped in 50 metres from 100mph?The exageration 'o' meter may have just gone into overdrive
f1nn said:
prand said:
I bought a set of Cooper Winter tyres for a holiday to the Alps in the first week of Jan. i bought snow chains too in case we had trouble like the boxing day changeover day carnage.
As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
That's an honest review if ever there was one, and a very interesting point regarding the fuel consumption.As it happens I ddn't really need the tyres and def not chains, but driving up to the resort and around looking for our apartment, there was plenty of compacted snow and ice about, but didn't trouble the car at all (fully laden audi a6 avant) so i guess that was the tyres. So I was pleased at that point. They definitely did give you an extra level of confidence as they definitely felt more grippy than summers.
Then again, there were plenty of non winter tyre shod cars about and none seemed to be sliding off the road, however a week later If the snow had returned as it did a couple of weeks later, i imagine they would have been essential.
Back in England (also Berkshire!), there's been a bit of cold weather, and i've cut through some icy and snowy back roads. Despite providing good grip, I'm not really convinced that snow tyres would have made too much difference, as i would have just taken more care or a different route.
And above all, these Coopers knock 150-200 miles off a tank of diesel, so on top of the tyres and fitting, thats an extra £20 or so every tank they cost me being on the car.
So in summary, I'd say they are definitely safer tyres in cold, wet and icy conditions, but for me, not really worth it for the daily winter conditions I come across at home. I'm planning to swap them back quite soon now, and will stick them in the shed till next ski trip.
If there was anything like a 20% drop (or a reduction from ~34mpg to ~27mpg for my car) I would have noticed.
SS7
Dave Hedgehog said:
but not true
damn thing took 500 meters to stop with my foot fused to the floor and had smoke pouring of the front brakes, it was like trying to stop on water
Now you're just being silly. Why would smoke be pouring off the brakes if you were stopping far more slowly than usual?damn thing took 500 meters to stop with my foot fused to the floor and had smoke pouring of the front brakes, it was like trying to stop on water
Dave Hedgehog said:
put the MPSS's back on (as it was warmer) and it returned to smacking my head on the steering wheel every time i braked
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