Winter tyres, to bother or not ?
Discussion
lbc said:
Winter tyres all year makes more sense than summer tyres, as we never have a proper hot summer in the UK. 
Wrong, for a number of reasons. The softer compound tyres wear quicker, they are more 'squirmy' when you're pushing on and they're often (well, in the performance car segment of the market) considerably more expensive.Patrick Bateman said:
Sod using winters all year, that would be awful unless you didn't give a s
t how the car drove.
Totally agree on this, which is why I now run all season tyres. Ok a little less sharp in summer, but spring, autumn, are about the same. Winter is better. Happy compromise as in summer I am mostly biking. Summer tyres are only excellent in summer, good spring, autumn, but tend to be horrible in winter. A happy balance. Might not suit everyone though.t how the car drove. DrDoofenshmirtz said:
Nigel Worc's said:
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
As a side note - you always fit new tyres to the rear, the existing rear tyres move to the front. In other words, the 'best' tyres go on the back where you need the best traction under heavy braking (where the front's are heavily loaded giving maximum grip, and the rears go lighter giving less grip).
I'll have to think about that.On BMW's, where I come from as it were, you always put the new ones on the front, as odd as that may seem, as the setup is so sensitive regarding tyres.
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
Being a BMW makes no difference.
That depends on whether you have a staggered set-up and if you want power-oversteer (of course you do 
) at half throttle or not.Nigel, I think winters might be overkill for you if you live in the south. All-season tyres sound like a good bet since like someone said, you're not exactly chasing times in the 69hp beast. Also, I tend to think that if you live in the south then in an average winter it's not worth it, whereas things look pretty different up north.
Edited by bennyboysvuk on Monday 24th November 07:47
My wife's car needed tyres a couple of weeks ago. For a decent tyre for her tyre size there was very little in it between all season and summer tyres, so we fitted all season. Huge difference in grip on wet roads we've had since, and they are snowflake marked too. We tend not to drive when there is heavy snow but I'll certainly be trying them when/if we do get any.
Has there ever been a serious test of winter tyres on a 2 wheel drive versus a low profile set on a four wheel drive road car such as a Subaru or an Audi saloon?
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
We drive an XC70 with Pirelli 65/215 Scorpions so never have to worry too much about conditions at any time of year, from heavy rain to wet grass in field car parks, to snow and rough terrain. The side effect is the most comfortable and quiet ride of any car that I have owned. (Yes I have grown into the old fart my friends used to warn me about!)
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
We drive an XC70 with Pirelli 65/215 Scorpions so never have to worry too much about conditions at any time of year, from heavy rain to wet grass in field car parks, to snow and rough terrain. The side effect is the most comfortable and quiet ride of any car that I have owned. (Yes I have grown into the old fart my friends used to warn me about!)
Vanin said:
Has there ever been a serious test of winter tyres on a 2 wheel drive versus a low profile set on a four wheel drive road car such as a Subaru or an Audi saloon?
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
It's not a serious test but 3 or 4 years ago my neighbour had to park his RS4 at the bottom of our road as he couldn't get enough traction to get round a 90 degree corner and up the incline. We had no problem in our Golf on winter tyres. He probably would have made it with a bit of momentum but the bend got in the way of a runup. Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
We have a set for the wife's Octavia. I bought the wheels with some half-worn winters on them second-hand for about £50 (I'd never have payed the new price for them). The tyres are probably getting past their best now due to their age; I'll put them on this winter even if it stays warm just to use some of the remaining tread up. I'm not sure whether I'll bother to replace them.
Get some winters or all seasons. Yes, snow is rare but cold, frosty mornings in general aren't and they will be better than summers if you get decent ones.
It's only a van so there will be barely any compromise in the summer months, or just swap them over in which case there is no extra cost, as you're just dividing the wear between two sets so they both last twice as long.
It's only a van so there will be barely any compromise in the summer months, or just swap them over in which case there is no extra cost, as you're just dividing the wear between two sets so they both last twice as long.
Vanin said:
Has there ever been a serious test of winter tyres on a 2 wheel drive versus a low profile set on a four wheel drive road car such as a Subaru or an Audi saloon?
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
We drive an XC70 with Pirelli 65/215 Scorpions so never have to worry too much about conditions at any time of year, from heavy rain to wet grass in field car parks, to snow and rough terrain. The side effect is the most comfortable and quiet ride of any car that I have owned. (Yes I have grown into the old fart my friends used to warn me about!)
No, because there's no point. Winter tyres decrease stopping distances and increase cornering ability compared with summer tyres when the temperature's below about 7 degrees C, which improves safety - for all cars. They also improve traction, as you describe, and obviously that varies (as ever, depending on acceleration and therefore weight transfer produced) between FWD, RWD and 4WD, but the main safety benefit will be roughly the same regardless of drivetrain (I say 'roughly' because 4WD has a slight advantage in braking on slippery surfaces). Traction is rarely a safety concern, it's stopping that makes the biggest contribution to safety! (unsurprisingly!).Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
We drive an XC70 with Pirelli 65/215 Scorpions so never have to worry too much about conditions at any time of year, from heavy rain to wet grass in field car parks, to snow and rough terrain. The side effect is the most comfortable and quiet ride of any car that I have owned. (Yes I have grown into the old fart my friends used to warn me about!)
Those people saying that they've driven fine all their life without winters are correct in saying that, but it doesn't mean their safety wouldn't be improved by fitting winter tyres. You can of course just increase the stopping distances you allow for and drive more carefully, but not all emergency stop situations are predictable and it can take an unfeasably long time to stop in snow for example with 'summer' tyres.
I'm not saying that everyone should go out and buy winter tyres - you need to balance things up with how much spare money you've got and how many miles you do, but the fact is that they make a significant improvement to safety. When I was earning a low salary and driving short distances I didn't bother fitting them, but now that I earn more and drive more I fit them. The difference is very noticeable in cold conditions and in snow un untreated roads I don't think I'd be without them now that I've tried them.
vrsmxtb said:
as you're just dividing the wear between two sets so they both last twice as long.
This is only true if you cover enough miles to replace two sets of tyres on the basis of wear rather than age. Tyres age more slowly when stored in a dark, relatively dry garage than when fitted to the car but getting an answer to "how much more slowly" seems night on impossible. Edited by kambites on Monday 24th November 09:02
Vanin said:
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
I do it twice a year, it takes about 30 minutes at a convenient time I choose in sensible weather.I've never had to fit snow socks or chains, but it sounds like they take the same amount of time to fit, at a time when I'm probably in a rush and don't want to be spending time fitting snow socks/chains, in s
tty snowy weather.xRIEx said:
Vanin said:
Having to faff about changing wheels and tyres to suit a couple of weeks of possible bad weather is too much trouble for me.
I do it twice a year, it takes about 30 minutes at a convenient time I choose in sensible weather.I've never had to fit snow socks or chains, but it sounds like they take the same amount of time to fit, at a time when I'm probably in a rush and don't want to be spending time fitting snow socks/chains, in s
tty snowy weather.
When it is colder etc I adjust my driving to suit. There are endless "what if" no doubt but I really do not have the money or space to deal with this. Last year I needed a wet suit more than tyres.
Sometimes I think it is more of a fad for some (not all!) and as diesel is seen as the forces of Mordor for many on PH, so is no winter tyres.
Sometimes I think it is more of a fad for some (not all!) and as diesel is seen as the forces of Mordor for many on PH, so is no winter tyres.
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