spare wheels, or just change tyres?

[HertsBiker]

Hi all,
trying not to spend too much money at the moment, but with winter on the horizon I'm thinking winter / all season tyres. One of the big net based companies can do tyres and (steel) wheels for £400 onwards, sounds reasonable except I have nowhere to easily store a full set. So was thinking of flogging the tyres I have and getting some all seasons (quadraxer etc) fitted to my existing alloys. Or would it be ok with all seasons on the front (no mountain symbol), and the MS rated tyres on the back?
What have you lot done - makes, brands etc.
cheers

PS not interested in replies from people who don't understand or see the need for winter tyres so please don't write anything if all you can do is be argumentative.

[McWigglebum4th]

My spare wheels live outside.

Also if your current car has a space saver then having a fullsized spare up your sleeve can be a huge bonus while you are waiting for a tyre to be replaced.

[LeoSayer]

I've got all seasons (Conti 4x4 Contact M&S) tyres on my X5 and they were superb in the snow last year. No snowflake symbol.

OK it's 4 wheel drive which helps traction, but compared to my previous Audi A6 quattro on summer Contis it was so much better in every area, especially braking.

[MikeyLCR]

I've been using Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme on the FSti, they've been great and have lasted three winters and would probably just scrape by for another one but I haven't decided if I'm going to get new anyway, I've been having them swapped over each year on the standard alloys and keeping the tyres in the attic as nowhere else to keep them, didn't fancy lugging wheels and tyres up there.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

I see and subscribe to the winter tyres idea.

However, one point I have noted from your post is that 'you have nowhere to store the wheels and tyres...'

Do you mean nowhere 'indoors / under cover' to store them?

Because, as another poster has said - they're items designed to be bolted to car, and suffer the harsh conditions thereof, no?

Hence, storing them in a pile in a garden (yours or if you don't have one, a friend or relatives?)

[Mave]

I fitted Bridgestone a001s last November, on standard sized eBay alloys. Kept the summer wheels and tyres stacked in the garden over winter. Swapped them in the summer. Happy days. Probably saved me from a nasty accident coming back from the lake district in February.

[GavinPearson]

My XK has 3 season tyres and we have a 5 month winter. I bought Bridgestone Blizzaks, as the OE wheels have TPMS sensors and are hideously expensive I swapped the tyres over. And when winter was over, I swapped them back.

Now that I have experienced winter tyres I would not buy all season tyres for my car, but all seasons are a good solution for most people in everything up to a hardcore performance car.