Tyre Options

[Fish]

Right I'm struggling a little here.. Any tyre suppliers who could advise. Audi in their due wisdom have fitted a ruddy stupid tyre size 245/45/R18 to my Audi Allroad then fit summer high performance tyre. Which are great in the summer but I drive off road and muddy tracks, lanes etc for over half the year.

I'm trying to find an all season or reasonable tyre which will accommodate snow, mud and wet more than the current summer high performance ones do. I'm struggling current thoughts are Vredstein wintrac extreme and run all year(maybe to extreme and VERY Expensive) also not sure about an ATR tyre.

Any thoughts and suggestions

[Fish]

load and speed is 96 Y

[HellDiver]

Only thing I can say is, the Wintrac Xtreme is an excellent tyre, I ran them on my Lancer all year. They were better than the OE fit Yokohama summer tyres during summer, and they seemed to be better than just about everything else in winter. No hesitation in recommending them to anyone.

[Fish]

That is what I have heard but at £230 a corner they aren't cheap!!

[coley20]

Im pretty stumped by that from searching the net

[HellDiver]

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s...

£183 a corner, plus £10 fitting at your local tyre fitter.

[monthefish]

Have you tried Mytyres.co.uk

A search of your particular requirtements brings back 15 suggestions, ranging from kuhmos at £98, through Pirelli Sottozero at £186, up to Dunlop wintersport at £240.

[wrighty78]

Is it more cost effective to pick up a second hand set of wheels and fit a more common tyre size for winter use?

If you're doing a lot of off-road stuff over winter, would you be better with a smaller wheel and a higher profile tyre? You could keep the 18s with their sport tyres for the summer and get a set of something "more sensible" for winter...

Just a thought.

[Fish]

Don't really want another set of wheels as the insurers then go down the modified route and in truth the amount of off roading I do isn't that heavy. I think in reality I'll go for the vredsteins and the camskill price(cheers) looks slightly more palatable. I'll just order a set and swap once the current are on the markers.

[jon-]

Nokian WRG2. A snip at just £128 delivered and certainly no worse than the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme

[Fish]

Right we are down to Nokian WR G2 at £128 corner or Vredstein Wintrac Xtreme at £175 corner. I've heard plenty of people rave about the Vredstein anyone come across the Nokian before.

As I understand it they are a decent manufacturer just don't normally import into the UK

[havoc]

Fish said:

Don't really want another set of wheels as the insurers then go down the modified route and in truth the amount of off roading I do isn't that heavy. I think in reality I'll go for the vredsteins and the camskill price(cheers) looks slightly more palatable. I'll just order a set and swap once the current are on the markers.

Even if they're alternative wheels that can be supplied with that model by the manufacturer? Which with winter tyres on would actually REDUCE your insurance risk?!?

[Kevin VRs]

Fish said:

Don't really want another set of wheels as the insurers then go down the modified route and in truth the amount of off roading I do isn't that heavy. I think in reality I'll go for the vredsteins and the camskill price(cheers) looks slightly more palatable. I'll just order a set and swap once the current are on the markers.

My insurer (Admiral) has never increased the premium for swapping to winter tyres on different wheels in winter.

[HellDiver]

Fish said:

As I understand it they are a decent manufacturer just don't normally import into the UK

Yep. Very commonly found in Nordic areas.

[jon-]

HellDiver said:

Fish said:

As I understand it they are a decent manufacturer just don't normally import into the UK

Yep. Very commonly found in Nordic areas.

Nokian are currently doing very well in the group tests, usually placing just behind the big boys.

The WRG2 gets very good reviews and placed 5th against some decent competition in last years group test. http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2009-Sport-Au...

[Deerfoot]

Fish said:

anyone come across the Nokian before.

As I understand it they are a decent manufacturer just don't normally import into the UK

I`ve got a pair of Nokian`s on the front of my Polo GT. I`d never heard of them before but they`re pretty good. Certainly as good as the Hankooks that were on it when I got it. Mine were manufactured in Japan.

[Puddenchucker]

No idea what they're like, but Cooper Zeon Sport A/S are an All-Season tyre (Mud & Snow rated) available in 245/45 R18 96W.