Running winters year round on a non-performance car
Discussion
Any reason not to do the above? The family Golf will need new tyres this year and having two sets of tyres is simply not practical. Its annual mileage is only 10-12k (will probably be less) and we live in NE Scotland where it can snow a lot and is usually fairly icy for a good few weeks/months(!)each year.
My experiences of doing exactly that (on a Golf too) are:
- They will wear slightly quicker than normal tyres
- They will be a bit noisier than normal tyres
- You & your family will die in a fireball as soon as you get to the first corner due to aggressive understeer caused by the tread blocks squirming and wobbling.
Not all of those statements are true...
- They will wear slightly quicker than normal tyres
- They will be a bit noisier than normal tyres
- You & your family will die in a fireball as soon as you get to the first corner due to aggressive understeer caused by the tread blocks squirming and wobbling.
Not all of those statements are true...
I've done it for a few years on the family barge and had no problems. Apart from periods of high temperatures (which are never as frequent as one would like) you don't really notice and, even then, they just feel a little softer.
All tyre choice is a compromise and, living where you live, running a winter tyre year-round is probably a better compromise than running a summer tyre year-round.
All tyre choice is a compromise and, living where you live, running a winter tyre year-round is probably a better compromise than running a summer tyre year-round.
The Kleber Quadraxers on my old BM were fine all year round; no rapid wear-rate or major disadvantages, nice progressive breakaway if pushed. Recommended.
The Goodyear Ultragrips on the wife's Panda have already seen two winters and one summer and are fine; showing signs of wear now, may need to replace a couple before next winter.
The Goodyear Ultragrips on the wife's Panda have already seen two winters and one summer and are fine; showing signs of wear now, may need to replace a couple before next winter.
Done this on two cars now, Toyota Yaris still going with new owner still on winters no extra wear a fuel seems fine
Fiat Doblo also on Winters fronts don't last more than 18months but they drive ok it's not the last word in refinement anyway so little difference that a bigger stereo didn't cure.
Fuel economy little down according to the trip I can't get over 60mpg average now, it settles at 58mpg for a full tank.
Fiat Doblo also on Winters fronts don't last more than 18months but they drive ok it's not the last word in refinement anyway so little difference that a bigger stereo didn't cure.
Fuel economy little down according to the trip I can't get over 60mpg average now, it settles at 58mpg for a full tank.
I just got round to getting my winter tyres off my Jag on Friday (also in NE Scotland) and got my new Michelin Pilot Super Sports on. They feel absolutely great. The winter tyres were ok but very squishy feeling now it's warmed up, as well as noisy and generally down on grip.
Unless you're seriously constrained for space or lack the capital to make the one-off investment in a second set of tyres, I see no sensible reason to drive year round on summer or winter tyres personally. When you're running on one set you're not wearing down the other. No net-difference in annual costs.
Unless you're seriously constrained for space or lack the capital to make the one-off investment in a second set of tyres, I see no sensible reason to drive year round on summer or winter tyres personally. When you're running on one set you're not wearing down the other. No net-difference in annual costs.
Edited by jamieduff1981 on Monday 2nd June 11:26
Depends on what you mean by "winters".
An all season tyre will be just fine.
But a winter/snow tyre will be horrible - it's feel soft and slip a lot.
Unfortunately the tyre markings are pretty useless at working out what sort of tyre it is as you'll find m+s markings and snowflakes on all manner of tyres.
My advice, leave them on, drive it for a month or two and if it feels horrific and dangerous then swap them.
An all season tyre will be just fine.
But a winter/snow tyre will be horrible - it's feel soft and slip a lot.
Unfortunately the tyre markings are pretty useless at working out what sort of tyre it is as you'll find m+s markings and snowflakes on all manner of tyres.
My advice, leave them on, drive it for a month or two and if it feels horrific and dangerous then swap them.
"Mountain and snowflake" stamped "all season" tyres are your friends.
I have personal experience of the Goodyear Vector and the Kleber Quadraxer; we've used them all year round and also over winter in some pretty challenging conditions (including totally snow covererd autobahns) and they're very very good. You won't need summers and they never ever got stuck in the snow.
Currently got the Klebers on our AWD V70, however last winter was a total loss for snow (only saw one lightly frosty morning last winter), but they are excellent in the rain.
IIRC that the Goodyear Vectors beat some full-on winter tyres in some German magazine test.
I have personal experience of the Goodyear Vector and the Kleber Quadraxer; we've used them all year round and also over winter in some pretty challenging conditions (including totally snow covererd autobahns) and they're very very good. You won't need summers and they never ever got stuck in the snow.
Currently got the Klebers on our AWD V70, however last winter was a total loss for snow (only saw one lightly frosty morning last winter), but they are excellent in the rain.
IIRC that the Goodyear Vectors beat some full-on winter tyres in some German magazine test.
I had some winter tyres on a car some years ago and I found, as they wore, the level of grip went away much quicker than summer tyres making the FWD car understeer comically even with plenty of 'legal' tread left.
It was, now I think about it, over 15 years ago, so they may be a lot better these days.
M
It was, now I think about it, over 15 years ago, so they may be a lot better these days.
M
Unfortunately this test doesn't tell you what the winter tyre was to know if it was a good one or a rubbish one they were testing against, bit it looks like some all seasons do perform pretty well on snow.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Bil...
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Bil...
Was quite popular in Switzerland when I lived there, no legal need to swap winters to summers. Legally you had to have winter tyres on if the snow came so if Swiss government think it is OK then it must be fine.
I think the only real main issue is higher tyre wear, road nose and braking distances are longer in wet conditions (I think there is a youtube video showing this).
I think the only real main issue is higher tyre wear, road nose and braking distances are longer in wet conditions (I think there is a youtube video showing this).
Generally they cost more, wear a bit faster, make more noise, have a bit less grip, and increase rolling resistance = worse mpg.
It's do-able and we run good snow capable all-seasons on my wife's car but already now we're getting into summer I'm tempted to get a set of cheap ish summer tyres and wheels to use on there instead.
It's save money over a year or two, mainly in fuel due to the reduced mpg, and for summer/winter respectively it'll drive better.
It's all a compromise. If you can get a spare set of wheels/tyres in the garage/store room or whatever you have then go for it, it'll be better in the long run imo
Dave
It's do-able and we run good snow capable all-seasons on my wife's car but already now we're getting into summer I'm tempted to get a set of cheap ish summer tyres and wheels to use on there instead.
It's save money over a year or two, mainly in fuel due to the reduced mpg, and for summer/winter respectively it'll drive better.
It's all a compromise. If you can get a spare set of wheels/tyres in the garage/store room or whatever you have then go for it, it'll be better in the long run imo
Dave
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