Winter tyres - really worth it?

[Welshbeef]

Following on from a discussion over Xmas beers about the pros and cons of winter tyres it turns out that (according to The Guardian) only 3% of UK cars either have them fitter or in storage.

I've never used winter tyres just got to my destination even with very heavy snow some years - and now my mindset if there is any snow I work from home rather than risk an accident or be stuck in the delays such snow would cause.

However the point of stopping distance came up and like for like summer v winter is c43meters @30mph v c33m @ the same speed (Summer v Winter) that's a huge difference and has got me thinking it might actually be sensible to run a set of winters for 4 months of the year then change back to the summer ones ( wear wouldn't increase but instead be spread over 2 sets).
Problem is OEM wheels + new winter tyres would cost thousands a big commitment and also more garage space taken up.


Thoughts /what do you do?

[ModernAndy]

I got them for the first time this year. I got continental ts850's which are very good (probably one of the best on the market) and not at all expensive at just under 80 a corner before fitting.

I've not had them in snow yet but they make driving in the cold and wet conditions of winter so easy. I've not had a single loss of grip yet where I'd probably detect a lot of scrubbing out on the continental premiumcontacts that were on before.

They do change the driving characteristics a bit and make the steering feel a bit lighter but I think if you want to be as safe as possible on less than ideal road conditions, winter tyres are a must

[McWigglebum4th]

Slow down by a few mph and you have removed the need for winter tyres

If you work from home when it is stty then no need for winter tyres

[Finlandia]

Depends where you are, in SE England, not so much, in Finland and Sweden, absolutely.

[Jasandjules]

If there is snow/frost, they make an awful lot of difference. No shortage of cars in ditches during winter. As for slowing down, well, that doesn't always work sadly...

[Smanks]

McWigglebum4th said:

Slow down by a few mph and you have removed the need for winter tyres

If you work from home when it is stty then no need for winter tyres

Slowing down is not entirely the point though, they will help in heavy braking, quick unexpected turning etc, and since when do you only use a car to drive to work?

[Countdown]

McWigglebum4th said:

Slow down by a few mph and you have removed the need for winter tyres

If you work from home when it is stty then no need for winter tyres

What he said. ^^^^

[Welshbeef]

I have nearly full tread on my current set (same for the wife's car)

[PorkInsider]

Countdown said:

McWigglebum4th said:

Slow down by a few mph and you have removed the need for winter tyres

If you work from home when it is stty then no need for winter tyres

What he said. ^^^^

Rubbish.

[worsy]

Sold mine this year. Had them three years, snowed like hell the one year I didn't put them on, wet and mild the other two. Not saying they're jinxed but....

[nottyash]

I know people that swear by them, but they live near me and I have never had a problem without them.
Those that live in rural areas will have more of a need than me.
They are dangerous when left on in higher temperatures too, and people forget that.

[ModernAndy]

PorkInsider said:

Countdown said:

McWigglebum4th said:

Slow down by a few mph and you have removed the need for winter tyres

If you work from home when it is stty then no need for winter tyres

What he said. ^^^^

Rubbish.

exactly, you can't just undermine winter tyres by saying they're like summer tyres only you can do a few mph more and still be safe, that misses the point entirely. Fair enough if you can't/don't want to buy winter tyres but for grip they are leagues above summer tyres in the winter and early spring time.

[BorkFactor]

Scottish Highlands here - my family all use Vredstein all seasons with no issues what so ever. We do some driving out to the West Coast (Ullapool etc) and never been stuck.

I used regular tyres on my first few cars and didn't have issues, just drove carefully and kept a shovel in the boot just in case.

I am yet to have a problem in my E46, so I see no reason to do anything differently

I think you need to adjust your driving style rather than drive normally and expect winter tyres to save you.

[barker22]

They are perhaps a personal choice and really does depend on circumstances.
I think for the best part they are not necessary but for that one time you may need them, they will be worth every penny.
But this harsh braking and swerve test manoeuvre vision.....Does that really happen outside of promo videos and hollywood. I have only driven in a few snowy winters personally but I am yet to see this cars swerving everywhere carnage, braking so hard that they spin like a ballet dancer down the road. I would suggest better forward planning would reduce the need greatly for any of these type of manoeuvres.

[ModernAndy]

nottyash said:

I know people that swear by them, but they live near me and I have never had a problem without them.
Those that live in rural areas will have more of a need than me.
They are dangerous when left on in higher temperatures too, and people forget that.

I would reccomend you try driving a car with winters on just to see what it's like. It's not really about avoiding accidents or being able to get up hills after it's snowed (although they are useful for both those things and yes, I do accept that you can do both those things on summer tyres if you drive in a reasonably controlled fashion), it is more about having confidence when the conditions are a bit crap. I suppose if you live somewhere where it really doesn't get that cold at all then there may not be much point but up here in Scotland where it's not really snowing at the moment and is only about -1 to 5 degrees most days just now, I am finding the winter tyres extremely advantageous. Hopefully I'll get to try them in some proper snow.

[ModernAndy]

barker22 said:

They are perhaps a personal choice and really does depend on circumstances.

I totally agree but am determined to espouse the benefits to anybody considering them!

[loskie]

I am in SW Scotland a fairly mild but very wet climate. In 2004 I started fitting winter tyres. 15" on an Octavia I had, since getting the V50 I have fitted winters most years. In spring if they are worn(5mm or les) I will wear them out during the summer.
I do about 20000m year on very rural roads, wet, greasy and often covered in mud and st.

I have come to the conclusion that for my needs good quality all season tyres are what I need. Vredestein Quatrac and the like.
They are rated as suitable for winter with the mountain snowflake symbol and have performed as well as Snowtracs in the winter and far better on snow than the Avon Ice Tourings I once fitted.
The Octavia (110 tdi) on Quatracs even went through the Dalbeattie rally stage (7 miles?) in -8 snowy conditions and did ok. Even towed out a broken down Evo.

The biggest failing in the UK is the pathetic minimum tread depth level. Unfortunately as it is the legal minimum folks think it is enough. IMHO it is not. Add low profile, wide, low rolling resistance tyres into the mix and you can see why folks cannot cope. .

[Mercury00]

If you have to question if they're worth it then they're probably not for you. For me personally I was buying steel wheels to use during winter anyway, so it seemed sensible to get another set of tyres to go with them.

[Shaw Tarse]

If only the question had been asked before

[g3org3y]

Finlandia said:

Depends where you are, in SE England, not so much, in Finland and Sweden, absolutely.

Sounds about right as someone who lives in the SE.

I ended up sticking winters on my E36 a couple of years back with the threat of snow. Given my job as a GP I feel I have to do my best to ensure mobility (if I need to do home visits) in the snow. At the time, my job was rather rural (and an elderly population) so requests for home visits were commonplace.

When I had the E30, I drove that in the snow with no issues (Kumho KU31s) but those were quite narrow (205/55 R15s). I was a little concerned that the wider 225/45 R17s on the E36 would struggle for traction (and I was considering a road trip to Germany). As such, decided to give winters a go.

The winters (Hankook I*Cept) were very very good, never once got stuck in the snow - the car pulling away and stopping very securely. I was very impressed. However, this year has been very mild and I find that once temps are >10 degrees, winters don't feel very nice - very 'squidgy' and do not promote confidence at all.

I'm not sure what the forecasts are like for Jan/Feb and whether colder weather is expected. We'll see.

Regardless, the ride is nicer on 16s (than 17s) though so it's not all bad [/getting old].