Discussion
I guess this question gets asked every year as autumn approaches but once again the search facilty is down.
I have a spare set of rims and I am planning on getting a set of winter tyres on them now so I am ready before the weather turns nasty and prices start going up.
Has anyone on here fitted winter tyres and if so what brand? I know Pirelli do the Sottozero in the correct size but at over £400 a corner they are quite pricey, has anyone used anything else? How did you find them both in "normal" winter driving conditions, i.e. mild and little overcast but nothing too extreme and also when there is snow or icy conditions?
I have a set of winter tyres for my Audi but I'm not really sure whether they made much difference as a torquey FWD it drives through pretty much anything anyway, but the DB9 is a completely different proposition. Last winter I had a DB7 which wouldn't even get off the drive if it was a little icy.
I have a spare set of rims and I am planning on getting a set of winter tyres on them now so I am ready before the weather turns nasty and prices start going up.
Has anyone on here fitted winter tyres and if so what brand? I know Pirelli do the Sottozero in the correct size but at over £400 a corner they are quite pricey, has anyone used anything else? How did you find them both in "normal" winter driving conditions, i.e. mild and little overcast but nothing too extreme and also when there is snow or icy conditions?
I have a set of winter tyres for my Audi but I'm not really sure whether they made much difference as a torquey FWD it drives through pretty much anything anyway, but the DB9 is a completely different proposition. Last winter I had a DB7 which wouldn't even get off the drive if it was a little icy.
Edited by 897sma on Tuesday 11th September 09:04
I use the same tyres all-year round - just go a bit lighter footed when it's cold out. Obviously the hedge-finding widow-making V12V has more issues than the other cars due to its summer tyres but you should be fine in a V8 Vantage for most of the time.
Using in snow and ice... why on earth would you?? You can buy a cheap 4WD winter runabout for less than a pair of winter tyres. A nice warm Jeep Cherokee would do the trick!
Using in snow and ice... why on earth would you?? You can buy a cheap 4WD winter runabout for less than a pair of winter tyres. A nice warm Jeep Cherokee would do the trick!
you can usually buy a runabout for the price of a set of tyres...and save the Aston
if you do need to drive 10K miles through winter months, I find a Range Rover on winter tyres a better tool
Vredestein Wintrac extreme are excellent, I run them all year round on the Rangey, done 20K miles on them and barely look worn, im sure they come in sizes for Aston. Im running 255/50/20 and they come in big sizes to suit German saloons etc
if you do need to drive 10K miles through winter months, I find a Range Rover on winter tyres a better tool
Vredestein Wintrac extreme are excellent, I run them all year round on the Rangey, done 20K miles on them and barely look worn, im sure they come in sizes for Aston. Im running 255/50/20 and they come in big sizes to suit German saloons etc
Not planning on making a conscious decision to take the car out when it's snowing or icy, but we do get many days when the temperature falls here oop north and don't want to stop using the Aston just because it's slippery. I could stay on my standard tyres and drive gingerly but then what is the point of driving the Aston? may as well leave it parked up. If tyres are available that make winter driving safer & more rewarding then why not have them.
I'm driving to Austria at the end of March for the Snowbombing Festival and will need winter tyres anyway so it makes sense to have the benefit over winter.
My question was not whether I should get another vehicle for the winter - don't want a 4x4, done that, don't like them, can drive perfectly well with 2WD. I was specifically asking about other peoples experience using winter tyres on their Aston and whether they have used anything other than Sottozero's
I'm driving to Austria at the end of March for the Snowbombing Festival and will need winter tyres anyway so it makes sense to have the benefit over winter.
My question was not whether I should get another vehicle for the winter - don't want a 4x4, done that, don't like them, can drive perfectly well with 2WD. I was specifically asking about other peoples experience using winter tyres on their Aston and whether they have used anything other than Sottozero's
Steve, I fitted Vredsteins to the front and Sottozeros to the rear of my (rwd)BMW 530GT last winter - I had to go with two brands as I just couldn't source a full set of one make - and even then had to source front and rears from different suppliers (this was at the beginning of October). Having had my ex M3 slide backwards into my ex Jeep down our gently sloping drive the previous year on what could only be described as heavy frost I decided I would have a shot at winter tyres. In cold and wet conditions tyre noise is increased, but not uncomfortably so, but so is traction, they also improve the ride of the car as I had to make another sourcing compromise in that I couldn't get runflats in the winters and so had to chance it with a couple of tubes of Tyre Weld - the softer side wall definately benefits the 530 - no BMW M's use runflats either so I decided I was in good company anyway. In the snow however the tyres were a revelation, traction was literally 'streets' ahead of the summer tyres and actually made the car useable. It is incredible the difference the compound and tread pattern makes - after all the pattern is hardly 'aggressive'.
I was a little sceptical that all the publicity regarding winter tyres over the last couple of years was hype to generate more sales but I have no regrets whatsoever going down that route and, as is often said, whilst the winters are on the summers are not getting worn. I got the Vredesteins from Mytyres and the Sottozeros from Event Tyres with great service from both, but if you are going to do it do it soon as unusual sizes are difficult to track down. I am using the same rims so it was then a tenner a corner to get them swapped over and balanced in Spring.
I was a little sceptical that all the publicity regarding winter tyres over the last couple of years was hype to generate more sales but I have no regrets whatsoever going down that route and, as is often said, whilst the winters are on the summers are not getting worn. I got the Vredesteins from Mytyres and the Sottozeros from Event Tyres with great service from both, but if you are going to do it do it soon as unusual sizes are difficult to track down. I am using the same rims so it was then a tenner a corner to get them swapped over and balanced in Spring.
Hi, I use Sottozeros on the DBS in the winter, as without them it can't get off the drive in mildly icy conditions. Really transforms the cold weather experience, and I'm from oop north too, so it is an issue. I use Vredestein Wintrac Extreme on my FFRR and they are awesome compared to normal tyres; particularly on compacted snow.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Just to add; the winter tyres are a bit noisier, but not much, and make the winter experience pretty similar to the summer one. You still have to be respectful of too much power/torque on wet surfaces but at least winter tyres even up the equation. The worst thing on the DBS is that all the effort put in to getting the summer tyres balanced is undone with the winter ones, which vibrate a bit more. You get used to it and it's nothing terrible, but it's always a slight surprise to me how the summer tyres, when refitted, are that bit more refined.
I have used the Sottozeros for the last two winters on my V12V. They are great and so much better in the wet and cold than the "standard" Corsas - no contest really. The dealer keeps them over the summer and changes them over (wheel and tyre) whilst waiting so really no hassle at all and they make the Corsas last a lot longer and keep the polished rims away from salt and grit.
damianke said:
Hi, I use Sottozeros on the DBS in the winter, as without them it can't get off the drive in mildly icy conditions. Really transforms the cold weather experience, and I'm from oop north too, so it is an issue. I use Vredestein Wintrac Extreme on my FFRR and they are awesome compared to normal tyres; particularly on compacted snow.
Hope this helps.
how are the sottozeros in the winter when it's dry & fine - I know some winter tyres aren't ideal once there's no snow or water but I think I'm right in saying the Pirellis don't fall into that category ?Hope this helps.
if I get winter tyres, it will be on a second set of rims - do you still get the same size ? I imagine on V12V/DBS there may be no choice but to get same diameter & width wheel in order to clear the ceramic brakes ?
hornbaek said:
I have used the Sottozeros for the last two winters on my V12V. They are great and so much better in the wet and cold than the "standard" Corsas - no contest really. The dealer keeps them over the summer and changes them over (wheel and tyre) whilst waiting so really no hassle at all and they make the Corsas last a lot longer and keep the polished rims away from salt and grit.
what wheels do you use on the winter tyres ? an Aston wheel or an aftermarket one ? I imagine the price of an additional set of V12V wheels is not a question I really want to be asking my delaer :-)
jonby said:
what wheels do you use on the winter tyres ? an Aston wheel or an aftermarket one ? I imagine the price of an additional set of V12V wheels is not a question I really want to be asking my delaer :-)
Hi Jonby, presumably this is for the V12VR? I have been told that the only tyres approved for the V12VR is the Corsa tyre. I have asked what the position is with winter tyres and understand that none have yet been approved. To answer the queries raised; I get the dealer (Stratstones Wilmslow) to change the tyres onto the same wheels and they store the unused set of tyres for the duration. The quote for a set of new wheels and tyres was massive. On the Rangie I did buy a set of wheels and tyres together for not far off the price of just the tyres alone for the DBS, and I store the spare set in my garage and just slip the chap at ATS £20 to swop the wheel and tyre set round each season.
On fine dry winter days the Sottozeros are really good, no difference to summer tyres, except they are just a bit harsher maybe. There is absolutely no diminution in the experience, the steering feel is still up there, and the ride is hardly changed. I can't recommend winter tyres enough; the DBS is genuinely usable all year round, except in proper snow, when I use the Rangie anyway. Previously my former DB9s had languished for 6 weeks untouched, but now I can use the Aston almost any time.
On fine dry winter days the Sottozeros are really good, no difference to summer tyres, except they are just a bit harsher maybe. There is absolutely no diminution in the experience, the steering feel is still up there, and the ride is hardly changed. I can't recommend winter tyres enough; the DBS is genuinely usable all year round, except in proper snow, when I use the Rangie anyway. Previously my former DB9s had languished for 6 weeks untouched, but now I can use the Aston almost any time.
hornbaek said:
These are the OEM wheels for the V12V. Other wheels (for the V8 / DB9 / DBS) do not fit as there is no room for the front carbon disc. I can highly recommend them. They are excellent in all kind of weather below 7 degrees and there are no noticeable drawback - rather the opposite.
Snap!PS Stratstone Park Royal store my wheels.
te to run about in 
DB9 Ian P said:
jonby said:
what wheels do you use on the winter tyres ? an Aston wheel or an aftermarket one ? I imagine the price of an additional set of V12V wheels is not a question I really want to be asking my delaer :-)
Hi Jonby, presumably this is for the V12VR? I have been told that the only tyres approved for the V12VR is the Corsa tyre. I have asked what the position is with winter tyres and understand that none have yet been approved. Do you think that matters ? (That's not a loaded question !)
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