Winter or All season tyres
Discussion
Can see soooo much discussion regarding winter tyres but I'm not sure I need them.
I live in East Anglia which gets cold and wet but rarely snows more than an inch or two.
Last two years I purchased winter tyres for my M3 buts that's sold and I'm now waiting for delivery of my 340i. So am considering all season vs winter
Winter tyres are great in the snow but if you refer to where I live and recent winters I need a tyre that is suited to cold wet conditions and yet gives good traction on dry winter days. The continental TS810 I had on my m3 did not although they had amazing reviews for driving in the snow.
So was it the continentals that were rubbish due to where I live and should I look at an all season????
I live in East Anglia which gets cold and wet but rarely snows more than an inch or two.
Last two years I purchased winter tyres for my M3 buts that's sold and I'm now waiting for delivery of my 340i. So am considering all season vs winter
Winter tyres are great in the snow but if you refer to where I live and recent winters I need a tyre that is suited to cold wet conditions and yet gives good traction on dry winter days. The continental TS810 I had on my m3 did not although they had amazing reviews for driving in the snow.
So was it the continentals that were rubbish due to where I live and should I look at an all season????
Have a look at some of the winter tyre reviews out there from Auto Bild etc on tyrereviews.
IIRC they did a test recently where an all season tyre was 80% as good as the best winter tyre in the snow, but better in the dry and warmer temps too. It's a different compromise that maybe well suited to the UK climate, particularly if you value the convenience of being able to run one tyre throughout the year.
All season tyres are popular on rentals in some cold climates. They seem to be very popular in Canada for example.
IIRC they did a test recently where an all season tyre was 80% as good as the best winter tyre in the snow, but better in the dry and warmer temps too. It's a different compromise that maybe well suited to the UK climate, particularly if you value the convenience of being able to run one tyre throughout the year.
All season tyres are popular on rentals in some cold climates. They seem to be very popular in Canada for example.
Have a read here:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2014-All-Seas...
Quote:
Why is this important for the UK?
UK winters are generally categorised by long periods of cold and wet weather, with occasional snow.
This means during the average UK winter, a tyre with snow performance as its best quality can only really shine for a few days a year. While a winter tyre will work better than a summer tyre in cold, wet conditions, an all season tyre will work better than the winter tyre in cold, wet conditions, and still retain excellent snow performance to and the ability to be run through the summer if you need.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2014-All-Seas...
Quote:
Why is this important for the UK?
UK winters are generally categorised by long periods of cold and wet weather, with occasional snow.
This means during the average UK winter, a tyre with snow performance as its best quality can only really shine for a few days a year. While a winter tyre will work better than a summer tyre in cold, wet conditions, an all season tyre will work better than the winter tyre in cold, wet conditions, and still retain excellent snow performance to and the ability to be run through the summer if you need.
Have you looked at the Michelin Cross Climate? Reviews seem to think it could be the ideal tyre for the UK
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/201...
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/201...
abarber said:
Have a read here:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2014-All-Seas...
and still retain excellent snow performance....
I know this isn't your own quote but All Season tyres don't have "excellent" snow performance. I would call it acceptable but no more than that.http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2014-All-Seas...
and still retain excellent snow performance....
Would I run All Seasons on a very powerful RWD BMW in winter? They're better than their summer cousins, but no. Certainly would use them on a FWD car though.
When you really want grip on snow in a BMW you need full fat winter tyres. OK, that may be only on a handful of days down in The Shire but if it does get really wintry you'll be glad you fitted a full winter set up.
I use All Season rubber on a FWD van I have and they're about as noisy as a full on winter tyre. I run my 530d on full winter tyres during the cold months since All Seasons just don't cut it for me. I live in the Scottish Highlands so conditions tend to be a bit more extreme.
Granted, the advantage of winter over All Season tyres is at the margin..but there will no doubt be a few occasions out there at the 'margin' when you'll be relieved you had the full winter set up.
If you have a mild, wet winter down there your All Seasons will be fine; if it's cold and wintry for any length of time you'll be better off on winter rubber.
Who knows what sort of winter lies in store. As Dirty Harry says, "Do you feel lucky?"
I wouldn't get too hung up about 'winter' or 'all season', some winter tyres are marked up as all season and the retailers are often not able to tell you what the category is.
Eg the Hankook Icebear is described by Hankook as, and sold as, a winter tyre. It's marked up all season. Plenty of similar examples.
Look at reviews, listen to peoples' experiences and try to judge what will be best for your car.
I've used a few different brands. I mentioned the Hankook because I used them for 4 winters on a VW CC. I bought them as winter tyres, then saw the all season branding. Used them very occasionally in heavy snow and they were fine. They were very good in cold, wet conditions.
During the wet summer of 2012, I didn't bother changing back to summers and I hardly missed them, though that might have been different on a more sporting car. The wear rate was excellent, winter or summer.
Some people hate them.
I have a set of Pirellis for my 530D which I used for the first time last winter. They seemed OK but not used in any snow to speak of.
Eg the Hankook Icebear is described by Hankook as, and sold as, a winter tyre. It's marked up all season. Plenty of similar examples.
Look at reviews, listen to peoples' experiences and try to judge what will be best for your car.
I've used a few different brands. I mentioned the Hankook because I used them for 4 winters on a VW CC. I bought them as winter tyres, then saw the all season branding. Used them very occasionally in heavy snow and they were fine. They were very good in cold, wet conditions.
During the wet summer of 2012, I didn't bother changing back to summers and I hardly missed them, though that might have been different on a more sporting car. The wear rate was excellent, winter or summer.
Some people hate them.
I have a set of Pirellis for my 530D which I used for the first time last winter. They seemed OK but not used in any snow to speak of.
Yes but if you read the first post I found the winter tyre generally broke traction at the rear on dry winter days. In the wet or they were generally ok and in a dusting of snow the did superb.
My post is more to do with what tyre is best for southern UK weather where it does get cold, wet and icy but rarely snows. Looking back at the last two winters the weather has been really mild and felt the winters were not really needed buy as some one has already said "do you feel lucky" ????
My post is more to do with what tyre is best for southern UK weather where it does get cold, wet and icy but rarely snows. Looking back at the last two winters the weather has been really mild and felt the winters were not really needed buy as some one has already said "do you feel lucky" ????
I'm like SBN except that I live in London. Like many BMW drivers I was marooned when we had the heavy snow a few years ago, bought a set of winters and now put them on when it gets cold, although with no snow settling for any length of time over the last few winters I feel I overdid it (especially in London).
Are all-seasons viable as a year round tyre on a powerful RWD car?
Are all-seasons viable as a year round tyre on a powerful RWD car?
IN an ideal world you should always be on the Optimal tyre for the season you are in.
I have found that when buying a new BMW or a used one it is quite easy to pick up a second set of wheels and tyres.
That way I have winters on from November onwards and Summers on when it gets to about Feb/March.
I just stash the wheels in my shed in Wheel Totes.
You also half the wear rate across two sets of tyres - plus when you sell the car you can always get a bit of cash for the spare set of wheels and tyres.
The all seasons might be useful if you don't have the luxury of having somewhere easy to stash your tyres/wheels - but it just sounds like you are on a compromised tyre all year round.
Might be good enough though.
I have found that when buying a new BMW or a used one it is quite easy to pick up a second set of wheels and tyres.
That way I have winters on from November onwards and Summers on when it gets to about Feb/March.
I just stash the wheels in my shed in Wheel Totes.
You also half the wear rate across two sets of tyres - plus when you sell the car you can always get a bit of cash for the spare set of wheels and tyres.
The all seasons might be useful if you don't have the luxury of having somewhere easy to stash your tyres/wheels - but it just sounds like you are on a compromised tyre all year round.
Might be good enough though.
My 3rd Gen CRV had All Season Tyres and last year it didn't flinch in both snow and compacted ice on the roads. The hassle of needing a spare set of wheels for Winter Tyres (constantly swapping using the same alloys/wheels ruins them) doesn't seem worthwhile for our winters and All Season Tyres are probably good enough.
10 years on from the OP's query and the topic is as relevant as ever even if tyre technology has moved on.
Michelin have recently released the Cross Climate 3 AND the Cross Climate 3 Sport! Both with good reviews from Jonathon Benson of Tyre Reviews. The Pilot Alpin PA4 is still made in a lot of M car sizes but newer M cars are homologated on the newer PA5 with its CC like V-shaped symmetrical tread.
But other brands have released compelling alternatives Goodyear's UltraGrip 8 Performance 245/45 R18 100V XL *, MO Roll resistance C Wet grip B Ext Noise 70 dB £170.20 are, as you can tell, on my potential list because of their reported capability in wet braking and handling. Let's face it England is more cold and wet than crisp and snowy.
However, I've had the original Cross Climates on a car for 6 years and never a worry about it stopping in mid-summer or about its ability on occasional snow when I deliberately took it on to the iciest snowiest roads to drive around idiots stuck at all angles.
Obviously, I'm on here because I don't just drive low power city cars on all seasons, but while I had PS2* then 4S and Conti 790V for the M5 and the Pilot PS 4S Conti 830P then Pilot Alpin PA4 for the 760, my dilemma is what to stick on a 535i with barely 300bhp.
I'm leaning towards taking off what may be its original Primacy and putting on brand spanking Pilot Alpin PA5 245/45r18s on me ole M184s some time around late November.
Michelin have recently released the Cross Climate 3 AND the Cross Climate 3 Sport! Both with good reviews from Jonathon Benson of Tyre Reviews. The Pilot Alpin PA4 is still made in a lot of M car sizes but newer M cars are homologated on the newer PA5 with its CC like V-shaped symmetrical tread.
But other brands have released compelling alternatives Goodyear's UltraGrip 8 Performance 245/45 R18 100V XL *, MO Roll resistance C Wet grip B Ext Noise 70 dB £170.20 are, as you can tell, on my potential list because of their reported capability in wet braking and handling. Let's face it England is more cold and wet than crisp and snowy.
However, I've had the original Cross Climates on a car for 6 years and never a worry about it stopping in mid-summer or about its ability on occasional snow when I deliberately took it on to the iciest snowiest roads to drive around idiots stuck at all angles.
Obviously, I'm on here because I don't just drive low power city cars on all seasons, but while I had PS2* then 4S and Conti 790V for the M5 and the Pilot PS 4S Conti 830P then Pilot Alpin PA4 for the 760, my dilemma is what to stick on a 535i with barely 300bhp.
I'm leaning towards taking off what may be its original Primacy and putting on brand spanking Pilot Alpin PA5 245/45r18s on me ole M184s some time around late November.
Edited by robi4387 on Friday 10th October 21:35
robi4387 said:
10 years on from the OP's query and the topic is as relevant as ever even if tyre technology has moved on.
Michelin have recently released the Cross Climate 3 AND the Cross Climate 3 Sport! Both with good reviews from Jonathon Benson of Tyre Reviews. The Pilot Alpin PA4 is still made in a lot of M car sizes but newer M cars are homologated on the newer PA5 with its CC like V-shaped symmetrical tread.
But other brands have released compelling alternatives Goodyear's UltraGrip 8 Performance 245/45 R18 100V XL *, MO Roll resistance C Wet grip B Ext Noise 70 dB £170.20 are, as you can tell, on my potential list because of their reported capability in wet braking and handling. Let's face it England is more cold and wet than crisp and snowy.
However, I've had the original Cross Climates on a car for 6 years and never a worry about it stopping in mid-summer or about its ability on occasional snow when I deliberately took it on to the iciest snowiest roads to drive around idiots stuck at all angles.
Obviously, I'm on here because I don't just drive low power city cars on all seasons, but while I had PS2* then 4S and Conti 790V for the M5 and the Pilot PS 4S Conti 830P then Pilot Alpin PA4 for the 760, my dilemma is what to stick on a 535i with barely 300bhp.
I'm leaning towards taking off what may be its original Primacy and putting on brand spanking Pilot Alpin PA5 245/45r18s on me ole M184s some time around late November.
I've got a set of 18s running Continental AllSeasonContacts to put on my 335xD Touring with slightly more power, slightly more torque than your 535i?Michelin have recently released the Cross Climate 3 AND the Cross Climate 3 Sport! Both with good reviews from Jonathon Benson of Tyre Reviews. The Pilot Alpin PA4 is still made in a lot of M car sizes but newer M cars are homologated on the newer PA5 with its CC like V-shaped symmetrical tread.
But other brands have released compelling alternatives Goodyear's UltraGrip 8 Performance 245/45 R18 100V XL *, MO Roll resistance C Wet grip B Ext Noise 70 dB £170.20 are, as you can tell, on my potential list because of their reported capability in wet braking and handling. Let's face it England is more cold and wet than crisp and snowy.
However, I've had the original Cross Climates on a car for 6 years and never a worry about it stopping in mid-summer or about its ability on occasional snow when I deliberately took it on to the iciest snowiest roads to drive around idiots stuck at all angles.
Obviously, I'm on here because I don't just drive low power city cars on all seasons, but while I had PS2* then 4S and Conti 790V for the M5 and the Pilot PS 4S Conti 830P then Pilot Alpin PA4 for the 760, my dilemma is what to stick on a 535i with barely 300bhp.
I'm leaning towards taking off what may be its original Primacy and putting on brand spanking Pilot Alpin PA5 245/45r18s on me ole M184s some time around late November.
Been fine in all the British weather has thrown at them (the were originally on my 320D), and the late/early season trips to the Nurburgring where there's been sub-zero temps.
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