All Season Tyres
Discussion
Anyone got any experience of these in the snow? I need to replace a full set of summer tyres in the next few months and rather than having 2 sets of wheels as I've done previously (1 winter, 1 summer) I'm thinking I'll just get some All Seasons. The car is 4x4 (albeit part-time - Honda HR-V).
Last year in the snow the winter tyres were awesome! I don't expect the all seasons to be as good but how good are they compared to summers and winters? It's only their performance in the snow I'm interested in as well. I'm aware we have other weather but it's the snow and ice specifically.
Last year in the snow the winter tyres were awesome! I don't expect the all seasons to be as good but how good are they compared to summers and winters? It's only their performance in the snow I'm interested in as well. I'm aware we have other weather but it's the snow and ice specifically.
I used Kleber Quadraxer's in the snow last winter and they were fine. To be honest last winter wasn't anything like the previous two, but I had no problems with them in the small amount of snow and ice we had.
I'm still running them now. They're great at clearing the huge amounts of standing water we have in the British summer, but you easily find the limits in the dry. Nowhere near as good as a proper summer tyre.
I'm still running them now. They're great at clearing the huge amounts of standing water we have in the British summer, but you easily find the limits in the dry. Nowhere near as good as a proper summer tyre.
mnkiboy said:
I used Kleber Quadraxer's in the snow last winter and they were fine. To be honest last winter wasn't anything like the previous two, but I had no problems with them in the small amount of snow and ice we had.
I'm still running them now. They're great at clearing the huge amounts of standing water we have in the British summer, but you easily find the limits in the dry. Nowhere near as good as a proper summer tyre.
I ran the same tyres on a Honda Accord. I didnt encounter any snow but they felt very good in every other condition and didnt feel like a compromise!I'm still running them now. They're great at clearing the huge amounts of standing water we have in the British summer, but you easily find the limits in the dry. Nowhere near as good as a proper summer tyre.
I think they're much as you'd expect - jack of all trades, master of none. Probably a good idea if you can only have one set of tyres and you live somewhere it snows regularly or spends a large proportion of the year very cold. Good all-season tyres are probably as good as cheap summer tyres in the summer, but (obviously) wont perform as well as the very best summer tyres.
Liquid Tuna said:
Anyone got any experience of these in the snow? I need to replace a full set of summer tyres in the next few months and rather than having 2 sets of wheels as I've done previously (1 winter, 1 summer) I'm thinking I'll just get some All Seasons. The car is 4x4 (albeit part-time - Honda HR-V).
Last year in the snow the winter tyres were awesome! I don't expect the all seasons to be as good but how good are they compared to summers and winters? It's only their performance in the snow I'm interested in as well. I'm aware we have other weather but it's the snow and ice specifically.
Well it's a bit more complex than that. What exact tyre (tread pattern) are you considering. "All season" is a bit of a vague description of a tyre and stands a fair chance of being crap at everything rather than good at everything.Last year in the snow the winter tyres were awesome! I don't expect the all seasons to be as good but how good are they compared to summers and winters? It's only their performance in the snow I'm interested in as well. I'm aware we have other weather but it's the snow and ice specifically.
If you don't hoon or throw the HR-V about in the bends too much, then you could probably run a winter biased tyre most of the year without drama, although if you do start enjoying the car in the bends it'll tear up such a tyre pretty quick.
My bro had a HR-V, he ran it on some BFG All Terrain copies (remoulds). It went very well on them, great in the snow and civil enough in the summer.
Yes, I realise what I'm asking and I understand they won't excel in either summer or winter conditions. But this car is my commuter hack. I only do 30 miles a day but I really need to get to work in bad weather (hence why I bought the winters last year). I don't drive it fast at all as I have other cars and bikes, so perhaps leaving winters on all year would be ok?
The All Season tyres I was looking at were something like the Vredestein Quatrac 3, Kumho Solus KH21, or Uniroyal Rallye 550. Anyone used any of them?
The All Season tyres I was looking at were something like the Vredestein Quatrac 3, Kumho Solus KH21, or Uniroyal Rallye 550. Anyone used any of them?
I have a set of Quadraxers on my 3-series which kept it moving when all around me were stranded in the snow. They're still on the car and have now done 12,000 miles and are about half-worn. Not as good as Conti Contacts on a dry road, but a pretty good compromise all round. Good price from Event Tyres, too.
The Kumhos got a poor review in the last comparison test, IIRC.
The Kumhos got a poor review in the last comparison test, IIRC.
HustleRussell said:
Should you expect a greater wear rate if using all-season tyres in dry conditions?
It's more down to road temperature than dampness, in my experience. There will be a crossover between brands and models, but generally speaking summer tyres will last longer (and grip better) in hotter weather. They're not going to disintegrate overnight, though.
Good graphage here to show the various comprimises you make between tyres:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bil...
FWIW, "proper" all season tyres like the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons, Kleber Quadraxer etc are basically winter tyres slightly more optimised for slush and wet weather, there's nothing else magical in them. That's not to say they're not a good comprise, more to say other "slush optimised" winter tyres like the Nokian WR A3 could also be classified as all season.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bil...
FWIW, "proper" all season tyres like the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons, Kleber Quadraxer etc are basically winter tyres slightly more optimised for slush and wet weather, there's nothing else magical in them. That's not to say they're not a good comprise, more to say other "slush optimised" winter tyres like the Nokian WR A3 could also be classified as all season.
We ran Vredestein Quatrac 3 all seasons on the Impreza and they were brilliant in winter conditions.
The Saab was absolutely awful in the snow last winter. Obviously the Subaru had the advantage of four wheel drive traction, so I can forgive it failing to get up some local inclines that the Subaru breezed up, but the difference in braking performance was shocking and I think that was pretty much entirely down to the tyres.
I'm thinking about putting a set of Quatracs on the Saab, but it's a very different specification to the Impreza - that was running H rated 195/60/15 tyres, weighed less than 1200kg and only had 123bhp. The Saab is over 1700kg, 250bhp and takes a 225/45/17 tyre in a 94W XL rating. The Quatrac doesn't come with a W speed rating, but does come in a 94V XL. The Goodyear Vector comes in a W speed rating, but the load rating is inadequate, and on that Saab that would be more of a worry for me.
The Saab was absolutely awful in the snow last winter. Obviously the Subaru had the advantage of four wheel drive traction, so I can forgive it failing to get up some local inclines that the Subaru breezed up, but the difference in braking performance was shocking and I think that was pretty much entirely down to the tyres.
I'm thinking about putting a set of Quatracs on the Saab, but it's a very different specification to the Impreza - that was running H rated 195/60/15 tyres, weighed less than 1200kg and only had 123bhp. The Saab is over 1700kg, 250bhp and takes a 225/45/17 tyre in a 94W XL rating. The Quatrac doesn't come with a W speed rating, but does come in a 94V XL. The Goodyear Vector comes in a W speed rating, but the load rating is inadequate, and on that Saab that would be more of a worry for me.
I got some Kleber Quadraxers for the Accord to act as a 'winter' tyre on some steelies. When we had snow the braking was excellent. It bit nicely and didn't skid and slide like summers do, which in my mind is the exact reason I bought them. I had people pulling out in front of me during the snow, even at low speeds (20-30mph) it is still extremely scarey when you brake and don't slow down. This solved that problem nicely and got me up a fairly steep incline that had others stranded.
They get a bit vague once the roads warm up, but I thought they were great.
They get a bit vague once the roads warm up, but I thought they were great.
otolith said:
The Quatrac doesn't come with a W speed rating, but does come in a 94V XL. The Goodyear Vector comes in a W speed rating, but the load rating is inadequate, and on that Saab that would be more of a worry for me.
Would be more of a worry for your insurance too. You must at least match the specified load rating.SGirl said:
I had some Vredestein all-weathers on my Volvo - they were very good in snow, much better than "ordinary" tyres.
I used Vredestrein Quattracs last winter and they were superb - I would say at least as good as other 'winter' tyres I have used in the past - but they were also pretty good when the spring weather came, and I only removed them to save them for next winter.
Recommended.
Liquid Tuna said:
Sounds like I'll get the Vredestein Quatrac 3's then. How did the All seasons wear compared to normal summers? Anyone used them all year round and can give a rough mileage figure?
Defiantely have a look at the Kleber Quadraxer's as at least 4 people have recomended them including 3 Honda drivers on this thread!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff