OK I have 3 months ( ish ) to wait and think about my new Scout. Todays thought have been considering Winter tyres and wheels :-)

Sooo.... How much would a set of tyres cost and how would I go about getting a set of steel wheels ?

TA !

Have a browse around this website:

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/Steel_wheels.html

for steel wheels and winter tyres (size is 205 -55 R16 - can't remember whether it is H, T or V rating though) - there's a few to choose from but Nokian and Vredestein - if you can ever find the Vreds that is - seem to be highly thought of. Probable typical cost is around 100 - 140 per corner.

I am going down the same route myself for next winter. Remember to inform your insurance company if you do.

I ordered extra 16'' steel rims and snow chains with my Scout, once the car arrives i'll pop down the shop and see what winter tires are available.

I live at the top of a hill and they 'forgot' to salt anything other than the main road (at bottom of hill) during the recent inclement weather.

Fair to say I have never been stuck using normal wheels/tyres on normal roads in the 20+ years of using Subarus' or my Scout.

Now the big problem is other vehicles!! For some reason they will try to go up hills (OK, It's a valley and everyone uses the hills) when they really don't stand a chance is beyond me - but they do and it usually effectively closes roads due to vehicles blocking the way.

Now if you live in a normal area, it might be worth it, but I've often passed those Range Rover ans X-Trail things with ease as they really have no idea on how to drive in snowy conditions. I even got down one of the hills that really was a sheet of ice and nuffink was getting up. (without hitting anything, but the steering was VERY light!).

The only improvement I can think off would be studded tyres and maybe a bull-bar to push things out of the way. Anything else could be expensive. But then, that down here in the hilly south.

I live at the top of a hill and they 'forgot' to salt anything other than the main road (at bottom of hill) during the recent inclement weather.

Fair to say I have never been stuck using normal wheels/tyres on normal roads in the 20+ years of using Subarus' or my Scout.

Now the big problem is other vehicles!! For some reason they will try to go up hills (OK, It's a valley and everyone uses the hills) when they really don't stand a chance is beyond me - but they do and it usually effectively closes roads due to vehicles blocking the way.

Now if you live in a normal area, it might be worth it, but I've often passed those Range Rover ans X-Trail things with ease as they really have no idea on how to drive in snowy conditions. I even got down one of the hills that really was a sheet of ice and nuffink was getting up. (without hitting anything, but the steering was VERY light!).

The only improvement I can think off would be studded tyres and maybe a bull-bar to push things out of the way. Anything else could be expensive. But then, that down here in the hilly south.

I'd put money on me getting up a hill better in my FWD car equipped with winter tyres than a AWD vehicle on summer tyres.

I know this, because I left one at the bottom of a hill this winter just gone.

Winter tyres are well worth it.

You're probably looking at about £400 for a set of something like Nokian WR and £200 for a set of the 6j steel wheels in the UK.

HTH