My TDI VRS is very poor on snow and ice - probably a combination of summer tyres (original Michelins then) and lots of torque. Much worse than our Fabia VRS in fact.

Had to be towed by my wife last winter despite trying all the usual methods of getting going in slippery conditions - she has a Freelander.

Can anyone recommend some wheels and tyres for the possible severe winter weather to come.

Just get yourself some 16inch rims steel or alloy and get some winter tyres! I have 205/55-16 Avon Ice tourers fitted to mine. Yet to try them but bought them off Nick P on here who went to the alps on them last year so can't be bad.

The fact that you drive a vRS, perhaps try this German site: http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/reifen/winterreifen/2010_Winterreifen_Test_225_45_R17.aspx?ComponentId=40334&SourcePageId=41873. Clicking on 'Winterreifen' = winter tyres, you can find older tests of other dimensions.

Have a look on mytyres.co.uk, specifically at their winter wheels section. I've just taken delivery of a set of 6J 16" steelies with nice narrow 205/55 Viking snowtech2 tyres fitted, balanced and ready to be swapped over once the temps start falling. :-) Mine took 8 days from order to delivery and the cost was just over £400. :-)

Edited 30 September, 201015 yr by FocusZtec

I've just picked up my winter tyres for the Leon as it's lousy in the snow on the Conti SC3s: A set of OE alloys with a few scuffs for £150 a few months ago, and a full set of 225/45 17V Kumho KW-27 winter tyres for £340 from a local tyre dealer. They'll get fitted when the temperature drops.

Edited 30 September, 201015 yr by cjb

Continental T810, 225/R17, perfect grip on snow. Amazing!

Vredestein Snowtrac 3s, if they come in the right size (I've got 195/65R15s on steelies waiting to go back on when the temperature drops). Had no problems at all last year, with a 35 mile commute across the Peak District.

I bought some Audi A6 alloys on eBay

+

Paid £46 each for the tyres from Camskill

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s629p61894

If you buy steel wheels from Mytyres or wherever can you use the same wheel bolts?

Yes

my first post, i will go to the newbies section in my lunch.

im struggling to find cheap steelie16's for my fabia vrs. i can get tones of set of 15's off mk4 golfs etc, but struggling to get cheap good 16" steelies.

i dont mind the 15's (cause the 195 \ 55's will be better in snow if we get any) but i dont want to take delivery of 4 wheels that might not fit over the front callipers?

looking at tyretest.com theese tyres seem to do well

Car winter tyres

1 Michelin - Alpin A3 [1,75] / 616

2 Continental - WinterContact TS 800 [1,75] / 342

3 Goodyear - Ultra Grip Performance 2 [1,76] / 104

4 Continental - WinterContact TS 830P [1,76] / 21

5 Continental - WinterContact TS 830 [1,76] / 476

i dont just want the tyres for the snow, just for some more feedback and reasurance in the cold and wet. my p-zero's are good but dont fancy them in the winter.

Got Vredestine Wintrac Extreme's on 16" Rims for my wife's Kia Cee'd (205/55/16) They were really good last year, altho nothing like my Sorento with 245/70/16 BFG All Terrain's! - so, i've bought a new set of rims (I need to keep the look of the car for work!) so bought OEM 18" Wheels, and have Fitted the same tyre in 225/40/18. - car is a 4x4 Superb Estate, so should be fine!

These are excellent

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s629p61894

Looks like Camskill have no winter tyres at all in stock!

Glyn

The Michelin Alpins were fantastic on Mk1 4x4 last Winter. I've always swapped over to winter tyres as I'm 1300ft up in the Peak district. Even without the 4WD they make a tremendous difference. These are going on my new Scout immediately (being built as I write hopefully) with some 16inch steels. Well worth it whatever make you get.

If you wish to also drive in dry and warmer conditions , I'd recommend all seasons tyres such as Vredestein Quatrac 2 or 3. Superb on my 2WD Passat estate for getting up to Buxton.

Nowadays I try to avoid the journey if the weather is bad but did make it last Xmas eve in a few inches of fresh snow on my summer tyres.

However if you live on a steep and nadgery lane, full M&S tyres will be better.

i had vredistein snowtrac 2 on my car great tyre lasted good in the summer months too

Is there any reason why you cant get a tyre firm to take your tyres off your current rims and put winter tyres on them . You store the tyres in your gargae over winter and then pay then to swap them back again in spring. This would keep the original look of the car intact and avoid the 'one hit' expense of buying steel rims or additonal alloys?

thoughts?

Winter brings many holes on the roads and steel rims are cheaper and more able to withstand damage so you can save the fancy alloy rims from damage. Also alloys of 17/18 inches are just too wide to hold a proper thinner cheaper winter tire size of 15/16.

It's a hassle of course keeping 2 sets of rims and tires.

You certainly have a point OCScene. Keeping the same wheels also saves having to OK the 'modification' of winter wheels with the insurace company. Mine quoted me an extra £11 for the privalage. There is of course the cost of having the tyres put on and off again which is putting me off (around £10 a wheel per change is my latest) Also smaller tyre are cheaper.

You certainly have a point OCScene. Keeping the same wheels also saves having to OK the 'modification' of winter wheels with the insurace company. Mine quoted me an extra £11 for the privalage. There is of course the cost of having the tyres put on and off again which is putting me off (around £10 a wheel per change is my latest) Also smaller tyre are cheaper.

Your insurance company is stupid. Get a new one.

seems crazy having to declare it to insurance, but i will so thanks for that.

i dont like the tyres being stretched to take off the rims then stretched again next year to put them back on again, i do my presures when i remember normally at least twice a month. Awesome gti put my latest set on, and well they must be an awesome fit cause they never leak any air.

my wife drives my car somtimes too, so the wheels are kurbed in the odd place, (lol sorry, but this is true, i dont park by a kurb at work or home and she has to park on the kurb at her work) so its not really about protecting the rims either.

i saw some 16" bora alloys on the bay last night for about 60 quid (one needs repair though) they would do, or im looking at a set of golf spare wheels from the scrappy at 70 quid all new ish too?

choices eh.

i think the bora has 16" spare steelie in the boot, but this will be harder to get four of them.

anybody else found any 16" spare wheels anywhere? or do i just keep looking on the bay everyday?

Will any 5 stud hole 16" wheel rim be suitable - say something off a Mondeo, or BMW as long as it will fit 205/55? obviously VW and Audi wheels should be fine, but what about other wheels?

Will any 5 stud hole 16" wheel rim be suitable - say something off a Mondeo, or BMW as long as it will fit 205/55? obviously VW and Audi wheels should be fine, but what about other wheels?

the stud pattern is the most important, even vw and audi wheels have different stud patterns, so no is the answer really.

there are lots of old school mixes that work, some old Porsche wheels will fit my fabia but not your Occy. I need a stud pattern of 5 x 100 so passat wheels will not fit mine as they are 5 x 112 so they should fit yours? Please chip in here if im talking crap ;-)

You are talking about tyre size, normally on standard cars the smaller the wheel the thinner width the tyre (205) and the fatter the height (55), and the tires you get depend on what wheel you choose and the correct offset you run them at.

Im looking at 5x100 wheels with offset (ET) of between 32 and 38 ish if I get wheels that fit my car with an ET 45 I will need 10mm spacers ideally to make them fit properly. If I get 15â€s I will get 195 / 55 tyres and 16’s I will get way more expensive 205 / 45 tyres.

You will need 5 X 112 for an 08 Occy (im 90 % on this) maybe 16â€s with 205 / 55 tyres would work? But im no expert on my own car yet alone Octavias.

I picked up a set of Audi A3 wheels from ebay for £100:

They are the correct size (16" x 6.5J, PCD112.5) and offset (ET50) for the Octavia mk2 and they also clear the front brakes on a vRS as shown above.

I fitted some 205/55R16 91H Hankook winter tyres and the whole lot will ended costing £390. The winter tyre prices on mytyres website have risen by nearly £10 a tyre in the last month.