THE Winter Tyres Thread

[k.young]

No laughing down the back children!!

[k.young]

Don't worry, Johann, he's got a Volvo....................................................................................  

"He's" also got a Skoda but let's not discriminate.

[Ant-Vrs]

Has anybody used the nankang snow sv2?

After trying to use the mk2 fabia vrs last year it was **** in the snow with the dsg and summer tyres

[ChrisRs]

ALL winter tyres will be an improvement

Read HERE

Just bought 4 more Kumho KW27's 225/40/19 from MyTyres ...Cant get smaller wheels due to the massive Calipers...£125 each

[Lady Elanore]

Having used Vredesteins Winters (Snowtrac and Extremes) for the last 8 years, I was thinking of a change. Either the Conti T850s or possibly, now that all season tyres seem to have continued improving to a point where they are comparable with average winter tyres in most conditions, the latest Nokian Weatherproofs. Anyone with any experience of these 2 tyres?

[900000]

I have a confession to make. Since I now live (for another year) in Istanbul for this project I'm on, and have not had the time in the UK, nor have I driven the Yeti much, that the Yeti is STILL on its winter tyres from last year!!!  Oops. I will have done this whole summer on them. But then I only drive the poor thing once every 3 to 4 weeks and even then no more than 10 miles or so (apart from when I took The Turtle to Glastonbury). Poor neglected Yeti.

 

But I think I will officially be the first person with winters on this year. Ha.

[domhnall]

Nah, I've got Michelin cross climates on. Had them on since the car was delivered in July

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

[rum4mo]

I have a confession to make. Since I now live (for another year) in Istanbul for this project I'm on, and have not had the time in the UK, nor have I driven the Yeti much, that the Yeti is STILL on its winter tyres from last year!!!  Oops. I will have done this whole summer on them. But then I only drive the poor thing once every 3 to 4 weeks and even then no more than 10 miles or so (apart from when I took The Turtle to Glastonbury). Poor neglected Yeti.

 

But I think I will officially be the first person with winters on this year. Ha.

 

Sad to say, but my Audi S4 got its winters put on in October 2014, laziness combined with crap weather and waiting two months to attend to some inflicted paint work damage has meant that it has had an easy summer! On the plus side, these winters are firming up nicely so really do need to get used up before they lose some of their cold weather effectiveness.

 

I've found that there are a surprisingly (to me) high number of people using winters all year round, or maybe they have caught on to the fact that their quality winter tyres seem to be lasting "very well" - I think that that translates into, they have become a bit too old so have become as hard as summers. Certainly the Michelin Alpin A3 that I took off wife's old Polo have had an average of 30K miles each - and still have 6.5mm tread depth, which must in part be down to them being 5 winters old!

Edited 30 October, 2015 by rum4mo

[900000]

I've found that there are a surprisingly (to me) high number of people using winters all year round, or maybe they have caught on to the fact that their quality winter tyres seem to be lasting "very well" - I think that that translates into, they have become a bit too old so have become as hard as summers. Certainly the Michelin Alpin A3 that I took off wife's old Polo have had an average of 30K miles each - and still have 6.5mm tread depth, which must in part be down to them being 5 winters old!

 

Fair enough...  BUT I full well also know the limitations of winter tyres in the summer. Far longer stopping distances compared to the proper summer tyres and far lower speeds I can manage through corners. The latter not really a safety thing but that "step" as the sidewall deforms on the marshmallows as the weight of the car transfers over them in a corner, means you cannot remotely do the same speeds through corners as on the low profile summer tyres. And the ESP don't like that "step" and body movement either and cuts in much sooner.

 

But it should be the stopping distances that should scare most people in the summer into changing back to proper summer tyres. But hey ho.

[Lady Elanore]

you can definitely feel the difference in the summer if you leave your Winters on. The steering is so much more vague. I put it down to the big independent blocks which are super soft in cold weather, let lone the heat of summer. it does make the ride quality on your car improve though

[rum4mo]

you can definitely feel the difference in the summer if you leave your Winters on. The steering is so much more vague. I put it down to the big independent blocks which are super soft in cold weather, let lone the heat of summer. it does make the ride quality on your car improve though

 

Unfortunately, I think, you will find that that lovely soft compound does age quite a bit over the space of 4 or 5 years, which is no good unless you can then sell them on to some poor sod who likes a bargain, and start a fresh!

 

Edit:- I think that my bargain hunting "poor sod" is coming to pick up his "new to him" used Alpin A3s tomorrow!

Edited 4 November, 2015 by rum4mo

[Lady Elanore]

I doubt my winters will last 4 or 5 years, it's never been a problem over the last 8 years I've been using them. If I can get 3 winters out of them I'll be happy

[900000]

you can definitely feel the difference in the summer if you leave your Winters on. The steering is so much more vague. I put it down to the big independent blocks which are super soft in cold weather, let lone the heat of summer. it does make the ride quality on your car improve though

 

Yup. Being massive marshmallows the car whafts over speedbumps and generally on any road. They are certainly more comfortable that's for sure. But for handling? Utter rubbish in my book. And furthermore the ones I have are pretty noisy too compared to the summer tyres.

 

But having a petrol Corolla now on summer tyres here in Istanbul (my company car) I'm not looking forward to my dialy commute to work during the snowy winter ahead - since I work outside of Istanbul and have a 40km commute along a windy road... Fun and games ahead.

[Lady Elanore]

It's hard to say, as I have never been able to do a back to back winter tyre test on the same vehicle, but in the dry the Nokian D4s on my new style Vitara seem to handle better than my previous Vredestein Extremes (Vreds were on an A4 Quattro and a Suzy Grand Vitara). What they are like on snow, ice , slush and water etc I can't say.............. yet

[MattHunt]

Having used Vredesteins Winters (Snowtrac and Extremes) for the last 8 years, I was thinking of a change. Either the Conti T850s or possibly, now that all season tyres seem to have continued improving to a point where they are comparable with average winter tyres in most conditions, the latest Nokian Weatherproofs. Anyone with any experience of these 2 tyres?

Hi Amanda,

We have the 850s on the Octavia and find them very good. We have had two winters from them so far. On slushy and icy lanes around here they hold the car nicely ....where the Fabia just lost it totally on one corner the Octy just bimbled round.

Matt

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Lady Elanore]

Hi Amanda,

We have the 850s on the Octavia and find them very good. We have had two winters from them so far. On slushy and icy lanes around here they hold the car nicely ....where the Fabia just lost it totally on one corner the Octy just bimbled round.

Matt

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

In the end I went for the Nokian D4s' Bit of a whim and a good foreign review tipped it for me. I really would have like the Weatherproofs, but as yet my weird tyre size isn't covered. The 850s get great reviews though

[Huskoda]

I have 850s on our other car (FWD diesel) and they have been excellent. Recording from last winter of me testing them out on a hilly housing estate.

 

Edited 16 November, 2015 by Huskoda

[Hughp]

I have Michelin All Climate tyres on my Roomster. I live in Hamshire, I think this is all that is needed in this part of the UK. There is not sufficient snow to need any thing else. Looking at the research on the Michelin website, these tyres will be sufficient in most parts of the UK.

[CWARD]

Just put my winter wheels on today which I picked up through this forum. A test drive around town and I suddenly realised how much more grip I have now the temperature has dropped from the previous wheels fitted with nearly Michelin PS3's. Running 16 inch wheels instead of the normal 18's didn't make the car as wallowy as I thought it would but did the make car much more quieter.

[Soonmixdin]

Just put my winter wheels on today which I picked up through this forum. A test drive around town and I suddenly realised how much more grip I have now the temperature has dropped from the previous wheels fitted with nearly Michelin PS3's. Running 16 inch wheels instead of the normal 18's didn't make the car as wallowy as I thought it would but did the make car much more quieter.

 

Just done the same myself, removed my 18" Michelins which were illegal through sawtoothing and then fitted some 16" alloys with Dunlop WinterSport 3D tyres. Ride quality improved 150% understandably seeing as these tyres have about 8mm tread on them!!

[Sec8200]

Anyone with suggestions for Conti TS860 vs Dunlop Wintrr Sport 5 vs others (Vredestein,GoodYear). Mainly city driving, occassional snow in mountains during vacations,mostly wet or dry in the city and highways around.

Goodyear UG8 were good first three years then degraded. Dunlop I've use one year for summer ones, very good but sold with my previous car. As they are part of GY thinking if they will degrade if I choose them for next winters.

Do I need higher rate of H for added safety and quality, even if I dont drive at those max speed limits?

Edited 11 October, 2016 by fallenfbsd

[Lady Elanore]

I went from Vredestein Extremes (having used them since around 2009) to Nokian WR D4s and found them to be equally good in snow, but superior to the Vreds - by a fair margin- in the wet. The Vred extremes have a tendency to aquaplane when you have a bit of lock on and it's really, really wet, at least on the 3 cars that I have used them on. Mind you the Vreds last really well 

[CWARD]

I've always used Michelin Alpin and found them to be really good in cold, wet winters and when it has snowed I haven't got stuck on untreated roads. They wear well too with constant grip.

 

Last year, my first winter with the Octavia, I picked up some second hand Conti TS winter tyres and wheels. Lots of grip in the cold and wet compared to my Michelin PS3's and were the equal of the Alpin's but not had any snow to test. I'll be selling these tyres and wheels soon though as I managed to pick up some 17inch winter tyres and wheels. My wife's BMW 120d has as set off Conti TS winter tyres which have seen snow and she had no problems with them despite her work colleagues saying she was going to be stuck in the snow because of the rear wheel drive for her to drive straight past them as they struggled to get out of the car park.  

 

The 17 inch winter tyres are Hankook which I've never used before so be interesting to see how these compare when I fit them within the next month.

[CWARD]

I went from Vredestein Extremes (having used them since around 2009) to Nokian WR D4s and found them to be equally good in snow, but superior to the Vreds - by a fair margin- in the wet. The Vred extremes have a tendency to aquaplane when you have a bit of lock on and it's really, really wet, at least on the 3 cars that I have used them on. Mind you the Vreds last really well 

 

Surprised by the Vreds aquaplaning as I've used the Ultrac Sessanta before and found them to great in the wet and are my go to tyre if I can't PS3's on offer from Costco.

[Lady Elanore]

I had Snotrac tyres before I had the Extremes and found them to be fine. It was just standing water seemed to make the Extremes aquaplane more than either the Nokians or the Snotracs