After ordering a set from mytyres before Christmas, they finally arrived yesterday and were fitted onto steel rims today. Tyres came direct from Poland in the end and at £105 per tyre i thought it wasn't too bad for a premium winter tyre and when demand for such tyres is sky high. Ratings can be found here.

http://www.tyretest.com/pkw_winterreifen/index.html

Although the car now looks a bit sorry for itself having lost it spiders for a couple of months, the Goodyear Ultra Grip 7+'s are a very nice ride. Much better and quieter than the budget summer tyres i had on previously and the 55 profile seems to be a more comfortable ride on roads that are showing signs of breaking up again. (Why we put up with the state of our roads i will never know, given the amount of tax revenue generated from car drivers - rant over).

The tyre compound is noticeable different too, being much softer.

Yet to be tested in ice and snow, but from what other members have already indicated, they will make a material difference when the snow next arrives. My technique may also have improved a little too by then.

I've got cooper winter tyres on mine and the ride is better on 16's grip is awesome in the wet and on icy roads you honestly can't tell like the other morning when I was swearing at other drivers for doing 15mph, didn't realise that it was icy till I fell on my bum getting out of the car when I got to work! Haven't tried them in the snow yet as it hasn't snowed properly since I got them fitted which is typical!

I had mine fitted just before I drove up to Scotland last week.

The car felt so much more planted, even just in "normal" cold conditions, it was worth the little bit extra that it cost to buy them so late.

I find the grip levels are worse in the wet and dry compared to my summer wheels/tyres (although it's not a fair comparison as the profile isn't the same, although the width is). I think it's the tread blocks squirming and I especially notice the back end getting a bit wayward sometimes too. However, when it comes to snow/ice . . . the difference is amazing.

I drive a car at work that has winter / snow tyres fitted and on anything other than very cold weather i.e under freezing temperatures they feel awful compared to normal tyres.

When researching Winter tyres and after driving around in CZ last winter, I found this link , which gives a very good visual explanation of the difference in Summer and Winter tyres:

I am running 205/55/16 91H Conti Winter Contacts. I normally run Avon ZV5's of the same size but 94W rated. In the last few days where the temperature has been 5-8 degrees , I have found them to give less grip and a more bouncy ride than the ZV5's. However in the snow and when temperatures were around freezing they were very effective and reassuring.

So performing as expected really.

Edited 6 January, 201115 yr by modra_vrs

Im currently running All seasons tyres - Nokians 195 / 60 R15's on Steel rims. I ideally wanted winter tyres but they had pretty much run out! I had already stretched my budget, and had ordered a set from a firm when they ran out! After fitting the tyres to the new 2nd hand rims, purchasing new wheel bolts and fitting it all came to just under £500! Having said all this in the last load of snow we had, I was very glad for them. They felt reasonably safe in the bad conditions, which I wouldn't have done with my normal 17" alloys, and low profile wide tyres! 225 / 45! In the wet / icy conditions I can get them to spin up! There was definitley no salt on the roads on the way to work this morning and the car felt reasonably planted even when I tried caning the throttle!