I have been trying to decide which winter tyres represented best value / performance for the money and compiled this list using the mytres.co.uk web site. In the premium brand price range it seem to me that the Michelin Alpin A4 is the best performer but I would appreciate opinions from anyone that used winter tyres last year. Also, how reliable are the test results that are shown? - Tyre size compared here 215/60 R16 99H

Edited 14 May, 201115 yr by Lowen

I was very impressed with my Kumho KW-27s in 225/45 17. About £85 each when I got them, IIRC. Not that much worse than my Conti SC3s on warmer roads, way, way better in the cold, snow, and ice,

I'm only a Fabia MKI driver, but I have a full set of the Michelin Alpine's on alloy rims for winter......and they are bloody brilliant!!! Can't recommend them enough!!! If you can, go down a rim size and 10mm less on the width of the tyre, as this is better for winter, eg I run 185/60 14" for winter and 195/50 15" for summer.

I ran Continental WinterContact TS810 215/60 R16's over winter and now have the Standard Dunlop SP01 225/50 R17's on.

I thought the TS810's were brilliant, but I need to replace one and so far haven't been able to find a replacement. Might have to buy 2 and go for a different make. I would either buy TS830P or Alpin A4.

The Alpin A4's are cheaper as I write this than your OP. £136.60 each delivered.....

I would expect the prices to drop a little more...or rather I hope they drop a little more.

The problem with this question is that there isn't a single answer that one can say "This!! Do this!!"

There are so many variables, vehicle, type of use, climate, needs and expectations of the user and so on.

For example I have Nokian W+ on one car, Conti WinterContact TS830 on another, Michelins X-Ice on yet another, and Nordmans (studded budget Nokian brand) on a Swedish registered car. Also drive a whole host of stuff on various job cars.

Ignoring the tyres that aren't suitable for UK use, the Michelins and Nordmans, the Contis are FAR superior to the Nokian W+ in conditions of snow and ice. Yet the Nokians are superior in that typical UK winter weather of no snow but cold wet roads, yet one can immediately sense that the grip is less when white stuff is one the ground.

Why do we have different tyres on different vehicles, simply because of different usage pattern.

Problem with most tyre tests of winter tyres are that they are far too biased towards snow and ice performance, when for UK we actually need a more moderate tyre. For example the Nokian WRG2 whilst is classed as a winter tyre, performs much more like an allweather and is often downrated in winter tyre tests, but in reality is more suited to the use most people would hand out in UK.

Sorry OP realise this doesn't answer your question exactly, but I've known people get suckered in by a good report on something really blocky and more suitable for Nordic conditions and be very disappointed when driving in UK cold and wet conditions but above freezing by a few degrees.

In my experience, I would say very generally that the price/performance suffers, not necessarily in the cold snow and ice, but in dry and wet conditions above zero. By that I mean some cheap(ish) tyres will work a lot better than normal tyres in snow and ice, and in comparison with much more expensive winter tyres they may not be taht much worse, but it's when the snow/ice is gone that the cheap tyres struggle.

Clear as mud? Sorry but devil is in detail.

The Alpin A4's got rave reviews in bad weather as in wet....English weather. Regretted not getting them as I think they are more readily available than the TS810's I have.

I have a 1.2Tsi SE 2wd which was pretty bad in the road conditions we experienced last november/december. I fitted Michelin Alpin A4's last December and they were excellent, they were put onto a set of 16" steel wheels. I live in Aberdeenshire and have driven many years in snow/ice etc, I would recommend Michelin Alpin A4 to anyone. I changed back to the alloys with Dunlop SP's in April.

I reckon I will get 4 winters out of the Alpin's.

I ran Continental WinterContact TS810 215/60 R16's over winter and now have the Standard Dunlop SP01 225/50 R17's on.

I thought the TS810's were brilliant, but I need to replace one and so far haven't been able to find a replacement. Might have to buy 2 and go for a different make. I would either buy TS830P or Alpin A4.

The Alpin A4's are cheaper as I write this than your OP. £136.60 each delivered.....

I would expect the prices to drop a little more...or rather I hope they drop a little more.

Last week I was offered Conti TS810 in 215 60 16 for £125 fitted at ATS Euromaster Newton Abbot. 01626 361881 I spoke to Andy who was uncommonly helpful. He may tell you if you can get one locally, providing you have a branch locally, that is. As I said elsewhere I went for 4 Dunlop Winter Sports from ATS in the same size which were £107 fitted. EDIT...The Michelin Alpins were also offered to me at £132 fitted, at the same place. It, apparently, included a 25% discount).

Edited 14 May, 201115 yr by oldstan

Last week I was offered Conti TS810 in 215 60 16 for £125 fitted at ATS Euromaster Newton Abbot. 01626 361881 I spoke to Andy who was uncommonly helpful. He may tell you if you can get one locally, providing you have a branch locally, that is. As I said elsewhere I went for 4 Dunlop Winter Sports from ATS in the same size which were £107 fitted. EDIT...The Michelin Alpins were also offered to me at £132 fitted, at the same place. It, apparently, included a 25% discount).

Thanks oldstan. Food for thought. I paid £111 last time.

Thanks oldstan. Food for thought. I paid £111 last time.

You're welcome. Maybe your earlier purchase was at 17'5% VAT, so perhaps not a huge increase....and everyone has them at different prices.

Wouldn't know how to say which is the better tyre between Dunlop, Vreds, Mich, Goodyear or Conti. Would have thought, from what I've read, that they're all gonna be loads better in the winter. You can only do so much....

I used Michelin Alpin A4 on 16" steel rims. Great in wet (lots of it), slush (often) and snow and pretty good on icy hills too.

At a wedding in Wales we attended we were the only 2WD vehicle to arrive at the hotel at the top of the hill for some hours, all the rest were 4WD.

Cost me just under £100 each fitted including valve from local tyre distributor Brittania tyres at the end of November 2010.

I found some of the tyre guides based on user comments inconsistent to the point of being useless.

The ADAC and similar guides were more useful.

Even with these it was unusual to have more than a limited selection of the possible optionsin any one test.

Regretted changing to Dunlop summer tyres - ride worse although possibly slightly quieter.

Wish I could have got 16" alloys on my SE!

I have a rather simple philosophy when selecting both winter and summer tyres, and cost only gets partially involved:

I only buy major brand and tested tyres and select those with the highest possible score in wet handling and wet braking.

Our climate is quite similar to the UK, so it is the wet conditions that prevail, and it is in the wet you are most likely to end up in a surprise panic situation. The winter tyre with superb wet handling will also do well in snow, slush and ice, and those conditions are easily identified as a time to slow down and be more careful than normally.

The Goodyear Eagle Ultrgrips have performed flawlessly in all conditions, including all the winter disciplins as well as wet summer temperatures and low noise in dry high speed driving on the Autobahn.

The 16" 215/60 size in my opinion is the optimum size for the Yeti all round.

On the price question, I value the performancec more than the little money you could save by having inferior tyres.

Thanks for all your feedback, at the end of the day it seems that there is possibly not a great deal of difference between the premium brands. I think I will probably go with my original thoughts and buy the Michelins, all I need then is a SM to put them on

I bought a set of (205/55/16) Nokian WR2's last August for £310 delivered from mytyres, and I was VERY impressed with them on the Superb