Well it boils down to costs just now BS, I can add 2 winters to my VRS Octavia FWD (which sat in the drive for 6 weeks last year) or buy a set of 4 for the Yeti. I am not talking large milage mainly the commute to/from work 20 minute drive, was really guaging how many 4x4 users here had winter tyres, can see arguments for and against also.

I really would not just by 2 tyres unless you want the back to overtake the front under heavy braking....There are some wonderful youtube video's demonstrating that effect. Yes you can drive with just the driven wheels with winter tyres and some people do. It is not recommended.

I really would not just by 2 tyres unless you want the back to overtake the front under heavy braking....There are some wonderful youtube video's demonstrating that effect. Yes you can drive with just the driven wheels with winter tyres and some people do. It is not recommended.

Yes the two winter tyre thing worried me also :S

As a thought something like this My link should fit either the SM or the vRS.

Regards,

TP

As TP has mentioned the 'wide' low profile tyres on our SM's and fitted to most new vehicle now in the interests of 'sport' models that most people seem to want are nowhere near as good as the tyres that my father, who has been driving for 60 plus years,were driving on years ago. They were tall and narrow, perfect for snow.

Written by a a rich?(broke more like) tearaway (yeah right - seen my average speed - about 20mph over 10,000 miles and my fuel consumption, it the best of this crop of diesel DSG's and 90% of my driving is around South London.

I just value my safety and those of my loved ones, and to be able to get up the 1 in 4 's that are around where I live. and to be able to avoid other drivers who aren't driving 'defensively'. (most of the drivers around London)

I am pretty certain that most people on here would be driving according to the conditions regardless of what tyres are fitted. Sun, rain, snow, mud, sheep or collies as we are enthusiasts, compared to the general public who don't wave at you etc etc....

Well it boils down to costs just now BS, I can add 2 winters to my VRS Octavia FWD (which sat in the drive for 6 weeks last year) or buy a set of 4 for the Yeti. I am not talking large milage mainly the commute to/from work 20 minute drive, was really guaging how many 4x4 users here had winter tyres, can see arguments for and against also.

Please don't go the '2 winter tyres only' - its daft!

Which of your two cars are you more likely to use? Seems like its the Yeti.

Which will be more capable in a 'worst case' scenario - the Yeti (with its 4x4).

What will your winter weather be like? Where in the country are you?

Seems like your drifting (no pun intended) to putting winter tyres on your Yeti.

As TP has mentioned the 'wide' low profile tyres on our SM's and fitted to most new vehicle now in the interests of 'sport' models that most people seem to want are nowhere near as good as the tyres that my father, who has been driving for 60 plus years,were driving on years ago. They were tall and narrow, perfect for snow.

Fair point, but how much snow do we actually get here in UK? I suppose it depends on where in the country you are.

For me, in the south east, I've got winter tyres for better overall grip etc. in the cool/cold winter condition and want to preserve the original handling etc. as much as possible so have retained the 225/50 17 size on OE rims.

OK, I know these will not perform quite as well in snow compared to a 215/?? or 205/?? 16 tyre but they will still provide much better grip than summer tyres.

There's a briskodian in Norway with a much modified Octavia vRS who, IIRC, still runs 245/35 19s (or similar) in the winter to no apparant ill effect (and he certainly won't be able to fit snow chains.

Fair point, but how much snow do we actually get here in UK? I suppose it depends on where in the country you are.

For me, in the south east, I've got winter tyres for better overall grip etc. in the cool/cold winter condition and want to preserve the original handling etc. as much as possible so have retained the 225/50 17 size on OE rims.

OK, I know these will not perform quite as well in snow compared to a 215/?? or 205/?? 16 tyre but they will still provide much better grip than summer tyres.

There's a briskodian in Norway with a much modified Octavia vRS who, IIRC, still runs 245/35 19s (or similar) in the winter to no apparant ill effect (and he certainly won't be able to fit snow chains.

As always with these things it's down to personal preference. I know of at least two Monster owners running 225 winters in Scotland who encounter regular heavy snow. However for me personally I feel having now driven similar Yeti's on both the 17" and 16" options for a reasonable amount of miles, that the 16" provides the better ride and handling. But that's my view. Only run the Yeti on 205/55 16's thus far in winter and they performed very well no matter what the weather but particularly when it came to dealing with the brief but heavy downfalls of snow on the Wolds which I have to traverse to get home from work.

Regards,

TP

I've been using winter tyres some time now. The reasons are twofold. Firstly, because of my job, I don't want to be caught out by the snow. With funding cuts, gritting will become less. Secondly, we take an annual ski trip to Austria where it is a legal requirement to have winter tyres fitted.

However, with a set of steel rims for winter, it does mean I can take my OE alloys off, clean them, check the tyres and store them.

Two years ago, I bought an electric impact wrench from my local car accessory shop - £12. This and a trolley jack really make the job easy.

Winter tyres most definitely make a huge difference. Not an alternative to "defensive driving" but adding in a huge safety margin.

John

Well it boils down to costs just now BS, I can add 2 winters to my VRS Octavia FWD (which sat in the drive for 6 weeks last year) or buy a set of 4 for the Yeti. I am not talking large milage mainly the commute to/from work 20 minute drive, was really guaging how many 4x4 users here had winter tyres, can see arguments for and against also.

Buy a air of Autosocks for if you get stuck.

John

Right - is there an idiot's guide somewhere? 1. Where is the best place to buy some 16" steel rims and winter tyres for a Yeti and 2. Do you have to have VCDS to change from 17" alloys to 16 steels or can this be done in maxidot? Sorry if this has already been said elsewhere ad infinitum but appreciate a current view!

Right - is there an idiot's guide somewhere?

Yes; right here; various threads

1. Where is the best place to buy some 16" steel rims and winter tyres for a Yeti

Your local Skoda dealer, any number of tyre/wheel retailers local & internet e.g. www.tyremen.co.uk, www.mytyres.co.uk, www.camskill.co.uk, ebay (for wheels, possible 2nd hand alloys?) etc. etc.

and 2. Do you have to have VCDS to change from 17" alloys to 16 steels or can this be done in maxidot? Sorry if this has already been said elsewhere ad infinitum but appreciate a current view!

No; you just need to remember to reset the Tyre Pressure Monitor.

Daft question boys how much are the 16" Moon alloys?. per wheel? I am swaying towards a set of 4 for the Yeti.

Re. the 2 Winter wheels on the front of a VRS, I know of one such chap who does so, swears by it. As we can see from the thread, the amount of opinion on this issue is varied. :'(

Daft question boys how much are the 16" Moon alloys?. per wheel? I am swaying towards a set of 4 for the Yeti.

Not enough to get killed over

Re. the 2 Winter wheels on the front of a VRS, I know of one such chap who does so, swears by it. As we can see from the thread, the amount of opinion on this issue is varied. :'(

Remember that people always swear by what they themselves do/did. How often do you hear: "I did this - but it was a mistake.?

Winters on the front will get ya going, but could well surprise you in a braking-in-a-curve situation - rear axle skids are not much fun unless deliberately intended.

Right - is there an idiot's guide somewhere? 1. Where is the best place to buy some 16" steel rims and winter tyres for a Yeti and 2. Do you have to have VCDS to change from 17" alloys to 16 steels or can this be done in maxidot? Sorry if this has already been said elsewhere ad infinitum but appreciate a current view!

Hi,

dealer supplied official VAG rims tend to be the best fit and quality but obviously at a price. Some dealers can also again supply and fit winter tyres. On-line retailers such as mytyres can supply either tyres or tyres fitted to steel or alloy 'after-market' rims ready to fit to your vehicle. However Skoda plastic wheel trims tend not to fit as well on these non VAG steel rims.

Further information and web links to some on-line retailers can be found here;

Yeti tyre & rim guide

The maxidot does have a winter setting, however its a speed warning not a speedometer adjustment tool. Many winter tyres tend to have a lower speed rating than the standard summer tyres fitted, hence having a function to warn of excessive speed. However a winter H rated tyre should be within the max speed capabilities of most Yeti's with the possible exception of those that are Shark Editions

Regards,

TP

Well it boils down to costs just now BS, I can add 2 winters to my VRS Octavia FWD (which sat in the drive for 6 weeks last year) or buy a set of 4 for the Yeti. I am not talking large milage mainly the commute to/from work 20 minute drive, was really guaging how many 4x4 users here had winter tyres, can see arguments for and against also.

Two winter tyres on car?

Here is the answer which is of course NEVER! You will have different levels of grip with the front tyres gripping and the rears having no grip with very predictable results in even the mildest of corners:

Daft question boys how much are the 16" Moon alloys?. per wheel? I am swaying towards a set of 4 for the Yeti.

Not sure but I think someone has already aquired some for around the £150 mark if I remember correctly. However that appears a little steep if correct, as the similar Spectrum lists on the accessories page at £142 (before any discount haggling).

My link

Neither the Moon or the new Nevis are as yet listed in accessories and knowing SUK they might not get round to adding them either :S

Part numbers for all official rims can be found in the tyre & rim guide (including the Nevis);

My link

Regards,

TP

Daft question boys how much are the 16" Moon alloys?. per wheel? I am swaying towards a set of 4 for the Yeti.

Can't for the life of me find the info on SUK but IIRC they're around £135 - £145 each; as are any other Skoda OE alloy wheel.

Good news - winter tyres are better in winter than summer ones

Bad news - when you are stuck behind a convoy of tw*ts in 2wd cars on summer tyres then you ain't going anywhere

taking lessons in adverse weather driving is as valuable as getting winter tyres - and just pray to your god that you get a clear road in front of you when the white stuff falls

Good news - winter tyres are better in winter than summer ones

Bad news - when you are stuck behind a convoy of tw*ts in 2wd cars on summer tyres then you ain't going anywhere

That is so true and gave me my first belly laugh of the day. When the snow came last year I had two glorious days where I had the A1 north of Morpeth to myself and a handful of others in Freelanders, X-Trials and a range of Mitsubishi's. We all glided along in smug satisfaction. Unfortunately on the 3rd day the rest of the population decided they could no longer stay off work and all hell broke loose. Muppets sliding around, or not moving at all. I ended up going the back routes that everyone else was too frightened to use, apart from the same people in the cars already mentioned.

As a country we seem to be looking at the snow issue the wrong way. We clearly can not grit every road or keep them all clear of snow and ice so maybe we need to look at this another way. If we can not remove the snow and ice then we have to be able to drive over it and that means looking at tyres. It needs a motoring group or a politician to pick this up and run with it as otherwise we will have the same situation every year when the white stuff comes.

As a country we seem to be looking at the snow issue the wrong way. We clearly can not grit every road or keep them all clear of snow and ice so maybe we need to look at this another way. If we can not remove the snow and ice then we have to be able to drive over it and that means looking at tyres. It needs a motoring group or a politician to pick this up and run with it as otherwise we will have the same situation every year when the white stuff comes.

With the Government trying to find ways to cut costs these days this will be such an easy way to do it. Stop gritting (most of the roads) and use the money saved elsewhere. Then make it law to fit winter tyres as per many countries in Europe. In one clean sweap they passed the onus from themselves (and any blame for not gritting enough, soon enough, regular enough, etc, etc) to the people. If you want to go somewhere in the snow the onus is on you to fit the correct tyres. No one else to blame but yourself then if you can't get to work.

But I agree it will be difficult to implement this as many people can and will get to where they're going without the need for winter tyres... So an easy answer there is not.

That is so true and gave me my first belly laugh of the day. When the snow came last year I had two glorious days where I had the A1 north of Morpeth to myself and a handful of others in Freelanders, X-Trials and a range of Mitsubishi's. We all glided along in smug satisfaction. Unfortunately on the 3rd day the rest of the population decided they could no longer stay off work and all hell broke loose. Muppets sliding around, or not moving at all. I ended up going the back routes that everyone else was too frightened to use, apart from the same people in the cars already mentioned.

As a country we seem to be looking at the snow issue the wrong way. We clearly can not grit every road or keep them all clear of snow and ice so maybe we need to look at this another way. If we can not remove the snow and ice then we have to be able to drive over it and that means looking at tyres. It needs a motoring group or a politician to pick this up and run with it as otherwise we will have the same situation every year when the white stuff comes.

+1

All so true!

Businesses that rely upon deliveries, Emergency Services etc. are starting to get a grip of Winter Tyres but I think it will be a long time before the general public or Government stop playing at being an Ostrich!

Good news - winter tyres are better in winter than summer ones

Bad news - when you are stuck behind a convoy of tw*ts in 2wd cars on summer tyres then you ain't going anywhere

taking lessons in adverse weather driving is as valuable as getting winter tyres - and just pray to your god that you get a clear road in front of you when the white stuff falls

Or hope the verge is wide enough (and without a hidden ditch) to go round them

TP

Daft question boys how much are the 16" Moon alloys?. per wheel? I am swaying towards a set of 4 for the Yeti.

Re. the 2 Winter wheels on the front of a VRS, I know of one such chap who does so, swears by it. As we can see from the thread, the amount of opinion on this issue is varied.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bad news is that they are £208.00 each ( But they do look nice ) Part number 3T0 601 025 N 7ZS

The best deal I managed was less 10%

Edited 18 August, 201114 yr by Lowen

The bad news is that they are £208.00 each ( But they do look nice ) Part number 3T0 601 025 N 7ZS

The best deal I managed was less 10%

Surely not? That's a ludicrous price.

Almost better off getting some aftermarket alloys of some description; or just another set of Spitzbergs.

Winter Tyres are not an affluent extra.

It is merely an issue of cash flow! Spending to save in the future.

When on winters the summers are resting and vice versa, you cannot wear out two full sets of tyres at the same time on one vehicle!

By shelling out up front and running winters you extend the chronological life of your summers - As such the net effect on your overall ownership costs for the car in it's time with you is actually pretty neutral (subject to what you paid for your second set of wheels against the savings in buying 16" profile winter tyres against 17" summer tyres).

Beyond this, lets please park the "I've managed on summers for ever without incident and am a driving god" attitude, there is a wealth of human history to show that technogical inovation can improve things. Why use a JCB to dig a trench when the spades already been invented and used for centuries?! Whats the point of wasting money on a fridge if you have access to lots of salt? Why have a car when you've got two legs? The list goes on......

If winter tyres were a load of phooey then Scandavian countries wouldn't insist on them without good reason. If you live somewhere that annually sees temperatures below 7 deg C for the core of the winter - Winter tyres will perform better, snow or no snow, driving like a god or driving like a pleb.

Whether individuals wish to enjoy and benefit from that additional performance is entirely up to them......

Niall

Bad news - when you are stuck behind a convoy of tw*ts in 2wd cars on summer tyres then you ain't going anywhere

That is so true and gave me my first belly laugh of the day. When the snow came last year I had two glorious days where I had the A1 north of Morpeth to myself and a handful of others in Freelanders, X-Trials and a range of Mitsubishi's. We all glided along in smug satisfaction. Unfortunately on the 3rd day the rest of the population decided they could no longer stay off work and all hell broke loose. Muppets sliding around, or not moving at all.

So to the OP - if you fit the winter tyres to your Yeti you will have enhanced grip etc, won't be a tw*t/muppet & you can be smug (Yeti drive - smugger?) too!

Sounds like a winner to me!

Winter Tyres are not an affluent extra.

It is merely an issue of cash flow! Spending to save in the future.

+1 on all that Niall!

If only we can now park this subject well and truly and move on. The exact same arguments get rehashed every single autumn and I guess will continue to be rehashed for as long as we can all drive and belong to Briskoda.

Tip: type "site: briskoda.net winter tyres" into Google and you will get all these threads from the past to read at your leisure. If you still have questions after doing that, by all means, start a new thread. If your questions had been answered (and I'm dead sure they would have) please leave this subject in peace.