Now may seem an odd time to look at winter tyres but as the weather changes prices seem to go up. I managed on summer tyres last year or borrowing my lady's Shogun during snow.

This coming year that is no longer an option so I am looking at a set of winter tyres for my Octavia VRs CR to go on the 18 inch wheels. I would like a tyre that works rather than cheap and useless.

Has anyone got feedback from winter tyres on 18 inch wheels from last year????

Those who have done it seem to think it was a good move whatever tyre that have put on. Most opt for 16" steel wheels with the winter tyres fitted to them. Narrower tyres working better and the price being about the same as 225x18 winter tyres and no fees for swapping over.

I managed in the previous bad winters in the VRS with standard tyres and that was in 18-24" of snow at -18C. A switch to new normal tyres before the bad weather comes (if it comes) might be enough. You're in Kent so less likely to be hit with the temperatures and snow we see up here.

As said, narrower smaller wheels & tyres are preferable, but if you want to stick with 18s then of course winter/cold specific rubber will make a huge difference in general driving terms in the cold weather, compared with 'summer' spec rubber.

205/55/16 will be within the parameters of rolling resistance, compared with 225/40/18. As will 225/45/17 if you want to drop one wheel size.

Getting a 2nd set of wheels also makes it far easier to just swap back and forth, rather than paying for tyre removal/re-fitting each season. Also the way the weather went earlier in the year, I put my 18s back on then ended up reverting back to my winters when another cold snap descended!

Hope this helps.

I too use 205/55/16's on the Superb and cannot recommend Nokian WR G2's highly enough!

I have just sold my last set that were on 7" wide Audi alloys (IMO the best solution) as SWMBO wanted a different style for her new TT, so I have gone for 17's which meant I had to get Nokian WR A3's instead of the G2's, hope they are just as good?

I used oponeo.co.uk this time as they were £6 per tyre cheaper than mytyres (who are normally one of the cheapest), ordered Monday afternoon, arrived Wednesday lunchtime.... great service.

Cheers - will update my tyre supplier list

Hi there. I went for 18" winters last year since my vrs is a company car.

I put on Matador Nordicca mp59. They were excellent, I got 20k out of the front tyres and they handle very well. You obviously cant push them like summer tyres but they were still very good. I drove them from -4c upto 20c and they performed great.

Just watch it for the first couple of hundred miles as they take a bit of wearing in. Your first 100 especially.

I live in West Wales, so the roads are not great and I like to push on.

As soon as they are in stock I'm getting some.

Another thing, they are probably the best tyre I have had for extreme wet motor way driving.

Yep, wet weather grip is certainly another additional bonus. The amount of power I was able to put down in pouring conditions was to me a revelation.

Also their ability to deal with standing water and as you say, wet motorways is far superior to any 'summer' tyre I've ever used.

I'm sure you all noticed, nights are drawing in now - soon be christmas!

Vredestein wintrac extreme in we 18" here

Excellent tyres. 2 winters do far and loads of tread left

Agree but now and save loads

We driver into a pub over flow car park with no issues. Up a hill coverred in snow. Only car that made it others were 4x4

I looked into this last year, considering whether to fit winter tyres to the standard 18inch alloys, or get a set of 16inch steel wheels. In the end I decided to fit 16 inch steel wheels and conti TS830 205/55/R16 tyres to my vrs last winter. Made a big difference on cold weather (wet, dry or snowy), felt much more stable, could floor it in 2nd on a cold wet road with no wheelspin (conti sc2s would spin easily). Cost for wheels+tyres worked out about the same as 4x 225/40/R18 inch decent winter tyres, plus my alloys weren't going to get trashed over winter (had to have one repaired the previous year after I slid into a kerb in the snow on summer tyres- made me decide to get winter tyres!). Amazing in snow, only thing that stopped me was when the front bumper started acting as a snowplough in deep snow. As good (or better) grip as most 4wds for traction, but unlike them I could stop and steer too (driving appropriately for the conditions, obviously)

Oh, and much less road noise and better ride quality compared to the 18s too.

If you are changing wheels do bear in mind you need somewhere to store the set of wheels that aren't on the car (I don't have a garage...) and you will probably need to tell your insurance as it is a "modification" (even though it makes the car safer!) Plus I found some insurance companies that said my policy would be void if I fitted winter tyres!! :wonder:

Edited 16 August, 201213 yr by rdjwarren

I used Hankook Icebear 225/45 17 last year when I had my Seat. Intend getting them for the Vrs this winter. The difference was amazing especially when braking - abs didnt kick in nearly as much! Even when the temperature was warmer (over 10c) they still felt ok and showed hardly an wear. Wet weather performance was amazing as well

My VRS came with Hankook IceBears on it when I bought it in February. They are 225/40/18s on the normal wheels. They seemed excellent, and offered as much or possibly even more grip in the cold and wet than my current summer tyres do in the warm and wet!

Ideally I think I would go for the 16s too and have a 2nd set of wheels, but for the time being these have a huge amount of tread still on them and at over £100 each I'm not binning them so I'll bend over and take the £50 fitting and balancing fee for 4 wheels again come November or whenever.

It does make sense to have a 2nd set of wheels I think - I am still on the lookout for some old VAG group 18" 5x112's but they are hard to come by at a the price I want to pay (say £100 and referb them myself).

I asked my insurance company just to be on the safe side (LV in case anyone is interested) and there was no added premium to fitting a set of steel wheels shod with winter tyres. As my 'winters' are exactly the same size as the spare wheel in the boot, and the tyres are Skoda's recommended size for winter tyres (205/55R16), I don't see how it could be classed as a modification.

As for just fitting winter tyres on existing rims as long as they are up to the relevant standards and are the correct size what has it to do with the insurance company

I got my last yeah and really made a difference to the summer 18's.

On the front of insurance I would say if fitting tyres to the stock 18" wheels there should be no reason why the insurance company is told. You don't tell them when you replace your tyres do you?

On 16's personally I can't see why you should have to as they would be cheaper to replace than the 18's but I would suggest if in doubt ask...... Let's face it the bar Stewarts will try anything to get out of a claim!

I got my last yeah and really made a difference to the summer 18's.

On the front of insurance I would say if fitting tyres to the stock 18" wheels there should be no reason why the insurance company is told. You don't tell them when you replace your tyres do you?

On 16's personally I can't see why you should have to as they would be cheaper to replace than the 18's but I would suggest if in doubt ask...... Let's face it the bar Stewarts will try anything to get out of a claim!