Greetings all,

With cold weather upon us, I'm well aware that my standard fit 17" Pirellis (3K mile 140tdi DSG Elegance) are basically going to be pants in the snow and ice.

I really don't want to go the set of steel wheels + winter tyre route.

As such, I'm wondering if you folks here have felt similarly this last year or two and instead gone for running All Season tyres all year round so as to get substantially better winter tyre performance but without the hassle and expense of extra wheels + associated storage etc.. If so, which All Season tyres would you heartily recommend??

Many thanks in advance - any and all replies will be appreciated.

Seasonal regards to all (-:

Mike

Goodyear Vector 4 seasons would probably get my overall vote.

Choice in the 225/50 R17 size is very limited anyway, couple of budgets and the offerings from Pirelli, Goodyear and Hankook. My lad ran the Goodyear on a Fabia; much smaller tyre size obviously but it worked well. Hankook full winters I have currently fitted to our Yeti and I'm more than happy with them, so I'd imagine their all season Optimo 4s tyre would be similarly capable.

TP

I have done about 500 miles on the Hankook winters and I have to say i'm very impressed (no snow or ice yet) but very quiet and well damped in potholes etc.

In the recent very wet weather the amount of spray they chucked up indicated that they were shifting lots of water.

I put a set of Vredestein Wintrac Extremes on my Mother's Yeti last week (on 17s). I've been pretty impressed driving the car for a couple of days. The guy at the garage said he has a number of people who swear by them and leave them on all-year round as their summer performance is only very marginally worse but winter grip far better. They also wear well. Cost me £142 per corner all in (inc tracking and balancing).

If I could only have one set of tyres (or could have specified them new), I would go with them. Depends on personal circumstances ( and particularly where you live) but I think dedicated winter are better than "all-season" if grip and safety are the priorities. I have a set on my X5 which I take skiing twice a year - no issues at all driving at fast autobahn speeds for hours.

Greetings all,

With cold weather upon us, I'm well aware that my standard fit 17" Pirellis (3K mile 140tdi DSG Elegance) are basically going to be pants in the snow and ice.

I really don't want to go the set of steel wheels + winter tyre route.

As such, I'm wondering if you folks here have felt similarly this last year or two and instead gone for running All Season tyres all year round so as to get substantially better winter tyre performance but without the hassle and expense of extra wheels + associated storage etc.. If so, which All Season tyres would you heartily recommend??

Many thanks in advance - any and all replies will be appreciated.

Seasonal regards to all (-:

Mike

I had Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons fitted yesterday for similar reasons to thee. The Goodyears had very good reviews by the way. Early days yet, but they seem quieter than the original Dunlops and quite odd to look at. Let's hope they do a good job!

I have done about 500 miles on the Hankook winters and I have to say i'm very impressed (no snow or ice yet) but very quiet and well damped in potholes etc.

In the recent very wet weather the amount of spray they chucked up indicated that they were shifting lots of water.

But are they winter tyres or all season tyres?

I've got Vector 4 seasons on mine. They were on the fronts when I bought the car back in May, so I bought a matching pair when the rears needed changing, about a month later.

I've done about 15,000 miles since I bought the car and they're fine. Not noticed any lack of traction, they're not overly noisy and despite me thinking the fronts were perhaps wearing down, I checked last night and there's 6mm of tread still on them. So they must wear well too.

I haven't tested them in the all important ice and snow yet, so I can't comment as to their effectiveness in such conditions, but others on here have them and reckon they're fine.

Wifes Suzuki 4x4 has Vector 4 seasons. I still maintain I can feel less grip when cornering hard in warmer weather but in last years snow I didn't feel I missed a full winter tyre on her car. Subjective feeling is 90% of a winter tyre, 90% of a summer tyre but only need one set.

My Yeti has summer and Wintrac Extreme tyres but I do like to thrash the 1.8TSi on empty B roads.....(and need that extra 10%.....)

I have run the vector 4 seasons from new on my 110 4x4, they have now covered about 15000 miles and i have found them very good. They hold the road well in the summer never feel they are starting to let go on corners and they shift water very well, they also performed well in the snow last winter and certainly had heaps more grip in the cold frosty weather,

They are wearing very well looking at the fronts I am expecting to get around 25k from them, compared to the SP1 sports on my first 1.2 tsi which where crap in any cold weather.

I will defiantly be replacing them with the Goodyear vector 4 seasons again ( or maybe replace the yeti with another yeti :wonder: and vector 4s )

Greetings all,

With cold weather upon us, I'm well aware that my standard fit 17" Pirellis (3K mile 140tdi DSG Elegance) are basically going to be pants in the snow and ice.

I really don't want to go the set of steel wheels + winter tyre route.

As such, I'm wondering if you folks here have felt similarly this last year or two and instead gone for running All Season tyres all year round so as to get substantially better winter tyre performance but without the hassle and expense of extra wheels + associated storage etc.. If so, which All Season tyres would you heartily recommend??

Many thanks in advance - any and all replies will be appreciated.

Seasonal regards to all (-:

Mike

I'm interested in what you intend to do with your barely used Pirellis. (I don't want them - but you seem to be scrapping the best part of a grand's worth of tyres.)

I want to order some vredestein wintrac 4 extremes but they dont seem to do 225/50 R17 sizes ??

Being a tyre numpty what other sizes could I put on my 140TDi Elegance 4x4 ???

I'm interested in what you intend to do with your barely used Pirellis. (I don't want them - but you seem to be scrapping the best part of a grand's worth of tyres.)

Fair point! Wasn't thinking of 'scrapping' them as such; maybe try selling them on Ebay? Or here on this forum maybe......? No idea what they'd be worth to someone mind...... Didn't think that they'd be best part of a grand new though - more like £500-600??

Any offers for them anyone? 2700 careful miles only!!

BTW; many MANY thanks for all the replies (-:

The price was a wild guess :think: I have to say that I have found them excellent, particularly in the wet, and I'm going to stay with them and see how they cope in the snow. I got through two very snowy winters perfectly well on Dunlop SPs which also get slagged off a lot!

Another vote here for Vector 4Season.

Have used them on my wife's Yeti for two years and they have been good all year round.

The vreds do come in 225/50 R17. That's what I put on the other week on dolomite alloys.

I bought them from a garage in Birmingham (Longbridge Tyres). Had to be ordered (5 days) and came in at £142 per corner.

Tyremen online usually stock them.

I can now give a snow report for Vector 4's!

In a word; brilliant.

Had to drive 15 miles over mostly single-track, untreated roads today. It was clear that at very most a handful of vehicles had used these routes today, and there were a few moderately steep hills to contend with. I estimate there was about 3 - 4 inches of snow over the road - that wet heavy snow that then freezes into hard icy snow.

I kept my speeds moderate, and there was no loss of grip on either ascent or decent of the hills, on corners, or even on braking.

Experimentally, I tried a couple of "hard" stops from 40mph on straights. Fuss free. The car just slows down and then stops. There were a few judders from the ABS working, but not many. Not a quick as braking on dry tarmac, but very confidence inspiring.

I got out for a brief walk, and it was very slippery on foot, so this was a good test.

Tried pulling away from standing still (on flat and inclines). Just pulls away.

Down the steepest hill I let the Hill Decent do it's thing, which it did perfectly.

So, in conclusion, the Vector 4's work well in the warm, dry and wet (perhaps a little less lateral grip, but nothing dramatic), and work well in snow and ice.

Think I'll be getting these again!

I agree. I've driven on the Vectors since October 2011 and have just replaced the fronts (with more of the same) after 23k miles; the rears have a fair bit of wear left. The fronts were not illegal but almost down to the 4mm markers and I'm shortly heading to the Alps to ski. I've been out and about in Norfolk today - no drama, they just do the job really well.