I was only going by what my tyre suplyer has said to me. Ive never realy researched it personaly. And I take back what I said as ive obviously been proven wrong.

I was only going by what my tyre suplyer has said to me. Ive never realy researched it personaly. And I take back what I said as ive obviously been proven wrong.

Proven wrong by what seems aggressive replies from certain users on here mate.

Pee's me off, DW is bad for this, have an opinion on something and your shot down for it.

Thats the problem with our wishy washy weather. Winter tyres are an expense we can do without. However, if conditions require something extra, snow socks can be a pain in the ass as you have to take them off as soon as you hit a cleared road, otherwise they'd be chewed up. One thing i do disagree with is the arrogance of people saying they are a con. There are many many drivers out there who can barely drive properly in good conditions, so in the white stuff, I'd prefer that they had winter tyres to give them as much help to not hit me as possible...

Of this was funny. Here's something you should try - get a set of Toyo Proxes and then try and drive in temperatures less than +5C, see what happens. Those are extremely grippy tyres in warm conditions, I've had them on my race car for years. In the cold, however they feel as if I'm driving on plastic.

I had some toyo proxes on my Fabia vrs and when it snowed I went no where .

IMO fitting winter tyres makes a huge difference and somthing ive done ever since I fitted my first set. Since then ive always had a set of winter tyres on a least one car.

Proven wrong by what seems aggressive replies from certain users on here mate.

Pee's me off, DW is bad for this, have an opinion on something and your shot down for it.

Could that be because the opinion does not match the facts?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion

But where the facts say otherwise, and there is no experience, how can you argue?

Whilst making your journey safer,easier and less stressful on your £400 set of winter rubber

You are not wearing down your summer tyres???

Having been stuck once before and then driven the same of road with winter tyres

I defy anyone on this forum who has experienced a few hairy journeys in the snow and ice not to change to winter rubber

We bit the bullet 3 years ago. Have Norwegian friends and family, trust me they are not a fad, just for bad drivers or just snow. In many countries they are a legal requirement. I also agree with the counties with a minimum tread depth of 3mm. That's when we change tyres

You pays your money and takes your choice

Its up to you currently if you buy them.

You trust your driving skills.

However its my back end at risk if you try to follow me at what is safe speed with tyres designed for the job rather than Summer Tyres

I would rather 2wd with winters than 4wd with summers

The OP was merely saying they felt they were worth it. Its a shame that do many immediately imply its because of a lack of driving skill. I guess that bravado means removal of and fuse, reaction turned off etc at all times to demonstrate that skill

Yes I have owned a4wd

Tyres do far have lasted 3 winters and still over 6mm tread. We do 10000 a year evenly spread.

Summers have lasted better too as not used out of there prime temp range.

Edited 18 January, 201313 yr by solwood

i spent ages today on the m4/m5. Went to bristol then turned back.

I saw a few mercs kicking the back out in a straight line @ sub 20mph, a clk sitting there spinning his rear wheels etc Loads of people with no clutch control what so ever

I bought a set 3 years back becuase I could afford them and it seemed like a good thing to do.

Its cheaper than running the 18's through winter (less than 100 quid a corner for avon ice touring ST's)

Gives better driving feedback when it is cold

the 400 notes is cheaper than my insurance excess if i go skittling off the road

No brainer really.

The previous 13 years of driving I havent used them. Never had an accident but did have one near miss (which i put dwn to driving a little fast for the conditions and not realising i was stopping on a patch of black ice.) 400 notes gives me the reassurance that if the wife gets stuck or there is an emergency then I have half a chance of being able to resolve it

Big tyres, low profile, big torque, rwd and most likely automatic.

A recipe for spinning wheels in the snow

Fun in an empty car park not so fun on a motorway

Agree totally, though we went the route of a second set of 18s. They work well too despite being a bit wide and low profile

4 years equals 150 quid a year plus use the older scuffed alloys in the salt laden roads

Makes sense to me. Recon on 5 winters out of them so cost effective for us at least

Edited 18 January, 201313 yr by solwood

This month's edition of evo magazine has a winter tyre test so I suggest the sceptics read that for the true opinion. Ive found the winter tyres to be better on wet roads as well not just snow and ice. I've even ran them all year roubd once in temperatures in the high 20's and yes if you pushed it they werent as grippy but susprisingly they didn't wear badly either. If it was law in the uk to fit winters there would be a lot less accidents.

Good to see some common sense in the last few posts

Im wondering after last summer not to leave them on all year round??

I put mine on end of october done 3,000 miles and they are stll 8mm deep!

Best £350 I have spent on a car...

Those who are against winter tyres are the people who have not tried them.

Quite a few myths that always come up...

-They are not just for snow. They are designed for all conditions and will offer better performance than an average summer tyre below 7 degrees.

-Not all winter tyres are equal, same as with standard tyres. Some handle snow, water, ice better than others.

-My experience is that they last much longer than standard tyres, especially in colder weather but also warm weather as well.

-4x4's are not invincible. Just because you have traction to move, doesn't mean you will have traction to turn or stop. When the weather turns its often the over confident 4x4 drivers that end up in trouble.

I guess it depends on where you live, how important it is that you drive every day as to weather you need winter tyres. For me, they are a must. Narrow, country lanes that do not get gritted and steep hills both up and down.

This month's edition of evo magazine has a winter tyre test so I suggest the sceptics read that for the true opinion. Ive found the winter tyres to be better on wet roads as well not just snow and ice. I've even ran them all year roubd once in temperatures in the high 20's and yes if you pushed it they werent as grippy but susprisingly they didn't wear badly either. If it was law in the uk to fit winters there would be a lot less accidents.

Would make no sense to make it compulsory that everyone should have winters, some parts of the country don't experience severe winter weather. So winter tyres would just be an expensive waste of time to them.

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Well some interesting comments on this subject.

Here is my view and I consider myself a very experienced driver due to the fact I have been driving over 25 years in all weather conditions as I drive for a living and cover the north of England right up to and including the Scottish Borders in all weathers doing around 1000 miles a week for the past 11 years.

So just over 550,000 miles in 11 years.

I go through at least 3 sets of rubber a year and started using winter tyres 2 years ago when we started having bad weather again. we used to get bad winters right up to the early nineties.

I fit winter tyres around November time and they are fantastic in all conditions if you fit decent ones.

I have had no issues in the dry or the wet and they give at least as good a grip if not better than my summer tyres in summer in any temp below 10 degrees.

They really improve braking as well as you can feel them digging in and the traction on snow and ice is so much better than any summer or all weather tyre I have every used in the colder months.

The handling IMHO with winter tyres in the colder months is superb and I can drive most roads with the same level of confidence and speed that I do in summer when using summer tyres.

I do drive my cars very hard and have taken them almost to the limit on quiet country roads without fear of losing traction.

My last car was an Octavia 1.8 TSi and was a very quick car bit still gave no problems in the snow or on ice.

Like most driving situations you need to drive within your capabilities and road conditions but I would recommend good winter tyres to anyone and I don't think I will ever drive in winter again without them.

So to anyone who comments on them who has never used them don't as you have no idea until you have tried them and its not just hype from the manufacturers.

Edited 18 January, 201313 yr by ruffday

Would make no sense to make it compulsory that everyone should have winters, some parts of the country don't experience severe winter weather. So winter tyres would just be an expensive waste of time to them.

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I disagree

It would make perfect sense to me

As said, and said to death....They arnt just good in snow!!

Would make no sense to make it compulsory that everyone should have winters, some parts of the country don't experience severe winter weather. So winter tyres would just be an expensive waste of time to them.

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Not all parts of Switzerland, Austria or Germany experience harsh winter or snow conditions, but they are still compulsory.

It is the temperature that is most important, not the presence of snow. Given the UK's average temperature is below 7 degrees for several months, then I can't see any problem in making it compulsory. If you don't want to keep swapping tyres, get some M&S rated all-season tyres.

Lots of sceptics and downright ignorant views about the use of Winter tyres in car forums all the time

All I can do is to ask those of you that fall into this category...

Have you tried them?

Have you driven in snow with them

Driven on ice?

Driven in heavy rain?

No?

Then please dont say its down to driving technique or plain bad driving

It isnt!

I will never go back to normal tyres again in the winter..

They wear very well and even if temperatures go above 7C..They still grip well and dont suffer at all particularly in heavy rain

I have tried them, didn't notice a difference.

None of the emergency services fit them as standard over the winter and manage (I spent most of today in a 530 estate with summer tyres on it and didn't crash once despite doing 100mph+).

Money would be better spent on driver training IMO.

Besides compound etc, my conti winters are narrower and are definitely grippier than the summer 18" wheels. It doesn't mean I drive faster. It means I can at least get traction and move. Enough said.

I have tried them, didn't notice a difference.

None of the emergency services fit them as standard over the winter and manage (I spent most of today in a 530 estate with summer tyres on it and didn't crash once despite doing 100mph+).

Money would be better spent on driver training IMO.

Really?

i havnt got any i use the 4x4 in snow but am going to get some for my felicia and think that everyone should try and invest in some they use them in europe and dont have half the trouble we have and they have much harsher driving conditions than the uk,

4x4 doesn't help you stop and turn.

Down here in student night club land (or what used to pass for a tranquil family seaside resort when oi were a lad) we languish in one of those parts that rarely, if ever, see true severe winter weather. Having travelled a lot both in the frozen northern lands of our own that exist north of the M4, and also in Scandinavia and Germany/Austria I was always impressed at how confidently everyone moves around in Europe each winter without the mayhem that ensues here. 'Winter tyres' they always quoted as the secret, and I almost tried them in 2011 but given the combined cost of tyres & steels for the Fabia vRS decided not to bother.

Last Autumn Mrs GB's old Punto 8v (yes, I know its hardly a roadburning dragster) needed a new set of 165/70/14 tyres and thanks to those nice people at Camskill I got her Some Michelin Alpin A4's at just over £40 a corner plus fitting etc. Same speed rating, size & profile as the worn out 'summer' tyres and went straight on the standard steels. Very much softer / stickier compound than the Conti 'summers' on the Octavia or the PS3's I had on the Fabia vRS and new tread depth nearing 9mm plus the hundreds of transverse sypes (large & small) so very different indeed.

Have already been impressed with them through the albeit relatively warm & wet weather in Nov/Dec so it was interesting to try them on some cold wet stuff this morning. Hugely impressed. Still have to drive sensibly but car goes where you point it and stops when you want, all without the occasionally buttock clenching trepidation that 'normal' tyres can sometimes produce.

We might get no more snow again this year, but as the Punto only does about 2k a year the Alpins can stay on if they prove adequate in the summer and even if they need replacing in 5 years time it'll be value for money in my view.

Now sold on the idea for sure, but will probably use the Fiat when we get our random winter blasts rather than go to the expense of kitting the Octy up. Fortunately the Mrs can stay indoors if things get too dodgy outside, but appreciate not everyone has that luxury.

Tried them, like them and its certainly not just hype from the manufacturers.

Not all parts of Switzerland, Austria or Germany experience harsh winter or snow conditions, but they are still compulsory.

It is the temperature that is most important, not the presence of snow. Given the UK's average temperature is below 7 degrees for several months, then I can't see any problem in making it compulsory. If you don't want to keep swapping tyres, get some M&S rated all-season tyres.

I would rather stick with my normal tyres, they do the job just fine, get from Carlisle to Elgin and back every weekend just fine without them.

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I believe the some parts of the yorkshire forces did fit winter tyres to their scouts a couple of years back. I heard it second hand so couldnt be certain.