I am in the market for some new tyres.  The OEM ones have just about worn out after 22,000 miles.  Given the time of year I thought I'd look into putting more winter-compatible tyres on the rims and then, if needs be, look for summer alternatives next year.  However I have seen people extolling the virtues of the Goodyear Vector 4Season tyres so I thought I might look into that.  However, I have over-researched this and got myself into a pickle of tyre specifications.

 

Firstly, if you use the "find your tyres" look-up searches on various tyre websites (whether by reg number of model input) it comes back as needing 225/50 R17 94W.  According to the excellent wheel and tyre topic over in the Technical area of this forum...

 

 

Tyre specification required = 225/50 R17 94W (94H or V acceptable for 90, 103 & 118kW engines) (94T acceptable for 77 & 81kW engines)

 

 

I looked in the user manual which wasn't a lot of help - what I am looking for is some kind of authoritative assertion that lower-than-W speed rating tyres are approved for use (ie, type approved) so that I won't fall foul of insurance or MoT requirements should the time come.  I can only find those Goodyear tyres in V-rated form (although the Goodyear website suggests they do a W version).

 

I know there will be plenty of "I use the V tyre and it's been fine" but I was wondering, I suppose, where does one get the definitive answer as to the approved minimum tyre spec for any car?

As I understand it, if the manufacturer recommends W rated tyres there's a risk of an insurance company not paying out if you use anything with a lower rating.  As you say, the handbook is delightfully vague, but if a car comes supplied with W tyres, that might indicate, in the absence of anything to the contrary, that W is the recommendation.

 

An odd situation - I'd expect the handbook to be specific.

If you peruse this thread:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/264228-winter-tires-suitable-all-year-round/page-5

 

and look at my posts around #122 then you'll see that I've been through this issue. As usual the answer is perseverance. 

Interesting and relevant - thanks.

It seems that common sense will out. However, one more question if I may? Will a tyre-fitting place happily replace W tyres with V tyres, given that their own look-up data sources will recommend W?

I have found what appears to be a good value source of the Goodyear tyres; £600 fully-fitted by a mobile fitter.

I didn't have any problem getting the 'V' Vectors fitted - guess it's not their problem if it ever turned out to be an issue. I paid £576 fitted for the full set of four (£120+VAT each). Think I could probably have got them slightly cheaper if I had pressed the point, but I needed to get them ordered and fitted before going on holiday and was running short of time.

To answer this concern refer to the owners manual.

 

States two things;

 

The tyre/wheel combinations which are approved for your vehicle are indicated in
your vehicle documents.

 

Skoda UK don't provide these documents, so you cannot obviously refer to them

 

However it further states;

 

Winter tyres of a lower speed category can be used provided that the permissible
maximum speed of these tyres is not exceeded even if the possible maximum
speed of the vehicle is higher.

 

Now here's sideways thinking, the Goodyear Vector 4season carries the approved winter mountain and snowflake symbol, so technically its a winter tyre. Therefore by referring to the guidelines in your owners manual your running approved tyres albeit all year round winters

 

 

TP