Non winter tyres with good winter performance?

[clamberer]

Hi all,

 

So I need some new tyres to replace the now worn out budget Landsails that my Octavia came with.

 

Now I do like to go anywhere unimpeded by the weather, and winter is coming, however I don't think I can justify the cost of a set of dedicated winter tyres when my regular summer ones also need replacing.

 

So I'm looking for some tyres with decent all round performance, including in the wet and cold.  Ideally this would mean something which doesn't flounder too much at the sight of snow (I have found low rolling resistance fuel economy tyres to be utterly atrocious in the white stuff for instance)

 

These could be summer tyres with a decent rubber compound and tread pattern, or possibly four season tyres if the economy and noise sacrifices aren't too great.  I was tempted by the favorable reviews on Goodyear Vector 4Seasons, however they don't seem to be available in the right size and speed rating.

 

looking for 

 

205/65 R15 V

[CFB]

I suppose it all hinges on how you look at it.

You could buy a set of all season and they might do.

You could buy a set of winter tyres now, use them till the weather warms up at X cost now.

When the weather does get better, buy a set of normal tyres, again at X cost.

The two sets will last twice as long as two sets of all seasons, as they're on the car for approx half a year each, so you are not really saving money on just the one set.

[clamberer]

True, but I'm unsure as to whether I will keep the car for a long time or sell it before the mileage tops around 100,000, hence I could stand to lose a fair bit on a set of winters if I don't get the use out of them.
 

I imagine any decent tyres of either type would be a bit of an improvement over my current budget ones.

[CFB]

In that case I would go for the all seasons. At least you would benefit from the better performance in the weather they are promising us over the next few months and they'll be ok for summer too.

[Sparkly]

Vredestein Quatrac's are an all season tyre that out performs budget winters in multiple categories in the cold in testing.

 

They receive a sub 70db sound rating so good for not being overly compromised

[The Plumber]

Hi,

 

just want to check you have the right size tyre, as the approved tyre sizes for the Octy II on 15" rims are either 195/65 91V or 205/60 91V  :wonder:

 

http://www.skoda-auto.de/service/serviceleistungen/serienbereifung/Documents/Serienreifen_Skoda_2013_11.pdf

 

As this may be what you need and not far behind the Goodyear in terms of rating;

 

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7996p111148/Vredestein_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Vredestein_Quatrac3_Vredestein_Quatrac_3_-_205_60_R15_91V_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_C_NoiseClass%3A_1_Noise%3A_68dB

 

 

TP

[Sparkly]

Hi,

 

just want to check you have the right size tyre, as the approved tyre sizes for the Octy II on 15" rims are either 195/65 91V or 205/60 91V  :wonder:

 

as this may be what you need and not far behind the Goodyear in terms of rating;

 

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7996p111148/Vredestein_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Vredestein_Quatrac3_Vredestein_Quatrac_3_-_205_60_R15_91V_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_C_NoiseClass%3A_1_Noise%3A_68dB

 

 

TP

Great Minds TP

[clamberer]

Hi,

 

just want to check you have the right size tyre, as the approved tyre sizes for the Octy II on 15" rims are either 195/65 91V or 205/60 91V  :wonder:

 

http://www.skoda-auto.de/service/serviceleistungen/serienbereifung/Documents/Serienreifen_Skoda_2013_11.pdf

 

As this may be what you need and not far behind the Goodyear in terms of rating;

 

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7996p111148/Vredestein_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Vredestein_Quatrac3_Vredestein_Quatrac_3_-_205_60_R15_91V_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_C_NoiseClass%3A_1_Noise%3A_68dB

 

 

TP

 

 

Whoops! Thanks for that - I just went outside and checked.  They're 205/60 R15 V

I don't seem to have the option to edit my opening post.

Edited 22 November, 2013 by clamberer

[AnotherGareth]

If you want to be able to use snow chains you may need to change to using 195/65R15 -- the link TP supplied to the Skoda pdf includes a column to say whether snow chains may be used with a particular tyre/wheel size. This may also save you some money, although in some cases by going to an H-rated tyre, good for up to 130 mph, instead of V-rated.

 

If you are only getting 4 tyres and don't have a proper full-size spare I normally recommend the directional Goodyear tyre mentioned earlier. If you are getting 5 then either the Vredestein, also mentioned earlier, or Hankook Optimo 4S would be a better choice since they are asymmetric so the spare could be correctly used on either side.

 

One thing to be aware of if you are ordering from Camskill is that sometimes all-season tyres aren't listed in the all-season tyre section but are included in the winter tyre section. A case in point ...

[Grizzle]

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m53b0s412p97421/Uniroyal_Tyres_Car_Uniroyal_RainExpert_Uniroyal_Rain_Expert_-_205_60_R15_91V_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_2_Noise%3A_71dB

[clamberer]

Cheers guys.

Any experience on whether either the Vredesteins or Uniroyals suffer from sawtoothing much?

[Jeeves]

Take a look at Max is too. Their website shows the properties for each Tyre, with some having winter properties despite being categorized by most retailers as "summer". MAZ4S is an older 4 season which I've been happy with and used on a couple of cars I've sold.

Some off road patterns are also handy but that depends on your car and whether you have an issue with noise. I will probably be fitting Michelin Latitude Cross to my next Scout if they will fit.

[gadgetman]

I've found Michelin primacy OK.

[Grizzle]

I've found Michelin primacy OK.

Really??

 

I found them noisey and give a terrible crashy ride. 

[gadgetman]

Really??

I found them noisey and give a terrible crashy ride.

Which is my experience of Dunlop and continental

[ChrisRs]

My continentals were spot on...but wore quickly...like the Dunlops from new

At no pint did I ever think they were crashy

[clamberer]

Well, I went for the Vredestein Quatracs in the end.  Replaced all four tyres, despite the rears still having around 5.5mm of tread - figured I'd like good all round grip in winter.

 

Decided to keep the old rear tyres either as spares or to bung on ebay - not sure how much market there is for them.

 

Will report back on the Quatracs if they get thoroughly tested by the weather.

 

 

Thanks for your suggestions guys.

[MajorTom]

I was going to say that there is no such thing as a good summer tyre with adequate winter performance. No such thing exists.

 

You might think that the Uniroyal Rainsport2 would work well in slush, as it is great in the wet etc. but it is no better than any other summer tyre ie potentially catastrophic braking distances on slush. As it was, I got lucky, as non-one was coming....

 

You might also think that a Pirelli Scorpion M+S tyre as fitted to a Land Rover Discovery3 and marked with a snowflake would be fine in snow, but as an elderly gentleman I know (he's my father) found out, a 2.7 ton Land Rover doesn't corner on snow with Scorpions. The next day he went out and bought a set of proper Nordic spec (not Europe spec) Nokian Hakkapeliitta R winter tyres with some new rims.  

 

I'm coming round to the view that the standard tyre should actually be a four-season tyre, and that you should run winter and summer tyres as an alternative. It doesn't make sense to sell cars with high performance, low profile, very stiff, very wide tyres that are only suitable for 8 months a year.  

[Jeeves]

I think you've got a fair point there, although I would say that I think that anything "warm", like a vRS which has the potential to be tracked and driven enthusiastically should come on "summer" tyres. You'd hope that these drivers are in tune with their dynamics and can recognise when they need to switch to something more appropriate.

My days of anything "hot and dynamic" have been left behind, but even then my last set were all-season to give that extra margin when needed most. I was happy for tyre wear to be faster on those odd occasions I was "pushing it" outside the tyres' ideal temperature range and I think most other drivers would too.

[gregoir]

I ran all weather Quatrac 2 on a Passat estate. Never went outside the temperature range even when pushing it. They  seemed to stay coolish inder all conditions even cruising at 100mph on autobahn heavily laden. Any 4 seasons tyre will be better in the snow. A friend bought Kleber Dynaxers and reports slow wear and excellent grip in snow. He is a s l o w driver so has no comments on dry or wet grip as it is not relevant to him.