Check out this youtube video with a test whether 4x4 is better than winter tyres on a 2WD and make your own decision:

 

http://youtu.be/7l2cMlNRX_A

one little comment regarding information here and that is "there is winter tyres and then there Is winter tyres!" Winter tyres made for northern Europe, Canada and Russia etc are totally different than winter tyres made for southern europe and England. The nordic winter tyres up here, are softer, have more sipes and and are more expensive. Some even have spikes. Milder winters in UK and southern Europe do not need these nordic tyres. Here is an article from the telegraf that explains it all. Always have two sets of rims, one for winter tyres and other for summer tyres. Store your winter tyre in a cool, dry and dark place over summer. Just clean and stack them and cover them with black plastic. They will last longer without the rubber getting degraded.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/8388582/Getting-to-grips-with-winter-tyres.html

Winters tyres now fitted and all seems well, they'll need a couple of hundred miles to bed but they already feel like a solid and predictable set of rubber, the turn still feels sharp and braking good. Just been out for a drive on this very wet and cold (4*c) night - they cut through flood water reassuringly without and loss of control or light feel to the steering. The real test will be this weekend when I'm up in the Scottish Highlands, and they've had plenty of snow! 

Edited 27 January, 201412 yr by VRSD30

I have a curtesy citygo with 165 Eco tyres on, and have been on four night shifts... On two ashs citigo was free ( conti winters in 185 width ) and I took her car , as it felt so much better in the cold rain ! Let us know how you go in the snow! Which did u but?

Edited 27 January, 201412 yr by sharkrider

Yeah I saw you dissing the Citigo S! haha..... I bought a set of Vredestein snowtrac 3's, Couldn't stretch to anything too expensive and I didn't want anything overly cheap and nasty either! Got the standard eco tyres stacked up in my garage, not even sure I'll swap them back on yet but best keep hold of them just incase. Another + for the winters is that they are far more chunkier than the standard ones, fill the wheel arch a fair bit and it looks better all round. 

 

Looking forward to some proper winter driving, me, a few mates and the little Citigo S wearing winter tyres, should be fun

Edited 27 January, 201412 yr by VRSD30

Indeed ash would probably run winters all year round given the chance, she just thinks they are so much better in the rain than her summers ...

And you won't let her run winters all year round? lol

 

Temps has fallen to 3*c and my tyres feel reassuring with plenty of grip. 

 

When do you normally take them off and fit the summers? I'll probably get mine changed over again in April, if at all...

Edited 29 January, 201412 yr by VRSD30

Don't do what I did last year we had nice weather in early March so I changed the tyres back to summers, and we had 10 days of snow ,freezing temperatures lol

Mine are on till April.

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