I've just bought a yeti and am considering snow tyres. I like the continental ts 850s. Does anyone know the difference between the ts850 and the ts850 xl? Would the Xls fit the yeti?

What size are they?

Link would be useful.

 

And to be pedantic, they are not snow tyres, but winter tyres with the snow and mountain symbol on them. 

Welcome to the forum Mappamundi. Obviously it's your choice but before you rush out and buy a set of winters you might want to consider all-season tyres. Lots of threads on the pros and cons but several people on this forum, including me, have fitted the new Michelin Cross Climate and I've not seen any negative comments from their use. I can't speak for them in the snow, we haven't seen much of that for a while on the South Coast, but I'm impressed with them in the wet. I also seem to be getting better fuel consumption than I was getting with my OEM "summer" tyres.

Edited 17 February, 201610 yr by Paul52

I am thinking of getting a set of Michelin Cross Climate, you seemed to be pleased with them but are they 'noisy'? My winter tyres are great but very much noisier than my summer tyres - hence possibly changing to Michelin's as both sets coming due for replacement.

I had cross climates fitted to the Octavia when I said goodbye to the yeti. Obviously I've not driven the car on anything else so I can't compare but my impression is that it is slightly quieter than the Yeti was on the factory fitted Dunlops.

 

Oh and they've been great on snow, ice, wet roads and even the odd day when we had sunshine in the summer.

I've had cross climates on since just before Christmas. Very pleased with them, quieter than the original Pirelli's. Better in the wet & slightly better fuel consumption.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am thinking of getting a set of Michelin Cross Climate, you seemed to be pleased with them but are they 'noisy'? My winter tyres are great but very much noisier than my summer tyres - hence possibly changing to Michelin's as both sets coming due for replacement.

 

I definitely think they are noticeably quieter than the Conti Premium Contacts 2's that the car came with.  I don't profess to be a tyre expert but to my mind so far they've lived up to their promise - better wet weather grip, less noise and better fuel economy (by 2-3mpg measured brim to brim) and no dearer than other quality tyres. Yet to see what the life is like (but I'll take a shorter life for better grip in the wet any day) and I think they may come with a bit less tread depth than "summer" tyres.

Another all season alternative is Nokian's Weatherproof. Quieter & lower rolling resistance compared to the stock Dunlops. The best tyre I've used in the wet. I've done just over 4k on mine, and the 8mm marker (they have them for 8, 6 & 4) is still visible.

 

Going back to the OP's question the XL (eXtra Loading) is the same tyre but with a stiffer side wall. I'd rather have the XL version for better handling in the corners, as winter tyre rubber is softer, and the Yeti has enough lean in the corners as it is!

 

Depending on how much relevance you place on reviews, you might find this of use. The Weatherproofs beat the TS 850s in the Auto Express all season tyre test - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/92863/all-season-tyres-test-2015-top-all-weather-tyres-tested -

You don't say where in Scotland you are or whether conditions are such that you always have had snow tyres for your cars. If snow tyres are a must then it's simply a question of which make and our recommendations for all-season tyres are irrelevant for you. However if snow tyres would be a new thing have you thought about starting with an all-season tyre, see how they cope and if they are not up to the job then get a set of full winter tyres knowing you genuinely need them and the all-season tyres finish out their life as your summer tyre (with the benefit of the extra grip in the wet). If the all-season are sufficient you save the cost of a set of rims and the inconvenience of a twice yearly wheel change and storage of the set not fitted to the car. 

I've just bought a yeti and am considering snow tyres. I like the continental ts 850s. Does anyone know the difference between the ts850 and the ts850 xl? Would the Xls fit the yeti?

 

No Idea re the difference, but i run Conti TS830P' ziz, a second set now fitted & absolutly fornicatingly brilliant!

I attempted to run the last "4mm tread depth left in the Spring of 2015 set",  properly worn done over this past summer, and failed, despite "flinging" the car into and around roundabouts with gay abandon, they lasted and lasted and lasted.

One can virtually treat hard packed snow, even slippery smooth looking stuff, the same as a wet road (well nearly!, but you get my drift, an entirely unintended pun btw)

Quite remarkable the difference.

Cheers

M

Edited 18 February, 201610 yr by dieseldogg

Thanks for the replies. I picked up the car yesterday and it has a set of pirelli summer tyres on it. The garage quoted £800 for a set of winter tyres on steel wheels that they said they'd change over for free at the different seasons. I'm quite interested in the michellin all season tyres, especially if they give better fuel consumption.

At £800.00 I fink there aving a Larf.

I paid about £90.00 per tyre and from recall £50.00 per official Skoda supplied steel rim.

So £140.00 per corner (+ VAT)

m

At £800.00 I fink there aving a Larf.

I paid about £90.00 per tyre and from recall £50.00 per official Skoda supplied steel rim.

So £140.00 per corner (+ VAT)

m

If you take into account your price including vat and the added cost of swapping the tyres over twice a year, (if the OP can't or doesn't want to do it himself) £800 is pretty good going.

My original Dunlop SP01's still had approximately 2-3mm of tread left after nearly 5 years and approximately 60k, when I swapped over to Goodyear Efficient Grip, which would be roughly 14 swap overs. I've been quoted from £30 - £70 by various garages to do this.

I have them swapped over during the 4 wheel alignment in April, and get it included as part of the service in October.

I'm a bit wary of going down the route of having to take it to a garage to get them changed twice a year but £800 is steep. I've bought winter tyres from mytyres.co.uk before and had them put on by kwik fit. I think my tyres.co.uk do tyres fitted to steel wheels - would I need to take them to a garage to get them balanced? Or could I just jack it up and switch them over?

Edited 20 February, 201610 yr by Mappamundi

jack it up and switch them over. doesn't take long

I bought steel wheels with tyres fitted from Mytyres, and they were already valved and balanced, the garage just swapped them for my alloys. I am with Skoda insurance and they insist that the wheels are swapped over professionally not a diy job, so you may want to check this with your insurance. Regards Paul.

I'm a bit wary of going down the route of having to take it to a garage to get them changed twice a year but £800 is steep. I've bought winter tyres from mytyres.co.uk before and had them put on by kwik fit. I think my tyres.co.uk do tyres fitted to steel wheels - would I need to take them to a garage to get them balanced? Or could I just jack it up and switch them over?

It doesn't take long to switch between summer and winter tyre/wheels as long as you have the right kit! Basically you need a decent trolley jack, which doesn't need to cost a fortune - have a look at AutoExpress on-line for reviews - plus you need a wheel brace which gives you enough leverage to undo the wheel bolts. A 600mm "breaker" bar can be bought for about £12 and that will loosen most nuts! You will also need a torque wrench (<£20 from a discounter) and finally a set of guides to locate the wheel onto the hub, locating the wheels can be frustrating without guides. So, okay you are going to invest approx £50 to get started, unless you have the kit already of course. However, once you have acquired the kit you can do the complete job in less than an hour without any hassle or pain, choose a nice sunny day and enjoy the air!!

jack it up and switch them over. doesn't take long

Doesn't take me long at all. I'm sat in Mana Infiniti's waiting lounge drinking their coffee (9 is the record so far) and catching up on Netflix on their wifi whilst they swap them over during the four wheel alignment.

As for swapping them over during the service, I meet my wife for lunch, have a gander around Glasgow city centre, and then if I'm early ram raid their coffee machine.

At least that way I know they've removed the wheels to check the brakes!

Edited 20 February, 201610 yr by Guest

I am with Skoda insurance and they insist that the wheels are swapped over professionally not a diy job, so you may want to check this with your insurance. Regards Paul.

If Skoda provide a spare wheel, the tools to change a wheel, and instructions in the manual on how to change a wheel....then I think it's fair to say changing a wheel is perfectly OK to DIY.

I think if you ask an insurance company a question, they're obliged to give a stupid answer...

I am with Skoda insurance and they insist that the wheels are swapped over professionally not a diy job, so you may want to check this with your insurance. Regards Paul.

 

That is not correct.

Allianz who cover Skoda insurance do not need to be informed about fitting winter tyres and the insurance cover is exactly the same as long as the tyres are an approved size.

More can be found out about insurance and fitting winter tyres HERE

And there is a download .PDF file HERE that states all insurance companies and whether they need to be informed and if the cover changes if doing so.

That is not correct.

Allianz who cover Skoda insurance do not need to be informed about fitting winter tyres and the insurance cover is exactly the same as long as the tyres are an approved size.

More can be found out about insurance and fitting winter tyres HERE

And there is a download .PDF file HERE that states all insurance companies and whether they need to be informed and if the cover changes if doing so.

Unless you were listening in to my phone conversation you do not know what I was told. I rang them to ask whether I needed to inform them every time I changed over to steel wheels, and was told no, as long as the wheels were the same size/ rolling resistance etc, as I had a greenline and the wheels and tyres were the same spec no problem. I was then asked who was fitting them, was it the dealer, to which I replied no a local garage. they then had to check with the underwriters to make sure that was ok and they said it was.  So I am only telling you what was said to me.

Oh sorry the Association of British Insurers PDF file I put up earlier about whether you need to inform or changes if you do fit them was incomplete then.
Of course they have to be an approved size and construction and fitted properly that's only common sense.

I have had wheels fitted with a rattle gun at tyre dealers that have been grossly overtightened so I now insist they use a torque wrench (while I watch) and I do the same when changing wheels at home.

OH SORRY!!! .I repeat what i said earlier, I was told on the phone,   i didn't read your pff file, so can't say if it is wrong or right.

Can I suggest it might be worth reading the ABI files linked to earlier, just as a reference. As has been reported on in this Forum in the past, some telephone operators do seem to make up their own "rules". Having some pre-knowledge can overcome that.

Unless you were listening in to my phone conversation you do not know what I was told. I rang them to ask whether I needed to inform them every time I changed over to steel wheels, and was told no, as long as the wheels were the same size/ rolling resistance etc, as I had a greenline and the wheels and tyres were the same spec no problem. I was then asked who was fitting them, was it the dealer, to which I replied no a local garage. they then had to check with the underwriters to make sure that was ok and they said it was.  So I am only telling you what was said to me.

That seems ridiculous and just the person on the other end of the phone either not understanding or making sure their arse is covered. I've had idiots on the phone more than once too. The best was one who said I would need to inform them when roof bars were fitted and removed. I did ask, so if Im going to the tip you want me to ring you in the morning before I go, to say I have put the roof bars on the car and again after when I'm done and take them off? He said yes initially then I told him what I thought of that and he changed his mind.