It'll be one of the top tier manufacturers, in a standard size (which I believe would be 225/40R18 or so if it really is 18".). It will be summer tyres in the UK. The size should also be listed in the tech specs of the specific model on the UK website.

 

 - Bret

Does anyone know what tyres a new Octy would come with or does it depend on exact model, wheel size etc - I'm expecting 18" alloys on mine when it finally arrives? Options were never discussed at time of purchase

 

For summer tires - I have only bad experience.   My car came on 18" Continental SportContact 2 which are rather garbage in most departments. I ran them 1 season, next one will be Goodyear Eagle Asymmetric 2 or 3.

For winter tires - I have only good experience  Got a set of 16" Nokian WR D4. Cheap, grippy, quiet.

2 * 0 = 0

4 * 0 = 0

While I know people say they drove for years without winters there are a few differences now, which mean that summers now look move like grooved slicks.

The old tyres were blocky and had lots of places to get some traction on soft stuff.

Generally I would run either:

- Standard alloys with summer tyres plus steel/other alloys with smaller (Cheaper) winters

- All season tyres all year around (Michelin CC, Goodyear v4s, nokian weatherproof etc)

If you do higher miles or have to do earlier mornings/worse weather then the first.

If you're a town driver/lower mileage, then the latter is probably better.

Plus a decent all seasons is good enough to get you home if you get caught out when the snow starts to settle.

If it was mandated that cars had to come in one of the two above configurations, then I think we'd look a lot less stupid on the days it does snow/get icy.

Plus the cross climate sounds like it's good enough for 90% of UK drivers throughout the year.

Watch the video here:

Now compare that tread pattern from what was an every day standard tyre back then to modern tyres.

Which is it closer too, the summer or the winter?

Edited 23 November, 20169 yr by cheezemonkhai

I have an emergency repair kit and I carry one of my "out of season" tyres as a spare, I just do not fancy 30 MPH on a winter night and trying to find a replacement tyre 100 miles from home.

First thing I did when our nearly new Scout joined us back in January was to research current all season tyres. Previous to that had first converted to summer/winter tyre sets on a much missed VW California Campervan about 6 years ago.

Down here in DEVON, while snow is infrequent from year to year I still wouldn't dream of running on summer tyres all year long. At the same time changing/storing 2 tyre & optionally wheel sets began to become a bit of a pain in the proverbial. So after a lot of "research" I opted for a set of Nokia Weatherproof all season tyres

& yes, they don't have quite the sharpness of turn or feel off summer tyres but their grip in wet & cold situations is phenomenal as their snow performance apparently is, being on par with full on winters. & delighted that their wear rate also seems quite acceptable.

Now when is that snow coming down here!?!?

Edited 24 November, 20169 yr by MikeM46

Do I really need winters? - No.

Do I feel my family is safer with winters on? - Yes

.

^^^ This.

If a set of winter tyres saves your life / a pedestrians life in bad conditions even once, then they are worth their weight in gold.

Even though we may not "need" winter tyres, the evidence for their advantages vs. summer tyres is clear. Anyone who says they are just as safe and just as likely to have an accident / not have an accident is talking out of their behind.

Edited 24 November, 20169 yr by vtec to vrs!

I reckon our new cars in the UK should come with All seasons tyres as standard, maybe mandated by law.

 

The drive for better fuel consumption and low CO2 over the last few years has lead to summer tyres being grooved slicks as cheezemonkai says.

 

It would be safer, and insure that we could get around when it did snow.

I reckon our new cars in the UK should come with All seasons tyres as standard, maybe mandated by law.

 

The drive for better fuel consumption and low CO2 over the last few years has lead to summer tyres being grooved slicks as cheezemonkai says.

 

It would be safer, and insure that we could get around when it did snow.

I agree the bulk of A rated tyres are hard compound and also very noisy, not to mention a thiner wall thickness. Personaly i dont want a tyre that lasts 30k plus, even though it has tread they still age and crack. I have had tyres fail mot even though they have tread.

It'll be one of the top tier manufacturers, in a standard size (which I believe would be 225/40R18 or so if it really is 18".). It will be summer tyres in the UK. The size should also be listed in the tech specs of the specific model on the UK website.

 

 - Bret

Bit off-topic, but where can you sign up for those ice-track days?

I want to really find out where the limits of this car are

Bit off-topic, but where can you sign up for those ice-track days?

I want to really find out where the limits of this car are

On icetracks you really find the limits of the driver and somewhat the tyres, not the car

Looking on black circles the bulk of winter tyres have a B rating for wet performance. Does this mean when wet the stoping or handaling performance is worse negating any improvement from increased performance when cold? I have noticed cross climates have this A wet rating, so may be a better compromise.

I think you will find that the reduced wet rating on some winter tyres is for aquaplaning performance - cross-climates often have a slightly better rating in this category, but I believe that you should be seeing reduced stopping distances on the winters.

Warrior193. 

Looking on black circles the bulk of winter tyres have a B rating for wet performance. Does this mean when wet the stoping or handaling performance is worse negating any improvement from increased performance when cold? I have noticed cross climates have this A wet rating, so may be a better compromise.

 

It is because the sipes on winter tyres that grip the snow don't shift water very well and the rain grooves on other tyres don't grip snow or cold roads.

 

There are some winter tyres that are better in the wet than others

 

It is why you have to pick the tyre carefully for the conditions you see most.

I am thinking if you did a statistical analysis of the 4 winter months, and recorded, wet, temp, snow. You would probably find you would be better of geting cross climates. As we see far more rain than snow, and would be covered for low temp performance. Also using winters for all but the more extream cases ie country, early morning driving, you would potentaly have worce performance, than cross climates or even summer tyres.

I have never, ever purpusefully gone and bought snow tyres.

Also I have combined no claims bonus of about 30 years.

 

I just wonder can it actually be perhaps how to drive is just as important as the tyres ?

 

I have rainsports on all my cars, and absolulely no intention of managing multiple tyres sets for the few days a year we happen to get snow

( I've just gone back to standard 16s on my fabias, although the size might be a bit more forgiving on all weathers but not by much.

 

Have any of you ever learnt to ride a motorcycle and rode it out of summer season out of interest ? Just wondered. Sitting in a box with 4 wheels always keeping you upright can be a lot more forgiving in terms of balance and grip and with bikes there is a much harder lesson to be learnt.

I have never, ever purpusefully gone and bought snow tyres.

Also I have combined no claims bonus of about 30 years.

 

I just wonder can it actually be perhaps how to drive is just as important as the tyres ?

 

I have rainsports on all my cars, and absolulely no intention of managing multiple tyres sets for the few days a year we happen to get snow

( I've just gone back to standard 16s on my fabias, although the size might be a bit more forgiving on all weathers but not by much.

 

Have any of you ever learnt to ride a motorcycle and rode it out of summer season out of interest ? Just wondered. Sitting in a box with 4 wheels always keeping you upright can be a lot more forgiving in terms of balance and grip and with bikes there is a much harder lesson to be learnt.

Spot on.

I am thinking if you did a statistical analysis of the 4 winter months, and recorded, wet, temp, snow. You would probably find you would be better of geting cross climates. As we see far more rain than snow, and would be covered for low temp performance. Also using winters for all but the more extream cases ie country, early morning driving, you would potentaly have worce performance, than cross climates or even summer tyres.

 

There is no question about it that tyres have moved on quite a bit from years gone by. All season tyres like the cross-climates have become a credible alternative rather than an out and out compromise as they have shown to be in previous times.

 

If they had have been produced in a useful size I may have tried them myself on something.

 

I am all for picking the tyre for the conditions, and I can see that certain winter tyres could give you worse performance in some of the conditions prevailing in a UK winter. However as the temperature drops it would take some pretty special conditions to leave you better off on summers.

 

Like any broad brush the tyre ratings to not tell the whole story and there are winters that are very capable in the wet. There are many summer tyres that cannot even reach a 'B' for wet performance and some sizes of Michelin cross-climate only rate as a 'B' also.

 

 

I just wonder can it actually be perhaps how to drive is just as important as the tyres ?

 

 

I could not agree more that no tyre will make up for bad driving and judgement. I would say driving to the conditions far outweighs the choice of tyre no matter what you fit.

 

There are however times that no amount of skilled driving will make up for and when you have to slam on the anchors unexpectedly (maybe through no fault of your own) it is newtons laws of motion that are in play and your choice of tyre can be the difference in hitting something or stopping in time.

 

I have seen that one for myself.

All tyres are a compromise. Wet/dry performance, cold/hot, hard wearing or grippy, all traded off against each other.  No tyre can do everything, science says 'no'.

 

If you don't wish to have two sets, then in the UK you'll probably get away cheerfully with something 'general purpose' 99.99 percent of the time.

 

"All-season" and "cross-climate" seem like words from the keyboards of marketing types attempting to make out to the buyer that there's some new cunning that means they really are great at everything, side-stepping the science.

 

I'll carry on fitting my winters around now, and enjoying the improved grip. Having two sets of wheels/tyres being no inconvenience to me.

There is no question about it that tyres have moved on quite a bit from years gone by. All season tyres like the cross-climates have become a credible alternative rather than an out and out compromise as they have shown to be in previous times.

If they had have been produced in a useful size I may have tried them myself on something.

I am all for picking the tyre for the conditions, and I can see that certain winter tyres could give you worse performance in some of the conditions prevailing in a UK winter. However as the temperature drops it would take some pretty special conditions to leave you better off on summers.

Like any broad brush the tyre ratings to not tell the whole story and there are winters that are very capable in the wet. There are many summer tyres that cannot even reach a 'B' for wet performance and some sizes of Michelin cross-climate only rate as a 'B' also.

I could not agree more that no tyre will make up for bad driving and judgement. I would say driving to the conditions far outweighs the choice of tyre no matter what you fit.

There are however times that no amount of skilled driving will make up for and when you have to slam on the anchors unexpectedly (maybe through no fault of your own) it is newtons laws of motion that are in play and your choice of tyre can be the difference in hitting something or stopping in time.

I have seen that one for myself.

I agree, winters cross climates are only benefical if you drive to the conditions and dont get the idea you can drive the same as you would on a dry sunny day.

Edited 26 November, 20169 yr by Alpha2110

I have never, ever purpusefully gone and bought snow tyres.

Also I have combined no claims bonus of about 30 years.

 

I just wonder can it actually be perhaps how to drive is just as important as the tyres ?

 

I have rainsports on all my cars, and absolulely no intention of managing multiple tyres sets for the few days a year we happen to get snow

( I've just gone back to standard 16s on my fabias, although the size might be a bit more forgiving on all weathers but not by much.

 

Have any of you ever learnt to ride a motorcycle and rode it out of summer season out of interest ? Just wondered. Sitting in a box with 4 wheels always keeping you upright can be a lot more forgiving in terms of balance and grip and with bikes there is a much harder lesson to be learnt.

 

Rainsports have a pretty good tread pattern though - diagonal or V grooves and not the large longitudinal grooves that most summer tyres have that are useless in bad weather...

Bit off-topic, but where can you sign up for those ice-track days?

I want to really find out where the limits of this car are

The track days will be this winter at the end of January in Tervo. Price is quite high by Finnish standards, around €375 including 2 nights, 2 days of tracktime, food package... let me know (PM) if that's OK and we can deal with the details There will be around 20 cars, I think, this time, including an old 320i with cage, a BRZ, an A8, a TT, and I don't know what else.... the track is one that BMW also use, designed by Kankkunen; you can find a couple of videos on Youtube. Tervetuloa!

 

On icetracks you really find the limits of the driver and somewhat the tyres, not the car

kind of. You get a good idea what the limits might be but the really important bit for me is to see when the car / tyre combo lets go, when the slide starts, how much information I'm going to get about when it starts. Last night / this morning on the motorway the car was fine on powder at 100km/h, but here in town with ASR off it was a complete handful. Very interesting to see just how much it controls and reacts. I am looking forwards to some exploration!

 

 - Bret

On icetracks you really find the limits of the driver and somewhat the tyres, not the car

Semantics...

For me what I want to know for this particular car is where the grip limit is and how it will behave when the grip has been exceeded.

My previous cars gave way more feedback - this one, caught me by surprise once, doing a 90 degree turn on ice, quite slowly and carefully.

Mid corner and with no warning whatsoever, the front let go. Glad to have a mechanical handbrake there...

The track days will be this winter at the end of January in Tervo. Price is quite high by Finnish standards, around €375 including 2 nights, 2 days of tracktime, food package... let me know (PM) if that's OK and we can deal with the details There will be around 20 cars, I think, this time, including an old 320i with cage, a BRZ, an A8, a TT, and I don't know what else.... the track is one that BMW also use, designed by Kankkunen; you can find a couple of videos on Youtube. Tervetuloa!

- Bret

375€?? That's me out then right now, not possible.

Maybe next year...

Semantics...

For me what I want to know for this particular car is where the grip limit is and how it will behave when the grip has been exceeded.

My previous cars gave way more feedback - this one, caught me by surprise once, doing a 90 degree turn on ice, quite slowly and carefully.

Mid corner and with no warning whatsoever, the front let go. Glad to have a mechanical handbrake there...

Actually, we got the first snow this night. And I couldnt help myself leaving work this morning. TC off, esp sport and sideways out the parkinglot.

The first snow always brings out the kid in me

Actually, we got the first snow this night. And I couldnt help myself leaving work this morning. TC off, esp sport and sideways out the parkinglot.

The first snow always brings out the kid in me

And I thought we in the UK only did that sort of thing because of the novelty value of snow, I'd assumed Scandinavians couldn't be bothered with this sort of reckless behaviour. :p

I may or may not have done many donuts in a fwd car with snowsocks on the front and the handbrake on, in a snowy private car park