Crossclimate tyres on Superb 280

[doctored]

I've got a new car on the way...

 

Does anyone please have experience of Crossclimate tyres on the Superb 280? I would rather not change my tyres twice a year, are they up to a car like this?

Many thanks

Ed

[xman]

For a 280 you need tyres like these

 

[bigjohn]

1 hour ago, doctored said:

 

Does anyone please have experience of Crossclimate tyres on the Superb 280?

 

Can't comment re Crossclimates on the Superb III 280 but on my poverty spec mkII they have been great. Compared to the original Continentals the handling is much better especially in very wet and /or cold weather whilst still being good in hot weather. The best bit is they are sooo much quieter and they are wearing well. My only moan is due to the tread pattern they do rather pick up small stones.

Edited 23 August, 2018 by bigjohn

[BillyJim]

As above - but on a 280.

I replaced the 'summer' OEM Pirelli P7 tyres with CrossClimate+ about a year ago despite already having a set of wheels with winter tyres (which haven't seen the light of day since fitting the CC+).

I've done about 10,000 miles including three tours to, and around, Germany. I've used them in temperatures ranging from -15 to +38º C and at speed up to the 155 mph restricted limit.

They performed well in the winter snow and ice though I did adjust the Haldex 4x4 with VCDS to make it more proactive than reactive, resulting in excellent traction.

In addition to the reduction of road noise, which was my primary motivation for dumping the P7 tyres, I've been most impressed with the CC+ handling in the wet.

I will probably replace my winter tyres with CC+ too as the winter wheels are Skoda bronze Zenith 18" which suit the Cappuccino paint particularly well and are too nice to keep hidden away.

[Auric Goldfinger]

37 minutes ago, xman said:

For a 280 you need tyres like these

 

 

These are off a 380 not a 280.  They will not fit a 280

 

[boydeee]

38 minutes ago, xman said:

For a 280 you need tyres like these

 

How was the wirelocking @xman?!

[penguin17]

I’d love to try the CC’s but they aren’t available for 235/40 R19

 

I’ve fitted Vredestein Quatrac 5’s and I’m really impressed with them, particularly in deep snow. 

 

So far no real compromise in having a dedicated summer/winter set of wheels and tyres. 

 

The CC’s are meant to be even better so must be pretty damn good. 

[bigjohn]

35 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

I’d love to try the CC’s but they aren’t available for 235/40 R19

 

I’ve fitted Vredestein Quatrac 5’s and I’m really impressed with them, particularly in deep snow. 

 

 

Not too much wrong with the Quatrac 5's - I tried a pair on Skoda Superb MK I but never used them in a winter as I sold to a friend. Saying that he loves them and they are still going strong after 45,000 miles!!! I bought them at just over 160,000 miles and the car has done over 205,000 miles now. I'd say they are slightly noisier than the Crossclimates and not quite as good in the wet.

 

[doctored]

Thanks all. I'll sort some Crossclimates for winter then.

[JamesEnfield]

Depends on when you drive. Where I live I would never, ever go for all seasons for 280 PS car, but on the other hand CrossClimate + work great on my other car (SUV used mainly in city). I think that's mainly a matter of where you drive, but for heavy snow or icing - good winter tyres hands down. 

[Delberthot]

I agree with this - it depends on how you drive the car.

 

I've just came from a VW Scirocco R, also with 280ps and would never have even considered cross climates. If you drive sensibly and just use the power to perform overtakes on clear stretches of road then they would be fine but if you really enjoy driving quickly on twisty roads then I would change between summer & winter tyres at the appropriate times of year.

 

There's no way that cross climate tyres could cope with the cornering and acceleration that this car is capable of.

[Alan_P]

3 hours ago, Delberthot said:

I agree with this - it depends on how you drive the car.

 

I've just came from a VW Scirocco R, also with 280ps and would never have even considered cross climates. If you drive sensibly and just use the power to perform overtakes on clear stretches of road then they would be fine but if you really enjoy driving quickly on twisty roads then I would change between summer & winter tyres at the appropriate times of year. 

 

There's no way that cross climate tyres could cope with the cornering and acceleration that this car is capable of.

Did you feel the Scirocco was sliding around on the cross climates?

What tyres did you have fitted before you swapped to the cross climates?

[Delberthot]

I didn't buy cross climates for the Scirocco.  I knew that the way I drove that I had to have really good summer tyres on the car.

 

Cross climates are still a compromise and on a car with so much power that if you want to drive it fast then summers were the only way to go

[Alan_P]

1 hour ago, Delberthot said:

I didn't buy cross climates for the Scirocco.  I knew that the way I drove that I had to have really good summer tyres on the car.

 

Cross climates are still a compromise and on a car with so much power that if you want to drive it fast then summers were the only way to go

I think you might be surprised if you actually tried them on the car. I agree they are a compromise, but more at the winter side when compared to the best winter tyres in deep snow. Cross Climate+ are comparable to Michelin Primacy in the summer which is a very good performance tyre. I would have been delighted to get Primacy’s on the Superb instead of P7’s.

IMHO, only something like Pilot 4’s or Premium Contact’s would outperform them and only at the edge, in warmer weather. Keep in mind all the cooler autumn/spring mornings in the UK where the Cross Climate would pull it back.

What tyres did you have fitted?

[penguin17]

I can't say I've had any major scares or loss of grip on spirited drives across the moors and dales in my 280 and that's running Vredestein Quatrac 5's, which are an older design and no longer a class leader but still well regarded.  In some cases if I was driving any harder then I would deserve to find a ditch or some penalty points anyway.   

 

What tyres did you fit to yours @Delberthot?  Were they a significant improvement over what you've used previously? 

 

I would say the Quatrac 5's are as good as GY Eagle F1's in the dry, but one area they would fall short is braking.  I'd ideally like to fit PS4's or Vredestein Ultrac Vorti but I'd then need to find the cash for some dedicated Winter rubber too.  I've gone through the faff of storing and swapping Summer/Winter wheels in the past and after the Winter we just had I actually don't think the Vredesteins were lagging that much behind the GY Ultragrip 9's Winter tyres I've had previously, they never let me down in some pretty deep drifts and that was in a FWD Sportline, not my current 4x4.  

 

All-season tyres are always going to be a compromise in some regards but for the UK climate and 90% of the time I think the compromise is so minimal that they make perfect sense for those that want one set of tyres.   As @Alan_P alluded to; you'd only really notice the differences when on the limit, which is likely getting into track territory and not under normal road use for the majority of the population. I would say a good all-season tyre would be better than a mid pack Summer tyre in the Summer and ditto for a  Winter tyre; for example the Quatrac 5's are far better than the Pirelli P7's which were factory fitted to my 1st Sportline.  

 

One thing for sure, after having a few Winters on Winter tyres and now all-season, I'd never go back to using Summer tyres when the mercury starts to drop into single figures.  

 

 

[Ootohere]

That would be now then if you were further north.

Funnily many will leave on now what are called All Season Tyres by VW Group and others but are actually really 'Summer Tyres',  they are on All the Seasons after all, 

but then so are All Weathers.

 

CrossClimates are actually well named, Summer Tyres with Winter / Snow Certifications.

The correct Speed & Load rated tyres are not going to be far from wrong in most of the UK most of the years even on a big car with 280ps or a bit more the NSL's are 60/70 MPH after all.

[rytmask]

I'd suggest looking at a sister tyre - kleber quadraxer 2 (nearly identical and the firm is owned by michelin).

 

30 eur per tire saved with little to no differences (same ratings, very quiet, good wear)

 

https://www.kleber-reifen.de/de/Das-Reifenprogramm/Ganzjahresreifen-Programm/Quadraxer-2