I fitted Michelin CrossClimates in April so was driving around on them when it was 25c-30c in the summer, I didn't notice any difference in handling/performance to the Avons/Hankooks/Falkens I'd run on in previous years.  Now admittedly, none of those tyres are up there with the premium performance tyres but they're good, honest midrange "summer" tyres that under normal driving conditions do everything that's asked of them.

 

Since the temperature's dropped the CrossClimates have really come into their own.  They grip fantastically and give a good level of confidence when driving on cold roads.  I haven't tried them in the snow yet, I have no reason to doubt their ability in those conditions but I'm not expecting miracles as I know they're not an out & out winter tyre.

Living in South Essex the argument for having two sets of tyres (summer/winter) is pretty weak considering proper snow events are fairly rare and it's pretty flat round my way too 

Just now, Skoffski said:

They will know all about tyres then and what suits you best for where you do your driving.

If i know someones car stays in the garage on snowy or icy or wet days i might suggest they fit Road Legal Track tyres.

 

I wouldnt go that far lol They will most likely know what suits their own driving style and recommend based on this, hence my point of recommendations are personal experiences  Thats why I still read into things to make sure it suits my driving style and Im happy with what Im buying.

 

Sounds like you know what you are talking about  Track tyres would be good for summer use only  

I have a rubber fetish.  &  Drive a good few days a year in winter, spring. summer and autumn and all 4 seasons in one day.

So lots of tyres bought and fitted for many years and for locations and use and i take advice from people that are enthusiasts and with the knowledge and not selling what is in stock.

A pity tyre reviews for Passenger cars are not done with a car with a 100kg or so dummy fastened in each seat and a few weighted cases in the boot so cars are  tested at revenue weight 

and not Kerb / Unladen weight.

Edited 31 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

57 minutes ago, Rab-k said:

Have a look at the Nokian WR D4 if you've not done so already. You may have to get them online, (I use www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk ), but I found them to be excellent on winter roads.

 

Pneus Online was a good call. Got my steel wheels, Goodyear Ultragrip, fitted, balanced and delivered all for £366 (you get a £20 voucher by using their online chat to ask for prices). That is £100 cheaper than anywhere else I've found and still £33 cheaper than the cheap ebay Landsail kits!

 

Thanks for the heads-up!

2 hours ago, Skoffski said:

I have a rubber fetish.  &  Drive a good few days a year in winter, spring. summer and autumn and all 4 seasons in one day.

So lots of tyres bought and fitted for many years and for locations and use and i take advice from people that are enthusiasts and with the knowledge and not selling what is in stock.

A pity tyre reviews for Passenger cars are not done with a car with a 100kg or so dummy fastened in each seat and a few weighted cases in the boot so cars are  tested at revenue weight 

and not Kerb / Unladen weight.

 

Thats the sort of experience I like to see when someone is recommending something, actually based on their own experiences  

4 hours ago, Russ77 said:

I fitted Michelin CrossClimates in April so was driving around on them when it was 25c-30c in the summer, I didn't notice any difference in handling/performance to the Avons/Hankooks/Falkens I'd run on in previous years.  Now admittedly, none of those tyres are up there with the premium performance tyres but they're good, honest midrange "summer" tyres that under normal driving conditions do everything that's asked of them.

 

Since the temperature's dropped the CrossClimates have really come into their own.  They grip fantastically and give a good level of confidence when driving on cold roads.  I haven't tried them in the snow yet, I have no reason to doubt their ability in those conditions but I'm not expecting miracles as I know they're not an out & out winter tyre.

Living in South Essex the argument for having two sets of tyres (summer/winter) is pretty weak considering proper snow events are fairly rare and it's pretty flat round my way too 

 

I live in the midlands and do a weekly run through the Peak District so encounter snow and ice often.

 

Our Octy with Cross Climates has no issues with snow and I've never felt at risk of getting stuck. The only compromise I can feel is with hard compact snow and Ice where the lack of sipes do limit the cross climates grip. But back in Summer the Cross Climates are not far off the Conti Sports and Goodyear Assy 3's I've had before.

 

The Vector 4 Gen 2's in winter weather are not far off the full winters I've had in any condition. (Sottozero, Blizzak, Ultragrip). In the middle of summer on a really hot day the initial turn in bite isn't as good as a Premium Summer but we are talking feeling for a difference rather than feeling an issue. I'd say most drivers would not feel a difference.

 

Wear on both seems really good and probably better than running a Summer through winter when they tend to scrub.

 

It's all down to preference and where you live I suppose. But the latest crop of all seasons have convinced me for my driving a winter/summer swap is no longer needed.

 

Lee

We've had the snow for the last couple of days and nights and I've got Conti 860s on and where 4x4s, SUVs have been struggling I've had no issues whatsoever, until I met... MUD. 

 

They don't like it and I've left a lovely set of tyre tracks on a big grass verge where cars are often parked and I had to park today, I nearly got stuck but I didn't because it's on a grade and I rolled backwards onto the road, if I wanted to go forward, it might well have been a different matter. 

14 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

We've had the snow for the last couple of days and nights and I've got Conti 860s on and where 4x4s, SUVs have been struggling I've had no issues whatsoever, until I met... MUD. 

 

They don't like it and I've left a lovely set of tyre tracks on a big grass verge where cars are often parked and I had to park today, I nearly got stuck but I didn't because it's on a grade and I rolled backwards onto the road, if I wanted to go forward, it might well have been a different matter. 

 

The TS860 are a winter tyre not a mud tyre  those are a different tread pattern altogether, Stipes will grip on snow but are not much use on mud you need a big wide blocky pattern for that.

 

‘Mud and snow’ tires grip snow in a different way, which makes them good for deep soft snow but not good at all on cold icy tarmac. Winter tyres and snow tyres are often confused

 

From my experience with 860s they still do better than my summer tyres in mud though.

 

As ever pick the tyre for the conditions you see most and keep your wits about you in everything else

On 31/01/2019 at 13:07, NikTheGeek said:

 

Pneus Online was a good call. Got my steel wheels, Goodyear Ultragrip, fitted, balanced and delivered all for £366 (you get a £20 voucher by using their online chat to ask for prices). That is £100 cheaper than anywhere else I've found and still £33 cheaper than the cheap ebay Landsail kits!

 

Thanks for the heads-up!

Did they advise what was suitable and what you should buy. I'm in the same boat as you with 17" rims and I can't get anywhere near the £366 you paid. Any help would be appreciated

1 hour ago, geordiebloke said:

Did they advise what was suitable and what you should buy. I'm in the same boat as you with 17" rims and I can't get anywhere near the £366 you paid. Any help would be appreciated

Yes, I used the online chat, gave them my registration, they told me the rims to add and the tyres to add and then gave me a code. Assuming everything is right (they only arrive this coming week), it was:

 

4 x MWD 16178 (6.5x16 5x112 ET4657)

4 x 205/55/R16 91H Goodyear Ultragrip 8

 

£20 promo code (can't remember the code, but they gave it me via online chat whilst they were talking me through adding it to my basket)

 

total: £366.44 inc delivery

 

HTH,

 

Nick

1 hour ago, geordiebloke said:

Did they advise what was suitable and what you should buy. I'm in the same boat as you with 17" rims and I can't get anywhere near the £366 you paid. Any help would be appreciated

 

The best advice I can give you is don't buy them now. Order/buy them between June & September when demand is low and you'll find they're considerably cheaper. If you don't want new alloy wheels look for VW Transporter alloys on fleabay, they're pretty much compatible with the Octy.

 

My setup cost me nearly £900, because I went for some decent alloys & premium winter tyres and they have been brilliant, I just need to get one alloy repaired from last year when some daft old bint came around a corner on the wrong side of the road and forced me on to the verge, not before whacking a kerb. 

28 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

 

The best advice I can give you is don't buy them now. Order/buy them between June & September when demand is low and you'll find they're considerably cheaper.

 

That's my plan this year. By the time September / October comes, I'll be in the need for new tyres. So winters are going on my current 18's and then when the warmer weather comes next year, I'll be in the market for a set of 19's, which summer tyres can go on.

@NikTheGeek - Cheers Nik, I'll have a look tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

 

@TheWanderer - Thanks for the advice, but.......add a sloped driveway, two inches of snow, a car on summer tyres and a wife who had a sh***y day trying to get on the said drive, if I don't do something soon, then the Octavia will be history. Been out this weekend looking at 4 X 4's. Got to be cheaper to get wheels and tyres in a hurry and a lot less earache

 

Cheers guys and thanks for the quick response

4xNothing is still nothing.

 

FWD plus the right all season or winter tyres makes much more of a difference.

 

That plus a snow shovel to clear your drive before it’s driven on and turned into ice

4 wheels spinning due to lack of grip is no better than 2 wheels spinning due to lack of grip

 

First step - fit Winter or at least All Season tyres.

Second step - arrange course for ALL drivers (not just SWMBO) on driving in slippery conditions e.g. on a skid pan - that will teach good car control.

Third step - divorce (or if you insist get a 4x4 and fit it with Winter or All Season tyres)

Edited 4 February, 20197 yr by PetrolDave

4x4 on summer tyres is more dangerous

 

You have a better chance of keeping moving so can achieve higher speeds. But you have the same grip as a 2wd when it comes to braking and steering.

 

And as 4x4's are usually heavier you have more inertia. More chance of having an accident.

 

Lee

Seen some impressive moments with 4x4 and 2wd SUV over the past few years.

 

As you say, get going better, but that creates confidence which quickly disappears when they need to turn or stop quickly.

 

All this stuff on the news about councils being to blame. No the driver just needs to use appropriate tyres.

 

Decent All seasons would get most people home in snow without having to run two sets of tyres.

Most Joe bloggs would do better running all seasons all the time as they don't require the specific performance profiles of different times of year. I'm going to get them fitted to MrsG82's car when the time comes.

2 hours ago, cheezemonkhai said:

 

All this stuff on the news about councils being to blame. No the driver just needs to use appropriate tyres.

 

I agree. I have a Scout now, but my Mk1 Octavia on winter tyres did much better (unsurprisingly, to me at least) on snow/ice than my friend's s**** Range Rover on rubber-band summer tyres.

 

Is it time, I wonder, for this country to pass laws to allow fines to be applied to the apparently extremely-numerous folk who go out in snow/ice on summer tyres and then cause an obstruction so that even those with proper tyres can't get anywhere?

AFAIK Germany now has such rules - i.e. winter tyres are not mandatory unless you want to drive in snowy/icy conditions. Many people where snow is infrequent don't bother fitting them, but they have to leave the car at home in case of snow/ice.

Seems fair enough to me!

41 minutes ago, Sangrail said:

I agree. I have a Scout now, but my Mk1 Octavia on winter tyres did much better (unsurprisingly, to me at least) on snow/ice than my friend's s**** Range Rover on rubber-band summer tyres.

 

Is it time, I wonder, for this country to pass laws to allow fines to be applied to the apparently extremely-numerous folk who go out in snow/ice on summer tyres and then cause an obstruction so that even those with proper tyres can't get anywhere?

AFAIK Germany now has such rules - i.e. winter tyres are not mandatory unless you want to drive in snowy/icy conditions. Many people where snow is infrequent don't bother fitting them, but they have to leave the car at home in case of snow/ice.

Seems fair enough to me!

 

Unfortunately, there's no sod to police anything like that in our country. Quite often it takes until the MOT for the normal Joe bloggs to find out they've got under inflated tyres or bald tyres. So making winter tyres compulsory isn't going to happen as long as I've got a hole in my ........polo 

 

Having cars fitted as standard with all season tyres would be beneficial to a lot of people. At least then the roads would be that bit safer if the weather turned. Most people who drive a car, unfortunately, don't have a clue about summer, winter or all season tyres. They don't have a car for pleasure, but as a tool for getting to work, shopping or taking the kids to school.

As far as policing goes I'd have thought catching stationary vehicles stuck because of inappropriate tyres on snow/ice would be fairly straightforward!

It’s simple, do what the Germans did.

 

have an accident in winter conditions and not using appropriate tyres (winter marked all seasons or winters) then the accident is your fault and the insurance only pays for the other side.

 

block a road and have to be rescued... you pay costs and a fine.

 

very quickly everyone would be on all seasons or a summer/winter pairing.

I remain unconvinced about the requirement for any form of winter tyre in the UK.

I've been driving now for 26yrs.

My car over those times range from a 1980 MK1 Golf through to my current 2017 Octy vRS.

I have never had anything but summer tyres on any of my cars - these tyres will have ranged from the "cheapest new tyre please" on my first cars, through to Premium branded tyres on my later cars.

My stats:

Number of accidents I've had in the snow/ice: 0

Number of near misses I've had in the snow/ice: 1 - about 10 years ago when somebody was coming at me on the wrong side of the road

Number of casualties I've caused in the snow/ice: 0

Number of times I've died in the snow/ice: 0

 

Adjust driving style to suit the conditions, remain in the highest gear possible, double your usual "look ahead" lengths and treat every other road user as a potential hazard no matter where they are or how fast they are travelling.

 

I'm sure there are people who live in the Scottish Highlands or the lowlands that really need those tyres. Me, I'd be absolutely gutted with any requirements as I do not want the cost and hassle that I certainly do not need.

1 hour ago, Stoofa said:

 

 

Adjust driving style to suit the conditions,

 

 

 

So everything slows to crawl and rush hour becomes gridlocked with an inch of snow. That's what we have now with people blaming the councils.

 

Doesn't happen that way in other parts of Europe with legislation. No need for it to happen here either.

 

I would have completely agreed with you and said 40 years of driving.

 

Until the last week and the snow we had here, only the 3rd time in 14 years and nowhere near as bad as before but my Octavia was completely useless and would not even pull away on level ground, the previous MK1 was superb even on a mixture of second hand part worn tyres close to the tread wear limit.

 

From others comments a lot of it can be blamed on the Michelin Energy Saver + tyres that came with it, they are barely worn so plenty of tread depth and in all other cold and freezing conditions they are fine, like you I drive within my limits and even quite spiritedly within them and they do not lack grip or feel or feedback at low temperatures.

 

But I cannot drive within my limits if the vehicle will not even pull away on the flat in hindsight its a good safety measure because once moving the brakes just sent the ABS oscillating with absolutely zero retardation.

 

Other than throwing away 4nearly new tyres (one is brand new after a flint cut) I will have to buy a second set of wheels and winter tyres yet we might not have snow again for many years.