Tyres- all season on front only?

[paulski]

I am need of new fronts soon on my 2.0 TDI estate ,which are 205/55 R16 Continental Premium Contact 5, and am pondering on trying some all season, Good year or Michelin Cross Climates which seem to get good reviews. My work takes me around a lot of rural roads where conditions are often less the ideal in poorer weather (especially at  the moment!) and I'm sure I would appreciate some more grip. 

 

My quandary is that my rears are fine with around 5mm of tread left (Dunlop Sport Blue) so, could I move the rears to the front and put new all season on the rears for the time being, and once the Dunlops are worn then put all seasons on the front to match the rears. 

 

Also do all season tyres wear quicker and decrease mpg at all? 

 

I have no storage space for a full set of wheels and don't feel the need to go to full winters in the far south. 

 

 

Thanks. 

 

[Carlston]

42 minutes ago, paulski said:

I am need of new fronts soon on my 2.0 TDI estate ,which are 205/55 R16 Continental Premium Contact 5, and am pondering on trying some all season, Good year or Michelin Cross Climates which seem to get good reviews. My work takes me around a lot of rural roads where conditions are often less the ideal in poorer weather (especially at  the moment!) and I'm sure I would appreciate some more grip. 

 

My quandary is that my rears are fine with around 5mm of tread left (Dunlop Sport Blue) so, could I move the rears to the front and put new all season on the rears for the time being, and once the Dunlops are worn then put all seasons on the front to match the rears. 

 

Also do all season tyres wear quicker and decrease mpg at all? 

 

I have no storage space for a full set of wheels and don't feel the need to go to full winters in the far south. 

 

 

Thanks. 

 

 

195/65R15 are a cheaper, more mpg, more comfortable size than 205/55R16.

 

15" rims will fit if your front discs aren't bigger than 288mm. If you have 312mm front discs then you need at least 16" rims.

 

There's plenty of all-season tyres with a "C" label for rolling resistance.

 

mytyres.co.uk list Alcar 7755 steel rims (6Jx15 ET43 5/112 57.1) for £30.30

 

Here's a listing on camskill for Michelin CrossClimates in size 195/65R15

 

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7994p145802/Michelin_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Michelin_CrossClimate%2B_Michelin_Cross_Climate%2B_-_195_65_R15_95V_XL_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_C_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_1_Noise%3A_69dB

Edited 5 March, 2020 by Carlston

[Doctor_Strange]

I researched this and its a big no no apparently. Same with winter tyres only on the front.

 

You can have all the grip in the world at the front only to be a spectator when the back lets go.

[Doctor_Strange]

Putting all seasons on the back would be like fitting snow chains to the front wheels of a rear wheel drive car. Won't achieve anything in snow or even putting the power down in the rain.

 

Not advisable to mix tyres. 

[paulski]

3 minutes ago, Doctor_Strange said:

Putting all seasons on the back would be like fitting snow chains to the front wheels of a rear wheel drive car. Won't achieve anything in snow or even putting the power down in the rain.

 

Not advisable to mix tyres. 

 

Thanks for your valid points, i did think this to be the case, think i'll just replace the fronts with summers as we really don't get snow down here and if we do, it would be unlikely that I would be driving in it.  

[Gaz]

I think I could've done with Winter/all season tyres about five times in 39 years of driving.  And even then, I got by without any drama's.  Don't think that's enough of a justification down here - in my opinion.

 

Gaz

[SurreyJohn]

Bit late now, but really ought to have swapped the tyres front-back some months ago.

 

Not a lot of advantage in having 5mm on rear, whilst you have completely worn out the front tyres.   You could then have waited many months before fitting your all seasons.

 

All seasons work better in cold rain than summers below about +9c or +5c in dry (they are not just for occasional snow)
The post above that Sussex has only seen temperature  suitable for all seasons 5 times in 39 years is complete rubbish 

Although not textbook perfect, buy your 2 all seasons, put them on the back, stick your 5mm summer tyres on front. Then run them through warmer months, but change the other 2 by November when colder weather starts.   The mix will be ok in warmer months as you have reasonable tread (but I wouldn’t recommend this if only had 2 or 3mm tread on older pair).  
What you will be doing is much better than someone who drives with 4 assorted (budget) summer tyres.  Your 4 premium tyres with >4mm of tread will be fine even if 2 are summer and 2 are all season (although no one will say this formally, just in case there is accident)

 

Edited 6 March, 2020 by SurreyJohn

[wyx087]

I'm on my first set of all-seasons, Crossclimate+ 18inch. 1.5 years in, 11k miles so far, front is still 6mm. So I wouldn't worry about wear, especially with Michelin. 

 

Agree with most here, mixing tyres are not great idea. I throw away two ~4mm to fit the whole set. This is the only bit of contact you have to stop you from hitting something, it's vitally important. 

[KenONeill]

15 hours ago, paulski said:

and am pondering on trying some all season

Well, do you want an uncommanded panoramic view of your surroundings? 4 season or Winter tyres on the front and Summers on the rear are a good way of getting this if it's snowy or icy.

Edited 6 March, 2020 by KenONeill

[Ecomatt]

You might find Goodyear Eagle F1 Asy 5 better than the Continental. I have had both and prefer the Goodyear. Also consider Apollo Aspire. My dad has them fitted to his car and they are really good tyres.

[Gaz]

5 hours ago, SurreyJohn said:

 

The post above that Sussex has only seen temperature  suitable for all seasons 5 times in 39 years is complete rubbish

 

Cheers.

 

I don't recall mentioning Sussex, nor suitable temperatures. You are saying things that I have not.

 

I passed my driving test in May 1981.  That's not rubbish, it's a fact.

 

The times I recall actively thinking I'd be better off with climate focussed tyres number five.  That's not rubbish, it's a fact.  The last time I felt I may have been disadvantaged by having Summer tyres was 12 March 2013 when we'd had significant snowfall.  Homebound in rush hour traffic, the going was dicey and I was stuck in traffic where the A259 had frozen and people were unable to get up, or down a short slope at The Bull Pub, between Bexhill and St Leonards.  I drove to the conditions and with caution, didn't slip, slide or get stuck.  The going would have most likely been easier on better suited tyres, but I don't know that for sure.  There are four occasions prior to this.

 

Like most people on here, I'm interested in cars.  I'm just as much interested in tyres.  I think most of us know where season focussed tyres are better and the temperature where all seasons are better than Summer biased tyres.  In the last five years I've only bought PS4's or AV7's.  I think we all probably know a good tyre, with good tread depth is better than a legal ditch finder at 1.7mm.  There are some good and informative videos (and some not so good) on here which show tyre comparisons in weather conditions - a pair of white Golf's and some cars driving up a ski slope spring to mind.

 

In Eastbourne we mostly have mild Winters. The coldest part of my garden (North facing, and in the shade) is currently 6.7c and it's a lot warmer elsewhere.  I appreciate we're coming into Spring.  My 'cold' season, down here is about three months, give or take.  The number of days in that three month period where it's below 7c and all season tyres will significantly outperform good quality Summer biased tyres isn't that many - in my opinion.

 

My son has a Touran.  It has all season tyres on it, but only because they came with it as a spare set, and the tyres it came on are past their best.  He commutes between Eastbourne and Hailsham.  He can't notice a difference, and I think this is because the climate and conditions are quite temperate.  My Sister in Law lives just off Carden Hill in Brighton.  She has a B5.5 Passat on Summer tyres and has never had a problem in Winter.

 

I wasn't disputing where all seasons are better suited.  I was merely making an observation that when replacing tyres, I've not yet felt able to justify all seasons over Summer biased tyres. But that's just my opinion.

 

Gaz

 

 

 

[KenONeill]

@SurreyJohn @IamGaz - Well, I used to work in Kent. It did once snow and "snow tyres" might have been an advantage. OTOH I did, in a Citroen ZX, pass a Range Rover that was stuck at the bottom of a hill!

[penguin17]

For a more 'Summer biased' all-season tyre or for areas of the UK that don't get as cold then I can thoroughly recommend Vredestein Quatrac 5's.  I've used them in every extreme of weather we get around these parts and they've been excellent.  The wear rate is also mind boggling...mine have covered 25K miles and still have 5.5mm of tread on them.   I think a more 'Winter biased' all-season such as the GY Vector 4S is better on ice and deep snow but for the South coast that may be overkill.  The GY's also become a little 'squirmy' in Summer as the sipes are moving around.  They are very supple and quiet though.  

 

I've previously had Winter/Summer wheels and then when I got my Superb the Winter wheels wouldn't fit so I moved to all-seasons (the Quatracs) and I didn't feel I had compromised anything but I fancied some Michelin PS4's when I got the 280 which are epic in Summer but I noticed in early December that they had started to become noticeably less grippy at sub 4ºC, so I've fitted the Quatracs again.  Much more sure footed.  So I think my new tyre 'strategy' will be the Quatracs for Winter and PS4's for Summer.  

 

As above.  I wouldn't mix seasonal tyres across axles.  You'll never be sure which end is going to bite and when it does, it will only end badly.  

 

This video is pretty useful IMO: 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 6 March, 2020 by penguin17

[MattChr]

Tyres are engineered to work well across a certain temperature range, I'm guessing 20c - if you choose a sensible set of tyres for our climate you should only need one set.

 

My VRS has a set of summer and winter. With the summer tyres they work well in warmer weather (say 15-30c) but I notice a big drop in overall grip for corners, accelerating and braking when temperatures drop below 7c. With winters they really grip like stink up to 9c, but lose their advantage above that.

 

Our second car was recently swapped over with Goodyear Vector 4seasons - really impressed with their grip in the wintery slush, heavy hailstorm and cold and general use.

 

Personally with 5mm left on the rear set, I would fit a new pair of matching tyres on the front - by the time you come to change them in a couple of years, you can change all four together for all seasons.

[KenONeill]

53 minutes ago, MattChr said:

warmer weather (say 15-30c) but I notice a big drop in overall grip for corners, accelerating and braking when temperatures drop below 7c. With winters they really grip like stink up to 9c

What do you do when the temperature is in the intermediate zone?

 

How do you propose the OP deals with the uncommanded panoramic view issue mentioned up-thread?

[silver1011]

Put the nearly worn fronts on the rear and the rears on the front.

 

By the time the rears are down to the 1.6mm legal limit the fronts will be worn enough to justify buying four all-seasons.

[paulski]

Thanks all for the informative contributions to my post. I have my decision which is to replace fronts with same as rears and then do a proper swap so even wear occurs at all corners then see how I feel from there. All things considered, it does not get that bad/cold snowy down here in East Sussex and if it's that bad I've never been required to go out in it for work. 

[Alex-W]

I do find the whole opinion about tyres on here sightly strange.

There's a whole load of out of context statements IMO.

 

It's a fwd car, with the power transmission, the braking and the steering being done by the front wheels and the rears not doing anywhere near as much.

 

Stick the all seasons on the front, drive it normally and enjoy the additional grip you may or may not get, depending on what weather conditions you deal with daily.

 

There's a whole theory that you should have the better tyres on the rear, however I don't buy into it.

Sure, if you push the car to the limit, say around a track, and the back let's go, you'll be in more trouble than if you suffer some wheelspin.  However, just don't drive like an idiot and that's not a scenario that matters.

If you're getting your rear end to let go on the road with a fwd car, you're driving too fast or not to the conditions IMO.  

 

The thing that's likely to be important in an everyday road car is low speed traction on bends and braking.  Having the all seasons on the back won't help.

 

Or, to put it another way, you're presently driving on summer tyres.  Increasing the grip on the front wheels won't make you crash and won't make the car not dangerous as I am going with the assumption you're not bouncing off lampposts now.

 

Yes, it's a different story of you're taking your car to it's limit.  But in reality most people (hopefully) don't and really what they're after from all seasons is low speed traction and braking.

 

Incidentally, I've never had all seasons, I live down south and the weather just doesn't justify it.  However I've always either had the same all round or put the best brand tyres on the front.

I don't swap front to back either, I really don't get the point of that either...  As long as they're above the limit they should do their job 

Edited 7 March, 2020 by Alex-W

[Carlston]

5 hours ago, Alex-W said:

Stick the all seasons on the front...

 

Very dangerous advice.

 

In some conditions the all-season tyres will have a lot more grip than the summer tyres. Not just in the winter, as all-season tyres with the 3PMSF symbol also work much better than summer tyres on mud and loose surfaces.

 

Take for example driving along a fast bendy A-road. You hit a patch of mud or loose gravel and the front all-season tyres grip but the rear summer tyres don't. The result is that you lose your rear end and the car spins out of control. If the car hits a tree, it can cause serious injury or death.

 

Make sure that your front end never has more grip than the rear. Understeer is safe, oversteer is not.

Edited 7 March, 2020 by Carlston

[flybynite]

5 hours ago, Alex-W said:

However, just don't drive like an idiot and that's not a scenario that matters.

 

It is, unless you can stop everyone else on the road driving like an idiot as well.

[Ootohere]

Nobody ever seems to say, i drove with all weathers or winter tyres on the front of a front wheel drive car and good tyresw on the rear and had no issues on a fast bendy UK max speed limit road and had no issues if there was horse crap, tractor dirt, slush, snow or run off water or rain.

 

So i will say it, done it early on in many winters over 4 decades.

 

There is so much nonsense talked and posting stuff that is the theory they come away with year after year.

 

Lots of people on here must have had better tyre on the front over the years, pre TC / ASR, pre ABS, pre ESP as standard.

 

A front end in a skid is not safe, with front end steering you can steer into a skid, steer with ABS functioning, the back end will come back behind you unless you are some total plonker with bald rear tyres, and big long car and loads of weight in the back,

then the rear might overtake the front.

 

Watch all the ice track videos you like, the skid pan ones, the wet track etc, the ones saying fit pairs of tyres.

then dont drive like a total plonker or drive beyond the conditions, the vehicle and your ability.

 

Watch where Audi offered RS3's which are quatros with wider front wheels / tyres as an option.

Edited 7 March, 2020 by Roottootemblowinootsoot

[xman]

6 minutes ago, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

 

So i will say it, done it early on in many winters over 4 decades.

 

 

But you are a self confessed expert of 40+ years learnt old school ways driving crap cars with cross ply tyres maybe and probably have great skills at handling oversteer and sudden rear end break away.

 

Most people are not experts.

[Ootohere]

PS

Check out rears before putting to the front.

Especially off some Skoda cars.  They are deformed after used for a while on the rear.  Bl00dy dangerous actually to go on the front.

[Ootohere]

@xman

Advice from someone that has never tried something is just that, someone repeating things they have heard or have been told.

 

Being a boy or girl racer and getting to an oldie does mean something when 4 or 5 months of the year is winter driving some winters serious weather and some much milder.

 

?

How many are suffering rear end breakaway these days with ESP and crap ECO Summer tyres that cars arrive in the UK with.

Plenty are experiencing flashing Traction control lights on the slightest of damp surfaces. 

That is with matching front and rear tyres, sometimes at the wrong pressures as handed over after the PDI.

Edited 7 March, 2020 by Roottootemblowinootsoot

[xman]

If I could understand you George I might reply.

 

I have 48 years driving under my belt everthing from Hillman Imps, Zephyrs to the Superb I have today.

Regularly commuted across the snow laden pennines in my youth, no such thing as winter or all season. Minus 21 cross Europe treks on summers. Learnt to feel when ice under wheels, some hairy moments, almost lost it.

 

Been in cars where drivers just lost it and good luck hit something soft.

 

Having the best grip tyres on the rear is the default safe option. You might have zero traction in snow, but at least you'll end up going at worst in a straight line rather than spinning and panicking how to correct.