All Weather tyres and Summer tyres

[neonplanet40]

Hi FOlks,

 

 

2 of my tyres are worn down and need replaced. They are Avon ZV7's. I am looking at possibly getting some like Nokian Weatherproofs (or similar) and I think all season tyres may suit the country roads I use in Scotland a little better.

 

However, I currently only need 2 tyres. The other 2 have a load of wear left. If I only replace 2, and then not replace the other 2 with all season tyres until they are needed, will this be an issue? I would really much rather not have to buy 4 new tyres.....

 

Also, what tyres do people reccommend now for the Superb? BOth Summer and All Season? There are a tonne of options.

 

Thanky ou,.

[Phil-E]

Ideally it's best not to mix tyre types since the treads are very different and can cause instability or unpredictability in the handling.

[farty]

Don't mix all-season and 'normal' tyres.  If you have to drive in snow, the car could spin.  Goodyear all-seasons are very well reviewed.

 

All-season plus summer tyres is even worse.

 

 

Edited 29 September, 2020 by farty

[freelunch]

That's a good question for your insurance company. If it was my choice, I'd run the same tyre on all four corners. I have Vredestein Quatrac 5's on my city car. I like them.

[neonplanet40]

I thought this would be the case. It is going to come down to: 2 new summer tyres or 4 new all-weather tyres.....

 

Unfortunately I did not rotate the tyres so that the tread would be equal. But lockdown didn't help as I was still going 500 miles per week and wasn't able to leave it in anywhere.... 

[freelunch]

Another option for you is to buy two summer tyres and four winter tyres! 

 

Well, I laugh, but that's exactly what I did. I had four brand new Nokian's mounted on rims in the garage waiting for winter to arrive. The thieves arrived first! 

 

Now, I use all weather and keep them on the car all the time. Again, I like the Quatrac 5's, but haven't had snow to try them in yet.

[farty]

Here is a summary of Autobild's review of all season tyres

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sngEHycz7MQb1wPF5Viq8QrAM63SDJ_E/view?usp=sharing

 

The original was in German with silly graphs

 

And anothe review from a great website

 

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2020-Tyre-Reviews-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm

Edited 29 September, 2020 by farty

[Carlston]

This is the latest all-season tyre review. It was posted just two days ago on 27/9/20. Goodyear G3 came 1st out of 32 all-season tyres on test. Vredestein Quatrac came 2nd. The Vredestein Quatrac is new and replaces the Quatrac 5.

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2020-Auto-Bild-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm

[SurreyJohn]

8 hours ago, Phil-E said:

Ideally it's best not to mix tyre types since the treads are very different and can cause instability or unpredictability in the handling.

This is correct, but then your current situation of 2 tyres with lots of tread, and 2 worn tyres will also cause the similar effect.

 

Whilst not ideal, 2 good summer tyres and 2 all seasons, (all with decent tread depth) are probably safer than having 2 tyres close to minimum legal tread especially in wet.

 

No one is going to recommend mixing, but plenty of tyre establishments (and garages) seem to be happy to fit an assortment of tyres, its not that hard to find cars with 4 unrelated tyres.   Chasing profit is clearly more important for them.

 

[rum4mo]

Maybe a set of winter wheels with winter tyres for winter use if you have storage space, the need for winter type of tyres will remain for many years to come in certain areas of the country, better to do that than end up having an issue that has forced you into using winter tyres in winter, places like Mytyres.co.uk and others can supply wheels with tyres as a package at an acceptable price, then buy 2 new summer tyres just before you change back to summer wheels and tyres, I've been doing that for many years on both cars.

 

Edit:- we live in Southern Scotland and I'll admit I only started using winter tyres after conditions forced it on first my wife, then me a few years  later.

Edited 29 September, 2020 by rum4mo

[IJWS15]

While it may not be ideal at least having all the same type of tyre with differing wear means you are covered if you are involved in an accident.  Two winter/all-season and two summer put you in a whole heap of pain when the police, or your insurer gets involved.

 

If the car is a keeper get a set of steel wheels and winter tyres and replace the worn summer tyres.  Over a couple of years it won't cost you any more as you only use one set at a time.

[farty]

How could an insurer complain?  So long as the car would pass an MOT, mixing summer and winter tyres is inadvisable, but not illegal.

[PetrolDave]

7 hours ago, farty said:

How could an insurer complain?  So long as the car would pass an MOT, mixing summer and winter tyres is inadvisable, but not illegal.

If the tyres were not of a size specified by the manufacturer then they would claim it as a modification they were not told about.

 

Having said that if they were of a specified size but mixed construction then if the insurance assessor notices and says it invalidates the insurance then you could have an interesting time arguing their opinion.

[farty]

How could it invalidate the insurance?  The tyre sizes and therefore wheels have to comply with type approval.  TA says nothing about mixing tyre types so long as they meet speed and load ratings.

[26DIPP]

You have to have the same tyre construction on one axle, i.e. radial or diagonal and you should not have to have the recommended size fitted. You can mix brands of the same size and type - summer, winter - on one axle.

If you use yres that have provenly less grip in certain conditions, i.e. snow and a summer tyre on therear causing an uncontrolled spin and accident, your insurer / the may ask for a contribution from you.

If you put the all season tyres on the rear with summer tyres on the front the car will be more stable but probably still not massively safe.

Summer and all season will be o.k. until it is slippery and icy because they respond with similar grip levels in warm conditions.

[PetrolDave]

10 hours ago, farty said:

TA says nothing about mixing tyre types so long as they meet speed and load ratings.

Since when have insurers been constrained to TA as their only criteria?

[farty]

5 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

Since when have insurers been constrained to TA as their only criteria?

I was making the point that you would be in breach if you fitted a tyre size that was not type approved for your model and that would give the insurers grounds to refuse payment.

Please suggest what rules you would break by mixing summer and all-seasons.  Do insurers actually examine tyres after a RTC?

[NJRJ]

3 hours ago, farty said:

 Do insurers actually examine tyres after a RTC?

 

An assessor will check tyres, and for go faster stripes, big brakes and any other TINY mods that weren't notified, a simple 5 minute check will save the insurance company tens of thousands.

[farty]

  Has anyone actually lost a claim or had one reduced?  No assessor checked the damage on my car but it was about £1,000.  

Edited 1 October, 2020 by farty

[Ootohere]

What a song and dance some make about something that does not affect them unless someone with dodgy tyres and driving hits them or theirs.

 

Nothing to void insurance with the Correct Size, Speed / Load Rating tyres with legal tread being used on a vehicle with a valid MOT / MOT Extension, or even a vehicle that does not require a MOT.

No declaration for modification if using, summer, winter, snow, wet weather etc tyres.

 

PS

Strange behaviour from a Garage / MOT testing station employees / management.   Common type of behaviour though around the UK.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/485121-evergreen-dynacontrol-eu728

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 October, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[farty]

I checked with Aviva and they said there are no restrictions on fitting snow tyres on either axle.  The poilcy says the car must be roadworthy.  As far as I can tell, the MOT does not consider the subject so long as tyres are fitted according to any instructions on the sidewall of the tyre - such as direction of rotation for asymmetric tyres.

[Carlston]

7 hours ago, farty said:

...so long as tyres are fitted according to any instructions on the sidewall of the tyre - such as direction of rotation for asymmetric tyres.

 

Asymmetric tyres are not directional.

 

Once fitted correctly to the rim, asymmetric tyres can be fitted to the vehicle in any position...left or right, front or back.

Edited 2 October, 2020 by Carlston

[farty]

OK, but tyres can be asymmetric AND directional.  Asymmetric tyre could be fitted on the wheel incorrectly and be an MOT failure.

 

Here's a list of insurance companies showing which ones require you to inform them if you fit winter tyres

Edited 3 October, 2020 by farty

[gregoir]

Gone rather off the original topic. I have 4 all seasons tyres. Because the grip characteristics are different from summer tyres, I'd not care to try 2 of each type in the colder months. It could be as bad as mixing radials and cross plies. Not saying, just a thought experiment. 

[Ootohere]

Many do do it winter after winter or all year and find that a pair of all seasons on the drive wheels of a FWD car and good tread summers on the rear will be no more dangerous than 4 Summers on all round all year.

If you drive to the conditions.  Remembering that 4 Summer tyres are pretty crap in some conditions like where there are a few days of pretty wintry weather which is all that many in the UK get if even that.