Tyre replacement for Karoq 1.5TSi (2WD) - 215/50 R18 92W - Limited Choices

[Goldtw74]

Just for info.

 

https://www.blackcircles.com/helpcentre/tyres/can-i-fit-a-higher-lower-speed-rating

[smipx]

Exactly so.  You went from W to V which is a lowering of the speed rating. The tyre in question is a summer tyre and that article states: 

"We do not recommend lowering the speed rating to anything less than was fitted to your vehicle as original equipment on the production line. The only exception to this is a winter tyre. This is due to the fact that they are generally available in lower speed ratings than the more standard ‘summer’ tyres. This because vehicles generally travel at much slower maximum speeds in winter conditions."

 

This is what autotrader has to say: 

"Tyre speed rating insurance implications

You can invalidate your car insurance by fitting new tyres that have a lower speed rating than the manufacturer’s original fit.
Generally speaking, there’s no problem with fitting new tyres that have a higher tyre speed rating – just note that it will probably cost you more and there may not be any significant benefit."

 

Note the word "Can"

I guess we each need to check with our insurers if we want to do that but for me, it means lots of hassle if I change insurers for example.

[CJJE]

When I come to change out the Bridgestone Dueler HP Sports that my Karoq came on, I was favouring the Michelin CrossClimates, having used them on my previous Golf SV. But I see the CrossClimate 2 seems to be generally better than the CrossClimate SUV. As I'm highly unlikely to take my Karoq any further off road than a grassy overflow car park, do I need to keep with a SUV tyre rather than than car tyre? 

 

Chris

[Mark-Surrey]

I just don't understand this issue about using a V rated tyre instead of a W rated tyre.  Based on what I see on the AA website, a V rated tyre is good for up to 149 mph and a W rated tyre is good for up to 168 mph.  But if you are driving at anything more than 70 mph on any public roads in the UK, you are already breaking the speed limit, so you are illegal.  So why would a V rated tyre be considered anything other than acceptable?  I can understand that there are certain autobahns in Germany where there is no maximum speed limit, so somebody in Germany can drive their car quite legally at more than 149 mph.  But not here in the UK.  Also, from what I see in the Karoq brochure from when I bought mine a couple of years ago, the most powerful version at that time (the 2.0 TDI) had a maximum speed of only 127 mph.  So this just doesn't add up to me.  Can anybody explain this to me, as maybe I'm just being a bit stupid.  

[CJJE]

1 hour ago, Mark-Surrey said:

I just don't understand this issue about using a V rated tyre instead of a W rated tyre.  Based on what I see on the AA website, a V rated tyre is good for up to 149 mph and a W rated tyre is good for up to 168 mph.  But if you are driving at anything more than 70 mph on any public roads in the UK, you are already breaking the speed limit, so you are illegal.  So why would a V rated tyre be considered anything other than acceptable?  I can understand that there are certain autobahns in Germany where there is no maximum speed limit, so somebody in Germany can drive their car quite legally at more than 149 mph.  But not here in the UK.  Also, from what I see in the Karoq brochure from when I bought mine a couple of years ago, the most powerful version at that time (the 2.0 TDI) had a maximum speed of only 127 mph.  So this just doesn't add up to me.  Can anybody explain this to me, as maybe I'm just being a bit stupid.  

Many years ago I was also puzzled why my turbo-diesel Citroen needed such a high speed rating for its tyres, and the service manager at my dealer (who I had dealt with for many years and trusted) assured me it was because the tyre's higher speed rating was needed to handle the torque from the engine, and not because the car could ever reach the speeds that the tyre was quoting. So I suppose the "speed rating" is actually shorthand for a more complex measurement of the tyre's strengths. 

 

I have also found the following statement on the Protyre website:

 

"For most modern cars, the tyre rating is not the same as the maximum speed the vehicle is capable of. For example, most family cars will have a tyre speed rating that is higher than the car’s maximum speed. This is mainly for safety reasons and so that the performance of the tyres always exceeds the maximum performance of the car. A higher speed rating means that the tyre is able to cope with acceleration, braking, and high-speed cornering.
Speed ratings are not exclusively about speed – they are also about ride comfort, tread wear, traction, and cornering ability. A tyre with a higher speed rating will give better grip and stopping power but may not last as long and may not perform as well in cold weather/winter conditions. V, Z, W, and Y-rated tyres, therefore, tend to be better suited to high-performance vehicles driven in warmer climates."

 

 Chris 

Edited 10 November, 2021 by CJJE
More info added

[agedbriar]

That explains why on the homologation certificate for my 1.5 TSI 4x4 the approved wheel assemblies are  listed as follows:

(incomplete specs)

 

225/55  R17  97V ...
225/45  R19  92W ...
225/50  R18  95W ...
225/55  R17  97V ...
225/60  R16  98V ...
...

...

 

Edited 11 November, 2021 by agedbriar

[SurreyJohn]

16 hours ago, Mark-Surrey said:

I just don't understand this issue about using a V rated tyre instead of a W rated tyre.  Based on what I see on the AA website, a V rated tyre is good for up to 149 mph and a W rated tyre is good for up to 168 mph.  But if you are driving at anything more than 70 mph on any public roads in the UK, you are already breaking the speed limit, so you are illegal.  So why would a V rated tyre be considered anything other than acceptable?  I can understand that there are certain autobahns in Germany where there is no maximum speed limit, so somebody in Germany can drive their car quite legally at more than 149 mph.  But not here in the UK.  Also, from what I see in the Karoq brochure from when I bought mine a couple of years ago, the most powerful version at that time (the 2.0 TDI) had a maximum speed of only 127 mph.  So this just doesn't add up to me.  Can anybody explain this to me, as maybe I'm just being a bit stupid.  

In practice makes no difference, but a tyre manufacturer is not going to make lots of speed variations, for different countries speed limits.  Much easier to make it fast enough to cover all countries.

 

Even if they did, your local tyre dealer is unlikely to stock every variation.  And the marginal cheaper cost of a theoretical lower speed variant, isn’t worth it, as the logistics cost of stocking multiple speed variants is probably going to be more than any saving.

 

So in reality cannot buy tyres with a lower speed rating (but a few common, high volume sizes do come in 2 or 3 speed ratings)

 

 

[Apprentice]

My 1.5TSI SE was factory fitted with 215/55 R17 94V Hankook tyres, OK not 18" wheels and tyres but V rated none the less.

[smipx]

3 hours ago, Apprentice said:

My 1.5TSI SE was factory fitted with 215/55 R17 94V Hankook tyres, OK not 18" wheels and tyres but V rated none the less.

They are fine for the 17's - it's the 18's in the 215/50 that have to be W (and the 225/40 19's) :

 

[Carlston]

23 hours ago, CJJE said:

Many years ago I was also puzzled why my turbo-diesel Citroen needed such a high speed rating for its tyres, and the service manager at my dealer (who I had dealt with for many years and trusted) assured me it was because the tyre's higher speed rating was needed to handle the torque from the engine, and not because the car could ever reach the speeds that the tyre was quoting...

 

Electric cars have a lot of torque, yet Michelin produce a 185/65R15 88Q (up to 99mph) especially for an electric car (maybe the Renault Zoe).

 

Michelin Energy E-V
185/65 R15 Q (88)

 

https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/michelin/energy-e-v/185/65/R15/Q/88/m?tyre=33282402

[Northernskoda123]

On 04/11/2021 at 10:50, Sanqhar said:

Regarding the speed rating, why don't you just ask the insurance company?

 

You could also fit smaller wheels, this increases tyre choice. 

 

tom

Good luck phoning your insurance company  , I reckon they'll say if Skoda says it's ok, then it's ok.  Indeed , most will say any deviation from the manufacturers spec is unacceptable .  Mind you my cynical view is from 40 + yrs in insurance employment. 

 

 

 

[BigLes]

I called my insurer and they stated that as long as the tyre is the correct size (215/50R18 on my 1.6 TDi) they are quite happy with either V or W rated.

[DaleRoyce]

I just threw on a set of Firestone Firehawk Sport 01's. Cheep and quiet. Look great too.

[smipx]

Just called my insurer ( a big name - SAGA).  Initially they said that they wouldn't have a problem.  Iasked for it in writing and they checked with the underwriters. The underwriters have stated that if the tyre I select is a lower speed rating than the official Manufacturer specification (in my case W for the 1.5TSi on an 18 Rim) then I would NOT be covered and I would invalidate my policy and I would not be insured if I had an accident. 

I appreciate that it is probably a "catch all". They checked with the underwriters.

 

Please don't risk getting a V rated tyre if your Type approval states W 

 

Buyer Beware.

Edited 5 February, 2022 by smipx

[smipx]

I like the idea of "All Season Tyres" so it looks like my choice is pretty much limited to the following.  I am going to stretch to all 4 tyres of course (as I'm going from Summer to All Season).

Hope this helps someone else 🙂

 

This seems to be the choice (of premium All-Season tyres) in the running now for 215/50 R18 92W (or better):

Price is for 4 tyres including the best discounts I could find today:

 

1)  Vredestein Quatrac Pro   - Approx £550 incl. fitting/balance - delivered to fitter by online shop

2)  Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3 - Approx £635 (ASDA TYRES) incl. fitting/balance - delivered to fitter by online shop

3)  Michelin Crossclimate 2 - Approx £610 (KwikFit Offer 15% off) incl. fitting/balance

4)  Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3 SUV - Approx £480 incl. fitting/balance - delivered to fitter by online shop

5)  Nankang Cross Seasons AW-6 SUV - Approx £520 incl. fitting/balance - delivered to fitter by online shop

 

Tried a couple of my local trusted outfits but nothing doing  - mostly I would need to order online and pay for fitting with my local trusted firm (approx £20-£25 per tyre).

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

 

 

Edited 5 February, 2022 by smipx

[smipx]

Oddly when I check Michelin's website for Crossclimate 2 they are not available in 215/50 R18

Mytyres and KwikFit are both able to offer them to me though?!?!

 

This is the Michelin website: https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/browse-tyres/by-dimension/215/50/18/92/W

Tyrereviews.com also doe not list them

 

I will talk to KwikFit on Monday but I suspect their site may be wrong.

Edited 5 February, 2022 by smipx

[AGFalco]

In my experience you can't expect a Tyre manufacture to have an up to date website.

Mytyres are based in Germany so they supply the tyres from Germany.

Michelin might not import that size in to the UK.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[smipx]

2 hours ago, AGFalco said:

In my experience you can't expect a Tyre manufacture to have an up to date website.

Mytyres are based in Germany so they supply the tyres from Germany.

Michelin might not import that size in to the UK.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

That's good to know. Thanks.   The Michelin is my front runner at the moment but also torn between that and the Quatrac Pro as we don't get much snow here and apparently that one is also a top choice if you take snow "mostly" out of the equation.

[Carlston]

10 hours ago, smipx said:

Please don't risk getting a V rated tyre if your Type approval states W.

 

Skoda sometimes states in the owner's manual that winter tyres with a lower speed rating can be used.

 

As all-season tyres have the 3PMSF symbol, they are winter tyres...as that symbol is the definition of a winter tyre.

 

Winter tyres aren't available with the W speed rating in size 215/50R18. Maybe your insurance company thinks it's ok for you to slide about dangerously in the snow on your summer 215/50R18 W speed rated tyres.

 

It wasn't long ago that some UK insurance companies were telling UK drivers not to use winter tyres because that was a modification. After a few years they admitted that they had made a mistake, and decided that using winter tyres wasn't a modification.

 

UK insurance companies advise car drivers to always drive on summer tyres in the snow. (This is what happens...)

 

 

Edited 5 February, 2022 by Carlston

[Ootohere]

British Insurance Companies, Brokers, Call Centre Handlers & Underwriters never knew when Winter Driving Conditions actually happen in the UK as low temps or snow / ice can occur in Spring , Summer, Autumn & Winter in the parts of the UK, and warm weather can as well like a heat wave in Scotland in March 2012 with Blizzard like conditions coming in April with whole communities cut off..

 

So basically when winters or All Weather or snow tyres are not appropriate becomes a grey area.   

Many in or around hill/ mountain roads keep the same tyres on all year and have done with different vehicles over the decades.

?

Do they want people to take their Winter / All Weather tyres off in May only to put them back on in August?

Night time temps might well be well below 7*oC even in those 3 months.

 

So you do need the agreement from insurers and it has become in the past years that they had become more sensible.

SAGA have not been so silly in past years IME, but then all anyone can do is ask and who knows what answers they can come away with. 

Sometimes it seems to be nonsense someone comes away with. 

 

What Skoda as a Manufacturer might say about a lower Speed Rating in Winter counts for nothing as they do not even specify when winter or winter like conditions are in the UK.

(They have still not designed Fuel Filler Flaps that do not freeze shut yet they are a Central European car manufacturer.)

Edited 5 February, 2022 by roottoot

[Ootohere]

SAGA 2014 and then 2018.  Note it is headed  Winter tyres for BAD WEATHER.  

http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/motoring/cars/maintenance/winter-tyres-for-bad-weather

 

 

 

Edited 5 February, 2022 by roottoot

[AGFalco]

16 hours ago, smipx said:

Quatrac Pro

On two of my cars I run Vredestein Quatrac 5 as my winter tyres, from Oct / Nov  to March / April.

I run summers for the rest of the year, and have done this since 2009 with one car.

 

I am also from down south and have had no problem even with snow covering the roads.

They are almost to good compared to driving the car I have with summers in snow.

 

Had a BMW X5 car driver stop me at a bottom of a steep hill to say to me:-

' You wont get up that hill as I can't in mine and I have a £40.000 4 x 4.'

I thanked him and promptly accelerated up the hill, smiling to myself in my Fiat Panda.

 

The only downside is the number if tyres I have, 28 at the minute.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

 

 

[smipx]

5 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

On two of my cars I run Vredestein Quatrac 5 as my winter tyres, from Oct / Nov  to March / April.

I run summers for the rest of the year, and have done this since 2009 with one car.

 

I am also from down south and have had no problem even with snow covering the roads.

They are almost to good compared to driving the car I have with summers in snow.

 

Had a BMW X5 car driver stop me at a bottom of a steep hill to say to me:-

' You wont get up that hill as I can't in mine and I have a £40.000 4 x 4.'

I thanked him and promptly accelerated up the hill, smiling to myself in my Fiat Panda.

 

The only downside is the number if tyres I have, 28 at the minute.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

 

 

Ha Ha,   Extreme!!

 

I will be wanting one set of tyres for the whole year though.

Just someting that might give me a fighting chance of getting off the odd bit of wet grass occasionally (e.g. coastal car parks) and something that might be a little better at not lighting up the front's so often when I pull away on an uphill junction in the cool and damp weather (in my 2WD DSG) + someting that is safe all year round of course. Not too worried about any serious type of snow capabilities - if it's like that I will not be driving!!

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

[AGFalco]

3 minutes ago, smipx said:

I will be wanting one set of tyres for the whole year though.

 

Yes, good quality all season is the way to go.

I ran winters for 5 years but down here it was an overkill for me.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[AGFalco]

22 hours ago, Carlston said:

As all-season tyres have the 3PMSF symbol

 

Don't assume a tyre called 'All Season' has the 3PMSF marking.

 

'Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season'  and 'Pirelli Cinturato All Season'  tyres are available both with the three peak mountain snowflake symbol and without in some sizes.

Pirelli use the acronym SF ( snowflake ) for the ones with, so you can tell the difference.

https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-gb/car/catalogue/season/all-season

 

Tyres are too complicated these days if you ask me.

 

Thanks, AG Falco