Winter tyres?

flyingscotno1

adon30 wrote: »

I agree. They are a jack of all trades and master of none. Never found any of them to rate highly.

I think (but don't quote me) they are a summer rubber with a winter tread pattern (and probably less sipes).

The Quatrac is one of the best rated and is still not great. But as it's a Vredstein tyre supply might be limited due to their current problems.

I am happy to swap my tyres over. I just would like a bigger usability window for the winter tyres. There are people that use winters all year round but wouldn't suit my car with the amount of drive going through the wheels and the low profile tyres.

The jack of all trades master of none whilst essentially true is a bit unfair as it is used to dismiss them as rubbish. They don't give outright performance, but are by no means bad in any conditions.

They provide good grip on a range of conditions without excelling and are essentially an all-season to me is a winter tyre with the usability increased to last the summer as well. The rubber is certainly, on some, winter rubber with Silica and things to stop hardening in cold with a more summer tread pattern (less snipes).

The think that is key is that people posting on here are often more informed and interested in cars. We maybe happy to understand tyres, have steels and space to store them as well as a willingness to swap them over we live in a country where a sizeable proportion would treat a flat tyre as an AA job and checking oil is done at a service. Equally for summer tyres it isn't a brand thing- people walk in and it is "cheapest you've got" so some tyre that in tests when a Continental is stopped from 60mph is still doing 25mph. If people with no desire to change ditched summers for all-seasons, there wouldn't be much difference but perhaps we'd not grind to a halt in the snow.

I know Auto Express tested the Quatrac this year and it beat the summer tyre in the snow quite handsomely, but the more normal conditions like dry braking it was often second ahead of winters behind the summer tyre. Curiously in snow handling it beat Nokian and Dunlop winters.

I live in Central Scotland where it does snow but infrequently- bar last 2 years where it has been different. A good all season that can handle snow when it comes, but the more normal conditions of cold and rain is fine for me. Whilst driving technique plays a part, unlike summer shod cars I ain't got stuck this year and it's fun to pull away no issues from lights as others spin away. :rotfl:

Henry_P_Chester

I bought snow tyres just before the snow this year and they are very impressive. They give much better traction acceleration and particulary breaking. I drove down roads that would have been impassable to my ford focus previously. BUT you still have to drive with care. You are still driving on ice and they are not miracles!

I have Marshal KW15 winter tyres on the front, drive wheels only. Some of the tests I've tried with them so far are:

Ice/snow hill start. I drove to the steepest hill in my area which I know several people had trouble traversing. Drove up to the steepest part in about an inch of new snow on top of compacted ice. Stopped and pulled away, the wheels spun but gripped and I pulled off fairely easily.
I drove down a remote single lane track in 6 inches of snow with little trouble. Even caught up with a 4x4 had to pull over into passing point, to allow another 4x4 pass, with very deep snow at least a foot and pulled out with ease. When I was sure I'd gone to far and got stuck!
On sheet ice the don't perform as well as they do on snow but they are much better than standard tyres. You can stop where others will just slide and can stay in control at a reasonably slow speed.

The problem with winter tyres is the cost. Unless you live in the north of Scotland there are not enough days if snow fall to justify them. In the south you could go without needing them for a few winters in a row! Mine retail at £110 each then you have the cost of fitting them at the beginning and end of winter. I have spare alloys so change them myself and also got a big discount as I'm in the trade so for me it's worth the outlay for several years of usage.

Lum

Well the rule of thumb is to use them any day where it's under 7 degrees in the morning, so you can use them for a good 4 months each year.

For me they're cheaper than my summer tyres while offering the advantages you describe, so as well as making me safer they keep the wear off my expensive summer tyres.

For people who normally drive around on Linglong DitchFinders for the rest of the year, it probably seems very expensive, however.

Rossy.

It's horses for course though isn't it

Lum your from south Wales. My EX was too and she lived in a place called Bedwas just outside Caerphilly. I can see the advantages of winter tyres in places like that as the road layouts would warrant them, i.e plenty of hills, lanes etc.

For me however in London the roads are easily passable on normal tyres, so i wouldn't bother wasting £100 per corner for a few months proper useage. My summer tyres have coped brilliantly and where i live on the outskirts of London we've had a fair amount of snow but my tyres haven't left me stranded once.

I've planned my route before i've left. I've avoided steep gradients and drove extremely sensibly.

Lum

It's not just the lanes and the likes, though it is fun using them while everyone else queues on the bypasses, you get improved handling and stopping distances even on cold dry roads that are free from ice and snow. The fact that they're also a lot better on ice is a bonus (especially when only one lane of a two lane road is iced over and there is a queue)

It's also reassuring to think that you might still be able to get about even if the council haven't bothered to grit, rather than relying on someone else to do their job properly. For example if you need to get somebody to hospital in an emergency and told are told it will take an ambulance 2 hours to get to you.

That said, London is a massive heatsink, especially compared to where I am which is on the side of a hill halfway up a valley, so I guess you don't have as many cold days.

However you've missed my main point, which is that the cost of decent winter tyres is about the same as decent summer tyres, if not cheaper, so in reality they don't cost much at all providing you have somewhere to store a set of 4 tyres. Of course if your summer tyres are Linglongs* then there will be a massive cost difference but to be honest the kind of person who drives around on Linglongs doesn't care about stopping distances or handling anyway and frankly I'd rather they just stay indoors for the entire winter.


* and before someone accuses me of racism or stereotyping for using the term Linglong. They are a real company and their tyres are pretty bad.

Rossy.

I agree Lum

That's why i said. Winter tyres are ideal if your place of residence warrants them. Like i say i've been all over South Wales and as far as Carmarthen and if i had made the move (glad i didn't) to Wales i'd be fitting Winter tyres at times like this in a heart beat.

The problem i think is that there is no enough publicity from tyre manufacturers stating how well they perform. Winter tyres are not as common knowledge as some think.

Many people believe premium brand tyres will do them ok all year round and in most cases they do. So like me instead of wasting £400 for a few months of use at a time, i use premium tyres all year round (continental contact sport 3) and they see me through

mikey72

My winter Nokians were cheaper than my summer Michelins.
Rims were £15 for 4 from ebay, and £10 to put the tyres on. I'll swop them over now as I need to. So based on tread wear, I am breaking even this year wearing out the winter tyres, next year I'll be saving money.
And they actually get me up my drive, as opposed to the summer tyres that never could.

adon30

Rossy. wrote: »

The problem i think is that there is no enough publicity from tyre manufacturers stating how well they perform. Winter tyres are not as common knowledge as some think.

i use premium tyres all year round (continental contact sport 3) and they see me through

This year there seems to be a lot more advertising of Winter Tyres with Kwik Fit for example not only selling a small range but also offering the storage. I too hadn't heard of them a couple of years ago and brought my first pair of ebay. Since then I have reaped the benefit of having them fitted and have always told others how good they are.

I have Conti Sport Contact 3’s for the rest of the year (and have tried to use in snow before). If you do find it snowing leave the car at home as I had no grip at all with them fitted. Even on the slightest incline they would just spin. If you’re lucky enough to have a flat journey you may just make it, although it would probably be quicker to walk.


A note about Linglongs. For my car they are about £45 compared to the conti's £85. I know which I'd fit but you can see how price does affect a lot of peoples choice.

Lum

adon30 wrote: »

A note about Linglongs. For my car they are about £45 compared to the conti's £85. I know which I'd fit but you can see how price does affect a lot of peoples choice.

I remember one of my old teachers talking about motorbike helmets. He used to say "If your head is only worth £5 then only buy a £5 helmet".

I think the sentiment extends to tyres, even if any resultant saying wouldn't be as snappy.

Horizon81

Agree with the sentiments on 'you get what you pay for'. I've got Bridgestone Potenzas on my car which are a rather expensive summer tyre. Brilliant in the dry, ok in the wet, utterly useless in the snow, which I should expect given that they're a summer tyre. The slightest incline and they just spin no matter what techniques I employ.

I know I could shell out for winter tyres but I'd rather get the bus or a lift to work off a friend with a more suitable vehicle if it snows. It's not just the capabilites of my car i worry about but those of others too. No amount of winter tyres could stop anyone else crashing into my pride and joy. I quite fancy the idea of buying a second car for winter. Just something old that I wouldn't worry too much about. Obviously wouldn't buy it now but maybe next summer or autumn. Was going to post a thread on it but feared a backlash for wasting money! But say I had a grand or 2 to spend, would it be better to buy an old 1 litre hatchback and get skinny winter tyres fitted or go for an old Fourtrack or Vitara or similar, equally with winter tyres? I quite like the idea of being able to maintain mobility and get around when the snow comes with my main car safely tucked away in the garage!