Small cars in winter query.....

Ultrasonic

alastairq wrote: »

I know from my experience with snow tyres but.......does anyone buy 'winter' tyres and simply use them all year round?

Have a read of the following thread - I've posted links to a couple of test results that are relevant, in addition to the rest of the discussion:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4734104

But to summarise, I don't think running winter tyres all year round would be a good idea. They will wear quickly in warmer weather, whilst simultaneously offering poorer perfomance than summer tyres.

vikingaero

alastairq wrote: »

I know from my experience with snow tyres but.......does anyone buy 'winter' tyres and simply use them all year round?

What differences are displayed between summer tyres in summer, and winter tyres in summer?

[I will assume you all comply with the Law, Highway Code, etc when driving.....so don't want any heroics at 95 mph,ta!]

Many people in Scottish islands do this. Their mileage is low and the extra wear on the winter tyres during the summer will be minimal.

As long as the tyres are suitable for your car (size, direction, axle, speed rating) then I believe there is no problem legally.

The only problem will be wear in high speed or high performance situations with the movement of the squidgy tread in winter tyres. Realistically 95% of us never reach the limit of grip in any tyre in normal driving.

Ultrasonic

Continental recommend using winter tyres all year round if you are not prepared to switch:
http://www.continental-tyres.co.uk/www/tyres_uk_en/themes/van-tyres/winter-tyres/why-winter-tyres.html

Ultrasonic

Another problem with using winter tyres all year round is that their higher rolling resistance leads to lower fuel economy. They will also typically be noisier. The European tyre label information puts some numbers on these differences.

vikingaero

Going back to the original question; yes small/lighter cars are better in winter. The lack of mass of a 1 ton small car compared to a 2.5 ton luxury car means that there is less likelihood of the weight overwhelming traction.

The best car we had in the winter was my mums old 1.4 auto Corsa with ABS. It had skinny 165 section tyres and could go anywhere. I remember braking on a downhill snow covered road and the ABS kicked in and I headed towards a parked van. I had a sudden thought: "ABS/Steer/ABS/Steer" and could drive around it with the ABS activated.

owen_money

neilmcl wrote: »

Not with the correct tyres they're not.

And how many people in the UK have a set of snow tyres?

neilmcl

owen_money wrote: »

And how many people in the UK have a set of snow tyres?

You're point being???

You posted an over generalised view that BMWs are useless in the snow, which I corrected you with my post about not without the correct tyres they're not. I don't see the issue or the point you're trying to make.

alastairq

my BMW 2002 was OK in the snow...lacked a bit of ground clearance, tis all....


Maybe today's offerings are simply 'over-tyred' for the conditions?

artbaron

The best car ever in snow is the 1.2 Nova. It never got stuck, no matter how deep the snow. Once I drove 100 miles on roads with well over a foot of fresh snow on them and it didn't even slip.

Iceweasel

owen_money wrote: »

And how many people in the UK have a set of snow tyres?

Not enough.