Why do some new cars have steel wheels ?

Iceweasel

Djene wrote: »

I've never seen a rental with steel wheels before, I'm sure they'd love to charge someone for alloy wheel damage instead of putting steelie's on haha.

After reading some replys, I think it could be winter wheels. Which is still odd to me, as in my way to work earlier I seen a 64 plate BMW 5 series, decent spec by the looks of it, with steelie's. If I bought a brand new car, which had brand new tyres, the first thing in my mind wouldn't be to spend hundreds on new winter tyres.

I've never seen the need for them personally. I mean each to their own, but I would go out my way buy them. My second car was a BMW 330ci with rather worn (still legal) tyres and I never had any issues during winter.

But that's your individual opinion - and of course you are entitled to it and I respect that.

However in my opinion you are totally wrong -and many of us who have bought cars that cost £40K upwards are happy to fit winter tyres, either on steel wheels or alloys to ensure we do not appear on the six o' clock news, sliding sideways on summer tyres, as most rear-wheel drives do.

I doubt if you have ever experienced the difference that true winter tyres make. A bit like seeing no need for carrying a fire extinguisher - "Haven't needed one in 40 years and have never had any issues."

But if you say you don't need winter tyres - than that's fine by me - but you will understand why I get very frustrated with people holding me up when they slide around in the snow and ice and drive gingerly along when they could drive at near normal speeds in great safety.

As you say - each to his own - £1K to be safe sounds cheap to me.

mjoneseyjones

Iceweasel, what tyre company are you repping for?

Your 6th sense like ability to detect any non 100% positive sentiments regarding winter tyres, and your subsequent borderline obsessive support of their prpurchase/use is bizarre and smacks of someone with a vested interest.

The poster above is quite right. In this country they're barely necessary. Unless you live in a very rural, very snow/ice prone area our moderate climate just does not justify the expense and hassle of their purchase, fitment and storage. If you think you need winter tyres to drive safely on 95% of our roads you need to look at your driving ability, or more likely in your case take your industry hat off.

AdrianC

mjoneseyjones wrote: »

The poster above is quite right. In this country they're barely necessary. Unless you live in a very rural, very snow/ice prone area our moderate climate just does not justify the expense and hassle of their purchase, fitment and storage. If you think you need winter tyres to drive safely on 95% of our roads you need to look at your driving ability, or more likely in your case take your industry hat off.

Have you ever tried them?

In all of these debates, across several forums and quite a few years now, I've never _ONCE_ come across anybody saying winter tyres are a waste of time who's actually tried them.

anotheruser

Gloomendoom wrote: »

:huh: I suspect thet they will put the original tyres back on when the weather warms up.

That's what most people do.

Most people?
I would suggest most people don't change anything on their car over the winter period, apart from occasionally covering the windscreen in a blanket overnight.

mjoneseyjones

AdrianC wrote: »

Have you ever tried them?

In all of these debates, across several forums and quite a few years now, I've never _ONCE_ come across anybody saying winter tyres are a waste of time who's actually tried them.

Im not saying they're a blanket waste of time - im saying that in 95% of British applications they are not needed, and that any benefits they return in these applications are neither great enough in frequency or effect to justify their purchase, fitment and storage.

Ive driven on them a fair few times when hiring cars to go snowboarding in Austria. On some of the access roads the surface freezes and gets snowed on faster than they can clear and grit it! Definitely need winter tyres there, and definitely felt the benefit. Id imagine the same would be the case during winter at the top of the Scottish Highlands, or depths of the Welsh valleys, or the Yorkshire dales etc.

However, if you're one of the vaaaaast majority who dont live in places like that in the uk, then winter tyres are going to be needed so infrequently and provide so little benefit that they become a folly.

LandyAndy

AdrianC wrote: »

Have you ever tried them?

In all of these debates, across several forums and quite a few years now, I've never _ONCE_ come across anybody saying winter tyres are a waste of time who's actually tried them.

Could be that the people who say they are a waste of time are the ones for whom trying them would be an expensive waste of time.


I've driven powerful RWD autos in the past (without the benefit of any of the 'anti-slip' technologies) so I am aware of how they can suffer in slippery conditions.


But, I have lived here for ten winters now and I doubt there have been 20 days in that time when the roads I use have even been slippery at all. There have been maybe half a dozen days in ten years when winter tyres might have made a difference.


For me that makes them an expensive waste of time.

neilmcl

anotheruser wrote: »

Most people?
I would suggest most people don't change anything on their car over the winter period, apart from occasionally covering the windscreen in a blanket overnight.

I believe the poster was referring to most people (who choose fit winter tyres in the first place).

neilmcl

mjoneseyjones wrote: »

However, if you're one of the vaaaaast majority who dont live in places like that in the uk, then winter tyres are going to be needed so infrequently and provide so little benefit that they become a folly.

Without wanting to get in to the whole winter tyre debate yet again the fact that you believe winter tyres are required "infrequently" clearly shows you have no idea of the actual benefit they can provide throughout the British winter period.

AdrianC

mjoneseyjones wrote: »

Im not saying they're a blanket waste of time

And the backtracking starts...

justify their purchase, fitment and storage.

Storage? Stack 'em in the shed. Sure, not everybody has a shed. But the majority of non-city-centre dwellers do. EVERY driver should be able to change a wheel, unless they have physical disabilities - knowing how to has been part of the driving test for a decade or more. A set of steel wheels and bolts is cheap. Purchase and fitment, obviously, depends on size - but remember that the miles done on winter tyres aren't miles done on summer tyres, so the cost per mile, over any period that would include tyre replacement, is not substantially different.

Effectively, there is no or very little marginal cost.

Ive driven on them a fair few times when hiring cars to go snowboarding in Austria. On some of the access roads the surface freezes and gets snowed on faster than they can clear and grit it!

You forget one of the reasons why Britain struggles so badly in winter - not because of how unusual sub-zero temperatures are, but because of how close to zero they are. We get a light sprinkling of snow overnight, it thaws and re-freezes into icy slush - the worst surface.

However, if you're one of the vaaaaast majority who dont live in places like that in the uk, then winter tyres are going to be needed so infrequently and provide so little benefit that they become a folly.

You forget the conditions at which they start to increase grip over summer tyres, especially over modern high-performance or low-rolling-resistance compounds. Anywhere below about 7degC, even on dry tarmac. And braking performance is most certainly included in that.

Spicy_McHaggis

AdrianC wrote: »

You forget the conditions at which they start to increase grip over summer tyres, especially over modern high-performance or low-rolling-resistance compounds. Anywhere below about 7degC, even on dry tarmac. And braking performance is most certainly included in that.

He probably doesn't have his bedroom any lower than 20 degrees so won't see the benefit of winter tyres on his Xbox cars.