Taken the plunge on decent winter tyres...

[8vMatt 1]

Good to see people getting ready for bad roads. Should be compulsory if the weather gets to a certain level, would stop so many accidents.

 

You guys are lucky paying £50-60 a corner, just got some 235/50/18 winter tyres for the van- bloody £130 each!

 

Safe driving all.

[Jim 2]

Good to see people getting ready for bad roads. Should be compulsory if the weather gets to a certain level, would stop so many accidents.

 

You guys are lucky paying £50-60 a corner, just got some 235/50/18 winter tyres for the van- bloody £130 each!

 

Safe driving all.

 

Mine were not £50 a corner either :|

[8vMatt 1]

Horrible to pay out loads isn't it!

[Jim 2]

I justified them by telling myself they'll extend the life of my 'normal' tyres and should last a good few years - so can write the cost off over a few years!

[Wendy 0]

Just put Winter tyres on mine this morning !! How adapt was that, slight snow covering here today.

 

Normal 15" Speedline Alloys, Winter Tyres 185/55/15 Nankang Tyres, £72 per corner.

Could have bought significantly more expensive, but my budget would not allow and assure these were good and will last 3 winters

 

My Summer tyres 205/50/15, Michelin Exalto's approx £110 a corner

 

Will let you know what I think in a week or two.

[Jim 2]

I'd have said winters were a necessity in your village Wendy, especially given that road up to your place - it's near vertical!

[Wendy 0]

It is exactly why I have finally done it, so easy to be snowed in or out !!!!

 

I'd have said winters were a necessity in your village Wendy, especially given that road up to your place - it's near vertical!

[Supercharged 2]

Just put Winter tyres on mine this morning !! How adapt was that, slight snow covering here today.

 

Normal 15" Speedline Alloys, Winter Tyres 185/55/15 Nankang Tyres, £72 per corner.

Could have bought significantly more expensive, but my budget would not allow and assure these were good and will last 3 winters

 

My Summer tyres 205/50/15, Michelin Exalto's approx £110 a corner

 

Will let you know what I think in a week or two.

 

What's with the size difference then? was that what they recommended?

[Wendy 0]

Being me, I did masses of homweork on this !!!!! ...........................

 

For best winter use, you need a smaller tread on the road, so narrower - sure you know this, then slightly higher profile is preferable too.

 

After speaking with various people, and being advised by one company if I did not go with recommended sizes by the manufacturer - I should check my insurance as many were refusing claims due to this, so.............

 

I did the bright thing - and checked my Instruction manual - and this is the recommendation !!!

 

 

Going down in size is also what Jim was recommended on his Octavia

[Supercharged 2]

Ah thanks for that - yeah I had noticed the funny sizes but didn't know why...

 

So if I run 195/45/16 then I wonder what the best size would be? - 185/50/16?

[coullstar 0]

Tbh I wouldnt worry about the width and getting the narrowest tyre. I ran 225's last year and they were fine.

[Wendy 0]

Ah thanks for that - yeah I had noticed the funny sizes but didn't know why...

 

So if I run 195/45/16 then I wonder what the best size would be? - 185/50/16?

 

From my understanding yes, as Coullstar says though his 225's were fine.

I would personally check with tyre companies too, I found the Internet people who were selling many winter tyres to be best rather than your local tyre company.

[Jim 2]

Being me, I did masses of homweork on this !!!!! ...........................

 

For best winter use, you need a smaller tread on the road, so narrower - sure you know this, then slightly higher profile is preferable too.

 

After speaking with various people, and being advised by one company if I did not go with recommended sizes by the manufacturer - I should check my insurance as many were refusing claims due to this, so.............

 

I did the bright thing - and checked my Instruction manual - and this is the recommendation !!!

 

 

Going down in size is also what Jim was recommended on his Octavia

 

To be honest I only went down in size to save money. The same tyres but in 18" would have ended up costing me the best part of £800. Screw that.

[KIPVW 0]

Jude has just gone for the Michelin Alpin's from Kwik fit as they were the best price. £346 fitted for 195 50 15's considering most sites have the tyres alone for £75 plus each i dont think thats a bad price at all.

 

When my conti's were fitted last year they were the best price too. worth checking. :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

My Kleber Quadraxer All Seasons were fine in the snow this morning. We just don't get enough snow to justify full winters imo. They don't feel any different to the Conti TS800s I ran on the rado.

[KIPVW 0]

How did you rate the Cont's Kev? it's very hilly where we live and they were superb for me.

[Jim 2]

My Kleber Quadraxer All Seasons were fine in the snow this morning. We just don't get enough snow to justify full winters imo. They don't feel any different to the Conti TS800s I ran on the rado.

 

I know it's an endlessly long debate on PistonHeads but as I say - I just had enough of dreading the snow every year and reasoned that as they'll only be on the car for 5 months at a time (also reducing the wear on my road tyres as they won't be used for 5 months) they essentially won't cost me any more over a period of 3-4 years. Just the pain of the initial outlay.

 

Even if we have two weeks of inconvenience of snow this year, I'll be happy to have paid for the full winter tyres.

[KIPVW 0]

I'm with you on that too Jim, i left them on all year round and even on hot days this year they were pretty impressive and we seem to get more cold wet days than hot sunny ones now so thought i may as well.

 

They feel much better in the wet too as opposed to full summer tyre's may actually look into some all seasone ones for next time though but i'd be gutted if they were crap in the snow and end up forking out for more winter ones in the end, which is probably why most actually go straight into winter's rather that all season thinking about it.

Edited December 5, 2012 by KIPVW

[coullstar 0]

My Kleber Quadraxer All Seasons were fine in the snow this morning. We just don't get enough snow to justify full winters imo. They don't feel any different to the Conti TS800s I ran on the rado.

 

Depends where you live in the UK :)

[KIPVW 0]

ha Ha Graeme, there is that mate :)

[dragon green 5]

I've got Kumho snow tyres,bought them a couple of years ago before we had all that snow ! £136 for four tyres !

Absolutely brilliant,just put mine on tonight

[Butterfly 0]

Can't wait to pick up my lovely retro 3 spokes on Saturday (weather & well worn 205's permitting) and get the winter tyres fitted.

The 205's (on an 8v) have given me some interesting moments these last few weeks.

[Jim 2]

So - anybody get a chance to really try their winter tyres out today?

 

It was fairly clear this morning but by about 9am the snow started to fall and by midday it was fairly heavy.. I reckon we had about 8" of snow and the roads were chaos.

 

The roads emptied of traffic largely by about 4.30pm and I was one of the last in the office so I headed out...

 

Let me put it this way - I will never, ever be without winter tyres again. Ever. I simply could not believe how good they were. I could provoke wheelspin if I tried, and could also cause the ABS to have a panic attack standing on the brakes but I couldn't believe how much acceleration and braking I was able to achieve even on some utterly atrocious roads. I've just driven across (a deserted) Coventry to pick up my sisters Click 'n' Collect shopping up from Tesco, and driven back to my place - and going to head back out again shortly to a mates house such is the lack of drama.

 

Even in situations where I thought it might struggle there was just no problem. Utterly fantastic.

[KIPVW 0]

They are mate & also had a good sesh on the way home passing 4 cars on a major hill lol it's just laughable, they must think WTF! :lol:

[davidwort 0]

That sounds really good Jim, can see why they are a legal requirement in eastern/northern Europe in the winter, modern trend for large and wide tyres doesn't help either, polo I had on 145's was good in the snow, and barely enough power to induce wheel spin :)

it just makes me even more amused at the idiots in 4x4's, did you see the news much today? One 4x4 I saw on it's side, another (newish range rover) had skidded and pushed a jag over a 20 ft drop off a road into a garden, itself left dangling on the top of the drop.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21085450