The tyres on my XC90 need replacing imminently, and I am contemplating fitting winter tyres now that it's got a bit parky in the mornings.
VOLVO and the RAC recommend winter tyres for temps below 7C and as I commute ~55 miles to work and back it's usually well below that I'd want something that's going to last through the winter.
Anyone else fit winter tyres, and if so, any recommendations ?
£125 a corner or less would be favourable (235/60r18).
Used to fit winter tyres every year but switched to Michelin Cross Climates which work all year round
+1 Some footage on Youtube of these in comparison to 'proper' winter tyres and there isn't a lot of difference. Of course it depends on the use but for most people the cross climate is far superior to standard tyresOriginally Posted by Dr.f
I use mud & snow winter tyres on the motorhome all year round for driving around grassy fields, and swapped the 20-year old mini onto the steel rims and skinny winter tyres last week.
They have probably paid for themselves already.
If I miss a day at work, I will loose one days pay.
The problem is the idiots who don't bother and get stuck on an icy hill and block the road, or dawdle for miles because they have no grip.
Also - they normally work much better in the wet than summer tyres
If I can't keep up with the traffic I would pull over or take a different route or just work from home for the day if really bad (but appreciate not everyone has that luxury)
I had them one year when we had a lot of snow, and they were incredible. I went out driving at night round country lanes near me which hadn't been touched by gritters and the car was unstoppable. Sold that car however, along with the winter tyres, and have been too cheap to look into a set for my new car - and as we've not really had any bad snow in a few years, not really felt the need.
If I knew we were in for a bad winter, or I didn't live in the middle of a city with well gritted roads, I'd consider them again.
R8 V10 on summer tyres here, at the moment I'm not fitting winter tyres. Will just drive carefully when it's very cold.
+ 1 there. My wife has real winter tyres (Michelin Alpin) on her car but she has to drive 55 kms to work through hill country where it really gets wintry in winter (and she works at Michelin's head office, although as a temp so she has no right to free 'test' tyres like the fulltime employees). The only real difference is grip on ice - the true winter tyres have more small grooves for sideways grip on black ice but on snow, sleet, just cold weather or in rain just above freezing the Cross Climates are supposedly even better than the 'pure' winter tyres, at least that's what Michelin themselves say.
Whatever winter or '4 season' rubber you get, ensure that it carries the '4PMS' or '4 Peak Mountain Snowflake' indication, which is the official winter rating. You need that in some countries (Germany for instance). Just 'M+S' is not enough these days.
Get yourself a set of steel rims and fit some good winter tyres (avoid cheap. Really)
Then in March /April fit some good quality tyres on the ones you have now and swap next winter. If you're going to keep the car a couple of years it will easily pay for itself in terms of wear; the (massive!) increase in safety and drivability comes on top for free.
In terms of make it really depends on your car and your tyre size. Michelin, Goodyear, Are the obvious suspects but see what the manufacturer recommends. Do not hesitate to opt for a slightly narrower winter tyre (within recommended specs of course)
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
+1 For this. Have winter tyres on wife's Golf, and the difference is incredible. Of course, depends where you live and the use you put the car to....On the south coast, going 3 miles to the station, maybe not. If you get plenty of snow or more likely, ice, and do several miles a day in remote-ish areas, then yes defo....
Got some for my sons car as he drives 50 miles a day and we have got stuck on the hill outside our house a few times (south coast and rear wheel drives) He's now done 45000 miles from new and will need two new summer tyres in April but the winters still have another season in them - so broadly cost neutral and gives me some peace of mind when he is out and about.
When I lived "up north" in the 60/70's I always had a spare set of wheels with "town and countries" on but most of you youngsters won't have a clue of what they were!
http://www.saveontyresdirect.co.uk/4...-Studded-Track
I have been using Federal Himalayas.
They are good in snow but I have had michelin crossclimate on my wife's car.
The Himalayas are good in the snow.
Not tried the cross climate yet.
An unnecessary expense for me (in SE England) and the weather has never stopped me getting about or even feeling unsafe driving so can't justify the cost.
Where were you in winter 2009/2010?
Having said that it is an expense upfront, even if over 2 to 3 years the cost is identical since you save on summer tires wear. So I understand your approach.
But at the slightest snow flurry it is people like you who will be responsible for headlines about the country coming to a standstill. I live in a small village and the road across is at a small angle. Every year for the last 15 but one we have had to help out cars not being able to climb that incline. Including defenders.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Being retired I just look out the window and think sod that today if it's really bad, winter tyres would make me want to go out and try them.
The day I couldn't even get a Range Rover off a level car park in Switzerland (while the local post van was still flying around the snow covered hills like it was summertime) I became a convert to winter tyres. A 2WD vehicle with winter tyres is significantly better than a 4WD without. The right 4WD with is almost unstoppable.
As for M&S, I've found them to be very good on mud but have regularly been stuck on snow (in a Defender).
We live in Cumbria and mainly drive in Scotland, and have all season tyres on one of our cars. Definitely worth it in my view. They're Vredsteins, because Michelin Cross Climate wasn't available in the size, and are so much better than summer tyres in cold conditions, and marginally better in the wet than the Sport Pilots that were on before. They don't hang on quite as well in the summer, and dry braking distances seem a bit longer, but are absolutely fine then too.
Not sure I'd bother if I lived in the Home Counties, but here - a sensible choice, I think.
The way to go is all season tyres.
One set no issues with changing and storing wheels and extra expense involved.
Simples
I live in North East Scotland , 1 mile uphill from a public road. I have used winter tyres and they do make a difference.
3 of our cars are 4WD - that makes a bigger difference.
Having said that, from past experience, getting up here through the snow in a Scooby WRX STi Type UK or Audi ur quattro turbo on low profile tyres was "a challenge", 4WD or not.
Our neighbour (much further down the hill) always fits winter tyres to her 2WD Golf each November and swears by them
Ok, now what about DOWNhill.
That always worries me way more summer or winter.
Not enough traction going up you stop, loosing grip going down ... you go down!!
Indeed so
When the snow turns to ice on the steepest section of our road my wife refused to drive on it for that very reason as it was like a bobsleigh run. It required judicious use of the gears, brakes (incl handbrake) and throttle to keep the car from sliding into the farmers dyke, whether shod with normal or winter tyres. Quite an unpleasant and stressful process ( and driving is my hobby)
Now I just hit the hill descent button and relax
To the OP, one of the best winter cars I had was an old Merc. 300E 4matic. When I fitted winter tyres it was even better
Buy yourself a 2cv, fabulous car in snow,
For the converts:
There is a specialist winter and competition tire recycler here in Spain. They recover using custom rubber compounds. The 'thermic' is especially for colder condition like in winter England.
These tires make an even bigger difference!
http://www.neumaticosfedima.com/productos_nieve.html
I didn't have any until I got a RWD car in which breaking traction was not hard in wet/colder weather and I had to drive 25 miles accross fairly rural roads to work. Also came in ?2012 when there was a lot of snow in the East anyway.
Of course, the next few years had no snow(!) however they were very good in the torrential rain we had one December as very good at dispersing standing water. I got the second hand (but with 7.5mm+ of tread) and the came with different alloys so the summer alloys did not get all the salt and grime on them from winter roads and much easier to change over.
I have a set of alloys with winter tyres on and a set with summer tyres on, just swap them over at appropriate times of the year. Winter tyres improve driving in the wet and not just snow and ice. They make a massive difference and they should be made compulsory IMHO.
I also use them also for our annual trip to the Alps, and they are a legal requirement for most countries we drive through on route.
Last edited by neebsta; 3rd December 2016 at 20:58.
Living on the south coast, not really an issue but I have a hilux 4x4 with mud and snow tyres
i don't get stuck
ever
No.Winter tyres... do you bother ?
I’m a good enough driver that they offer no advantage whatsoever at an expense I don’t need. 700 miles a week for almost 25 years in every weather condition known to man and not a single problem on ‘normal’ tyres.
Your control is only as good as your contact to the road.
In my experience it's the Pirelli Scorpions that are the problem, not winter tyres in general. Try a set of CrossClimates and I think you'll find a much better balance in the car and grip in a greater degree of conditions.
- - - Updated - - -
^^
This.
Mwahahaha.
That statement just proves my previous point:
They shorten significantly your braking distance in cold weather on dry road, and even more so on wet road. There is a reason they are compulsory in some countries.
I've always fitted them ever since I started driving.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
About that; what's this with the snow flake symbol on some M&S??
Just M&S is suddenly not sufficient anymore in Germany p.e.
I believe the M+S is an old designation, and the snowflake is the modern tested one.
Edit: From Goodyear's website:
The introduction of a legal marking related to performance has made the identification of winter tires more simple. The "Alpine" symbol, or the three-peak-mountain with snowflake (‘3PMSF’) came into force in November 2012 under EU Regulation 661/2009 on the Safety of Motor Vehicles. The 3PMSF can only be used if a tire passes a minimum required performance on snow - the so called “snow grip index”.*
“Mud and Snow” (either marked as M+S, M.S or M&S) has been used to indicate winter tires for many years. Although M+S has a legal definition*, it is not related to minimum performance requirements but has been widely used by tire manufacturers to indicate winter products. M+S remains a permitted marking but while M+S tires have better snow traction than regular tires, they do not necessarily pass the legal snow grip threshold.
True winter tires, carrying both M+S and 3PSMF markings, make an important safety contribution in winter conditions, particularly for cars and vans. Goodyear EMEA* strongly recommends that cars and light commercial vehicles get fitted with four proper winter tires as the colder months approach. Indeed fitting M+S tires in the winter is obligatory in some European countries [see section below]. As legislation with the new marking progressively enters into force, national winter tire laws are likely to extend to tires with both the M+S and three peak snowflake symbols.
For commercial vehicles, tires designed for winter conditions are beneficial mainly for mobility, by ensuring traction and hence preventing road blockages. Since the drive axle is the key one for traction of a commercial vehicle, the 3PSMF marking on the drive axle tires is of high importance. This recommendation is valid especially for the single drive axle of commercial vehicles above 44 tons.
* European Directive 92/23 relating to tires for motor vehicles and their trailers and to their fitting.
I have a set in tha garage that I didn't fit last year, I really should get round to putting them on.
But on a front wheel drive car do you really need to fit 4 or just 2 winter tyres on the front???
Thanks for the advice, chaps !
My commute it practically all DC / motorway (Peterborough to Hitchin) so I am expecting the roads to always be clear... however the first and last mile of my journey consists of narrow little roads that are unlikely to get much traffic, and certainly won't get gritted. I guess having winter tyres is pointless if the tool in front of you has blocked the lane and can't move because of his low profile summer tyres and no ground clearance.
I might just try some Pirelli Scorpion Verde all seasons... they seem to be recommended for the XC90.
https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-gb/...ason#/overview
They look nice too, which is obviously THE most important thing in buying tyres.
Then get a pair of "Snow Socks" to keep in the boot just in case.
No, but I live in southern England.
They are very effective though, I had some on a Rover 220 I had eons ago in southern Germany.
M
I am a massive fan of winter tyres, if they were compulsory then the country would not grind to a halt with 1/2" of snow. They make a huge difference.
I suggest getting a second set of 2nd hand wheels and some pre-worn but decent make winter tyres, and switch over for the winter. It will be one of the best investments you'll ever make. (Even better when fitted to an AWD Subaru!).
Not only that, but the amount of savings both locally and nationally would be quite substantial, traffic would run more smoothly and more safely.
No. I only drive for pleasure and the main car has 4WD and all-weather tyres. The other two cars have snow socks.
"A man of little significance"
Yep I changed over to my Winter Wheels/Tyres last weekend
They are hugely better in the wet as well as the freezing cold, snow and ice, no aqua planning and I can get up the hill outside my house if its snows. I've been stranded in the past on Summer tyres and had to abandon the car, that's no fun and I'm never going through that again.
Overall unsurprisingly they are much better than Summer tyres in Winter. I tried them about 5 years ago and have been completely converted, wouldn't not use them now. If you try them you will also be a convert.
Stopping power when wet is much better with winter tyres. Check the annual tests on the German Auto Motor Sport website for a fact sheet.
Some countries are strict on this: Germany, Austria etc. The authorities don't like cleaning the remains of a road accident when you're not on winter tyres. It's a fact that they will charge you.
Menno
They are also the ones demanding the snow flakes as M&S no longer is sufficient for S....
Imo it adds up to an unnecessary confusion.
Seems way more logical to apply the legal threshold for snow traction to tires marked for such use. Ah well; the larger interests than ours at work again.
If you read my answer to your question earlier you will see that M+S were not marked for traction, which is why they designed the 3 peaks/snowflake norm.
And it is precisely because the 3 peaks are given to tyres that meet traction norms on snow that you will find it on some all season tyres.
How would a set of tyres turn bad drivers into good ones? Some drivers simply cannot manage their vehicles in anything other than dry conditions and that's the big problem in the winter. Some of the muppets I see wouldn't be able to cope in any tyres and chains!
Do you fit them to the Disco, Kirk?
No snow tires for me. My Skoda managed to get up the hills leading up into Clifton village without an issue, even when the police had closed them due to ice and no grit available. Also never had any issue drivingarou d the Mendips in the snow. I think fwd, manual, and thin tires helped a lot.
I never used to bother until a few years ago when I completely lost traction on the snow and couldn't get up a hill, I was mortified as I consider myself a decent driver and had never had any previous issues. This spurred me into getting winter tyres fitted and I've never looked back. They completely transform the car on snow and offer benefits in other conditions too. Plus as previously said if you're planning on keeping the car a while your overall outlay is very little more really and far outweighed by the benefits of having the correct rubber on at the right time.
It is worth considering the 'why fit summer rubber' option as well. We bought a used Fabia 4 years ago as a runaround for the wife and I fitted Continental winters in late autumn. Come spring I was about to put the summers back on, which were a brand I'd never heard of, Wanli aka ditchfinders! I decided not to bother switching back and left the winters on all year to no detriment as far as I'm aware. They've even worn really well still having over 5mm tread left after about 15k. Knowing the car has decent winter rubber on this time of year with the Mrs and kids on board is worth every penny imo.
Having said that though last year I had some Michelin Crossclimates fitted to our Zafira after spotting a great deal on them in Costco. They have been outstanding tyres, I tested them on snow last year and whilst not quite as good as winters I feel they are good enough for the small amount of snow we get in the UK. I would probably try the Goodyear Vector 4 seasons gen2 next time after reading this review http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accesso...r-tyres-tested
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