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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Stewartmak7 on 05 October 2015, 15:23
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Needing some help folks. Trying to decide wether or not to put winter tyres on the car over the coming months! I have another set of wheels which I have Goodyear Eagles on just now and my original alloys in the garage waiting for new tyres ,but have read mixed reviews on winter tyres if not used in snow or ice .
Can anyone shed any light on this or am I wasting my money ?
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Personally I would always fit them.
Much better grip in cold weather even if there is no snow or ice. I find I have better traction with my winter tyres (205 width) below 7 degrees than with summer tyres (225).
Although most British people tend to have a different opinion on them.
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My winter wheels and tyres will be going on quite soon. Not only are they better when it's really cold, I've found them very sure footed on damp, slimy, leaf mulch covered roads. There will be people that will say "I've been driving for 40 years and always managed without them" but we also managed without mobile phones and the internet. Research and Development has shown that these tyres do work, so why not use them?
If you already have a spare set on wheels, it's a no brainer really. Not only will the winter tyres perform better, you can only wear out one set at a time, so in the long term, they won't cost you any money. In fact, winter tyres wear better than summer tyres when it's cold (and vice versa) so you'll actually save on tyre wear.
Mine will be on their 4th and probably final winter this time, so replacing them is not exactly a common occurrence.
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I'm also from just outside Glasgow and feel we warrant winter tyres here.
They aren't just for snow and ice, that seems to be a common misconception. They are really for temperatures under 7o. Although they do come into their own come the snow and ice.
I've seen us have really bad snow and the place being gridlocked and the 2 cars in the household that have winters fitted, just plodding along as if they are driving on tarmac.
Most folk I speak with think its a waste of time having winters but when I explain you can only actually wear one set out a time and the alloys I buy to put them on will be sold when I sell the car, so in effect recouping my money, they kind of get the idea :wink:
Its a definite yes from me.
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Very rural North Yorkshire and they make the difference of going home and not ! Also agree with other posters about them making a difference in wet and on muddy roads etc. No brainer for
me. My Golf is still dockside in Germany but my set of new Vredestein Wintrac Exteme S are sat in the garage ready .
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I never saw much point in winter tyres when I was commuting 40+K a year, but then that was in a car worth a couple of thousand that was easily replaceable, and being a 306 it was a mountain goat in disguise it was so sure footed.
When I got the Golf, I set about finding winter tyres immediately for two reasons. Number 1, I wanted to look after the car, and number 2 my wife isn't used to snow and ice (South African) and as such I wanted to know that if she had to go somewhere without me she was in the best shape possible.
When I fitted them last year, just as per the previous post, I was pleasantly surprised to find them much more sure footed in damp and slimy conditions of Autumn than the normal tyres. We didn't have a terrible winter, in fact it wasn't that cold for very long, but it felt much more controlled, especially at junctions.
Also, it saves my uber expensive 19" tyres for a few k a year. :P
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Thanks for the response ! Does anyone have a particular brand they recommend ?
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I can recommend Conti WinterContact TS850 used them through last winter
plenty of grip in the cold and slimy road conditions much better than summer tyres.
Will be putting them back on in November.
Previously used Vredestein Snowtrac 3's for four winters.
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We have Michelin alpins on our Fiat500 .Super tyres . I have used Hankooks icept on a Merc C Class coupe and they were good as well as cheap. Also had Nokians on my A6 and vreds on a previous A4 . Of all of them the Nokians and vreds were the best taking into account price as well. All will be far far superior to summer rubber in winter conditions
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Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .
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My daughter has Yokohama W drive on her Clio and my wife has Nankang Snow SV2.
I much prefer the cheaper Nankang and they actually get a decent review on a lot of forums.
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I can recommend Nokian WR A3's, which do well in most reviews/tests. Had 225/40-18's fitted on the GTI and they handled the Scottish winter well last year, they'll be going back on later this month.
Was sufficiently impressed to have just had 4 fitted to my brothers 2005 Fiesta that will stay on year round in Aberdeen.
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+1 for Nokians
Cheaper than big brands but if someone knows how to make a decent winter tyre than it's the Finns.
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I ran Nokian winter tyres on my Mk5 Gti for the last 3 winters and will be using them again on the MK7 this winter - they really do inspire confidence in the cold - they have saved my bacon on a number of occasions, most notably when we were going skiing in France and we had 8" of snow the night before (In Lancashire not France), we would not have made it it to the airport without them.
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We live around 100 miles from Glasgow and have very similar weather.
My view on winter tyres is - better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.
Last winter was mild, but at the very end there were a couple of days of frost. That caught a lot of people out. My wife's friend told me he could not get his car in for a service as the local garage was full of damaged 4x4s. 4 wheel drive will get a vehicle moving, but it will have little effect with emergency braking and cornering. Four wheel drive will get you up a hill. It will be little use coming back down.
We both fit 4 winter tyres (as required by the insurance company). My Goodyear Ultra 8s are good when it is cold, but not good with temperatures in the mid teens. My wife's Continental TS850's seem much better in all conditions. Check tyrereviews.co.uk.
My wife also just has the tyres - no alloys. So she can get the tyres fitted to her alloys when she wants. Her tyre storage bags with handles make this method simple. I recommend this for people who are not physically able to change their own tyres/alloys (or can't be bothered).
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Just received this weeks AutoExpress mag and they have their latest Winter Tyre test - the Winner is Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 tyres, Dunlop 2nd and Nokian 3rd
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Really appreciate everyone's input , looking at a few tyres but looks like the nomination seems to get an all round good review
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Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .
Speak to your local dealer I got 50% off a full set of genuine VW wheels and tyres from a VW dealer advertising on eBay. Total was £460 inc del the fitted tyres are £65.00 a corner without fitting !
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The Nokians get my vote too, I've had excellent performance whuile runing on my GTD. Having just sold my GTD they're now for sale in Classified section, http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=275852.0 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=275852.0)
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Just received this weeks AutoExpress mag and they have their latest Winter Tyre test - the Winner is Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 tyres, Dunlop 2nd and Nokian 3rd
+1 for the Goodyears. I ran them last winter (on a second set of wheels) and they are superb. Wet weather grip and stopping distances are far far superior over summer tyres. I work unsociable hours so it's usually well below 7c when I travel and what a difference. I feel a lot safer!
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Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .
Speak to your local dealer I got 50% off a full set of genuine VW wheels and tyres from a VW dealer advertising on eBay. Total was £460 inc del the fitted tyres are £65.00 a corner without fitting !
I'm in negotiations with Windrush VW at the moment for a set of 15" winters meant for a Polo to fit the wife's A1. They don't make it easy - I tracked him down outside ebay and offered 10% less than he was asking to save them the ebay fee and make them no worse off, payment by paypal. They came back wanting a bank transfer, but i'd prefer paypal or credit card for protection. 2 days later and i'm waiting for an answer, so I stuck an offer in on ebay for what I was prepared to pay outside ebay - maybe they'll respond quicker.
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Bank transfer is relatively low risk if you deal with a mains dealer. Ask them for official quote, then you can stick quote number on as payment reference and it is linked. If it was a dodgy website I wouldn't but a mains dealer won't screw you over a set of wheels.
Paypal charge you fees too, it is not only ebay. PP can be even more depending on account type and cash flows you get.
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For anyone fitting 17" wheels, try these
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Is-there-a-true-all-season-tyre-We-find-out.htm
(http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/media/8711563/michelin-crossclimate-on-wheel_500x500.jpg)
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Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .
Speak to your local dealer I got 50% off a full set of genuine VW wheels and tyres from a VW dealer advertising on eBay. Total was £460 inc del the fitted tyres are £65.00 a corner without fitting !
I'm in negotiations with Windrush VW at the moment for a set of 15" winters meant for a Polo to fit the wife's A1. They don't make it easy - I tracked him down outside ebay and offered 10% less than he was asking to save them the ebay fee and make them no worse off, payment by paypal. They came back wanting a bank transfer, but i'd prefer paypal or credit card for protection. 2 days later and i'm waiting for an answer, so I stuck an offer in on ebay for what I was prepared to pay outside ebay - maybe they'll respond quicker.
They were great with me I made an offer via eBay & they accepted then paid via PayPal and they arrived perfect 2 days later
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Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .
Speak to your local dealer I got 50% off a full set of genuine VW wheels and tyres from a VW dealer advertising on eBay. Total was £460 inc del the fitted tyres are £65.00 a corner without fitting !
I'm in negotiations with Windrush VW at the moment for a set of 15" winters meant for a Polo to fit the wife's A1. They don't make it easy - I tracked him down outside ebay and offered 10% less than he was asking to save them the ebay fee and make them no worse off, payment by paypal. They came back wanting a bank transfer, but i'd prefer paypal or credit card for protection. 2 days later and i'm waiting for an answer, so I stuck an offer in on ebay for what I was prepared to pay outside ebay - maybe they'll respond quicker.
They were great with me I made an offer via eBay & they accepted then paid via PayPal and they arrived perfect 2 days later
If I hadn't already staked a serious interest with them by asking about the non-ebay route that saves me £42 but leaves them with the exact amount of money they would've had after ebay fees then they might've accepted my low offer. I have paid them as per bank transfer originally requested last night, I might not hear until Monday now.
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Not really winter tyres related but my 2 year old gtd needs some new tyres. I changed two earlier this year when I got a flat a day before I went on holiday.
Now it turns out one of the rear tyres has a nail in it. The light came on for loss of pressure on the way down to London. Wondering if anyone knows a good tyre place in e17 (Walthamstow) I am looking to switch cars soon. Any recommendations considering I'm not keeping the car that long. I have seen a set of Vredsteins which are 70 quid each.
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Is the tyre repairable? Depending on where the nail is in tyre, tyre places can do a permanent seal to sort it
https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-repair
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Is the tyre repairable? Depending on where the nail is in tyre, tyre places can do a permanent seal to sort it
https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-repair
Does it matter if it's been done once already. The thing is they will need changing as winter sets in.
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Is the tyre repairable? Depending on where the nail is in tyre, tyre places can do a permanent seal to sort it
https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-repair
Does it matter if it's been done once already. The thing is they will need changing as winter sets in.
AFAIK the only thing that matters is the proximity to the side wall. If the damage is closer than 1 inch to the side - a repair is not possible. Though it might matter if it is right beside the other repair.
My wife has just had to replace a summer tyre because of a nail. We also had to order a new winter tyre because one of them has a screw on the tread right beside the side wall. She is pissed - but it has to be done.
You need to check with a professional.
Remember you cannot fit just 2 winter tyres. If you do, please check with your insurance company. Mine said they would not cover me.
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Can some one be kind enough to confirm these will accommodate 225R18 tyres? Ronal R42 7,50x18 5x112.00 ET45.00
undefined: http://www.oponeo.co.uk/alloy-wheel-detail/ronal-r42-7-50x18-5x112-00-et45
I have PP car so also need to be sure they will clear the larger brake calliper. A 8.0 width is also available. Would they be ok? 7.5 are a slightly cheaper option.
Thanks.
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225 will fit on 7.5 to approx 9" wide wheels. Can't see issues putting them on 18x7.5j with 45 offset.
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Many thanks for the swift reply. I wanted a second opinion before I start to spend!
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Can some one be kind enough to confirm these will accommodate 225R18 tyres? Ronal R42 7,50x18 5x112.00 ET45.00
undefined: http://www.oponeo.co.uk/alloy-wheel-detail/ronal-r42-7-50x18-5x112-00-et45
I have PP car so also need to be sure they will clear the larger brake calliper. A 8.0 width is also available. Would they be ok? 7.5 are a slightly cheaper option.
Thanks.
I'll be running 7.5 X 17" wheels this winter, with 225 tyres on a PP and they fit ok, I've tried them out during this summer - one thing to think of, 17" winter tyres are cheaper than 18"
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Definitely would advise getting winter tyres..A lot safer in wet/greasy conditions
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Thanks again for everyone's reply , I went with the nokian tyres , so will report back once I have them fitted
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Sure you will find them an even match for Contis and Michelins.
Which ones did you go for WR A3, D3 or D4?
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Sure you will find them an even match for Contis and Michelins.
Which ones did you go for WR A3, D3 or D4?
I opted for the wr a3 got a great deal on them from oponeo ?
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Just had my BBS sr alloys and dunlop winter 5s fitted. Can anyone confirm what tyre pressure is suitable. Is it the same as a summer/ normal tyre. I have the owners manual but too cold to use it!
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I've also put mine on this week - I'm running them at 34
(http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt60/gpe/IMG_2846_zpsl2gxntgz.jpg) (http://s597.photobucket.com/user/gpe/media/IMG_2846_zpsl2gxntgz.jpg.html)
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I've also put mine on this week - I'm running them at 34
Cheers. Mine now at 34.😊
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Mine are going on on Saturday. Ordered Michelin Pilot Alpin 4s - reviews seem very good.
I had Continental WinterContacts on the last car, but all Continentals are on back order with no delivery date.
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I'm sure you won't be disappointed in the Pilot Alpine 4s.
Put mine on two weeks ago in place of the Bridgestones, what a difference, quieter, better ride and the grip is fantastic in both wet and dry.
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Put mine on two weeks ago in place of the Bridgestones, what a difference, quieter, better ride and the grip is fantastic in both wet and dry.
To be fair, the same could be said about putting Linglongs or Wanlis on in place of the bridgestones. :grin:
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I'm sure you won't be disappointed in the Pilot Alpine 4s.
Put mine on two weeks ago in place of the Bridgestones, what a difference, quieter, better ride and the grip is fantastic in both wet and dry.
I can second that. I've got Pilot Alpin 4's on mine, in fact I did a 12 report feature for EVO Magazine on them last year and they're superb. I find not only do they offer miles better grip in very cold/snowy/icy conditions, in wet conditions around 7-8 degrees they are fantastic. So sure footed and they cut through standing water with ease.
Not only that, I even think they add a level of refinement to the ride quality that the Bridgestone summers simply can't compete with.
Brilliant tyres, probably going to be ordering some for my Wife's 1-Series too.
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Just received this weeks AutoExpress mag and they have their latest Winter Tyre test - the Winner is Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 tyres, Dunlop 2nd and Nokian 3rd
Just been reading my old copy of that.Priced the Goodyears at about £130 a corner fitted through Black Circles. They seem like a fantastic tyre.But i've decided not to bother.
Perfect excuse to phone in sick if it snows..... :grin:
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(http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r489/Mrparkuk/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091837_zpsvpaznnnb.jpg) (http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/Mrparkuk/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091837_zpsvpaznnnb.jpg.html)
(http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r489/Mrparkuk/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091849_zpsdzqowdhz.jpg) (http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/Mrparkuk/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091849_zpsdzqowdhz.jpg.html)
(http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r489/Mrparkuk/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091902_zpsadyimkwr.jpg) (http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/Mrparkuk/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151213_091902_zpsadyimkwr.jpg.html)
3 days of heavy rain and flooding and this morning a nice frost and black ice. The joys of motoring!
Tyres (Dunlop Wintersport 5) and new wheels (BBS SR 18) doing the job. Just needs to warm up a bit so I can wash it
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Loooking at these pictures gave me a thought.
How are the Golf doors to open after heavy frost?
My 2006 A3 was an absolute ball ache. The rubbers around the door frame glued themselves to the metal of the car every time like Jeff Daniels tongue in Dumb and Dumber!
Is the Golf the same?
PS
Nice car, identical to my new order :wink:
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You can treat the seals lightly with a silicon oil. There are small cans with foam applicators that make it really easy.
Used to do that on all my cars when I lived in Finland and doors never froze shut after that any more (well for one winter anyway).
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Loooking at these pictures gave me a thought.
How are the Golf doors to open after heavy frost?
I'm more concerned about the wing mirrors being frozen shut and then when you open the car, you hear them struggling trying to open.
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Loooking at these pictures gave me a thought.
How are the Golf doors to open after heavy frost?
I'm more concerned about the wing mirrors being frozen shut and then when you open the car, you hear them struggling trying to open.
It was cold enough today to see if that would happen :smiley:
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-2 up my way and -6 as I was driving into work at 7am this morning. But it only seemed to be surface frost.
Some winters you get those mornings where big chunks of ice seem to form and its those days that I wince at.
I suppose I could fold them manually by turning the knob at night and that way they don't open up automatically on the key-fob press.
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-2 up my way and -6 as I was driving into work at 7am this morning. But it only seemed to be surface frost.
Some winters you get those mornings where big chunks of ice seem to form and its those days that I wince at.
I suppose I could fold them manually by turning the knob at night and that way they don't open up automatically on the key-fob press.
Same temp over this side of city :smiley: but I know the mornings you mean
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Loooking at these pictures gave me a thought.
How are the Golf doors to open after heavy frost?
I'm more concerned about the wing mirrors being frozen shut and then when you open the car, you hear them struggling trying to open.
Never thought about that, more sleepless nights :sad:
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I'm also from just outside Glasgow and feel we warrant winter tyres here.
They aren't just for snow and ice, that seems to be a common misconception. They are really for temperatures under 7o. Although they do come into their own come the snow and ice.
I've seen us have really bad snow and the place being gridlocked and the 2 cars in the household that have winters fitted, just plodding along as if they are driving on tarmac.
Most folk I speak with think its a waste of time having winters but when I explain you can only actually wear one set out a time and the alloys I buy to put them on will be sold when I sell the car, so in effect recouping my money, they kind of get the idea :wink:
Its a definite yes from me.
Winter tyres are a yes from me.
PS Are you an ex mearnscastle pupil :grin:
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Thanks again for everyone's reply , I went with the nokian tyres , so will report back once I have them fitted
I have Nokian WR D4's on mu Cupra ST. Awesome tyres. Ive joined up here as I plan on getting a GTD for my wife.
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I'm sure you won't be disappointed in the Pilot Alpine 4s.
Put mine on two weeks ago in place of the Bridgestones, what a difference, quieter, better ride and the grip is fantastic in both wet and dry.
Changed the Bridgestone a month after getting my car because they are so poor. I put Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the front and the difference could not be greater. Now got Nokian Winters on.
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PS Are you an ex mearnscastle pupil :grin:
No but my kids are :laugh:
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PS Are you an ex mearnscastle pupil :grin:
No but my kids are :laugh:
To be fair it's 24 years since I left the chocolate prison. My eldest is still at Kirkhill