winter tyres

[Guy]

Cost me £240, as I said.

What would it have cost me if I'd fitted two new summer tyres (in November), since my existing tyres were that close to illegal?

Not that much less.

It's a no-brainer.

Rolfe.

did you only fit two winter tyres?

Yeah.  Wasn't my idea.  In October I asked my garage to fit the car with winter tyres when it had its service, which was due in November.  The owner demurred a bit and said, well maybe I can source you a couple and fit them later.  I dug my heels in and insisted he do it at the November service, which was just as well because the big snow dump came five days later.

It was the garage owner's idea only to do the front pair.  I was in two minds about it, because obviously you have to be careful cornering and I don't imagine the stopping distance will be as good as with four, but frankly I'm struggling to see the downside in practice.  The main object was to prevent the car getting stuck and wheel-spinning, and that has been completely achieved.  The sort of snow it will now drive over is astonishing.

Rolfe.

you not worried about the back end flipping out on you while cornering/braking? I would be.

[Phil1980]

Here we go again.

[Ess_Three]

Here we go again.

Oh no...a world of YouTube links awaits.
Don't go there.

[Rolfe]

Let's not.  So far, nothing contentious has been said.  I'm quite certain four winter tyres are better than two, and I entirely accept that cornering has to be done as if you were running summers, and stopping distance won't be as good as with four winters.

However, as several people have reported, running only two winters on the drive wheels is common practice in actuality, and as long as you drive within the limits of the set-up you'll be fine.  Certainly a lot more fine than trying to make it on four summers.

Rolfe.

[bored_Welsh_lad]

For me, it's about actually going somewhere, as opposed to being stuck in my drive, in a car park, or in some random snow drift.  If I can move, then I can be careful.  But if I can't even get the traction to start rolling, it's all a bit moot.

I don't care what special knowledge you have, if the car won't move at all without wheel-spinning no matter what you do to the controls, you ain't going anywhere.

Doesn't happen with the winter tyres.

Rolfe.

Sorry, but i had a mk3 golf for about 3 years on the road and have recently moved over to an audi a4 tdi estate.. I am based in north yorkshire, where we have had snow for the last 3 yrs, funny old thing we have had 2-3 foot and untreated roads. I have had toyo proxies on the golf and never had a problem moving, in fact I have towed people out of spaces who have had beemers and much newer cars..

My house in swansea is at the base of a valley, last year when we had the big snowfall I was driving peoples cars up the hill, simply because a load of people couldn't drive in snow..

As for the drive showing in the pic, coming out of a garage up there I would put my right nipple that the golf and probably the audi with no issues at all....

[am1w]

How about this to stir the pot! 

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm

[Ess_Three]

Sorry, but i had a mk3 golf for about 3 years on the road and have recently moved over to an audi a4 tdi estate.. I am based in north yorkshire, where we have had snow for the last 3 yrs, funny old thing we have had 2-3 foot and untreated roads. I have had toyo proxies on the golf and never had a problem moving, in fact I have towed people out of spaces who have had beemers and much newer cars..

I'll say it again...for those who missed it:
It's not just the tyres, but the width of them, the torque delivery of the engine and the tyre compound.

I ran a Mk3 8v for years - on 195 tyres...no issues in winter, in Aberdeenshire where we actually get bad winters.
Went to a Mk3 16v Anni on 215 wide tyres...hopeless.
Swapped to 195 Toyo winter tryes - normal service resumed.
Fabia vRS on 205 wide summer tyres...not bad in winter...went to 205 wide winter tyres and i could go places SUVs couldn't...being diesel helps...just let the clutch out at idle and it'll chug away.
Mk6 petrol, turbo, 225 wide summer tyres - hopeless.
Better to spend £2000 on winter wheels and tyres and not worry about it.

My driving style hasn't changed..nor has my location.
So tell me again how it's down to my driving, and nothing to do with the car?

[Rolfe]

For me, it's about actually going somewhere, as opposed to being stuck in my drive, in a car park, or in some random snow drift.  If I can move, then I can be careful.  But if I can't even get the traction to start rolling, it's all a bit moot.

I don't care what special knowledge you have, if the car won't move at all without wheel-spinning no matter what you do to the controls, you ain't going anywhere.

Doesn't happen with the winter tyres.

Rolfe.

Sorry, but i had a mk3 golf for about 3 years on the road and have recently moved over to an audi a4 tdi estate.. I am based in north yorkshire, where we have had snow for the last 3 yrs, funny old thing we have had 2-3 foot and untreated roads. I have had toyo proxies on the golf and never had a problem moving, in fact I have towed people out of spaces who have had beemers and much newer cars..

My house in swansea is at the base of a valley, last year when we had the big snowfall I was driving peoples cars up the hill, simply because a load of people couldn't drive in snow..

As for the drive showing in the pic, coming out of a garage up there I would put my right nipple that the golf and probably the audi with no issues at all....

So, not actually driven the MkVI then.

That drive, as shown, is a piece of cake.  You could drive it on slicks, cleared like that.  (The point was to show the depth of the snow.)

It's the part that isn't in the picture you have to worry about.

Rolfe.

[Snoopy]

Sorry, but i had a mk3 golf for about 3 years on the road and have recently moved over to an audi a4 tdi estate.. I am based in north yorkshire, where we have had snow for the last 3 yrs, funny old thing we have had 2-3 foot and untreated roads. I have had toyo proxies on the golf and never had a problem moving, in fact I have towed people out of spaces who have had beemers and much newer cars..

I'll say it again...for those who missed it:
It's not just the tyres, but the width of them, the torque delivery of the engine and the tyre compound.

I ran a Mk3 8v for years - on 195 tyres...no issues in winter, in Aberdeenshire where we actually get bad winters.
Went to a Mk3 16v Anni on 215 wide tyres...hopeless.
Swapped to 195 Toyo winter tryes - normal service resumed.
Fabia vRS on 205 wide summer tyres...not bad in winter...went to 205 wide winter tyres and i could go places SUVs couldn't...being diesel helps...just let the clutch out at idle and it'll chug away.
Mk6 petrol, turbo, 225 wide summer tyres - hopeless.
Better to spend £2000 on winter wheels and tyres and not worry about it.

My driving style hasn't changed..nor has my location.
So tell me again how it's down to my driving, and nothing to do with the car?

Exactly. Its like comparing apples and oranges.
If i compare cars out my drive on the track to the main road so far this winter mainly on the same days with summer tyres (all driven by me).
SEAT leon TDI(130PS) with 205tyres is okish in the snow. The mk6 GTI210PS with 225tyres is really v.crap. The mk1 GTI(112PS) is great with 185's on. The SEAT ibiza 1.4(80PS)with 195 on is not v.good. Daihatsu YRV(55PS) 165tyres Fantastic. Each car is v.different.

I do agree alot of people don't know how to drive in snow, but alot of the older people do, as they use to drive in it in the 80s and 90s when it was worse than it has been in recent years.

[Rolfe]

I ran my Dad's car into the hedge on a snow-packed road in the early 1970s.  Bust the radiator.

Been a bit careful ever since!   

Rolfe.