Winter tyres - What wheels are you using

[Mr_F]

Never fitted a set of winter tyres to a car in over 20 years of driving, just adjust my driving to suit the conditions.

Clearly you don't go snowboarding, skiing or sledging when the fun stuff hits, Winters FTW!

PS continental TS830's with VW OE Wheels....

[Buck]

Never fitted a set of winter tyres to a car in over 20 years of driving, just adjust my driving to suit the conditions.

 

But tyres and dimensions are so different now. 10 years ago a 16 inch alloy was the top end - now with 18 or 19 it is very different.

Add to this the road conditions and traffic volumes, you have to drive with far better awareness of others - having more safety kit (which winter tyres are) allows you to be able to respond to situations better/quicker and be safer.

 

I'd never go back to summer only tyres - the benefit is too great to give it up.

[Raffe]

I drive for a living and managed to go about my business in all the snow last year using the Bridgestone RE050A you guys all seem to hate without any dramas.

Maybe I am just a driving god in bad weather

In all seriousness I am sure a decent set of winter tyres would help, just never felt it necessary to date.

[Ess_Three]

I drive for a living and managed to go about my business in all the snow last year using the Bridgestone RE050A you guys all seem to hate without any dramas.

Maybe I am just a driving god in bad weather

In all seriousness I am sure a decent set of winter tyres would help, just never felt it necessary to date.

I'm guessing your neck of the woods isn't known for it's hard winters?

It's really simple here...winter tyres if you want to go anywhere...summer tyres if you are happy not getting the car off the driveway.
I don't care how good a driver anyone is...if you can't get off the driveway, you aren't driving anywhere.

One year in the last 10 I didn't have winter tyres available...and for 2 weeks at a time, I couldn't go anywhere.
Never again.

[Raffe]

We definitely don't get the winters down here you guys do up in Scotland so can see where your coming from, did drive it in heavy snow just was slow going last winter.

[dubber36]

People really need to stop thinking they are just for snow and ice. When it's just cold and greasy, they really do make a difference.

As said before, you can only wear one set of tyres out at a time, plus if you are lucky enough to have them fitted to a spare set of wheels, you are keeping your diamond cut alloys away from the salt.

[Edi35]

I have never tried winters so I don't know what I am missing TBO. I live in Suffolk and the weather is never that bad and usually only really cold for a few weeks a year so I have never had he need for winters.

I would have to say that the GTI is very good in the snow and ice for example my parents live at the bottom of a small hill and last year there were two cars that failed to climb the hill and gave up but the GTI just plodded up it no problem.

I have had 4 VW's with diamond cut wheels and not suffered any white worm at all. I just wash the car once a week to stop the salt and brake dust eating into the finish.

[Daz Auto]

I would have to say that the GTI is very good in the snow and ice for example my parents live at the bottom of a small hill and last year there were two cars that failed to climb the hill and gave up but the GTI just plodded up it no problem.

 

It was not the car. It was the contact with the road. People keep making this mistake.

What brand of tyres do you have? What brand of tyres did they have? Do you think if they were using your tyres, they would have managed to go up the hill?

Most big name brand tyre manufacturers spend a lot of money to ensure that their tyres work in different conditions. Does anyone here fit cheap and nasty tyres to their 25 grand(new), pride and joy?

My dad drives a 4x4 that is extremely bad in the snow and ice. Why? Because he fits the cheapest tyres he can get. Then he wonders why my CAR is better than his 4x4 in the snow and ice

[dubber36]

My dad drives a 4x4 that is extremely bad in the snow and ice. Why? Because he fits the cheapest tyres he can get. Then he wonders why my CAR is better than his 4x4 in the snow and ice

and your car would be even better with winter tyres fitted.

Most big name brand tyre manufacturers spend a lot of money to ensure that their tyres work in different conditions.

No tyre however expensive, that works well on warm dry roads, or displaces lots of water on sodden roads, will perform as well when it gets cold as a purpose made winter tyre. It's all about using the right tool to do a particular job.

[Daz Auto]

My wife and I have 8 Goodyear Ultragrip 8s fitted to our Golfs. (4 each obviously)

No tyre however expensive, that works well on warm dry roads, or displaces lots of water on sodden roads, will perform as well when it gets cold as a purpose made winter tyre. It's all about using the right tool to do a particular job.

There was a review (you can find it here - google  ) which showed that big brand tyres performed considerably better in poor road conditions than cheapo tyres.

I am not saying that a summer tyre is any substitute for a winter tyre or vice versa. Infact, at the beginning of this year, as we approached summer time and the weather warmed up, our winter tyres were crap on warm wet roads. Even the Bridgestones were a big improvement