Winter tyres

[Stewartmak7]

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 ?

[itavaltalainen]

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.

[dubber36]

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.

[p3asa]

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 

Its a definite yes from me.

[robtt]

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 .

[C2K]

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.

[Stewartmak7]

Thanks for the response !  Does anyone have a particular brand they recommend ?

[TwoSheds]

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.

[robtt]

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

[Stewartmak7]

Food for thought . Thanks guys appreciate it ,now to price them up .