Winter Tyres?

[DrSlackBladder]

30 Psi is very low. I find the car runs most stable and pleasant at 39 Psi.

Yes, I suspect the tyres may have been at the right pressure when the car was delivered to the dealer in the summer, but then it sat in storage for 5 months waiting for my BMW lease to expire, before being delivered to me. Obviously nobody had checked the pressures before it got to me! Sorted now though.

 

[davec]

If you fit 8J you will get into trouble with snow chains....
Well, if you ever need/fit them. I have never felt the need.

Thanks jaapv, yes this was another concern. I will be heading to the Alps in a little over 4 weeks and will carry chains - I have four sets in the garage and this is the first time I've not had to buy new ones for a new car. I don't expect to need them but the French gendarmes are known to do spot checks on routes into resort so it certainly makes sense that if I've got chains that I can actually use them safely. If I can't find reasonably priced (and looking) 7J wheels then I'll just fit my Vredesteins to the standard rims.

 

[maddogsetc]

davec - what happened with the 'mytyres' link that you posted previously? They looked great value and seemed to be the right size etc. for the car. Did it not work out with them for some reason?

 

[davec]

When I posted the link I was looking at 16" options but I got cold feet because I couldn't clarify what the implications were of TPMS and I didn't want to order a set of tyres fitted to wheels to find I had to then fit TPMS sensors. And I didn't want to waste more time before ordering winter tyres because the most popular makes have a habit of selling out as soon as the weather turns cold, particularly as I head to the Alps in mid December, so I went ahead and ordered 18" Vreds (from Mytyres) on the basis that if I couldn't resolve the TPMS issues and find suitable rims, then I could fit them to the existing rims. I'm anxiously hoping for more feedback in the TPMS thread!

 

[Paule23]

So after 19 pages what is the consensus? Stick with summer tyres, change to winter tyres on existing rims or winter tyres on a spare set of rims?

I think I'll go with the middle option. Those videos are really eye opening, not so much the snow as we don't get much snow in the UK, but the wet stopping distance. I'm coming from an Mg ZT which is somewhat lively in the wet, so the outlander should be an improvement on any tyres, but winter tyres seem a no brained (assuming you have a spare 600 quid lying around...)

 

[maby]

I'm afraid I can't see wet stopping distance as sufficient justification for shelling out £600 on tyres that I can only keep on the car for around 4 months per year - we get plenty of very wet days outside that period! If I lived in the north of this country, I might take them seriously but, as a southerner, if we do ever see snow this winter, I'll stay home till it melts.

 

[jaapv]

It is just the initial investment. The total cost is the same as a single set of tyres as you wear out only 4 at a time Actually using the right kind of tyre in the different seasons can reduce tyre wear up to 20% as tyres wear more in the wrong conditions.
Braking distance is considerably reduced on wet roads under 7 degrees by winter tyres - exactly the kind of conditions you'll find in our climate in winter.
Even the slightest fender bender due to taking too long to brake will set you back considerably more than 600 quid..

I guess you only own one pair of shoes as well... :lol:

 

[maddogsetc]

It's like insurance isn't it? Money wasted if you never have a moment when cold/wet braking distance is crucial, but it'll be the best £600 you ever spent if you do...

In my case I've been driving for 35 years and only had winter boots for 3 or 4 of those. I haven't had that moment yet. Depending on how you present the statistics that either means I'm safe to carry on without, or I'm overdue and it's urgently needed :?

 

[MHS]

I've found that on other car forums as well as this one, all the negative comments are from people who have never tried winter tyres. Let them bury their heads in the sand / snow!

There may be some justification to a North South divide, but as said above, the average temperature of the uk is under 7c from late autumn to early spring.

 

[maby]

It is just the initial investment. The total cost is the same as a single set of tyres as you wear out only 4 at a time Actually using the right kind of tyre in the different seasons can reduce tyre wear up to 20% as tyres wear more in the wrong conditions.
Braking distance is considerably reduced on wet roads under 7 degrees by winter tyres - exactly the kind of conditions you'll find in our climate in winter.
Even the slightest fender bender due to taking too long to brake will set you back considerably more than 600 quid..

I guess you only own one pair of shoes as well... :lol:

I do wear the same type of shoes summer and winter... I have a relatively new "posh" pair for the office and last year's posh pair - now tatty - for mucking about at weekends...

 

[DrSlackBladder]

I've found that on other car forums as well as this one, all the negative comments are from people who have never tried winter tyres. Let them bury their heads in the sand / snow!

There may be some justification to a North South divide, but as said above, the average temperature of the uk is under 7c from late autumn to early spring.

+1

 

[jaapv]

I've found that on other car forums as well as this one, all the negative comments are from people who have never tried winter tyres. Let them bury their heads in the sand / snow!

There may be some justification to a North South divide, but as said above, the average temperature of the uk is under 7c from late autumn to early spring.

+1

+1 again. However, the buried head is cold comfort for the person/vehicle being hit....

 

[Ozukus]

+1

+1 again. However, the buried head is cold comfort for the person/vehicle being hit....

+1. However, also need to take into consideration your brakes are only as good as the car driving behind you!!

 

[Paule23]

+1

+1 again. However, the buried head is cold comfort for the person/vehicle being hit....

+1. However, also need to take into consideration your brakes are only as good as the car driving behind you!!

Well, your brakes aren't only as good as the car driving behind you, but your chances of getting hit are!

 

[jaapv]

True. It might be Maby driving behind you.... :mrgreen:

 

[maby]

True. It might be Maby driving behind you.... :mrgreen:

I would be driving far more slowly than anyone else here!

Almost every other car in southern England will be running on summer tyres, so really you just need to hope that it is one of you guys behind!

 

[jaapv]

I know - it is a British thing. They'll even be driving on the wrong side of the road!!! :mrgreen:

 

[maby]

I know - it is a British thing. They'll even be driving on the wrong side of the road!!! :mrgreen:

Never fear! The EU will almost certainly force us to adopt winter tyres if we can't escape soon...

To be quite honest, I hadn't even heard of winter tyres until I started reading this thread.

 

[Paule23]

Just as long as we don't get forced over to the 'wrong' side of the road (the wrong side being the right btw!)

 

[phevmike]

Got some Pirelli W210 Sottezero II winter tyres fitted yesterday, the new Mk III's aren't available in that size for the rims, the car definitely feels a lot more planted. I haven't noticed any additional road noise, but I wouldn't be that bothered if there was.