Winter Change?

H

Hunter

Senior member
 notts/derby
How many of you change your tyres for winter tyres for the coming season? Im still on runflats and i am considering changing them for nonRF. So do i buy winter tyres? or all weather? the winters we have only seem to have a month of bad weather so is there any point?
What do you guys do?
 
If you can leave the car at home on a snowy day then you don't need the extra expense of winter tyres. They are better for 3-4 months but decent summer tyres work perfectly well.

If you want to be able to drive around in a couple of inches of snow then get winters but you will still be limited by everyone else getting stuck around you.

Simples.
 
Pointless on a weekend Zed here in the warm damp of the SW. A daily in Derby may be a different matter.
 
It's well documented that winter tyres work much better at temperatures 7°C and less.
I don't think getting moving is a problem - stopping is another ball game. If I used my Z in the winter then winter tyres would be fitted.

You cannot defy the laws of physics.

(A set of winters is cheaper than insurance excess and the increased premium)
 
It’s worth reading all the winter tyre threads using search.

Some say they drive on summers in snow & ice with no issue... I wish they could come & teach the muppets near me their dark art of driving up & down our mild Kent hills.

Once you drive on winters especially in ice, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about
 
I've put winter tyres on my daily for each of the past 3 years, and really noticed the difference when the Beast from the East arrived - so much better than summers! :thumbsup: And pretty much essential for any RWD BMW if you want to be able to go anywhere.

But I don't bother with my Z4 - if it's that bad I just use the daily! :lol:
 
I will never again have any car without winters tyres. Even if I get a 4x4 it will have winter tyres on during winter. They really are that good for all cold, wet, icy or snowy weather. Last winter was a real test during my commute and I was amazed by how well they worked especially in the snow.

Proof will only be when you try. Find a cheap second hand set for sale, try it and if you don't like them sell on for the same (but you won't once you convert).
 
I do, pilot sport cup 2s aren't great in the cold, the last 3 cars I've owned have all had an extra set of wheels with winters on, as said above they make a huge difference in grip even when it's only cold, doesn't need to be snowing to be worthwhile, although driving past a range rover stuck spinning all 4 wheels because it's fitted with summer tyres is satisfying!
 
I do mainly because I don’t get paid if I can’t get to work, it’s a 15 minute driver but almost 2 hours by bus!!!

This week I just got 4 vredestein wintrac xtreme tyres with 6-7mm left for £230

They will last me a few winters and save my summer tyres too, bargain imo

I love it when it snows and they are also great in the cold and wet

Most people won’t need winter tyres but for some it’s a great thing to have especially on a rear wheel drive car, pretty useless in extreme conditions without them
 
I’d rather have a 2wd (front or rear) with winters, than a 4wd on summer tyres. :thumbsup:

A :thumbsup: for the Vredestein Wintracs - I used them for many years on my Disco 3 - summer and winter - vredestein only produced Winters in the size required.- wear rates were excellent.
 
I change to 17” wheels with Michelin cross climate tyres, seem a good compromise as they have a wider operating temperature range than winters (14c and less I think)
Rob
 
I put winter tyres on our run about Fiesta ST, when the weather gets really bad (as in snow and Ice), that's the only car we use. The zed doesn't move.
 
rarely goes consistently below 7 degrees here in Bristol so pointless changing. On those snowy and icey days the Z4 says on the drive and I work from home :)
 
Winters from November to March for me usually.
Difference in grip levels in ice and snow is like chalk and cheese. It's all in the sipes.
Run my old 16's from a previous bimmer and the 50 profile tyres make for an exquisitely comfortable ride too!
:thumbsup: :driving:
Photo 03-01-2017 16 25 31.jpg
 
Never changed tyres for winter, suppose it depends on the mileage you cover and how you drive
 
Smartbear said:
I change to 17” wheels with Michelin cross climate tyres, seem a good compromise as they have a wider operating temperature range than winters (14c and less I think)
Rob
Click to expand...
Crossover tyres really don't seem worth it as they are only marginally better than summer and the gap to how much better winter tyres are is still huge.
 
Steve84N said:
Crossover tyres really don't seem worth it as they are only marginally better than summer and the gap to how much better winter tyres are is still huge.
Click to expand...
You've obviously never read/seen the reviews of the newest summer-biased winter tyres then! Watch out for some all-seasons though as they can be a bit crap in the hot/dry conditions (relatively of course).

Winter performance:
[youtube]2cgtmmtsqFA[/youtube]

All Season performance:
[youtube]zNuqGUgbcIk[/youtube]

There's Michelin CrossClimate+, Continental AllSeasonContact, and Goodyear Vector4Seasons, and they all work well in snow, and have the 'mountain' symbol on as they've passed the relevant tests and are legal to use in any European country where they are mandated!

Obviously they're not as good as a full winter tyre, but they have other features which make them perfect for the UK seasons (e.g. better wet performance than most winters, better dry performance than ALL winters, better wear rates than most winters, lower road noise than most winters, don't have to have a 2nd set of wheels or faff around with swapping them over twice a year).

Everyone will have a different set of circumstances they need the car/tyre for.

I've got CrossClimates on the Alfa (as the Z4MC has been retired from daily duties after 150,000 miles) - and that does 25,000+ miles a year of B-road blasts (ask some of the National meet attendees on here to see if they thought the Alfa had a lack of grip in either hot summer or wet summer driving), early/late season Ring trips (including 20 laps), and survived happily through the 'Beast from the East'.

I couldn't do that on just a set of summers or a set of winters - I'd have to have both - and in the case of the off-season Ring trips/track days or dry/warm winter days, I'd have to carry both sets (not easy in a Z4MC) - so the summer-biased winters are perfect for me.

In 30 years, I've never been stuck in winter in any car on summer tyres (including my Corrado VR6, Polo G40, BMW M5). I've also never left the house in the Z4 when there's been 4 inches of snow on the ground.

Here's the car in Wales on 2nd Jan 2009 (a month after I bought it) - on 19" Pilot Sport 2:
page25-1011-full.jpg

page25-1003-full.jpg


Here's the car a couple of months later (on the same tyres) when I drove the 60 miles to the supplying dealer to get my service book stamped with a missing service (just before they closed when half their local staff couldn't make it in):
WIwltwi.jpg
AJK9a8M.jpg
 
That comparison is biased by using a lower grip summer tyre that is designed to last longer instead. Use something like a PS4 and other than snow it will be better.

My comments are based on reviews...

Here you can clearly see that all season is not much better than summer and the step up to winter is still significant.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=44sT6Ew12Us

I maintain that other than actual snow or ice you don't need winter tyres and all season are a waste of time. If you have to be able to drive on the odd day we get snow then get winters (or snow socks).
 
Winter tyres on my Z4C and 3 series Touring. So much more grip in cold and wet conditions. Only way to get home in snowy conditions.
 
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