Winter tyre question
- Thread starter touch
- Start date
Not really, having less grip at the rear makes the car more vulnerable to lift off oversteer. All 4 tyres should be changed if you go for winter tyres.
Part winter tyres is like partial circumcision, either go the whole way or forget it
Part winter tyres is like partial circumcision, either go the whole way or forget it
We got some flyers through from ATS yesterday, their doing something where you pay them a fee and buy winter tyres and they store them for you and fit them in winter, dunno if its just for fleets or if everyone can get the service, but the flyer also had some interesting stats and evidence from tests.
Winter tyres out perform normal tyres from mid November to mid March, hence them being winter tyres not snow tyres.
Winter tyres out perform normal tyres from mid November to mid March, hence them being winter tyres not snow tyres.
Not really, having less grip at the rear makes the car more vulnerable to lift off oversteer. All 4 tyres should be changed if you go for winter tyres.
Part winter tyres is like partial circumcision, either go the whole way or forget it
Ah right, cheers for that.
It's not for me, it's for my father who said he'd probably put two on the front. I thought that was a bit odd though. I'll speak to him about oversteer, fire and death and see what he says.
I can't honestly see the point in winter tyres over here. They just aren't needed. Plus, by fitting them, you remove all possibility of using "I couldn't get the car out of the drive" as an excuse. Having said that, learning how to control a car, it's speed and direction is far more valuable than fitting winter tyres. I had no issues whatsoever last year and that included getting up an incline which most FWD cars seemed to fail at.
The "auto creep" is a godsend in snow and ice
The "auto creep" is a godsend in snow and ice
I can't honestly see the point in winter tyres where I live. They just aren't needed. Plus, by fitting them, you remove all possibility of using "I couldn't get the car out of the drive" as an excuse. Having said that, learning how to control a car, it's speed and direction is far more valuable than fitting winter tyres. I had no issues whatsoever last year and that included getting up an incline which most FWD cars seemed to fail at.
The "auto creep" is a godsend in snow and ice
Fixed
I live in Wales, it spends more time wet than it does dry, winter tyres are great here.
Yeah except one of the first decent tests we've seen (Evo this month) that included a good named summer tyre, showed that actually, that's not necessarily true at all.
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2008
- Posts
- 2,382
- Location
- York
There is/are load more information out there saying the compete oppersite.
No one has managed to post any decent impartial evidence based facts on this forum when challenged to do so though.
They always end up being useless in some manner, most often comparing premium winter tyres against budget summer tyres, stuff like that.
The Evo test was the first such test to actually use a named premium summer tyre in the test and it turned out that actually, in the dry and wet tests, despite low temperatures it performed well, only losing out in snow tests.
Good on you for going to buy winter tyres!! I have used them on my bmw 120d for the last 3 winters and love them!! I only put my Bridgestone Blizzaks on when there is physical snow or ice about as I find them pretty terrible on dry tarmac. I do have them on a separate set of alloys for this very reason.
Winter tyres help with stopping not just moving forward. I passed so many 4x4 last year on there roof no doubt thinking they were invincible as they could go forwards but obviously forgot they had to be able to stop and take corners.
Was so beautiful driving up in the countryside in a foot of snow in my nice warm car having no problems.
Winter tyres help with stopping not just moving forward. I passed so many 4x4 last year on there roof no doubt thinking they were invincible as they could go forwards but obviously forgot they had to be able to stop and take corners.
Was so beautiful driving up in the countryside in a foot of snow in my nice warm car having no problems.
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2008
- Posts
- 2,382
- Location
- York
Total agree with the above
I can't honestly see the point in winter tyres over here. They just aren't needed. Plus, by fitting them, you remove all possibility of using "I couldn't get the car out of the drive" as an excuse. Having said that, learning how to control a car, it's speed and direction is far more valuable than fitting winter tyres. I had no issues whatsoever last year and that included getting up an incline which most FWD cars seemed to fail at.
The "auto creep" is a godsend in snow and ice
Winter tyres are better sub 7 degrees, ie between November and February in the UK. You clearly have no idea of the positive and negative side of winter tyres with the statements you have made above.
If you have spare rims and need to do decent length journeys to work between November and February/March, they will give a significant average safety improvement sub 7 degrees, like comparing new tyres to those with 1.6mm tread.
It did, it showed that one of the best tyres in its class was only any good in dry/wet conditions and sucked badly at low temps and on ice and snow. Even Nan Kang winter tyres scored better than the Conti Sport Contacts overall.
I found my Bridgestone Blizzaks pretty horrible on dry tarmac aless the temperature was below -1. I know they say 7c but that wasn't the case for my tyres. They are run flats so probably a lot stiffer than most winter tyres. Totally transformed the car on ice and snow!!
Sucked badly at low temps? All the tests were performed under this magic 7C barrier you keep banging on about were they not?
The reason it scored badly overall was because they gave it -30 on the snow score, ignoring the snow test scores I wouldn't be surprised if it won the test though I can't be bothered to actually check the numbers.
In my book, the fact it had damn good scores for everything except the snow test just goes to show that in fact it seems the whole 'winter tyres are vastly better as soon as it's a bit cold' thing is nonsense.
They tested on wet (no salt slime) and dry roads (sans salt) which were not representative of our winter roads, the colder it gets the bigger the difference between winter and UHP summer tyres gets.
8th best wet laptime is hardly "best overall without snow" it did well in the dry and subjective only showing how poor subjective ratings really are, but I guess you need to read it properly eh?
EVO said:
The fact it was so poor in snow (and ice obviously) shows how poor it REALLY is in winter conditions. To argue it is a good choice is just deluded, and that is one of the BEST UHP tyres out there, I would imagine the others are FAR worse, wouldn't you? Maybe you should check the numbers?
If you don't do many miles in winter don't bother buying a second set of rims, if you have rims and do many miles, get some winter tyres if you worry sub 2mm tyres are unsafe.
The other thing to bear in mind is they tested the tyres all when new, what would be the results on part worn tyres say 5mm?
Last edited:
The fact it was poor in snow shows how poor it was in snow, nothing more.
The scores are there in black and white and i'm pretty sure if you averaged them out excluding the snow scores then the SportContact would be top.
If you you take that to mean "sucked badly at low temps" then good for you but I just don't see it frankly, what I see is "performed fine except in snow".
The snow scores sucked, which we all knew they would but I see no evidence backing up the idea that the winter tyres are better as soon as you drop below 7C as you repeatedly claim.
The scores are there in black and white and i'm pretty sure if you averaged them out excluding the snow scores then the SportContact would be top.
If you you take that to mean "sucked badly at low temps" then good for you but I just don't see it frankly, what I see is "performed fine except in snow".
The snow scores sucked, which we all knew they would but I see no evidence backing up the idea that the winter tyres are better as soon as you drop below 7C as you repeatedly claim.
Surely its all about if YOU need winter tyres. Eg. I get stuck in the snow we have here as my street is on an incline if I go down the way it slides dangerously if I try go up the way I get nowhere. I have a TypeR with summer tyres and its brutal. So for me im hoping my winter tyres will help.
Will the be the best thing since sliced bread on a 5c dry morning? NO will they be better if its freezing in the morning and forcast snow later? hell yes
Everyone should surely judge if they think they need winter tyres for them and what there area is like? or is that to logical.
Will the be the best thing since sliced bread on a 5c dry morning? NO will they be better if its freezing in the morning and forcast snow later? hell yes
Everyone should surely judge if they think they need winter tyres for them and what there area is like? or is that to logical.