![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Can't really argue with that.
Anybody else impressed with winter tyres in the recent snow?
- Thread starter Scania
- Start date
Can't really argue with that.
Hi there
A positive winter tyres post from me!
When I had the EVO X I fitted the Michelin Hybrid Winter Sports, can't remember the exact model but were a winter tyred specifically designed for sporty driving, so were not like sponges in warmer dryer weather.
The combination of the EVO and these tyres in snow was absolutely sublime! I remember dual carriage-ways where all cars were using one lane, due to outer lane being snow covered. However I was using the outer lane and blasting along at nearly 60mph, it was quite funny when people would see me shoot pass, then pull into the lane as well to watch them seconds later pull straight back in.
On the EVO they were great fun, I could drive the car like I'd stolen it still and go anywhere even if quite deep snow within reason.
A positive winter tyres post from me!
When I had the EVO X I fitted the Michelin Hybrid Winter Sports, can't remember the exact model but were a winter tyred specifically designed for sporty driving, so were not like sponges in warmer dryer weather.
The combination of the EVO and these tyres in snow was absolutely sublime! I remember dual carriage-ways where all cars were using one lane, due to outer lane being snow covered. However I was using the outer lane and blasting along at nearly 60mph, it was quite funny when people would see me shoot pass, then pull into the lane as well to watch them seconds later pull straight back in.
On the EVO they were great fun, I could drive the car like I'd stolen it still and go anywhere even if quite deep snow within reason.
Inclines, fresh snow on unused country lanes, slush, black ice - Sport Contacts, not a problem. Didn't even die. You're more likely to encounter puddles from melting snow so I'd rather sacrifice snow grip for water clearance, rather than aquaplaning just so I can go a bit faster on snow.
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Associate
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- 1 Mar 2008
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Well as I am in the deepest darkest Cumbria shap.
Winter tyres Do help me but that's my choice
All of are Ministry of ------ unmarked fleet are now fitted every winter with winter tyres
And the hilux fleet are fitted with mud & snow tyres.
Winter tyres Do help me but that's my choice
All of are Ministry of ------ unmarked fleet are now fitted every winter with winter tyres
And the hilux fleet are fitted with mud & snow tyres.
[TW]Fox;23577995 said:
On that "very small risk" we'll agree to disagree. I'm sure those buying linglongs think they will never need an emergency stop so why spend twice as much on decent rubber?
There is no more risk to have traction on two wheels than it is to not have on any wheels as long as you are aware of the inbalance you are creating.
And those percentages at the bottom are extremely optimistic, and not even true for the very warm area that you live in. For the rest of the country where the temperatures are around or below freezing for a very significant part of the winter you are making your car much safer for 60% of the times. And sacrificing little (if any) performance in that 40%.
Janesy B - very light car, narrow tyres, FWD and nose heavy. Doesn't get any better than that in the snow. Try doing the same in a BMW with 255 wide rear summer tyres.
I did in my 330d. Right up into the Peak District, up past the Cat & Fiddle onto some of the single track (unused) roads.
No problems at all.
Try it in an M3 and you will burn to death when you open the door. FACT.
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2002
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My 275's and 400 horses coped fine in the snow few winters ago, had a really bad 20 mile trip to work one morning when snow was really bad on country B roads, no issues at all really, its all about keeping momentum and feathering the throttle. This was with crappy Falkens 452s.
I cant consider that question as I might explode.
In all seriousness, Toyo states they should not be used below a certain temperature (though I think it's pretty low, -9C maybe?) as the super sticky compound gets so rigid that it splits.
Glad somebody got my point!
I've had little problem in the past in snow, even in a 6 axle 44t artic (I may rue saying that after today mind!), my previous 528i was ok, not brilliant, but I got by.
For me though, as I said, I now live on a steep hill, cobbled at the bottom & relatively out in the sticks,I have to be at work anywhere between 01:30 and 7 am depending on route, and live a reasonable distance from my workplace - if I don't get to work, I don't get paid.
Had I not changed from "tramping" (living in my truck all week) to doing shifts where I'm home every night with varied start/finish times, I doubt I'd have bothered, given the change in work pattern and my move away from my workplace, I thought it prudent to fit winters to the drive axle at least - still undecided about swapping the fronts though.....
Now that I have tried winter tyres,I don't see myself not putting winters tyres on at least my driven wheels in the future.
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Winter tyres and couple of bags of sand in the boot of my 3 series.. its coping very well in the snow today so far. Lots of FWD Folk getting in the way slowing me down lol.
Not all winter tyres suddenly become useless if the temperature goes up to 10c either, do your research and get decent ones!
Not all winter tyres suddenly become useless if the temperature goes up to 10c either, do your research and get decent ones!
Found the Eagle NCT5s on my work van perfectly fine today in snow, only reason I elected to turn around and go home was watching the intensity of snow increase significantly during the first 20 minutes of my journey and everyone else doing their best Rally Norway impression trying to get down and up hill in a variety of different directions and thinking i'd rather not be hit by them 
Given I didn't actually really need to be in the office, I figured a day working from home was more sensible.
I didn't have any real issues actually driving perfectly safely and adequately myself though. I suspect my Golf on SC2s would have been a different story though, given the tread pattern:
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/wm.php/images/continental_sportcontact2.jpg
Not the most ideal tread pattern for snow.
Given I didn't actually really need to be in the office, I figured a day working from home was more sensible.
I didn't have any real issues actually driving perfectly safely and adequately myself though. I suspect my Golf on SC2s would have been a different story though, given the tread pattern:
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/wm.php/images/continental_sportcontact2.jpg
Not the most ideal tread pattern for snow.
Well after my rant about being stuck in traffic for four hours getting home the other day I must admit that winter tyres did come into their own today getting up the ungritted hill on the way to work. The snow was very mushy in general today and the car felt very undramatic although I was still taking it easy obviously.
Earlier in the thread someone mentioned about not hearing of people buying winters and then regretting it. Well as it is a while back now I can admit that I do kind of regret fitting them to my Octavia. I couldn't justify a set of OEM alloys as well and decided to to just fit them to a set of steels. This resulted in my P&J looking more like a POS for four months. It also meant that when the roads were dry I wasn't confident in pushing the car as I had previously. The winter tyres weren't as spongy as I was expecting but they weren't the same as my regular tyres although part of that may have been the drop in rim size and increased profile.
The Punto though I don't really care about the lack of alloys and have opted for some OEM copy wheel trims. I don't drive the car hard, it really doesn't push me to. Don't get me wrong it drives fine for what it is but my eyes don't widen at the sight of a stretch of clear country road and I tend to just plod about in it. On this car they make perfect sense, its purpose is to go from A to B and that is it.
So in summary would I buy winter tyres again... on my P&J, no but on our runabout, probably yes.
Earlier in the thread someone mentioned about not hearing of people buying winters and then regretting it. Well as it is a while back now I can admit that I do kind of regret fitting them to my Octavia. I couldn't justify a set of OEM alloys as well and decided to to just fit them to a set of steels. This resulted in my P&J looking more like a POS for four months. It also meant that when the roads were dry I wasn't confident in pushing the car as I had previously. The winter tyres weren't as spongy as I was expecting but they weren't the same as my regular tyres although part of that may have been the drop in rim size and increased profile.
The Punto though I don't really care about the lack of alloys and have opted for some OEM copy wheel trims. I don't drive the car hard, it really doesn't push me to. Don't get me wrong it drives fine for what it is but my eyes don't widen at the sight of a stretch of clear country road and I tend to just plod about in it. On this car they make perfect sense, its purpose is to go from A to B and that is it.
So in summary would I buy winter tyres again... on my P&J, no but on our runabout, probably yes.
You might be surprised, providing they're not worn down. I have these on my 328i and found them surprisingly good today in the snow at around -3 °C. I live in a very hilly region and whilst the snow wasn't particularly deep, I didn't have any problems whatsoever on un-gritted roads.
Been using Nokian All Weather + I got cheap and they have been pretty impressive in the snow and cold ice weather we have had as well as the dry normal days. To me they seem more like the tyres we should be using as they are designed for snow etc only a few times a year.