Can anyone recommend a decent set of tyres for light off road use, that are also acceptable for frequent road use?
Perhaps an odd/niche request so here's the context....we have a 2005 X-Trail 2.2DCI which my girlfriend uses for her hobby (horses). The car is currently shod with Nankang road tyres which have been adequate. However, they will need replacing before the end of the year, and I'd like to think about getting something that's a bit more useful off road - by off road, I'm talking about muddy farm tracks and soaking wet fields; nothing too hardcore, but terrain which can be a problem come the winter. Eventually the Xtrail might be asked to tow a horse too, so good traction in such scenarios is going to be desirable.
I'm aware you can get proper hardcore knobbly 4x4 tyres, but the thing is, the car still spends a lot of time on the road, where I gather these aren't ideal. Hence the query - are there any sort of 'hybrid' tyres on the market that offer a good mix of on road performance while also being suited to rougher terrain? I'm afraid I know little about this market.
Tyre size is 225/55R17 accroding to Blackcircles (might actually be different, I can't remember...I'll check and amend the post later). I'm not in desperate need at the moment, but would like to start looking around, so does anyone have any suggestions?