2011 Winter Tyres - What are you opting for?

[GainfulShrimp]

given im not too bothered about price whats the best winters to go for? i just want the best performing winter tyre.

See the thread in the mods section for more opinions on this, but I reckon Continental WinterContact TS830 are hard to beat. All the reviews this year (mostly from Germany, where they take winter tyres seriously) point to Goodyear UltraGrip 8 as being this season's best new tyre.

 

[matt l]

A whole world of no. They simply don't work, just consider how many lorry tyres you have seen shredded on the side of the road.

I might consider part worn winters, as they are designed to be removed after a season so are still likely to be ok.

tbf after reading a few things online the chance of the tyres shredding is the same for new and remoulds.

I was originally looking at part worns but most of them are 3.5mm to 5mm that i have seen and winter tyres apparently (again according to what i have read online) only work well to 4mm.

 

[tom.b]

See the thread in the mods section for more opinions on this, but I reckon Continental WinterContact TS830 are hard to beat. All the reviews this year (mostly from Germany, where they take winter tyres seriously) point to Goodyear UltraGrip 8 as being this season's best new tyre.

ahh cheers for the reply, what thread do u meen i carnt find it lol

 

[GainfulShrimp]

I was originally looking at part worns but most of them are 3.5mm to 5mm that i have seen and winter tyres apparently (again according to what i have read online) only work well to 4mm.

I think there's no doubt that in very cold conditions, good winters at 4mm will still outperform any summer tyre at 4mm... it's just that some features of winters such as special siping (and sometimes even different compounds, as found in some Blizzaks) are only at their best for the first few mm of wear. In Germany, I believe there are rules about ditching your winter tyres when they reach 4mm for the very reason that they lose effectiveness, hence why there are lots of imported part-worn tyres on offer on fleabay etc.
If you're broke and/or your summers are very worn anyway, I'd consider part-worn winters as it will serve you better than your existing tyres just because the high-silica compound will be more flexible in very cold conditions, meaning better grip (than summers with high natural rubber content, which go hard at cold temps and hence give rubbish traction).
But if you can afford it, I'd go for fresh winters with all the advantages of the winter tyre tech that they bring you. The siping makes driving - and stopping - much more pleasant if it's snowy/slushy.
Personally, I'll definitely be changing my winters at around 4-5mm wear (assuming I can find any to buy/order at that point!).

ahh cheers for the reply, what thread do u meen i carnt find it lol

Sorry , I meant this one... it's a bit of a monster but there's plenty of useful info in there:

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=144819

 

[tom.b]

just brought a set of conti ts810s

 

[scottym]

Can anyone recommend me what steel wheel/tyre combo to get from my tyres.co.uk?

I am running a PD150 with 312mm front brakes, with standard 225/45/17 starfish alloys at the moment, I want some winter tyres and wheels ASAP before they go up in price.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GainfulShrimp]

I am running a PD150 with 312mm front brakes, with standard 225/45/17 starfish alloys at the moment

Are the standard FR brakes the same size as yours? I got some 16" wheels from mytyres pre-fitted with winter tyres and they fitted fine... There's not much clearance over the brakes but there's enough.

EDIT: forgot to mention, tyre size was 205/55 R16 (from the same OE size as yourself). I think the wheel was listed as "16 inch 5 x 112", whatever that means!

 

[scottym]

tyres

I believe the cupra/FR came with either 288 or 312mm brakes, I have the upgraded ones, as mine was factory fit with 288's.

I think someone on here has fitted 16's with 312mm brakes.

let me know guys!

 

[wclark1238]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9OkURLNO2k

These tyres seem decent ............ to say the least.

 

[Slimy]

I believe the cupra/FR came with either 288 or 312mm brakes, I have the upgraded ones, as mine was factory fit with 288's.

I think someone on here has fitted 16's with 312mm brakes.

let me know guys!

My Toledo has the 312mm brakes and my winters are on 16's. They are incredibly close (about quarter of an inch off the caliper) but they work.

 

[Fishy]

OK just where to get some winter rubber at a good price? Anyone got any idea's? I need 2*225/45/17's.

Fish

 

[Slimy]

I ordered my Ultragrip 8's from www.oponeo.co.uk, they were a fair bit cheaper than other places and more importantly they had stock. I've just done a search and they have two pages of tyres for those wheels.

 

[FRozz]

My car has 225/45/17 as standard, will there be a problem fitting 235/45/17? This makes the wheel 1.3% bigger than stock. Found someone selling a new set of Falken winter tyres this size for £360

 

[PABLO1977]

I used Goodyear Excellence last year all round, not specifically a 'Winter' tyre, more of a good all rounder with a nice mixed tread pattern. (on standard FR 17" wheels)

Never got stuck or worried, even in the heavy snow, and on more than one occasion on the run up (hill) to work I just drove straight past the stranded Beemers and Mercs etc..

Kept the old Toyo's in the shed, put them back on for this summer to scrub right down, and have just put the Excellences back on this week ready to go again.

Marshall also do a very similar tyre, which I put on SWMBO's Corsa, and again no real issuess, even in the heavy snow.

 

[GainfulShrimp]

I used Goodyear Excellence last year all round, not specifically a 'Winter' tyre, more of a good all rounder with a nice mixed tread pattern. (on standard FR 17" wheels)

Never got stuck or worried, even in the heavy snow, and on more than one occasion on the run up (hill) to work I just drove straight past the stranded Beemers and Mercs etc..

I'm sure they'll work if conditions aren't too bad. The Beemers and Mercs will have probably been RWD of course, as well as using summer tyres: not a happy combination.
But check out the relative performance of the Goodyear Excellence vs Goodyear UltraGrip 8 in the snow... (link shamelessly borrowed from a few posts ago!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9OkURLNO2k

Proper winter tyres are absolutely in a different league to any summer tyres or 'all rounders'. Whether or not it's worth buying a second set of wheels/tyres and switching over twice a year is a personal choice, but I promise if you used winter tyres in the snow you would never again (willingly) use summer tyres in the worst winter weather.

 

[ElasticTangent]

Auto Express have just done a test on winter tyres (in part using a MK2 Leon as well which was nice of them).

Best winter tyre is Continental ContiWinterContact TS 830P
Best all season tyre is Hankook Optimo 4S

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Auto Express have just done a test on winter tyres (in part using a MK2 Leon as well which was nice of them).

Best winter tyre is Continental ContiWinterContact TS 830P
Best all season tyre is Hankook Optimo 4S

There's a summary of that test on tyrereviews, here:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Express-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm

However, I agree with tyrereviews' comment that it's an odd mix of tyres that they've tested: they've mixed the consumer grade and performance/premium grade tyres across the manufacturers. For instance, they've pitted the Michelin Alpin A4 (which is Michelin's standard/consumer grade winter tyre) against the Conti WinterContact TS830P (which is the premium version of the TS830, available in wider, lower tyre profiles etc).

 

[FRozz]

Finally got myself sorted! After a lot of research and ebay searching I have got myself another set of alloys (original FR ones, same as I have now) with decent summer tyres for £350 and ordered 4 Falken HS 439 winter tyres (£110 each from oponeo.com). Going to select the 4 worst alloys from the 8 I now have and put the Falkens on these. I will then have 4 winter alloys, 4 summer alloys and 4 spare summer tyres with a decent amount of tread. Was a fair outlay but wont be buying new tyres for years now.

I would suggest getting the winters very soon, the price of the falkens went up £9 since yesterday on mytyres and by £2 on oponeo.

 

[neil_f225]

Anyone got any experience of using the cheaper end of the market for winter tyres? Are budget winter tyres still better than a brand name summer tyre? Was even thinking of buying Hankook winter tyres for the front (seem to get good reports) and budget winters for the rear. Any advice?

 

[Mad Jock]

I just bought a set of Avon Ice Touring ST's for £66.50 a corner from mytyres.co.uk. Perhaps not the best out there but previous owners reviews were good and they have to be better than what I have on now. Just need to find some suitable wheels to put them on now.

Cheers..........Mad Jock