Winter tire advice

[ThomSeagal]

Hello all!

I am looking for some good winter tires. Currently, I am running on Michelin pilots sport 4s. I love them for the amount of grip when launching.
Now I am looking for tires similar to these. So good grip when it's cold and with snow and also good grip on dry tarmac.
What are you guys using?

Cupra 290, tire size 235/35/19

 

[BigJase88]

Michelin Crossclimates

 

[70 Plate- Cupra 290]

I was thinking this too, However seems like we are almost past peak winter now so im thinking ill pass.

 

[SuperV8]

Hello all!

I am looking for some good winter tires. Currently, I am running on Michelin pilots sport 4s. I love them for the amount of grip when launching.
Now I am looking for tires similar to these. So good grip when it's cold and with snow and also good grip on dry tarmac.
What are you guys using?

Cupra 290, tire size 235/35/19

Really depends on your local climate as to what suits you best!

As previously stated Michelin CrossClimates seem to win all tests for all season tires with a bias to summer handling/stopping. A true winter will offer better snow and ice performance at the expense of dry handling/braking - but it depends on how much snow/ice you will see where you drive?

In the UK probably recommendable for people living in the North to use a true winter and people further south a good all season will be best for winter use.

Personally I fit Nokian D3 winters to the mrs car just for A to B pootling and I can't tell the difference to the usual eco Conti's but they are awesome in the 'little snow I see' The other week in our first snowfall I drove it up into a snow covered carpark and it felt very secure.

 

[Evoxer]

I've always switched to Vredistein wintrac extremes on my last car. They were 255/35/19 and would go anywhere. Just pay my local garage to swap um and lob the others in the shed till summer.

Not tried them on the cupra yet as I'm new to the club but size is pretty similar so should perform well.

Sent from my IN2013 using Tapatalk

 

[Jazzjames]

I have Conti wintercontacts on my winter wheels. You won’t get the dry performance of the Michelin PS4s, but when it’s cold and wet, they’re great.

 

[Mr Pig]

So good grip when it's cold and with snow and also good grip on dry tarmac.

So do you want full winters or just all-seasons to use all year round?

 

[black_sheep]

Always subjective, and as others have posted above, depends on climate where you intend to use the vehicle. A good place to start is looking at the annual ADAC, Auto-Bild or Auto Express winter tyre tests.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 has been at the top of this year’s charts.

I’ve run winter tyres from most of the premium brands and they are all far better than summer tyres in cold and snow; however, they will loose traction easily in the wet and dry in a high performance front wheel drive car, especially coming from PS4Ss.

 

[Speedbird]

+1 for Michelin Crossclimates

 

[Sparkie]

If it’s just wet I use Yokohama Flava 571
Their best wet grip tyres to date.
Superb.


Badger5 Custom Map + TIP,
3”Custom exhaust, FMIC, Bosh 550’s, BC Coilovers, ARB’s +loads more.

 

[KXL]

I read/watched somewhere there was a PilotSport All season 4, but I'm not sure if available in UK or where you are at.

 

[Mr Pig]

I wouldn't put all-season tyres on a hi-performance car. All-seasons are a compromise, worst of both worlds, so rather at odds with the whole ethos of a sports car!

 

[Stephen Booth]

Hello all!

I am looking for some good winter tires. Currently, I am running on Michelin pilots sport 4s. I love them for the amount of grip when launching.
Now I am looking for tires similar to these. So good grip when it's cold and with snow and also good grip on dry tarmac.
What are you guys using?

Cupra 290, tire size 235/35/19

hello mate, I have a manual 2016 290 Cupra. My question is have you been understeering quite badly on roundabouts etc with PS4s ? I’ve recently bought Goodyear super sports and in the cold weather I’m not impressed compared to the stock contact 6 as I’m understeering/washing out on corners and roundabouts that I wasn’t before ? I’m going to change the fronts but I’m not sure if I should go back to the conti’s as they seem a good compromise ?!?

 

[Jazzjames]

hello mate, I have a manual 2016 290 Cupra. My question is have you been understeering quite badly on roundabouts etc with PS4s ? I’ve recently bought Goodyear super sports and in the cold weather I’m not impressed compared to the stock contact 6 as I’m understeering/washing out on corners and roundabouts that I wasn’t before ? I’m going to change the fronts but I’m not sure if I should go back to the conti’s as they seem a good compromise ?!?

Do you expect a UHP summer tyre to work in the winter when the temps are under 7C, whether in the dry or the wet/snow? I mean, they will work, but not very well. The compound simply isn't designed to work at those temps. Your supersports are obviously a step more extreme than the Goodyears I use (Asymmetric 5), and mine are already noticeably less grippy when the temp dips significantly below 7C, so I can imagine yours could be low on grip when the conditions get cold and wet.

When I moved to Germany and bought my Leon here it came with a set of summers (Goodyear Eagle F1 19" ) and winters (conti wintercontact 17") and I haven't looked back.

I've got masses more grip in the winter compared to on summer tyres. Hill starts? No problem. It was a revelation driving on snow with winter tyres for the first time. It makes you realise how stupid it is in the UK that everyone wobbles about on summers in snow, even if it is only for a few days (if at all) in the South. If I came back to the UK, I wouldn't even think of going back to running summers all year round, it just isn't safe in those rare situations when you need a good tyre the most.

Something very important that no one talks about: I can keep my nice rims away from the salt and crud that gets sprayed up in the winter. No refurbing because of corrosion necessary!

Having said all that, if you found the Conti contact 6s to be acceptable in wintery conditions, go for it. My experience here tells me that it's totally worth the outlay to have two sets of wheels. On a less sporty car than a Cupra, I'd probably go for a summer-biased all-season tyre like the Michelin Crossclimate, but for my circumstances, I want to take advantage of the German autobahns an country roads around the 'Ring in the summer, so I'll be putting my summer tyres back on around Easter...

 

[Mr Pig]

I don't understand the mentality of people who spend loads of money on a high performance car then drive around on the wrong tyres to save a few quid.

 

[Speedbird]

I don't understand the mentality of people who spend loads of money on a high performance car then drive around on the wrong tyres to save a few quid.

My (uneducated) guess is that most high performance cars are on lease, PCP etc, and they can't afford £600+ on tyres for a car they have to give back in xx amount of months.

I've been looking at lots of cars recently, usually around the 2 to 3 year old mark. Nearly all have had at least the front tyres replaced with some rubbish, unheard of brand. Clearly its an ex lease/PCP car they have just put the cheapest tyres they could find on regardless of quality.

 

[Stephen Booth]

Do you expect a UHP summer tyre to work in the winter when the temps are under 7C, whether in the dry or the wet/snow? I mean, they will work, but not very well. The compound simply isn't designed to work at those temps. Your supersports are obviously a step more extreme than the Goodyears I use (Asymmetric 5), and mine are already noticeably less grippy when the temp dips significantly below 7C, so I can imagine yours could be low on grip when the conditions get cold and wet.

When I moved to Germany and bought my Leon here it came with a set of summers (Goodyear Eagle F1 19" ) and winters (conti wintercontact 17") and I haven't looked back.

I've got masses more grip in the winter compared to on summer tyres. Hill starts? No problem. It was a revelation driving on snow with winter tyres for the first time. It makes you realise how stupid it is in the UK that everyone wobbles about on summers in snow, even if it is only for a few days (if at all) in the South. If I came back to the UK, I wouldn't even think of going back to running summers all year round, it just isn't safe in those rare situations when you need a good tyre the most.

Something very important that no one talks about: I can keep my nice rims away from the salt and crud that gets sprayed up in the winter. No refurbing because of corrosion necessary!

Having said all that, if you found the Conti contact 6s to be acceptable in wintery conditions, go for it. My experience here tells me that it's totally worth the outlay to have two sets of wheels. On a less sporty car than a Cupra, I'd probably go for a summer-biased all-season tyre like the Michelin Crossclimate, but for my circumstances, I want to take advantage of the German autobahns an country roads around the 'Ring in the summer, so I'll be putting my summer tyres back on around Easter...

Thank you for taking the time to reply I’m stuck with what to do contis or PS4’s !? I want the corner grip the contis give in the colder conditions but when it warms up the straight line grip the PS4’s will give I want it all lol time for long think. Thanks again

 

[Ross6392]

I’ve just put a set of Bridgestone Weather control evo 5s on mine, 205/55 16. This car is my daily runner, the Tryes performance for wet and dry braking and handling came in top but the snow handling came in pretty low, given the nature of the roads in southern Scotland the wet and dry grip was most important for me commuting to work on a daily basis and they perform well enough in the snow to get to work and home safely. Best all rounder for me.

 

[BigJase88]

My (uneducated) guess is that most high performance cars are on lease, PCP etc, and they can't afford £600+ on tyres for a car they have to give back in xx amount of months.

I've been looking at lots of cars recently, usually around the 2 to 3 year old mark. Nearly all have had at least the front tyres replaced with some rubbish, unheard of brand. Clearly its an ex lease/PCP car they have just put the cheapest tyres they could find on regardless of quality.

Dealerships do it too

they get a trade in that has 3mm tyres on so they replace with Linglong Chinese Ditchfinders and park on forecourt

 

[CupraGeezer]

I don't understand the mentality of people who spend loads of money on a high performance car then drive around on the wrong tyres to save a few quid.

The thing is temperatures last week were close to zero so winter tyres would have been the "right" tyres. However, it will be 12-14 C for at least the next week so winter tyres will be the "wrong" tyres. If you always want to be on the "right" tyres then you'll be changing them multiple times over the course of the winter.