RA Dunk

Isn't winter tyres compulsary over there anyway?

Matteeboy

It is in Sweden from November so I suspect Finland is the same (only been there in May).

RA Dunk

That's what I thought, which would explain why they can drive with so much ease in snow and ice over there, mind you they probably haven't got a media telling them they are going to blow up and explode in a big cloud of death if they drive in the snow over there either....

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I guess in part their media doesn't make an issue of it because their drivers can drive in the snow.

Whereas many of our drivers just seem to lose the plot and throw all logic out of the window the minute a snowflake hits the ground, leaving work early and racing round trying to buy the last loaf of bread in case they get snowed in.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Oh BTW, fitted some Nexen winters tyres to a car today - I don't recommend them . Had to test drive it as it had some other bits and bobs done at the same time - all OK bar the fact it seemed to have less grip than the summer tyres it had on an hour earlier. Odd as it was 2 degrees outside.

Cheap tyre - get what you pay for....

tony de wonderful

Won't stop you any better though Matt.

Most of the ditched/rolled vehicles I've seen the last few years during winter seem to have been AWD.

Matteeboy

Yes but it'll have better traction.
I drove home from very snowy Alps in a Summer tyres Saxo VTR; down the 21 hairpins of Alpe d'Huez; no issues.

I suspect I've driven far more vehicles in a lot more snow than you.

I'll be fine thanks.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

Just bought two for my Trafic, very cheap at £102 a pair but I made sure they had a wet rating of "b" as the A ones were double the price.

BoozyDave

iTrader: (8)

I went out this morning and the car was squirming when accelerating with the RE050's on. So when I got home I fitted my winter alloys and tyres.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINTER-TYR...3D191376675712

These are what I use and am very happy with them. I bought them last year and couldn't believe the difference to the RE050's.

BoozyDave

iTrader: (8)

Wow, does that mean you can defy the laws of physics

tony de wonderful

and presumably your heart rate never got above 50 beats per minute?

Welloilbeefhooked

iTrader: (3)

Yes, they all have proper winter tyres fitted and drive for 6 months with them on. We suffer in the UK as we have only a few days a year so lack the experience.

Also, snow and ice shuts down our airports but yet they land and take off on the stuff!

Turbovin

iTrader: (2)

Many people both here in Sweden and Finland use studded winter tires so the grip on ice is something else but also the regular non-studded winter tires are so much better than summer tires when the temperatures drop. But at least here in the lower half of Sweden they also use huge amounts of road salt. I don't think people over here can handle snow and icy conditions as well as before.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Aha! a clue: RE050s good call dumping them for the winter

I don't know what people see in these -especially in Subaru circles, as personally I've never highly rated them for anything other than dry use on a warm summer's day. As soon as it cools down and it gets damp they aren't nice. The times when I wanted by scoobs of past to handle the best was when its wet, damp or greasy on your typical cold drizzly day (i.e most of the year). Sod the dry grip.

Also a bitch to get off the rim when they need changing. Almost like runflats.

tony de wonderful

99% of drivers in the UK have no clue how to drive in conditions of poor grip is the problem; we are spoiled by relatively good roads, weather, and modern vehicles which make heros of us.

Not that I'm a fantastic driver myself, but I do have some awareness that grip is contingent and not something the car automatically has like it's on a rail.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

So true!

RA Dunk

Try putting this across to some of the people on here, it's like trying to educate ******* chimpanzees..

Carnut

Winter tyres are dangerous, either everyone has them or no one. If someone has winter tyres on lets say a motorway, and in bad conditions breaks hard with people behind on all year tyres they will cause a pile up.

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

Carnut

I thought that was quite good, is that all I'm getting?

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

If that's how your logic works that's all I can be bothered with.

Matteeboy

I did and ended up with a bloody lethal deathtrap.

I know the "right" ones would have been good in the "right" conditions but in warm weather on a performance car, Winter tyres are quite a lot WORSE than good Summer ones. It's basic physics.

So if you have zero snow and no ice (we had a warm but stormy Winter last year) putting on tyres that are downright dangerous for no reason isn't all that sensible.

Unless there's a heavy fall of snow - then stick some on.

Now I know you all live in the snowy mountains of Scotland and Wales, you all regularly tow 40 tonne trucks out with your Winter tyred Subarus but in the real World, we live in a warmish country (well the South is anyway) - that's why we are surrounded by palm trees here (two in our garden). And while I know my tyres weren't the best choice (thanks to a rather over keen tyre fitter), they still gave a good indication of what they are like - the car was all over the place; almost no rear grip, tram lining, vague, just utterly cack. We genuinely almost stacked the car twice.

So it's easy to label anyone that doesn't immediately fit Winters tyres at the first sign of frost "a bit stupid" but from someone that tried them, it's not all that clear cut.

I'd say fitting them then leaving them on all Winter is a waste of a fast car - in the ideal World, I'd have a set on their own wheels with Winters on and a trolley jack to fit them when needed; In my experience, the logistics of having them fitted last minute is a complete PITA.

I will absolutely not in any circumstances fit Winter tyres to my M135i though. I will also not drive it in snow or ice.

Carnut

Summer tyres are only a little bit better in summer. All weather tyres (normal tyres) are about the same as winter tyres in summer.

Try having a quick look at the link, there's a graph for easy comparison so if you're lucky you can delete your post before people get a chance to read your bull shìt.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...erformance.htm

Matteeboy

Oh yes, a graph compared to years of driving experience...

You've just blown any last shred of credibility there carnut (not a very good one at that). You have no clue, just a mind full of bitterness and ill informed opinions.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I have a set of Pirelli Sottozero's on the Wagon and while they're not as good in the dry as the Falken 452's they replaced (changed them at the end of August) They are starting to come into their own now the temps have dropped, cold wet grip is on a par with the Falkens, Only difference I noticed was slightly more roll, but that's more related to them being 17's and the Falkens were 18's, They also have a more blocky tread pattern as they are for snow, which is when I really need them to perform well.

A lot of the reason the UK comes to a standstill regardless of the amount of 4x4 's on our roads is a combination of summer tyres and no Idea how to drive in slippy conditions, despite ABS and Traction Control people panic, stamp on the brakes and frantically turn the steering. It's alien for people to press the gas and steer when faced with their impending doom, unless you practice it's very hard to overcome the natural reaction to stamp on the brakes, and even after practicing it still ***** with your head while your doing it.

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

I have the same tyres on my Scoob. They feel fine and worked very well on the icey roads last year.

The only time I've been held up in winter conditions is by other drivers trying and failing to drive on the snow and ice on summer tyres.

Chip

Matteeboy

I think modern TCS and ABS systems actually make snow/ice driving worse - its very easy to confuse either in slippery conditions.

If it snowed every year like it does in most of Scandanavia, I'd say fit Winter tyres in November (legally required in Sweden) and take them off in April. But we live in a temperate nation warmed buy the Atlantic and Gulf Stream where in some places (like here) it rarely snows. That's why it isn't so clear cut.

And while SN is full of driving heroes rescuing maidens in distress in their invincible Subarus, the real World is a little different.

If I want to ruin a good performance car for six months again, I shall heed the sage advice of SN.

Oh and in an Evo tyre test a while back, Conti Sport Contacts outperformed all the Winter tyres in the wet condition tests. The best wet weather tyre you can buy IMO.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Yep and NSR is full of people with that level of intelligence

Sorry Chris, but your logic is deeply flawed!

My experience is completely the opposite so I can only suggest that BMWs are best left at home in the winter or you had the wrong tyres.

I had Vredestein Wintracs on my old Volvo for the last two winters and they were superb in snow, ice and the general wet all through winter. The road up to my house is a 1 in 4 and the car drove up there in all conditions with no issues and felt fine on the road in general.

This year I don't have winters yet (have changed cars) as have been too busy to get some on and I am probably about to pay the price for that this week as need to go back and forth over the Pennines a few times with snow forecast so I will probably be staying put! After using winters I am not venturing out on snow in a car with standard tyres on ever again!

Carnut

Chris, i was just having a joke, of course that logic is flawed.