Are there any major disadvantages in fitting all weather (Mud and Snow rated) tyres to a vehicle? Vredestein Quatrac or similar.
I'm considering fitting four to our Aygo once the OEM Contis require replacement. The car is only used for local trips so high speed handling, road noise etc aren't an issue. We live in a hilly area and have to go up a slope to reach the drive and the better capability in snow may prove advantageous.
Do they last longer than 'summer tyres'? The Contis are very soft and probably won't make 15,000 miles which is very poor for such a light car with only 60bhp. I manage at least 20,000 from my FWD 150+ bhp diesels.
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I stuck a set of Quatrac 2's on my daughters 106 exactly 12 months ago.
She drives like a demon, poor little car, i think she's done about 12 thou this year and i've swapped front/rear once, the tyres seemed about half worn last time i looked, probably 6 weeks ago, they appear to have a deeper tread than other tyres though i didn't measure to confirm.
Probably similar size to your car i got the set fitted for £160 all in.
Grip very good, had i realised how good before going summer/winter sets i'd have gone for a set of Quatrac 3's meself on my car...istr the 3's are available in V rating.
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had quadtrac 2 on our bora, good grip ,last as long as anything else for the same money
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The Contis are very soft and probably won't make 15 000 miles which is very poor for such >> a light car with only 60bhp.
That's interesting - are they Conti EcoContacts? My daughter's Mitsubushi Colt has those and I've been surprised how fast they've worn, and particularly that the rears have worn at pretty well the same rate as the fronts.
Do they last longer than 'summer tyres'?
I think in theory they should wear quicker as the rubber is softer, but I have a Merc and people on the Merc forums who use M&S or even full winter tyres often say they last longer. Maybe it is due to deeper tread, but one thing is that, at least on winter tyres, it's recommended they have at least 4mm to work properly - the tyres have an extra set of treadwear indicators.
Having said that I had a company FWD Cavalier years ago which a tyre place put Uniroyal Rallye 180 M&S tyres on. To be fair, I never got huge mileages from tyres on that car, but questions were asked about why the Uniroyal's only lasted 7000 miles!
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They are eco contacts. Mixed reviews from Aygo site. Those who do high mileage get 20K+ per set, low mileage users see them disappear quickly. Low speed manouvering must be bad for them
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Used Quatrac 2 on my diesel Passat.
No disadvantages and performed/lasted as well as summer tyres. Tread is deeper.
Costs are cheaper than Michelin and other top brands summer tyres in my experience.
May use Quatrac 3 on my Octavia if the Michelin Pilot Primacy prove too unsuitable for wintry conditions.
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How widely available are the Quatracs?
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My local "railway arch" fitter does Vredestein, otherwise on line retailers stock them.
Vredestein don't do Aygo size - 155/65/14. Goodyear do an all seasons in this size for about £50.
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Our Michelin Pilot Alpins have lasted well on various cars that I've fitted them to for winter use, making me think they might be a good all-year option. I found them quieter than 'standard' Conti Sport Contacts on an E-Class, and certainly grippier.
The only downside would appear to be the need for deeper tread for them to work well in snow. If I did use them all year, it would be just my luck for snow to coincide with them wearing a bit low!
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"Our Michelin Pilot Alpins "
Looked these up. They are pretty expensive, so are the Quatrac 2/3s others have mentioned.
Does anyone know where you can purchase these more cheaply or suggest a different cheaper make that does the same job for less?
Edited by spood on 02/11/2009 at 22:09
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Vredestein don't do Aygo size - 155/65/14 <<
Looks like they do winter tyres though:
www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s1481p0
Regulars:
www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m4b0s391p0
Not touting camskills, just showing availability and competetive prices!
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I had some Pirelli Snowsports fitted to my last car last winter. Grip on snow/ice was amazing and then when the weather warmed up I didnt notice any detriment to handling with enthusiastic driving. They seemed to wear very well, but I sold the car in May so don't know how they have fared since then.
IIRC I paid about £40 each (brand new) on eBay, for 205/50/16 size, H rated. (Waited ages to find good ones at the right price though).
Dont know how much snow you get? The only problem with mine was I only had them fitted on the front so had a few occasions where the back end got a bit sideways on slippery surfaces (my right foot). When the manufacturers recommend fitting 4 at a time, I now know why.
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