Thanks GB that's really helpful. I've used Mytyres and local fitter in the past, most recently Blackcircles using one of their own fitters, it's convenient to have tyres delivered direct to the fitter but the prices are creeping up. That price of Tyre Leader is very good and will save me £20 per tyre fitted.

I'm tending to agree on the Cross Climate thing, I just can't quite believe the hype - and the tyres are significantly more expensive.

I use Avons too, found them to be quiet, good handling and long lasting. Buy from Blackcircles

I've run Michelin Cross Climates on my 4x4 Yeti for ~20k miles.

These replaced the OEM Pirelli p Zero Rosso's and have proved very adept in all conditions.

I previously used smaller wheels / winter tyres (Nov - Mar) and have found the Cross Climates as effective in snow / poor weather condtions.

I was fortunate enough to get them during a Cost-co offer, so worked out around the same price as standard (summer) tyres. Also don't miss jacking the car up and swopping over all 4 wheets twice a year.

Nexem for our Focus, cheap and cheerful, lasted 40,800m, swapped front to rear halfway through life. Replaced with Rovelo, c and c, just swapped front to rear after 18,000m, (slightly more tread now on front wheels for possible day or two of snow soon), lots of life left, ride is fine. I like to have identical tyres on all four wheels with about the same amount of wear.

Interesting to read opinions on supposed premium tyres, specifically regarding price. I have a relatively niche requirement for my van, but for those requirements, michelin and continental are no dearer than hankooks as mentioned by the OP. I need 196/65 x 15 with a 95 load rating, and i generally pick all weather tyres. The 4 michelin cross climates i currently have on cost £240 last October. Now admittedly the cheapest i could find them this morning (on ebay, where i bought mine), was £280, but the equivalent hankooks are £255. I can get continentals at the moment for just under £230.

I have to say, the michelins have really impressed me. A few years ago i bought a set of uniroyal rain experts and did not find them that great. Pulling away in the wet on certain sections of road they were very prone to wheelspin, whereas the michelins just grip and go. But as others have pointed out, different tyres produce different results on different cars, so it is really difficult to advise without direct experience on the same car as the OP is reffering to.

But if you are happy with the OE hankooks you should probably just stick with them.

You're one the lucky people (or who've done their homework and deserve competitive prices) that have a car/van with some of the most popular tyre sizes - for example, my Mazda3's 205/55R16s are equally as popular, with well over a hundred summer tyres available, many winter and all-seasons (including the cross climates at not too much more than the standard summer tyres), the same goes for yours; on the other hand one slight change to the size spec (for example, the current Mazda3 mid-range cars use 205/60R16s), and as such there's only a handful available at a third to 50% more for essentially the same driving experience as the 55 profile versions.

In my view its all about supply and demand, plus a 'perceived sportiness' premium for any cars with 18in tyres, which is why I won't buy ordinary cars shod in such boots.

I have Vredestein Quatrac 5's on the S-Type and considering the strain the rear tyres can be subjected to, they're going very well. Bought all 4 at the same time and after about 12k the rears still have 5mm left and the fronts have 6mm.

I'll rotate those this weekend and this set should go for a while. I'd rate this as very similar to the Pirelli P7 Cinturato's I had last time. I think the Pirelli's maybe lasted even slightly longer but the Vredestein's actually are very good in very cold weather.

Edited by jamie745 on 30/09/2017 at 00:09