Winter tyres - HJ column

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Sat 28 Jan 2012 14:29
Winter tyres - HJ column - hillman

I read HJ’s colomn in the Telegraph today and was especially interested in the winter tyres topic.

Years ago it was the accepted wisdom to fit ‘ordinary’ tyres on the front and ’town & country’ tyres at the back. Bear in mind that most cars were rear wheel drive then. It seemed to work, but the design of cars and tyres has moved on apace since then. I can imagine the high jinks if such a mismatch of tyres were to be relied on in bad weather now.

My Subaru Outback has Yokohama Geolander G900 215x60 tyres factory fitted as standard. I never questioned this, although I grumbled at the short wear life. Now I learn that they are classed as ‘winter’ tyres. I wonder what will be the reaction of my insurance company.

A reader was offered four complete wheels for £399.00. I replaced the two rear tyres on my Outback recently at a total cost, tyres plus fitting etc., of £287. About April/ May I will need to replace the front two.

I’ve nothing but praise for the reliability of the car in snow and ice. It has never been stuck. My neighbourly mechanic, a Discovery enthusiast, said after a demonstration, that it can do everything that a Disco can but without the fuss. BUT – and a big but – if I’m in a traffic queue after the slightest snowfall winter tyres don’t mean a thing.

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Sat 28 Jan 2012 14:38
Winter tyres - HJ column - RT

My 2006 Outback also had rapid tyre wear of the OE Yokohama Geolandars - I replaced them with a full set of Pirelli Scorpion STR which were lasting much better and excellent grip is all conditions - they were classed as "All-Season" tyres but had M+S and the snowflake/mountain symbol so were quite good in winter as well - probably not as good as dedicated snow/ice tyres but fine for the UK.

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Sat 28 Jan 2012 14:38
Winter tyres - HJ column - unthrottled

if I’m in a traffic queue after the slightest snowfall winter tyres don’t mean a thing.

Quite. You've only got as much traction as the worst equipped car in front of you.

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Sat 28 Jan 2012 21:04
Winter tyres - HJ column - gordonbennet

Find other routes when conditions are bad, and/or go past those incapable of moving.

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Sat 28 Jan 2012 21:11
Winter tyres - HJ column - unthrottled

In theory, that's all well and good. In practice, you can't really do very much when you're in 1/2 mile long queue stuck behind a 3 series with a pair of 475/15 R28s spinning away. Bit late to be planning the alternative route!

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 11:06
Winter tyres - HJ column - Collos25

Thats why winter tyres are compulsory in Germany.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 11:30
Winter tyres - HJ column - unthrottled

Germany has a continental climate and gets cold. Britain does not.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 11:41
Winter tyres - HJ column - ChannelZ

Thats why winter tyres are compulsory in Germany.

Actually, they're not. You just get in s*** if you're in an accident or get stuck on summers, when winters would be more appropriate.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 11:55
Winter tyres - HJ column - Collos25

You know best I only live here,

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 12:03
Winter tyres - HJ column - RT

You know best I only live here,

Doesn't the compulsion depend on the region/state? Federal Germany is a big place with several climates.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 12:16
Winter tyres - HJ column - Collos25

That was the problem before it was just a state law but know its a federal law.

The states of Germany are or seem to be all powerful they can overide if they require any EU regulation if it is against their constitution unlike the UK which tries to implement everything.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 12:04
Winter tyres - HJ column - ChannelZ

www.blackcircles.com/news/2010/nov/german-winter-t...d

"Last year 87% of the drivers in German had winter tyres fitted to their car despite there being no concrete laws which require them to do so."

www.german-way.com/ice-snow-tires.html

Again, only says you'll get a whole €80 fine if you're in an accident or get stuck on the wrong tyres. Considering the price of winter tyres, those 13% obviously take the risk.

Personally I have winters for my car, this year I put them on in October, took them off again in November. Pointless this year.

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 12:10
Winter tyres - HJ column - Collos25

Glad you can see into the future, the type of driver who causes accidents because they new better than anybody else.Drove back from the UK in the new year and experienced just about every type of road conditions .

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Sun 29 Jan 2012 15:13
Winter tyres - HJ column - hillman

"Personally I have winters for my car, this year I put them on in October, took them off again in November. Pointless this year."

We haven't had much snow to date, but enough to trouble high power rearwheel drive cars, and some front wheel drive too. I live in the Peak District where snoww and ice are more of a trial.


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Mon 30 Jan 2012 00:02
Winter tyres - HJ column - Smileyman

To date here in Kent the weather has been so mild (hardly a frost all winter in my corner of Kent) that I did consider taking winter tyres off and returning to summer tyres ... but I'm pleased I did not as the forecast is for snow tomorrow!

The real qustion for me is going to come in 2 or 3 years from now ... when the winter tyres have worn down to below 4mm, do I bother with a new set or not?

(answers on a postcard!!!)

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Mon 30 Jan 2012 07:36
Winter tyres - HJ column - RT

The real qustion for me is going to come in 2 or 3 years from now ... when the winter tyres have worn down to below 4mm, do I bother with a new set or not?

Once the winters are down to 4mm, just use them for one summer to get a bit more value - in other words give your summer tyres an 18 month break.

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Mon 30 Jan 2012 09:19
Winter tyres - HJ column - ChannelZ

"Personally I have winters for my car, this year I put them on in October, took them off again in November. Pointless this year."

We haven't had much snow to date, but enough to trouble high power rearwheel drive cars, and some front wheel drive too. I live in the Peak District where snoww and ice are more of a trial.


Yep, I'm aware conditions vary greatly across the UK. Here in the middle of N. Ireland this winter we've had a total of three mornings where there was frost on the windscreen, and only one of those there was frost on the ground.

The winters are sitting in the yard, and only take 40 minutes to change. If the forecast implies frost or snow, it's a simple matter of sticking the winters on.

IF I had better winters, I'd run them October to Easter, but I don't. Mine are excellent in ice and snow, but totally rubbish on above 0C wet roads. Whoever in Dunlop calls the Graspic DS3 a "High Performance" tyre needs shot. Only bought them because the Dunlop Wintersport 3D was out of stock, and I stupidly assumed the graspic DS3 was the next best thing. DOH! My Uniroyal RainExperts are significantly better in all aspects in cold & wet conditions.

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Mon 30 Jan 2012 16:42
Winter tyres - HJ column - hillman

" Here in the middle of N. Ireland this winter we've had a total of three mornings where there was frost on the windscreen, and only one of those there was frost on the ground".

The weather forecast for the next couple of days is dire. Perhaps a report would be in order.


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