Use of 'summer' tyres below 7 degrees

[BTB 500]

Call me a cynic if you must, but both tests are merely advertorials. Don't beleive any of it.

So you think both Auto Express and What Car? were bribed by Continental to falsify the results? You're a cynic!

 

[Sp!ke]

Based upon the numbers in the test, why would tyre manufacturers including continental state that if you are only to choose one tyre for all year round use that you're better using a winter tyre all year round than a summer one?

There must be a persuasive argument that Auto Express have missed surely?

 

[BTB 500]

why would tyre manufacturers including continental state that if you are only to choose one tyre for all year round use that you're better using a winter tyre all year round than a summer one?

With my cynic hat on , how do winter tyres compare price-wise?

IIRC they wear faster (due to the softer rubber compound), and have a higher recommended minimum tread depth. So you'd have to buy them more often than summer tyres if you used them permanently.

 

[Doodle]

Didn't know you were a Geordie?

Yup 11C was a bit warm (they commented on that), but again people have previously claimed that winter tyres were significantly better in the wet at all temps. so the test results are still interesting I think.



Possibly but most of us have driven on 'normal' (aka 'summer') tyres all year round for donkeys years, without any noticeable issues other than poor grip on actual snow/ice. I got caught out when away overnight in the SL a few years ago and had to drive back 100 miles at a fairly constant -8C (clear & dry roads). With >320 bhp going through the rear wheels the ASR light soon comes on if grip is poor, but I had no problems at all. In February I had to do the same run home with snow on the side roads (M40 was clear) and managed OK, although obviously I was going pretty carefully then and would much rather have been in our FWD Audi!

I would certainly like to see some more actual test results though, wet and dry at various (lower) temps.

Riding a bike every day makes you somewhat immune - the added insulation helps too

As you point out, if it's clear and dry then it doesn't really make as much difference, it's when the weather is less than clement. After the snow last Xmas, it took 3 weeks to actually clear from the roads around our local area - there are so many speed humps the ploughs can't do a proper job. In the meantime you ended up with sheets of ice where it had been compacted due to all the cars running over, but never enough to actually break it up.

 

[Sp!ke]

With my cynic hat on , how do winter tyres compare price-wise?

IIRC they wear faster (due to the softer rubber compound), and have a higher recommended minimum tread depth. So you'd have to buy them more often than summer tyres anyway if you used them permanently.

Actually the price is cheaper than summer tyres (assuming you dont buy them mid winter when the prices spike).

I cant tell any appreciuable difference in wear rates. (wife's car still has 20,000 mile old winter tyres on the rear) besides they come with more tread on them in the first place which makes up for the minimum tread depth difference (not that you have to worry too much about that in summer anyway).

 

[flango]

Using winter tyres above 7 degrees is just as dangerous as using summer tyres below 7 degrees, the compounds just aren't designed for it.

The way out is to fit an all season tyre whose compounds are designed to handle greater temperature extremes, theres a bit of a trade off on longetivity and performance but much cheaper than running 2 sets of tyres. I used Yokohama Geolander on the Subaru they were brilliant coped with anything. These days if it snows though I just use the Disco nothing like V8 grunt in the white stuff

 

[BTB 500]

After the snow last Xmas, it took 3 weeks to actually clear from the roads around our local area - there are so many speed humps the ploughs can't do a proper job. In the meantime you ended up with sheets of ice where it had been compacted due to all the cars running over, but never enough to actually break it up.

Yup all the roads round us were like that too (main roads were mostly fine). But our Audi was OK on normal tyres (Avon ZV5s), driven carefully of course. If there were any significant hills it might have been different, but didn't have any problems getting it in and out of our drive (i.e. over a dropped kerb), which also slopes gently down towards the house.

But to repeat again, I do fully appreciate that winter tyres would offer much better traction in these conditions.

 

[Doodle]

Sounds slightly better than it was here, you could barely stand on ours, it was that polished. I considered trying to start a game of curling on it

 

[Shude]

Sounds slightly better than it was here, you could barely stand on ours, it was that polished. I considered trying to start a game of curling on it

A few times over the last couple of winters I've arrived at a destination seemingly without problem, opened the car door, got out and fallen straight over due to the slippery surface! Tyres were fine on it of course

 

[millo777]

So you think both Auto Express and What Car? were bribed by Continental to falsify the results? You're a cynic!

I wouldn't go as far to say either publication was bribed, but I'll take with a pinch of salt any results performed by continental, at a continental testing centre that indicate that the best winter tyre is continental, and the best summer tyre is continental.

The methodology used for the tests, conditions tested (specific temps etc, etc etc), car type used etc etc all no doubt favour the tyre that came out as the test winner. You'll also notice all the vehicles used in the test are VW group, front wheel drive cars for which continental, via their subsidiary Siemens VDO, supply the traction control systems.

I wouldn't mind betting similar tests performed by Michellin at their testing centre could just as easily be made to show they're tyres are the best. Likwise for Bridgestone and Dunlop.

You pay your money and take your choice, but I personally wouldn't be swayed by this type of sponsored journalism other than to make very broad generalisations about the relative performance of winter and summer tyres in a few limited sets of circumstances.

How does the old saying go? Lies, Damned lies and statistics?

 

[steve333]

A few times over the last couple of winters I've arrived at a destination seemingly without problem, opened the car door, got out and fallen straight over due to the slippery surface! Tyres were fine on it of course

Were you wearing summer or winter shoes?

 

[BTB 500]

I wouldn't mind betting similar tests performed by Michellin at their testing centre could just as easily be made to show they're tyres are the best. Likwise for Bridgestone and Dunlop.

Possibly not Nankang though?

Of course Continental are factory fit for many M-Bs

 

[BTB 500]

Sounds slightly better than it was here, you could barely stand on ours, it was that polished. I considered trying to start a game of curling on it

No, we had the same. Compacted by vehicles then slightly thawed on the surface and re-frozen each night. Didn't try the SL or the Vito on it and wouldn't have wanted to walk on it!

 

[Rory]

A few times over the last couple of winters I've arrived at a destination seemingly without problem, opened the car door, got out and fallen straight over due to the slippery surface! Tyres were fine on it of course

I walked to the front of a line of cars (everyone else sat in their cars and watched) to help a Mercedes stuck on a slope the winter before last. Got it going with the gentlest of shoves, turned around as he drove off and fell flat on my backside - no comedy Bambi stuff, just straight down. In the process somehow jolted my elbow and it hurt like hell for a week afterwards and I can feel it even while typing this.

I'll be staying in my car in future!

 

[BTB 500]

Various people are now selling 'snow chains' that fit on your shoes - they had them in Costco a few weeks ago.

 

[Doodle]

No, we had the same. Compacted by vehicles then slightly thawed on the surface and re-frozen each night. Didn't try the SL or the Vito on it and wouldn't have wanted to walk on it!

Made the 90deg right hander a little exciting - in the end we constructed a small berm to guide the vehicles round without collecting (or mounting) the kerb. It's a downhill slope to the main road so you just had to glide down and hope nothing was coming as you got to the end and finally found traction.

 

[DITTRICH]

Regardless of the science, economics or otherwise of summer or winter tyres, the thing that made the most difference to me is the width of the tyre. My w202 c230k R17 245/40 tyres are worse than useless in the snow and ice. My w124 tyres (R15 195/65) are much much narrower and cope with snow the w202 couldn't hope to negotiate.

 

[Dieselman]

With >320 bhp going through the rear wheels

people often say they have xxx Bhp going through the wheels...

Are they really burying the accelerator all the time, if so they must be fools.

 

[GP801]

Regardless of the science, economics or otherwise of summer or winter tyres, the thing that made the most difference to me is the width of the tyre. My w202 c230k R17 245/40 tyres are worse than useless in the snow and ice. My w124 tyres (R15 195/65) are much much narrower and cope with snow the w202 couldn't hope to negotiate.

Exactly. SLK on 245/40R17 undriveable last year in the snow so this year has winter tyres. 124 on 195/65R15 no trouble at all.

 

[Dieselman]

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