Winter Tyres - Worth it?

[northcave]

I decide not to put this into technical as it is maybe a matter of experience and opinion rather than technical facts.

Has anyone experience with using winter tyres? My issue is that my C Class is utterly crap in ice and snow. I'm not trying to go off-roading or anything but being able to at least get up my street when it does freeze would be nice.

Will I invest and wonder why I bothered or will I be pleasantly surprised at how much more traction I achieve?

Merci

Tim

 

[Blobcat]

There are many threads on this subject on the forum so worth a search. Having said that the ones I've read are very positive towards having winter tyres.

 

[Roxie]

I too have a C Class that has 245/40R17 tyres on the rear. I have found that normal tread paterns are great at clearing water but crap in the snow. So this year I am investing in winter tyres. I do not know the answer to your question yet but if we get some snow this year I will soon find out. I have taken the view that if they are indiferent I can still use them, so they will not be a total waste of money. The only problem that I have come accross is the availability of tyres to fit my wheels, perhaps if more people were to buy them they would become easier to source. Or perhaps another solution would be to use differant wheels for the snow.

 

[Blobcat]

I would look at steel wheels with winter tyres, that way you don't have to fork out to change the tyres over and the salt won't be eating away at your alloys. I bought some steel wheels for our Caravelle for £20 from fleabay.

 

[HaydnM]

I think steel wheels & find some cheap Merc-Benz plastic wheel trims.

Just the thing for those winter months

 

[Juddian]

Have run winter tyres for the last 3 or 4 years.

Worlds apart from equivalent summer tyres in cold and wet conditions, quite apart from when they come into their own with ice and snow.

Probably not worth the outlay unless you are certain you will keep the car for several years, or you absolutely have to get to work whatever the weather, which is my case.

Inferior winter's are mostly like their rubbish summer equivalants, not worth it and will not have the grip when you need it.

 

[d215yq]

Put winter tyres (2nd hand, poor make, 3/4mm) allround for my ski season, come march when most of the bad stuff had gone the two front winter tyres were illegal due to a tracking issue on my car wearing them to 1mm tread, so replaced with 8mm branded summer tyres.

What a difference, car would not stop so easily. less steering, etc. So if 1mm, old, second hand winter tyres outhandle quality normal tyres on snow/ice I'm sure good new winter tyres will be amazing!

So yes they are worth it, unless of course the current run of harsh winters ends and we go back to 7 or 8 years without snow, in which case they won't be worth it.

Last year there was an online company (i think blackcircles) that were selling a merc size new steel wheel with a tyre fitted and balanced for £75 a corner (budget brand of winter tyre) inc delivery...might be worth buying two and sticking them on the rear if we get bad weather, or just leave them in the garage for next year if no snow...

 

[d215yq]

Have run winter tyres for the last 3 or 4 years.

Worlds apart from equivalent summer tyres in cold and wet conditions, quite apart from when they come into their own with ice and snow.

Probably not worth the outlay unless you are certain you will keep the car for several years, or you absolutely have to get to work whatever the weather, which is my case.

Inferior winter's are mostly like their rubbish summer equivalants, not worth it and will not have the grip when you need it.

I found my unheard of chinese winter tyres very good. In truth it is probably like the cheap summer equivalents:

The cheap tyres have to meet certain standards to get the proper winter tyre rating; they are probably owned by one of the big premium brands anyway; and probably use 1 or 2 year old designs from the big brands.

All in all you'll get 90% of the grip for 30% of the price, just like you do with cheap summer tyres...and they'll still be 10 times as grippy as expensive summers as per my post above.

 

[M80]

I've been looking for a set of winter tyres for a couple of months.
Bidding on Ebay for Nokian G2's still with 7mm, they went for £360 and I regret not bidding higher.
A local supplier sold his last new ones just over a week ago for £496 fitted and can't get more. He says they are replaced now with A3's ?? The price now £504 + fitting.

Another supplier last week quoted me Kumho KW27's at £98 each fitted, now all gone from his supplier, "might have some in December".
He has given me other choices that are available but by the time I've read a report on if the tyre is good in snow they've been sold or the delivery is longer.
This year it seems more people are preparing earlier and the TV are advertising them also.

I've just ordered 4 part worn Conti's, no doubt originally used in Germany. £173 delivered with 4 - 5mm, we'll see when they arrive ??

After all my reading I'm convinced that winters give significant advantage but to varying levels dependant on make and tread depth.

I want my winter tyres on for mid November, when the tread is low (below 2.5 - 3mm) I aim to wear them out as summer tyres.

 

[Chrishazle]

There's a thread on t'other side about the MB Winter Wheels and Tyres offer - supposed to be nationwide, but I'm still waiting for MB Ashford to get back to me. Set of 16" alloys with new Dunlop winter tyres for £800 fitted (steels were only about £40 cheaper!) - plus possibly storage of your summer wheels until needed. First poster got the offer from MB Bedford (I think), another said MB Dartford knew nothing about it, suggest you read the thread then ask your local MB dealer - as I have done!

 

[Thincat]

I put winter tyres on the rear of my SLK (Hankook Icebear). Last I bought some matching wheels as the local MB dealer was willing to match an internet price (cost £140 per wheel, but are like the originals - they're just an inch narrower like th efront wheels). Of course, after I fitted them it didn't really snow so they're yet to be tested in anger. There has been a lot of ice though and they definitely grip better on this. I'm pretty confident that they're going to prove a good investment.

 

[orb the Impaler]

I put a set of Kleber Quadraxer 225/45/17s onto the OHs W203 sportcoupe - previously *useless* in snow. (It usually has the 225s on the front and 245 rears in summer trim).

These are an "all season" tyre but have the extreme snow "3 peaks and snowflake" symbol on them. Utterly unbelievable - I cannot recommend them highly enough. The car would simply drive up steep roads (with the gearbox in summer mode) with snow deeper than the front bumper. I never ever got stuck. Braking on packed snow is simply extraordinary.

General performance all winter was great and they give a much comfier and quieter ride than the normal summer Falkens too.

I ran them well into the year (July) before putting them onto a spare set of "Alshain" alloy rims I got off Ebay - I figure it's worth saving the winter tread - and I'll put them back on in a month or so. You could, however, run them all year - they seem to wear ok.

Personally I'd go for a set of these new style "all season" tyres - they've got full approval for use in the alps for example, so are good for anything the UK can throw at us, but work better than snow tyres if it's not snowing and better in rain etc.

Similar tyres are the Goodyear Vectors.

 

[Blobcat]

I've just put my money where my mouth is and bought 4 winter tyres for the Caravelle from MyTyres, they are a German compnay and the price varies on a minute by minute basis.

Talking to my local tyre dealer today he cannot get many winter tyres at the moment due to demand from Russia. He could get me Vredestein's at £180 each but that is beyond my pocket. I've opted for Nankang Snow SV-2 at £66.20 ea.

 

[HelpThisDude]

Positive experience on fitting Avon ICE touring 225/45/17 all round on my C class.
Have used them last two winters when I was commuting with it.
A good test was my father inlaws C class on good condition P6000 could not get up the little ramp on the drive, mine drove up with ease.

 

[47p2]

I bought a set of winter tyres for my daughters Audi a couple of weeks ago. Mytyres was the cheapest at the time but I see Camskills are now competitive with prices

 

[Bgblue]

I've got a c200 w203 sport coupe. can someone tell me if 15 or 16 inch steel rims will fit, I'm looking at complete wheels on mytyres.co.uk cheers

 

[drdel]

Cold weather or 'winter' tyres are recommended when the temperatures below +7; which is 150 days a year from Nov to March in UK - the higher silica content means the tread stays flexible.

I have a 2 month old W212, 350 cdi estate - tis a Sport. with 245/40s and 265/35s on 18inch rims. But the manual doesn't list a winter tyre size for this model and is says you can't fit snow chains to at the rear. In the handbook Mr Benz also says that fitting non-MB approved tyres (i.e. only tyres marked MO) violates warranty !

Now the insurers expect us all to keep our cars roadworthy so does this mean if MB recommend winter tyres so keeping my unsurers happy means I need to fit a set i.e. the car's not fit-for-purpose as it is? I can't find an 'all-season' tyre that's approved so that means, in theory at least, I'd have to shell out for another set of tyres!!

Oh and fitting a different set of wheels and tyres means the car's now 'modified' as far as the insurance company's concerned

Food for thought - ain't life fun..

 

[HelpThisDude]

I've got a c200 w203 sport coupe. can someone tell me if 15 or 16 inch steel rims will fit, I'm looking at complete wheels on mytyres.co.uk cheers

If you have the sport brakes, 330mm drilled discs and larger calipers, then I would double check (as you are trying to), as a standard steel wheel may not fit over a sports pack brake set up.
Was your car supplied with a full size steel spare? if it was, give that a try on the front.

 

[Bgblue]

No full size spare, just a little spacesaver and an air compressor. When you say larger calipers, any idea of size so I can measure disk and caliper? Cheers

 

[muller1]

Tyres

I live in the country and have done for over 15 years and we get BAD snow sometimes.
I have an ML which I keep for caravan towing and finter use.
Last year I went for winter tyres for my VW Golf and said to the tyre specialist, Those SNOW tyres as you call them look like normal tyres I am used to "winter grips" as we used to call them looking like a military off road tyre.
I was told the secret in in the rubber compound.
To cut a long story short I fitted them on spare rime and tried themon a no good basis and thet get returned.
The guy said fine.
I went back and fitted them on to the rear also because the front went where I pointed it but the rear did its own thing.
One morning the postie was looking at my Golf kink of funny thinking "fool putting the snow tyres on the rear of a front wheel drive car" till I told him the story.
To end with YES put on GOOD SNOW tyres and laugh at all the other stuck cars.

Regards.

Mike