Winter tyres

[Mambo55]

Having just taken delivery of my XF S 3.0 I was looking to the future as to whether winter tyres were worth the expense (20” tyres x 4 won’t give much change out of £1k). 

Does the increased grip and improved handling on cold roads justify the cost? Do UK winters justify the cost? 

Advice would be gratefully received! 

[Leo]

I have never bothered, but then my XK is not used much in winter months.

I have a friend who always puts them on from autumn to spring, and he says that they make a real difference: Especially in snow or ice, but also in the daily lower temperatures.

The downside is that he changes his car every couple of years, and the winter tyres never fit the next car: He gets next to nothing for them despite the fact that they are almost unworn.

[Guest]

In my experience, absolutely worth it, yes.  I've always fitted them in recent years, and I notice that whilst I'm confidently driving away fairly normally everyone else seems to be going a bit slowly.  When it's wet or greasy underfoot cars do feel a bit more unstable, prompting more caution under these conditions.

Obviously caution is still needed, but I do feel a lot more secure in winter months with winters fitted.  I didn't go to the expense of buying smaller wheels but just have the tyres changed over on my normal road wheels each time.  Only downside is the sidewalls seem a little stiffer so very slightly more reaction to small bumps, but it's negligible..

[Pippin89]

Why not just get some all weather tyres. They are a compromise on both for sure but do you drive the car hard enough to notice in the summer? And in the winter they will be better than summer tyres....

[Old Peter]

I am from the North of England and also lived in North Wales and Derbyshire.

I have never had winter tyres. although I did have Town and Country rear tyres when living in North Wales.  Good all weather tyres [Goodyear Eagle] will do the job. In the sixties my daily commute was a fifty miles round trip and I never had a problem.  A few slithers now and then though.

I the seventies, and living in the Peak District we were snowed in a couple of times with a8 inches of snow, and only once I failed to get out, and only once did I have dig out my car.

Peter.

[Dom13]

I Just got some Nokian Weatherproof's, they are fabulous tyres, silky smooth, excellent grip and quiet.

Most all season tyres are summer tyres designed to work OKish in the winter, the Nokians are Winter Tyres designed to work all year round.

They have a wet grip rating of "A" and they are far cheaper than Michelins.

Don't buy from one of those dodgy European sites pretending to be in the UK, buy them direct from the UK distributors (www.nordiccartyres.co.uk)

Dom

[Guest]

FWIW I've used winters on my XF 3.0D for the past 3 years. I never had winters on a car before but having read quite a bit about it I thought I should give it a try, and I can honestly say it's like night and day better for driving in bad conditions.  All I can say is that in winter I just notice that everyone else seems to be going so slowly. I think the sense of security and obedience I get from the car in very wet or snow or really cold conditions is so much better than on normal tyres, so everyone else seems to be driving more cautiously than needed.

Slightly more bouncy or stiff ride, maybe a slight rise in road roar, but both these are only very slight.  Certainly not enough to outweigh the benefits - from now on I plan to always have a set of winter tyres on my future cars.  My current XF is on 19" rims and I have the tyres changed over each year, but I think in future I'll buy an extra set of slightly smaller wheels as that would make the change over easier and should make the change of tyres even more effective.

I chose Pirelli Sottozero tyres after reading many reviews, and I'm very impressed - but my comments may well not transfer to cheapies or other brands.

Hope that's a help..

[Leo]

In early December snow we found my wife’s Citroen C4 Grand Picasso virtually undrivable, sliding even when there was barely any snow to be seen. I have never liked the idea of swapping tyres in the autumn and spring to alternate between summer and winter tyres, but something had to be done.

So I did quite a bit of research and in the end went for four Michelin Crossclimate + tyres, which are all year round tyres, said to be brilliant in both winter and summer, so no need to change them.

I can join with Ian in saying that the difference is absolutely astounding: Nothing seems to bother it now, and I can drive with confidence in six inches of snow. Like Ian I find myself puzzled by how slow others are going!

Therein lies some risk: It drives and handles with seemingly perfect grip, and it is only when you park up and get out of the car you realise how icy it is.

It tackles deep puddles without deviating, where it used to aquaplane before, and road noise is no greater.

So as far as I am concerned they are great, with only two drawbacks: They are expensive, and I fear that they may not yet be made in the sizes required by the larger Jaguar wheels.