How we test winter tyres

I have never fitted winter tyres and have no intention of doing so. I do my best to avoid driving in poor conditions. I am able to leave the car at home and walk or use the bus/train, just like those who don’t have a car. It frightens me to see people driving fast in poor weather, even when the there are warnings to keep off the roads.

I bought the Conti 850’s last winter when many reviews rated them as the No 1 winter tyre, it was a pity “Which?” is a year late in testing them.

The cost of fitting good winter tyres is nothing compared to the cost of an accident, it is the resposibility of every car user to ensure that the only contact a car has with the road is suited for the conditions. Often the most dangerous roads in the snow and ice are the uncleared residential roads a lot of us live on, and not the cleared motorways and trunk roads, therefor short journeys can be more of a risk than long ones.

“Which?” should perhaps follow the examples of other magazines and include a Best Buy summer tyre in their comparison tests to show the difference a winter tyre makes.

I bought another set of wheels onto which the winter tyres are fitted and swap the wheels over, not difficult, or a low cost if you chose to pay for the wheel change. The summer tyres (in my case Dunlop Blurespose) are not used, so the “extra” cost is not great compared to the saftey..

I bought a set of Vredestein Wintrac’s for my BMW for the winter and I am a little disaappointed that there hasn’t been any snow to try them in. However, in very wet conditions, the car passes through standing water without the usual fight with the steering wheel, so that is much appreciated.

As I cover about 35k per annum, it will be interesting to see how they have lasted by the time spring arrives.

Certainly seem like a good choice so far.

The phrasing of the poll last year did not allow for those who had already fitted winter tyres so perhaps understates the position. Mine I have had on since October 2010 and they are due to be replaced in 2014 June.

In some media there is also an unhelpful concentration on snow ability ; rather making light of the more relevant feature of improved grip for both with and dry roads below the 7C mark were summer tyres become hard and no longer work as effectively in removing water – the main feature of our climate!

I support Ian’s request for Which? to actually compare tyre types in different temperatures to truly reveal how ineffective summer tyres are in poorer weather. Added to that a chart showing the average amd min/max temperatures for towns in the UK would allow everyone to see the facts for themselves. : )

I have a set of winter tyres on steel wheels which I swap over every year; dont use the car much bur with little public transport up here in rural Cumbria a car is essential.

I do wonder whether the testing methods used by Which and the Car Mags are relevant to UK conditions though ?
With our temperatures we rarely get the sticky snow found iat the low temperatures of Scandinavia or the Swiss Alps.
Maybe performance in slush , snow at -5C and black ice would be more relevant to the UK ?

My husband bought winter tyres 3 years ago in Switzerland. He was visiting our daughter who lives there. A heavy dump of snow and a long trip home made him go to enquire about winter tyres. The mechanics laughed when they saw the tyres he had on the car. They were quite expensive as most things are in Switzerland but they are still going strong and have been a real bonus ib the bad weather we have had in the uk these past winters. They do make a significant difference.

Winter tyres are not really necessary in most parts of Britain as we don’t really get a lot of snow and when we do it rarely lasts for more than a week. If I’m out and it snows I carry Michelin snow grips which would get me home. I don’t see a need to spend £600 on another set of tyres.

Winter tyres are not snow tyres. Winter tyres perform markedly better than “summer” tyres when temperatures drop to 7c and below. The reasons are a softer more pliable rubber, more sipes and channels in the tyre around 200% more AFAIR. Shifting rain from the road service effectively is perhaps the most important function of a tyre in our climate and when it gets cold summer tyres cannot deliver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_the_United_Kingdom
Reveals that low temperatures are a fact of life in the UK. Summer tyres are fitted because they are the cheapest type of tyre to make and for the car manufacturer to fit.

As people are buying tyres throughout the year I thought it useful if I mentioned what is happening in the tyre market and how effects the winter season.

Since last year at least two manufacturers have introduced tyres to the UK market where the hardening off point of the rubber has been reduced to zero degrees. This is a significant improvement on the summer tyres most cars come fitted with and reflects the type of climate we have in the UK.

Some regions and some drivers may still be better advised to continue with winter tyres but for the majority All-Season tyres make good sense. However in marketing talk it is the CrossClimate for Michelin!

” Pitched as the first summer car tyres to be certified for winter use, ATS Euromaster says the tyres will be “ideally suited to the UK fleet sector, where unexpected weather changes and occasional snowfall can cause havoc for company car drivers – resulting in costly business interruption, reduced mobility, plus an increased risk of accidents.” [May 2015]

“Sumitomo global brand Falken is recommending its Euroall AS200 all-season tyre to UK drivers reticent to invest in specialist winter products. While the manufacturer noted the widely accepted safety benefits full winter tyres can offer UK drivers, a recent Falken survey of 2,674 people suggested that motorists are reluctant to commit to the perceived high cost.” [Nov 2014]

“Strategically the most significant detail about the Cinturato All-Season launch is the fact that a premium manufacturer such as Pirelli is launching an all-season tyre at this time [Feb 2015]”

I do hope that Which? can get its head around tyre testing so that testing is done in a logical way with say all three tyre types all tested at say 1 degree which is the February average low for the UK.
And then representatives of all three types at at 20C as it is the average high for the three summer months.