[mobilejo]

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I'm contemplating getting winter tyres for the first time ever, as I'm likely to have this car for a few more years.

I keep reading that the "cut off" temperature is 7 degrees C, here in the UK we can get 12 degrees days between November - March, and even when the temperature is 6 degrees, my tyre temperature on idrive can easily be 13 degrees after 20 minutes of driving. Will winter tyres not be appropriate based on the above?

The reason I am considering winters is that I've noticed in cold weather my tyres "crab" when pulling off at a high steering angle (think coming out of a parking bay) and when doing 3 point turns. I also notice what feels like constant 'skipping' over small road imperfections that translates to an almost vibration in the dead pedal where my foot rests. I don't get any of this in summer and wondered if this is the sort of thing that winter tyres prevent.

[goobies818]

Originally Posted by mobilejo

I'm contemplating getting winter tyres for the first time ever, as I'm likely to have this car for a few more years.

I keep reading that the "cut off" temperature is 7 degrees C, here in the UK we can get 12 degrees days between November - March, and even when the temperature is 6 degrees, my tyre temperature on idrive can easily be 13 degrees after 20 minutes of driving. Will winter tyres not be appropriate based on the above?

The reason I am considering winters is that I've noticed in cold weather my tyres "crab" when pulling off at a high steering angle (think coming out of a parking bay) and when doing 3 point turns. I also notice what feels like constant 'skipping' over small road imperfections that translates to an almost vibration in the dead pedal where my foot rests. I don't get any of this in summer and wondered if this is the sort of thing that winter tyres prevent.

I’m not well versed in winter tires (tyres for our friends on your side of the pond) but if your normal tires are summer tires…their rubber does get particularly hard starting at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Which I think my rough C to F conversion of your posting corroborates that temp.

[jad03060]

In your situation, there are good and bad things if you switch to winter tires.

If you don't have a set of rims, the cost to swap can add up over time. On dry roads, the stopping and cornering distance can be worse than with some other versions of the tires.

If you're dealing with summer, performance tires, those will lose traction just from it getting cold out, and on a really cold day, you actually risk the possibility of the hard rubber literally chunking off of the tire carcass. Rubber gets harder as it gets older, so things will get worse as they age in the cold. And, if there's any ice or snow, you will be driving as if the tires were slicks...i.e, no tread on them at all, and thus in the wet, no traction at all.

In snow or ice, a winter tire will beat most anything else you may put on the vehicle. The transition in temperature is not a literal switch so say at 8C they're fine, and at 6C they're horrible, but will continue to get worse as the temperatures age.

While the tire's air temperature readout from the TPMS is one thing, the actual tread is often different. Depends on lots of things, like how fast you're going, how windy it is, the type of road surface, the load in the vehicle, etc. They will get hotter as they get used, but some of that is taken into consideration on the temperature recommendations.

If you can avoid driving that vehicle when it's below the 7C, it isn't a big deal, live with what you have. IF you can't, and you may be traveling where it could be colder (higher up, or further north) and don't want your tires sabotaging your trip, winter tires may be useful to you.

[CGG]

Since you are unlikely to experience extended cold and heavy snow conditions in the UK, you might want to consider All-Weather tires. Unlike All-Season tires, All-Weather tires are good below 7 degrees. All-weather tires, are suitable for more mild winter conditions with heavy rain, snowfall, and slush. All-weather tires are rated for snow and yet are also designed to be driven in the summer

The following link provides a good quick overview:

https://www.kaltire.com/en/whats-the...ter-tires.html

[GrussGott]

FWIW, I'd agree with jad03060 and echo @CGG - Nokian makes a great all-weather tire, the WR

[jad03060]

If we live that long, the thing that keeps northern Europe relatively warm for its latitude is the Gulf Stream. Two things keep that circulation running...the hot, lighter water from the Gulf, and the cold water flowing south out of the Arctic...while the warm water is getting hotter, without the colder, denser water aiding in the circulation, that whole thing may stop...there has been some measurable slowing of that circulation, and it's likely to get worse. Open sea absorbs heat much more efficiently than ice that tends to reflect lots of it. IOW, it's going to mess up what we've known as 'normal' weather in Europe for recorded history.

In the short term, expect much more frequent radical excursions from normal. So, historical weather may not be a very good indicator of what's to come. Winter tires may be a good idea!? It depends on what your risk tolerance is, but a good all-weather tire may be a better compromise in your situation...I don't think anyone really knows for sure, but things are going to change faster than most realize. Hope I'm wrong...I sort of like it like it is. We don't always get what we want...

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by CGG

Since you are unlikely to experience extended cold and heavy snow conditions in the UK, you might want to consider All-Weather tires. Unlike All-Season tires, All-Weather tires are good below 7 degrees. All-weather tires, are suitable for more mild winter conditions with heavy rain, snowfall, and slush. All-weather tires are rated for snow and yet are also designed to be driven in the summer

The following link provides a good quick overview:

https://www.kaltire.com/en/whats-the...ter-tires.html

That's a great article, thanks. While I've been aware - and a supporter of - summer and winter tires, I've never known 'all weather'. My bad.

I'll still be a summer/winter tire guy (especially since I just dropped $3k!), just because I love to drive the summer ones hard.

Great article.

[pavloPL]

I am using all season from Pirelli for my 22” wheels during winter in UK and Europe.
I very happy with performance and stability, for such weather as UK has they perfect and I think winters would be overkill.

[jad03060]

While England isn't huge, the weather isn't the same everywhere. Should you take your vehicle on holiday, you might also run into situations where a winter tire was not only useful, but required.