Winter Tyres

[smudge]

I spot Michelin have added the Pilot Alpin to their range of tyres that will fit the B8 (certainly in 20" guise).

http://www.michelin.co.uk/tyres/micheli ... 30-20-94-Y


Has anyone run winters yet & have any feedback?

[Cerec1]

I spot Michelin have added the Pilot Alpin to their range of tyres that will fit the B8 (certainly in 20" guise).

http://www.michelin.co.uk/tyres/micheli ... 30-20-94-Y


Has anyone run winters yet & have any feedback?

Well I've just bought some, Bridgestones. Not fitted em yet. My boy said its a waste of money if you've got a quattro
Not sure that's totally true. Hope not or I've wasted my cash.

[Ian_C]

John @ MK runs winters on his 20" rotors. He just swaps the tyres onto the same rims

[Brooner]

I ran winters on the 20" rims also conti TS830P last year and with be fitting them aging at the end of the month not as good as the verdi wintarc extreme but you can’t get them in that size but ok over all

really make a deference it like running in the snow with your trainers on then changing to boots it’s that much of a difference and you should get a few years out of the set I put them on in November and change back to summers the end of April

[Graeme4130]

RS4's on standard tyres and snow is a lethal combination. I guess it's a combination of a heavy car and wide tyres that turns it into a sled
Vredestien winters are good, but it's everyone else on the road you have to watch out for

[Snotsicle]

Anyone who says that winter tyres don't make a difference/aren't needed on 4WD has obviously never used them.
They make a huge difference, not just on snow but generally the cold, wet, frosty mornings that we tend to get over here between November & March.

Flogged my old Nokkian 235/40/18 set from the B7 S4 yesterday and am about to order a new set (probably Contis) for the new car.

As Graeme warns, though, don't slam the anchors on too hard if there is someone behind you because you will stop a lot quicker than they can - a guy in Hammersmith try to follow me round an icy corner a few years ago but fortunately his steering worked about as well as his brakes and he introduced the front of his car to someone's garden wall rather than my rear bumper.

[moonigan]

...but it's everyone else on the road you have to watch out for

This. I'll be getting my mini out of the garage if the roads get that bad. The last time we had bad snow/ice where I live my wifes mini was not only better than the M3 I had (which was an immovable object for two weeks) but it was also better than the TT QS I had at the time. The combination of skinny tyres and not much weight was probably the major contributing factor.

P

[Graeme4130]

...but it's everyone else on the road you have to watch out for

This. I'll be getting my mini out of the garage if the roads get that bad. The last time we had bad snow/ice where I live my wifes mini was not only better than the M3 I had (which was an immovable object for two weeks) but it was also better than the TT QS I had at the time. The combination of skinny tyres and not much weight was probably the major contributing factor.

P

I suspect I'll also be using my wife's mini, hers is an ugly countryman, but skinny tyres and decent clearance make it super good in the snow

[Cerec1]

Reassuring feedback guys. Put my mind at ease that I've spent money sensibly. Luckily for me my winters are on a spare set of wheels so swapping is easy.

[John@mk]

John @ MK runs winters on his 20" rotors. He just swaps the tyres onto the same rims

Yep I have a set of 245x35x20 W270's which are Pirelli and at the time of purchase were the only tyres my local indie ( Vagtech in Milton Keynes...great bunch of guys who are mad about cars and know their onions) could get ..... just change them over and they store them for me which is great as tyres take a lot of room in a garage ( depending how big the garage is ),
As we had no real winter last year can not comment on the driving in snow but on the cold wet country roads would say they were a must as 20" wheels on a heavy car will need all the help it can get.Also put winters on the wife's A3 which again was more reassuring in the cold wet stuff.Plus they should last a few winters and could save you going into a ditch... but the law of physics says going into a blind corner at 70 mph in snow does not go....

[blueaudi]

We have a 'family' mini one that I will be putting winters on when it gets cold, it's better than my Disco in the snow, can't wait........

[John@mk]

if you are in two minds just search YouTube as there are plenty of vids about winters tyres plus plenty that go wrong .... just thought.

[SuprSi]

I'll be staying on the summer tyres but if I had the money to spare I'd do the winter tyres.

Some people think having 4WD makes your car stick to the tarmac in any situation but in reality all it means is better forward grip in poor conditions. Braking and cornering will still be rubbish in cold/wet/ice/snow.

[Snotsicle]

Some people think having 4WD makes your car stuck to the tarmac in any situation...

Often the X5 mob who can commonly be found in a ditch somewhere in the Alps looking mystified whilst Johnny Frenchman trundles past quite happily in an old Saxo.

[Revolution]

I've posted up some winter tyres in 245/40/19 if they're any use to anyone...