I'm a Brit but I was living in Hamburg in Northern Germany in 2010/11 when we had that Epic winter. I wasn't getting very far in my 330 Ci Coupe. I ended up buying a spare set of alloys (slightly narrower than my summer wheels) and a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin tyres. They were a complete revelation and allowed me to drive on roads in a RWD BMW which were impassable to 4WD cars on summer tyres. Now that I know what a difference they make, I recommend them to anyone who is interested. Note that they also give you improved braking and traction over summer tyres below around 5 degrees C even if the roads are dry and there's no snow and ice. For that reason, I still use winter tyres between December and March even though I live in the south of England. On the odd occasion when it does snow, they really do come into their own.
Another great video Reg. As a keen hillwalker living in Scotland, I wouldn't be without winter tyres (also carry a snow shovel, snow chains and warm clothes / sleeping bag in the boot). Keep the great videos coming.
I just bought all season tyres Michelin crossclimate 2, excellent in snow, rain, dry, hot, cold. Dedicated winters if you have rwd car or live in a place that gets lots of snow, good all seasons best for most people in UK I think
That’s what I’m going for next on my S3. Should have got some when I changed my tyres last but did too much ‘second guessing’ myself over what I wanted.
@@Spartan969 I kept them at home, thankfully I won’t need to do that anymore That was when I had a rwd z4, winter tyres and pilot sport 4 for summer, crossclimate all year on my countryman s now
I have used winter tyres in the UK for the last 15 years, I swap down the smallest manufacturers recommend wheels and tyres normally for the r months ( late September through to april) as the temperature drops below 7 consistently, I use cold weather /winter tyres and summer tyres swapping over on a full set of wheels, Safe dependable driving all year round ,
About 11 years ago I had a very unpleasant night drive in a heavy snowstorm and shortly afterwards, when I bought my current car, A MINI Clubman Cooper SD, I invested in some winter tyres. Living in the south, I've not used them much in snow or ice, but when I have, they have been brilliant; in pre-Covid times I used to drive people to hospital, and discovered that in wintry conditions, a lot of other cars were not capable, or their drivers lacked the confidence, to accept drives. The weekend just past, travelling south from Scotland, we woke up to six inches of snow in Buxton. Some of the roads out of Buxton were closed, involving an estimated 40 mile detour on ploughed, but icy, roads. Even where the snow was beginning to drift across the road again, it was an uneventful drive, albeit very beautiful. Yes, the tyres were an added cost, but worth it in terms of efficacy and increased confidence. In Berkshire, I put them on after we get the first frost, and take them off in March.
I ran Michelin Alpin winter tyres, all year (Yes, i conferred with my car insurance company first, and they were fine with it) The Alpins were absolutely brilliant in winter, and encountered no problems with them, through the summer months.
I drive the roads you've featured several times a week, plus the A6276 and A66. I've been using winter tyres for a couple of decades, and the chief problem I have is encountering people on these roads in such conditions who 'aren't using winter tyres' - if you catch my drift (no pun intended)! Seriously, it's no fun being stuck on, for example, the A66 in a jam because vehicles up ahead are stuck with their summer tyres and haven't checked the forecast. Also, always carry a shovel, warm clothes, blanket, water and some nosh. A head torch is handy too and a decent pair of walking boots :). The A6276 has long stretches with no mobile signal. Thanks for your vid. I'd be interested to know what percentage of people buy an AWD or 4x4, beleiving they're immune, and don't realise they need winter tyres on. It doesn't matter if you've got 4x4, 6x6, or 8x8. No grip means no go!
Another great video. I run my car with winter tyres, we've driven to Austria to ski a few times and winters are mandatory. We had heavy snow in Northamptonshire the first winter I fitted them, I was able to drive round without any issues, whereas the locals were abandoning their cars all over the place. Significantly better in the UKs heavy winter rain then the summer Pirelli P7s!
As someone who got caught out at work one time on a sudden snow day, trying to get back home with my Mini Cooper on Summer tires was one scary experience. Being near the coast its super rare but still food for thought.
I also have two sets of alloys with the summers and winters, that way I can just swap the wheels over myself without needing a tyre machine constantly fitting tyres to rims.
5:14 I've got to say I'm in the all-season camp on this. Check out TyreReviews youtube channel - the man lives and breathes tyres, and his recommendation is that anywhere that gets mild ish wet winters (So UK minus small parts of Scotland), the optimal tyre choice combo all-seasons in the winter and summer tyres in the summer. His reasoning is to that all-seasons are nearly as good in snow as winters, but are better than any other tyre when it's wet and hovering around freezing. Added bonus that they'd handle the odd random 15+ degree day in February much better. It makes switching to summer tyres optional for the enthusiast, as unlike summers, all-seasons are safe to use all year round.
I mostly use my work van day to day and have all seasons fitted year round. They’re still good in the mild and hot months but really pay off during the colder months and on the occasional snowy days we have. Another advantage is that they’re compliant with European winter tyre laws so I can go abroad without having to worry about changing tyres. Great video as always, thanks!
I’m a winter tyre convert too! (For my golf)… I’ve had several narrow escapes when the 4wd in front has started sliding back down the hill towards me! When they’ve stopped (in the ditch!) I’ve been able to get passed and up to the top.Amazing difference so long as you can get rolling in the first place. .. you need grit and a shovel in the back!
Nice and very convincing video, Reg! I cannot imagine driving around in winter without winter tyres. In Russia they are mandatory as you rightly said. It was good to see how road conditions can change and if you are on summer tyres, even in a large SUV, you are stuck. Hope more people in the UK will buy the idea of having two sets of tyres for everyone’ s safety!
Winter tyres are amazing. But recently I've found All seasons have 90%+ of the grip of a winter in snow (i.e. "plenty", you wont get stuck) and yet don't have to be swapped out in summer, so for me they are the way to go. Unless you are driving for months on end and thousands of miles in snow or pushing your car very hard in dry summer conditions then all seasons work fantastic.
We use chain snows when it gets snowy here in iran. Although in the most populated areas we don't really get more than a week or two of snow in the year. But when it snows police will set up random checkpoints and wont let you cross without having snow chains ready to use in your trunk.
Or being stuck in a very long queue on all lanes of the motorway for miles with all of the vehicles (cars, vans, trucks, HGVs) in front all having summer tyres. 😠
I completely agree with your thoughts, and have used them for the last ten years after getting stuck in Sheffield. The only problem I’ve run into is the tendency to swap back to summers too early in the spring following a warm spell, only to be caught out by a cold snap. Usually swap back in May after sustained warmer period…
This is very reason I decided on all season tyres instead of a summer/winter tyre swap. UK doesn't see much snow so decided on a set of Michelin Crossclimate 2 tyres. Great of all year round weather performance.
Nice one Reg. I've fitted winter tyres to my last two cars over the last few years and they do make a nice difference. Don't forget to declare it on your insurance just to be sure.
I've run high performance rear wheel drive Jaguar XJs for years; I started swapping winter tyres to summer ones as I live at 1000 feet in North Wales and it was great, except that the winter tyres didn't last long. However, with the improvements in the compounds over the last 10 years or so, I fit winter tyres now and run them all year. They don't wear much differently to the summer ones even in summer, and we get temperatures below 7C (the point where winter tyres perform better than summer) even in August at night. They will not be as good as the summer tyres in hot conditions, so probably not a good idea on the South Coast of the UK, but here, winter tyres all year saves swapping and storing and means you don't get caught out by that September cold spell! I'm about to switch to a Defender and have opted for the off road tyres on that, which will also be winter compound. As Reg notes, 2WD with winter tyres will beat the pants off a 4WD on summer rubber when the going gets slippery!
Not a good idea running winter tyres in the summer, the rubber compound is too soft for the hot weather. Better to go for all season tyres if you don't want the hassle of swapping over summer/winter tyres. Plus the all season tyres has vastly improved over the years, they are very close to a winter tyre performance in winter conditions and suited to the UK climate as we don't get harsh winters. One of a youtube review channel (tyre reviews) has done extensive testing on all sorts of tyres including all seasons tyres. The Michellin Crossclimate 2 came out on top of snow performance compared to other all season tyres. It was stated when testing the Crossclimate 2 the performance was that good he has to double check winter tyres had not been put on the car by mistake as the performance was on par with one.
I spent 3 years rebuilding East Germany when the wall came down. Every year the local police came on the TV and said winter tyres must be put on now, by law. So nobody gets stuck, no queue, no gridlock. Everything carries on as normal. No-brainer 🤷🏽♂️
Fitting summer tyres in summer, and a 3PMSF all weather tyre in winter is a better choice in the UK as they perform better for 99.9% of UK winter days where there is no snow on the ground, and is usually low single digits dry or damp. They won’t perform as well as a winter when there’s snow on the ground, but that’s realistically one or two days a year, and a good all weather tyre will have plenty of grip to make progress.
Hi Reg, loved the video. I’m a total convert to winters, had them on my M235 and got them on my M2C now. They’re on 18” rims though and I do find it very wriggly at any sort of brisk cornering. Just wondered if you’ve put a set on your Comp? Cheers.
I have had an SUV with winter or all season tyres for many years, but ... 1 Many years ago I drove an E46 M3 with summer sports over a snowy Scottish hill road (and on another occasion a front wheel drive Honda Civic Type R) and managed fine. I also drove a 4 wd Audi S5 on a very snowy road from Alston to Middleton on summer sports tyres - a policeman let me through when I said I had 4 wd, I made it although it was not very safe. At other times I have seen vehicles on summer tyres completely stuck on the gentlest slopes. My conclusion is that you cannot tell by looking at a snowy road how slippery it is, and your video cannot show whether you would have been OK on that road with your summer tyres. And 2 I asked if I could buy my Jaguar F Pace with all season tyres and the answer was no, I chose smaller than standard wheels, when I put winter tyres on in October the fuel consumption reduced by at least 10%. I don't buy a spare set of wheels, I get the tyres changed over in spring and autumn which doesn't cost much, I am lucky to have space to store spare tyres.
I was converted 14 years ago when I bought a set of winter tyres for a trip to the alps and Italy (along with a set of snow chains, which I’ve never had to use). that was on a subaru so 4wD anyway, but it made such a difference. Unfortunately, many people just won’t be told, and without experiencing the difference for themselves they remain convinced that “they make no difference, I drive like a careful driving god and never had any issues in 500 years of driving, and we never get snow drifts in the UK anyway”… blah blah blah 🙄 . nice video. hopefully it will convince some of the more intelligent fence sitters 😉
Great video 👌 My VW Golf has a set of Michelin Climate 2 all seasons. For a "non high performance car" I can't recommend these enough for UK. Have been fantastic in very cold, wet, greasy, muddy roads. They even surprised me how confidence inspiring they were in slushy and compact snow. Very close to winter tyre performance. Also perfectly sufficient in the summer for the Golf. However my Audi SQ5 has performance summers (Michelin PS4) and I replace them with dedicated winters in November (Nokians). If I could get the Michelin climate 2 big enough to fit the Audi, I would definitely consider running them in the winter over the dedicated winters (thats how impressed with them I am). The Winter tyres can feel a bit "floaty" in the Audi when driving enthusiastically in milder dry days (double figures). But single figures and ice, the Nokians are fantasic. I have been using "seasonal tyres" for over a decade now in the UK. I am perplexed that the majority of drivers in the UK are still using Summer tyres all year around. If the cost and storage is a problem, then just swap the summers for a set of Michelin Climate 2 all seasons. For a non performance car in the UK, I think the Michelin climate 2s are the sweet spot (perfectly acceptable performance in the summer and saving your insurance premium during the winter months). However I would probably recommend dedicated summer and dedicated winter for a performance vehicle. 👌
I have my Volvo XC 70 2008 with Viking contacts and they are wonderful in the ice and snow. I can tootle past £100.000.00 range rovers sliding into walls etc no probs at all.
I noticed on one of the Traffic Police programmes that said the high performance cars were fitted with tyres to maximise grip, braking in cold, wet and winter weather; “All Season”.
I have seen them on West Yorkshire traffic cars pre-covid, I spoke with national highways after one of their Volvos nearly came off the motorway due to hitting snow, they said it wasn't practice and I noticed a Volvo T8 driving with snow falling on standard summer tyres the other day , I dont judge but where officers are out in all weathers this needs to be a consideration to tyres suitable to the road conditions,
@@henryrolt3747 a lot depends on where you are in UK. Where, when and how far you need to travel. All Seasons are a great compromise as they have improved greatly in recent years. Meaning Full Winter tyres, for use below7 degrees are only needed by the hardiest,remoter drivers or with difficult local topography. I was always sceptical, till I watched some YT vids on Tyretesting. Then tried a set of decent winter tyres. In snow and ice, it’s night and day difference in my experience. But all depends on Your circumstances (and wallet too)😀
Nice one Reg. Got mine fitted already! BMW M140 with cross climates! Bought a stock set of spare wheels so I don’t have to pay anyone every 6 months..... cost over £1000 but you can sell them when you change cars....
Cross Climates are good, but are really aimed as an all season rather than winter tyre (used to run them on an AWD Skoda Octavia Scout). I'd recommend you consider going full winter tyre such as Goodyear Ultragrip or Continental Winter Contact. Used to run these on my E91 330i in winter (Scotland) with Michelin Pilots in summer.
That’s not the conclusion from Tyre Reviews. Cross climates recommended for especially for UK where we don’t get a lot of snow although they coped on full snow too - maybe not as well a full winters. It’s my second winter on them and they are good enough for me to go looking for snow on purpose in a 350bhp RWD car... and overtake 4x4s (summers) on a hill in North Wales!
Just offering up my experience having run both, but it the All-Season Cross Climates fit the bill for you then happy days! Enjoy the M140i. Cracking car!
@@chrisgell9052 I have a set of Continental Winter Contacts ready to be fitted to my E91 this weekend. I've never tried winter tyres before. But I'm hoping it will make it reasonably capable in bad conditions.
Nice one Chris - I’ll certainly look into full winters when I finish off these CCs. Makes sense as I use proper summers in the warmer months so I suppose I don’t need a compromise in the winter!
I always use winter tyres from mid November until mid March, I Live in the rural western highlands of Scotland and most folk in the village have them. At a cost of £60.00 to swap them over each time i can understand why folk Just use summer tyres.
Great video. Do you have a spare set of wheels for Mrs Local's Mini or do you just swap the tyres? I suppose whether it's worth fitting winter tyres in the UK may also depend on where you live, how many miles you do and how likely you are to need to drive if there is snow and ice. Here in the flatlands of Bedfordshire I've not seriously considered it before, but your video's certainly given food for thought.
Winter tyres? Ba humbug! I've been on skidpans, I know about understeer/oversteer etc. A number of years ago I set off for work in my Austin Metro. Winter, early in the morning coming up to a T junction. But I'm ready, snow and ice doesn't bother me. Turn left, gentle acceration so as not to spin the wheels, ready for anything me. Dog on the right hand footpath, on the lead, no problem. Loose dog on left
Now I've a problem because it runs in front of me. Ok I can deal with this. Oh, the loose dog is now running ahead of me. Unusual, but then the dog did something else. If anyone's seen Disney's Bambi when it slips on the ice. Yes, that's exactly what it did, all four legs splayed out, crash, what do I do, why, hit the brakes of course! Ends up facing the opposite direction, luckily didn't hit anything or anyone,but would winter tyres have made any difference?
Usef winter tyres for yeas the main advantage is when you need to stop in slippy conditions you can come to a much controled stop. The saying that my car isnt good in smow is false its your tyres ain't upto the task
Winter tyres in the UK are absolutely pointless and a waste of money...unless your someone with plenty of money who can afford to go out and buy a full set of winter tyres which at a quick glance on Halfords your looking at minimum £140 a tyre for my car now times that by 4....then you have to pay a garage to swap them all over then back again or if you do it yourself its a time consuming thing, winter tyres are perfect for now but as soon as you turn onto roads with no snow you'll get a headache! all that money on 4 tyres then you need to pay to have them swapped over then alignment done just why?? My car has 4 summer tyres on as i bought it from Evans Halshaw only two months ago and was considering swapping them for all season but then i thought to myself why i bother? in my town we've had no snow only frost and these tyres are new summer ones with plenty of grip and handle it perfect...personally for me its the driver not the tyres, people think if they put winter tyres on their fiat 500 it becomes a land rover! if you dont know how to drive in snow then winter tyres will do nothing for you! In the UK we hardly ever see snow to justify winter tyres but if your not confident go out and buy all season, companies will scare monger you into winter tyres but go look at the price of a summer tyre then a winter tyre and you'll see why! all season is all you need for winter in the UK but majority of the time summer tyres handle the winter fine, i wont be wasting 4 brand new summer tyres so when they get to point of needing changing i'll buy all season, dont get why people rush out and change to all season tyres and throw away perfectly good summer tyres..change a tyre when it needs changing not before! I keep being pushed by Halfords to buy 4 new winter tyres that would cost me £560 for x4 then probably £50 or more to fit them so thats £610 then throw in the fact most winter tyres are worse for MPG so costing you more money then throw in the fact after it stops snowing you've got to pay a garage to swap all your tyres back over to summer then what others don't realise is when you swap tyres over your meant to have alignment done again! what an absolute waste of money and time especially now in a cost of living crisis,
Not watched it. If you can’t answer valid questions about the manner of your driving in your own video, that you subsequently deleted my comment on and then deleted the video as well, along with ignoring me and a well respected driving instructor who asked you polite and simple questions over on Twitter (which you have ignored), then as far as I’m concerned, you’re out of order. You should be open to questions about your driving and you clearly are not.
@@Duncan94 - he’s lost credibility with me when he won’t answer valid questions on his own actions in his own video. He didn’t like it so deleted the video as well. I’ve no faith in anyone who won’t answer questions on the exact subject they profess to teach and be ‘expert’ in. Doesn’t wash with me.
@@markburton5170 - I’d need the video he deleted to prove my points in the questions I asked him. I did this within minutes of watching the first 6 mins of the video, right after he uploaded it. The well respected driving instructor who also quizzed him, did so via Twitter having read my questions on the video and having watched it himself, again before Reg deleted it. In a nutshell, he is driving very fast on public roads and doing overtakes with no indicators used either before or after the manoeuvres and using speeds which are high. Whether he is trained or not, these are public roads with potential idiots on them and he is not driving as an emergency worker, ergo more dangerous as others are not nearly as alert. So I called him out on this lack of initial indicators before the overtaking manoeuvres and asked for his thought process on this……….. ‘tumbleweed’…….video and comment deleted……. Question on Twitter about the high speeds also ignored. I don’t care how ‘safe’ someone wants to try and convince me these speeds are. On public roads to reach high speeds with other drivers and stuff, it is not. Especially taking into account he forgot where his indicator stalk was. Anyway, like I say, without the video to prove my points, there is nothing to be gained by wasting my time on forums when he can’t even be arsed to answer me on his own channel or Twitter feed.
@@Richard_Barnes you can indicate your intentions without using indicators. Your position on the road “indicate” your intention. As an ADI you are teaching learner drivers, but advanced driving is different. Indicators are not necessary in many cases. Same refers to speed. This channel is about advanced driving.
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If you've ever had winter tyres, the answer is yes. They are incredible in snow. You can't go back once you've had them, because you don't feel safe.
I'm a Brit but I was living in Hamburg in Northern Germany in 2010/11 when we had that Epic winter. I wasn't getting very far in my 330 Ci Coupe. I ended up buying a spare set of alloys (slightly narrower than my summer wheels) and a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin tyres. They were a complete revelation and allowed me to drive on roads in a RWD BMW which were impassable to 4WD cars on summer tyres. Now that I know what a difference they make, I recommend them to anyone who is interested. Note that they also give you improved braking and traction over summer tyres below around 5 degrees C even if the roads are dry and there's no snow and ice. For that reason, I still use winter tyres between December and March even though I live in the south of England. On the odd occasion when it does snow, they really do come into their own.
Another great video Reg. As a keen hillwalker living in Scotland, I wouldn't be without winter tyres (also carry a snow shovel, snow chains and warm clothes / sleeping bag in the boot). Keep the great videos coming.
I just bought all season tyres Michelin crossclimate 2, excellent in snow, rain, dry, hot, cold. Dedicated winters if you have rwd car or live in a place that gets lots of snow, good all seasons best for most people in UK I think
That’s what I’m going for next on my S3. Should have got some when I changed my tyres last but did too much ‘second guessing’ myself over what I wanted.
@@Spartan969 also with winters I have to pay £50 in November £50 in March to get them changed
@@Spartan969 I kept them at home, thankfully I won’t need to do that anymore
That was when I had a rwd z4, winter tyres and pilot sport 4 for summer, crossclimate all year on my countryman s now
I have used winter tyres in the UK for the last 15 years,
I swap down the smallest manufacturers recommend wheels and tyres normally for the r months ( late September through to april) as the temperature drops below 7 consistently, I use cold weather /winter tyres and summer tyres swapping over on a full set of wheels,
Safe dependable driving all year round ,
Very good and very well filmed & presented. Thank you.
About 11 years ago I had a very unpleasant night drive in a heavy snowstorm and shortly afterwards, when I bought my current car, A MINI Clubman Cooper SD, I invested in some winter tyres. Living in the south, I've not used them much in snow or ice, but when I have, they have been brilliant; in pre-Covid times I used to drive people to hospital, and discovered that in wintry conditions, a lot of other cars were not capable, or their drivers lacked the confidence, to accept drives. The weekend just past, travelling south from Scotland, we woke up to six inches of snow in Buxton. Some of the roads out of Buxton were closed, involving an estimated 40 mile detour on ploughed, but icy, roads. Even where the snow was beginning to drift across the road again, it was an uneventful drive, albeit very beautiful. Yes, the tyres were an added cost, but worth it in terms of efficacy and increased confidence. In Berkshire, I put them on after we get the first frost, and take them off in March.
I ran Michelin Alpin winter tyres, all year (Yes, i conferred with my car insurance company first, and they were fine with it) The Alpins were absolutely brilliant in winter, and encountered no problems with them, through the summer months.
I drive the roads you've featured several times a week, plus the A6276 and A66. I've been using winter tyres for a couple of decades, and the chief problem I have is encountering people on these roads in such conditions who 'aren't using winter tyres' - if you catch my drift (no pun intended)! Seriously, it's no fun being stuck on, for example, the A66 in a jam because vehicles up ahead are stuck with their summer tyres and haven't checked the forecast.
Also, always carry a shovel, warm clothes, blanket, water and some nosh. A head torch is handy too and a decent pair of walking boots :). The A6276 has long stretches with no mobile signal. Thanks for your vid.
I'd be interested to know what percentage of people buy an AWD or 4x4, beleiving they're immune, and don't realise they need winter tyres on. It doesn't matter if you've got 4x4, 6x6, or 8x8. No grip means no go!
Another great video. I run my car with winter tyres, we've driven to Austria to ski a few times and winters are mandatory. We had heavy snow in Northamptonshire the first winter I fitted them, I was able to drive round without any issues, whereas the locals were abandoning their cars all over the place. Significantly better in the UKs heavy winter rain then the summer Pirelli P7s!
As someone who got caught out at work one time on a sudden snow day, trying to get back home with my Mini Cooper on Summer tires was one scary experience. Being near the coast its super rare but still food for thought.
I also have two sets of alloys with the summers and winters, that way I can just swap the wheels over myself without needing a tyre machine constantly fitting tyres to rims.
Impressive example sound winter driving
5:14 I've got to say I'm in the all-season camp on this. Check out TyreReviews youtube channel - the man lives and breathes tyres, and his recommendation is that anywhere that gets mild ish wet winters (So UK minus small parts of Scotland), the optimal tyre choice combo all-seasons in the winter and summer tyres in the summer. His reasoning is to that all-seasons are nearly as good in snow as winters, but are better than any other tyre when it's wet and hovering around freezing. Added bonus that they'd handle the odd random 15+ degree day in February much better. It makes switching to summer tyres optional for the enthusiast, as unlike summers, all-seasons are safe to use all year round.
I mostly use my work van day to day and have all seasons fitted year round. They’re still good in the mild and hot months but really pay off during the colder months and on the occasional snowy days we have. Another advantage is that they’re compliant with European winter tyre laws so I can go abroad without having to worry about changing tyres. Great video as always, thanks!
17:03 Tell me just how good going up there while people stared on felt haha.
I’m a winter tyre convert too! (For my golf)… I’ve had several narrow escapes when the 4wd in front has started sliding back down the hill towards me! When they’ve stopped (in the ditch!) I’ve been able to get passed and up to the top.Amazing difference so long as you can get rolling in the first place. .. you need grit and a shovel in the back!
Nice and very convincing video, Reg! I cannot imagine driving around in winter without winter tyres. In Russia they are mandatory as you rightly said. It was good to see how road conditions can change and if you are on summer tyres, even in a large SUV, you are stuck. Hope more people in the UK will buy the idea of having two sets of tyres for everyone’ s safety!
Winter tyres are amazing. But recently I've found All seasons have 90%+ of the grip of a winter in snow (i.e. "plenty", you wont get stuck) and yet don't have to be swapped out in summer, so for me they are the way to go. Unless you are driving for months on end and thousands of miles in snow or pushing your car very hard in dry summer conditions then all seasons work fantastic.
For the 3 days of snow we get in the UK you may as well go with the Allseason....just as capable in light snow but better braking in the dry and wet
We use chain snows when it gets snowy here in iran. Although in the most populated areas we don't really get more than a week or two of snow in the year. But when it snows police will set up random checkpoints and wont let you cross without having snow chains ready to use in your trunk.
What I've done . I bought a set of 4 wheels off eBay and got my winter tyres put on them. this way keeps my alloy wheels and tyres good 🤙🏻
Good video, frustrating when you’ve got good tyres on but end up stuck behind a RWD car with summers on anyway.
Or being stuck in a very long queue on all lanes of the motorway for miles with all of the vehicles (cars, vans, trucks, HGVs) in front all having summer tyres. 😠
Lovely place to live. Absolute dream.
I completely agree with your thoughts, and have used them for the last ten years after getting stuck in Sheffield. The only problem I’ve run into is the tendency to swap back to summers too early in the spring following a warm spell, only to be caught out by a cold snap. Usually swap back in May after sustained warmer period…
This is very reason I decided on all season tyres instead of a summer/winter tyre swap. UK doesn't see much snow so decided on a set of Michelin Crossclimate 2 tyres. Great of all year round weather performance.
Nice one Reg. I've fitted winter tyres to my last two cars over the last few years and they do make a nice difference. Don't forget to declare it on your insurance just to be sure.
Not necessary if the tyre is recommended by the manufacturer.
I've run high performance rear wheel drive Jaguar XJs for years; I started swapping winter tyres to summer ones as I live at 1000 feet in North Wales and it was great, except that the winter tyres didn't last long. However, with the improvements in the compounds over the last 10 years or so, I fit winter tyres now and run them all year. They don't wear much differently to the summer ones even in summer, and we get temperatures below 7C (the point where winter tyres perform better than summer) even in August at night. They will not be as good as the summer tyres in hot conditions, so probably not a good idea on the South Coast of the UK, but here, winter tyres all year saves swapping and storing and means you don't get caught out by that September cold spell! I'm about to switch to a Defender and have opted for the off road tyres on that, which will also be winter compound. As Reg notes, 2WD with winter tyres will beat the pants off a 4WD on summer rubber when the going gets slippery!
Not a good idea running winter tyres in the summer, the rubber compound is too soft for the hot weather. Better to go for all season tyres if you don't want the hassle of swapping over summer/winter tyres. Plus the all season tyres has vastly improved over the years, they are very close to a winter tyre performance in winter conditions and suited to the UK climate as we don't get harsh winters. One of a youtube review channel (tyre reviews) has done extensive testing on all sorts of tyres including all seasons tyres. The Michellin Crossclimate 2 came out on top of snow performance compared to other all season tyres. It was stated when testing the Crossclimate 2 the performance was that good he has to double check winter tyres had not been put on the car by mistake as the performance was on par with one.
I spent 3 years rebuilding East Germany when the wall came down. Every year the local police came on the TV and said winter tyres must be put on now, by law. So nobody gets stuck, no queue, no gridlock. Everything carries on as normal. No-brainer 🤷🏽♂️
Great video
Well done
Fitting summer tyres in summer, and a 3PMSF all weather tyre in winter is a better choice in the UK as they perform better for 99.9% of UK winter days where there is no snow on the ground, and is usually low single digits dry or damp. They won’t perform as well as a winter when there’s snow on the ground, but that’s realistically one or two days a year, and a good all weather tyre will have plenty of grip to make progress.
This. You can get the odd mild days in the winter months so all season tyres are the ideal choice for the UK climate.
Hi Reg, loved the video. I’m a total convert to winters, had them on my M235 and got them on my M2C now. They’re on 18” rims though and I do find it very wriggly at any sort of brisk cornering. Just wondered if you’ve put a set on your Comp? Cheers.
I have had an SUV with winter or all season tyres for many years, but ... 1 Many years ago I drove an E46 M3 with summer sports over a snowy Scottish hill road (and on another occasion a front wheel drive Honda Civic Type R) and managed fine. I also drove a 4 wd Audi S5 on a very snowy road from Alston to Middleton on summer sports tyres - a policeman let me through when I said I had 4 wd, I made it although it was not very safe. At other times I have seen vehicles on summer tyres completely stuck on the gentlest slopes. My conclusion is that you cannot tell by looking at a snowy road how slippery it is, and your video cannot show whether you would have been OK on that road with your summer tyres. And 2 I asked if I could buy my Jaguar F Pace with all season tyres and the answer was no, I chose smaller than standard wheels, when I put winter tyres on in October the fuel consumption reduced by at least 10%. I don't buy a spare set of wheels, I get the tyres changed over in spring and autumn which doesn't cost much, I am lucky to have space to store spare tyres.
What is that silver pole you using to mount your gopro? where to buy pls?
I have a 4x4 ive just put all weather tyres in on uk 👍
I was converted 14 years ago when I bought a set of winter tyres for a trip to the alps and Italy (along with a set of snow chains, which I’ve never had to use). that was on a subaru so 4wD anyway, but it made such a difference.
Unfortunately, many people just won’t be told, and without experiencing the difference for themselves they remain convinced that “they make no difference, I drive like a careful driving god and never had any issues in 500 years of driving, and we never get snow drifts in the UK anyway”… blah blah blah 🙄 .
nice video. hopefully it will convince some of the more intelligent fence sitters 😉
Great video 👌
My VW Golf has a set of Michelin Climate 2 all seasons. For a "non high performance car" I can't recommend these enough for UK. Have been fantastic in very cold, wet, greasy, muddy roads. They even surprised me how confidence inspiring they were in slushy and compact snow. Very close to winter tyre performance. Also perfectly sufficient in the summer for the Golf. However my Audi SQ5 has performance summers (Michelin PS4) and I replace them with dedicated winters in November (Nokians). If I could get the Michelin climate 2 big enough to fit the Audi, I would definitely consider running them in the winter over the dedicated winters (thats how impressed with them I am). The Winter tyres can feel a bit "floaty" in the Audi when driving enthusiastically in milder dry days (double figures). But single figures and ice, the Nokians are fantasic. I have been using "seasonal tyres" for over a decade now in the UK. I am perplexed that the majority of drivers in the UK are still using Summer tyres all year around. If the cost and storage is a problem, then just swap the summers for a set of Michelin Climate 2 all seasons. For a non performance car in the UK, I think the Michelin climate 2s are the sweet spot (perfectly acceptable performance in the summer and saving your insurance premium during the winter months).
However I would probably recommend dedicated summer and dedicated winter for a performance vehicle. 👌
Depends. Can go literally for years in the UK without needing them.
I have my Volvo XC 70 2008 with Viking contacts and they are wonderful in the ice and snow. I can tootle past £100.000.00 range rovers sliding into walls etc no probs at all.
Do the uk roads policing units fit winter tyres in the uk this time of year?
I noticed on one of the Traffic Police programmes that said the high performance cars were fitted with tyres to maximise grip, braking in cold, wet and winter weather; “All Season”.
I have seen them on West Yorkshire traffic cars pre-covid, I spoke with national highways after one of their Volvos nearly came off the motorway due to hitting snow, they said it wasn't practice and I noticed a Volvo T8 driving with snow falling on standard summer tyres the other day , I dont judge but where officers are out in all weathers this needs to be a consideration to tyres suitable to the road conditions,
@@neilwatson5864 they're absolutely bang on 👏. All seasons perform best in 99% of winter conditions encountered in the UK.
@@henryrolt3747 a lot depends on where you are in UK. Where, when and how far you need to travel. All Seasons are a great compromise as they have improved greatly in recent years. Meaning Full Winter tyres, for use below7 degrees are only needed by the hardiest,remoter drivers or with difficult local topography. I was always sceptical, till I watched some YT vids on Tyretesting. Then tried a set of decent winter tyres. In snow and ice, it’s night and day difference in my experience.
But all depends on Your circumstances (and wallet too)😀
Nice one Reg. Got mine fitted already! BMW M140 with cross climates! Bought a stock set of spare wheels so I don’t have to pay anyone every 6 months..... cost over £1000 but you can sell them when you change cars....
Cross Climates are good, but are really aimed as an all season rather than winter tyre (used to run them on an AWD Skoda Octavia Scout). I'd recommend you consider going full winter tyre such as Goodyear Ultragrip or Continental Winter Contact. Used to run these on my E91 330i in winter (Scotland) with Michelin Pilots in summer.
That’s not the conclusion from Tyre Reviews.
Cross climates recommended for especially for UK where we don’t get a lot of snow although they coped on full snow too - maybe not as well a full winters. It’s my second winter on them and they are good enough for me to go looking for snow on purpose in a 350bhp RWD car... and overtake 4x4s (summers) on a hill in North Wales!
Just offering up my experience having run both, but it the All-Season Cross Climates fit the bill for you then happy days! Enjoy the M140i. Cracking car!
@@chrisgell9052 I have a set of Continental Winter Contacts ready to be fitted to my E91 this weekend. I've never tried winter tyres before. But I'm hoping it will make it reasonably capable in bad conditions.
Nice one Chris - I’ll certainly look into full winters when I finish off these CCs. Makes sense as I use proper summers in the warmer months so I suppose I don’t need a compromise in the winter!
I always use winter tyres from mid November until mid March, I Live in the rural western highlands of Scotland and most folk in the village have them. At a cost of £60.00 to swap them over each time i can understand why folk Just use summer tyres.
Great video. Do you have a spare set of wheels for Mrs Local's Mini or do you just swap the tyres?
I suppose whether it's worth fitting winter tyres in the UK may also depend on where you live, how many miles you do and how likely you are to need to drive if there is snow and ice. Here in the flatlands of Bedfordshire I've not seriously considered it before, but your video's certainly given food for thought.
No spare wheels - just going to have the tyres swapped in spring & autumn.
A great feeling when you drive past stuck drivers.
This'll be a yes
Winter tyres? Ba humbug! I've been on skidpans, I know about understeer/oversteer etc. A number of years ago I set off for work in my Austin Metro. Winter, early in the morning coming up to a T junction. But I'm ready, snow and ice doesn't bother me. Turn left, gentle acceration so as not to spin the wheels, ready for anything me. Dog on the right hand footpath, on the lead, no problem. Loose dog on left
Now I've a problem because it runs in front of me. Ok I can deal with this. Oh, the loose dog is now running ahead of me. Unusual, but then the dog did something else. If anyone's seen Disney's Bambi when it slips on the ice. Yes, that's exactly what it did, all four legs splayed out, crash, what do I do, why, hit the brakes of course! Ends up facing the opposite direction, luckily didn't hit anything or anyone,but would winter tyres have made any difference?
I’m not sure anything would have improved a Metro Kevin!
Roads in the UK are so ridiculously narrow.
Usef winter tyres for yeas the main advantage is when you need to stop in slippy conditions you can come to a much controled stop. The saying that my car isnt good in smow is false its your tyres ain't upto the task
Winter tyres in the UK are absolutely pointless and a waste of money...unless your someone with plenty of money who can afford to go out and buy a full set of winter tyres which at a quick glance on Halfords your looking at minimum £140 a tyre for my car now times that by 4....then you have to pay a garage to swap them all over then back again or if you do it yourself its a time consuming thing, winter tyres are perfect for now but as soon as you turn onto roads with no snow you'll get a headache! all that money on 4 tyres then you need to pay to have them swapped over then alignment done just why??
My car has 4 summer tyres on as i bought it from Evans Halshaw only two months ago and was considering swapping them for all season but then i thought to myself why i bother? in my town we've had no snow only frost and these tyres are new summer ones with plenty of grip and handle it perfect...personally for me its the driver not the tyres, people think if they put winter tyres on their fiat 500 it becomes a land rover! if you dont know how to drive in snow then winter tyres will do nothing for you!
In the UK we hardly ever see snow to justify winter tyres but if your not confident go out and buy all season, companies will scare monger you into winter tyres but go look at the price of a summer tyre then a winter tyre and you'll see why! all season is all you need for winter in the UK but majority of the time summer tyres handle the winter fine, i wont be wasting 4 brand new summer tyres so when they get to point of needing changing i'll buy all season, dont get why people rush out and change to all season tyres and throw away perfectly good summer tyres..change a tyre when it needs changing not before!
I keep being pushed by Halfords to buy 4 new winter tyres that would cost me £560 for x4 then probably £50 or more to fit them so thats £610 then throw in the fact most winter tyres are worse for MPG so costing you more money then throw in the fact after it stops snowing you've got to pay a garage to swap all your tyres back over to summer then what others don't realise is when you swap tyres over your meant to have alignment done again! what an absolute waste of money and time especially now in a cost of living crisis,
All depends if you called grip and winter tyres are much better when it gets cold
run winter tyres love bad weather
Not watched it. If you can’t answer valid questions about the manner of your driving in your own video, that you subsequently deleted my comment on and then deleted the video as well, along with ignoring me and a well respected driving instructor who asked you polite and simple questions over on Twitter (which you have ignored), then as far as I’m concerned, you’re out of order. You should be open to questions about your driving and you clearly are not.
There's no such thing as a perfect driver but Reg is pretty much as close as it gets. It's possible to drive fast and be safe at the same time.
@@Duncan94 - he’s lost credibility with me when he won’t answer valid questions on his own actions in his own video. He didn’t like it so deleted the video as well. I’ve no faith in anyone who won’t answer questions on the exact subject they profess to teach and be ‘expert’ in. Doesn’t wash with me.
@@Richard_Barnes Would you give more information, perhaps on his Pistonheads/Advanced Driving thread, or Advanced Driving Hub?
@@markburton5170 - I’d need the video he deleted to prove my points in the questions I asked him. I did this within minutes of watching the first 6 mins of the video, right after he uploaded it. The well respected driving instructor who also quizzed him, did so via Twitter having read my questions on the video and having watched it himself, again before Reg deleted it.
In a nutshell, he is driving very fast on public roads and doing overtakes with no indicators used either before or after the manoeuvres and using speeds which are high. Whether he is trained or not, these are public roads with potential idiots on them and he is not driving as an emergency worker, ergo more dangerous as others are not nearly as alert. So I called him out on this lack of initial indicators before the overtaking manoeuvres and asked for his thought process on this……….. ‘tumbleweed’…….video and comment deleted……. Question on Twitter about the high speeds also ignored.
I don’t care how ‘safe’ someone wants to try and convince me these speeds are. On public roads to reach high speeds with other drivers and stuff, it is not. Especially taking into account he forgot where his indicator stalk was. Anyway, like I say, without the video to prove my points, there is nothing to be gained by wasting my time on forums when he can’t even be arsed to answer me on his own channel or Twitter feed.
@@Richard_Barnes you can indicate your intentions without using indicators. Your position on the road “indicate” your intention. As an ADI you are teaching learner drivers, but advanced driving is different. Indicators are not necessary in many cases. Same refers to speed. This channel is about advanced driving.