Winter tyres- Do they make a difference?

[Adam]

Hi Jag fans.

I've been wondering if I should invest in some proper winter tyres for when it starts to really get cold.

Do they actually make any difference? Are they worth it?

Any input would be appreciated.

Adam.

[Guest]

Hi Adam, personally I think winter tyres are an expensive unnecessary luxury. I have been driving for 47 years now and have never felt the need to purchase a set and bear in mind for the majority of that time I was driving cars that had no traction control or ABS. The winters here in general are not severe enough and we do not get prolonged periods of lying snow, only in 1963 in my living memory would they have possibly been of some benefit and that was before I was driving. I think the main problems today with winter driving are, the sheer volume of traffic and the inability of many drivers to know how to handle conditions, consequently when one car gets stuck and everybody has to stop, everybody is stuck, winter tyres or not. I am happy to rely on my normal tyres, but always keep them up to scratch pressurewise etc. and buy the Jaguar recommended tyres (Pirelli P6000 in my case) a little more expensive than some others, but worth it in the long run, you gets what you pay for. My opinion only and will be interested to see what other members have to say. Best wishes mate, Geoff.

[Adam]

Hi Adam, personally I think winter tyres are an expensive unnecessary luxury. I have been driving for 47 years now and have never felt the need to purchase a set and bear in mind for the majority of that time I was driving cars that had no traction control or ABS. The winters here in general are not severe enough and we do not get prolonged periods of lying snow, only in 1963 in my living memory would they have possibly been of some benefit and that was before I was driving. I think the main problems today with winter driving are, the sheer volume of traffic and the inability of many drivers to know how to handle conditions, consequently when one car gets stuck and everybody has to stop, everybody is stuck, winter tyres or not. I am happy to rely on my normal tyres, but always keep them up to scratch pressurewise etc. and buy the Jaguar recommended tyres (Pirelli P6000 in my case) a little more expensive than some others, but worth it in the long run, you gets what you pay for. My opinion only and will be interested to see what other members have to say. Best wishes mate, Geoff.

Thanks for the reply Geoff. Some great info there! I've only been driving for 4 years, and I've always tried to avoid driving in icy conditions. My job means I'll be covering more miles this year mind, so I thought it would be good to find out.

To be honest I'm glad you've said that, should save me quite a few pennies :P

Adam.

[Guest]

Hi Adam, no problem and thank you, it is nice to get a response to a post. Best wishes mate Geoff.

[Mr D]

Hi Adam,

 

In a similar vain to Geoff, we don't have sustained winter weather in this country to justify a second set.

 

I do a lot of travel to Sweden and Finland and it's a whole different story.  Hire cars are fitted as standard with winter & studded tyres October through to March.  Many of the guys I work with have two sets of wheels for their car, winter tyres on a set of steel rims, these are bolted to the garage wall March onwards.  The steel rims help stop damage to precious alloys in any sliding action and minimise the corrosion when grit is laid on the road.

 

Like Geoff, I've managed without them since 86 having only one moment where a rapid snowfall (in April) caught me (and the road authorities) unawares and with just under 2mm of tread - grip was an issue.

 

Best regards,

Dave

[kcey]

hi just to give another view on winter tyres...as the name states winter tyres not snow tyres are made from a different compound to "normal" tyres that don't go as hard in colder weather like normal tyres do therefore reducing the risk of sliding/skiding in cold conditions meaning it doesn't have to be snowing for them to be used just cold ....one disadvantage of this compound is they are softer so therefore wear more quickly i would also advise to use a branded make of tyre as some of the none branded companies just use tread patterns and not a different compound

[Guest]

Hi Keith, thanks for the info on winter tyres, I must admit I did not know what set them apart from normal tyres. However having said that I can see no justification for purchasing them for use in this country, as I pointed out before in 47/48 years of driving I have never felt the need for them. Do you use them yourself and if so are there any really worthwhile benefits in your opinion. All the best mate Geoff.

[kcey]

i did use them on a fwd car i had and yes they worked (this year on a scenic ) on icy roads it felt much safer and made wheelspin from junctions a thing of the past .... i had never used them before this i've owned 4wd cars and landrovers (still own my first a sierra xr4x4) for quite a few years and although i've had mishaps tyres of the winter sort wouldn't have made much if any difference

[Guest]

Thanks for that Keith, I must admit I try not to take my S-Type out when conditions are bad because being rear wheel drive and automatic it is not the easiest car to handle in snow and I doubt winter tyres would make that much difference. When adverse conditions prevail I use my wife's Citroen C3, it handles better and if I did have a mishap I would rather prang that than my beloved Jag. Thanks again all the best Geoff.

[Jaguar Owners Club]

Thought it relevant to relist this post as its coming up to that slippery time of year again !

 

Please feel free to add your thoughts...are winter tyres really necessary (not applicable to those in the Highlands as we know you need them !)

[Martin118]

I wouldn't be without winter tyres on my XF.  The first winter after I bought the car, it embarrassingly 'ceased to proceed' on a minor gradient in a lightly snow-covered car park.  The traction control kicked in and refused to let me drive the car.   When I complained about this lack of driveability in winter, my dealer, Marshalls of Cambridge said that the official advice is to press the 'chequered flag' button to let the car skid a bit - seems pretty counter-intuitive to me!

 

Anyway, that's all in the past since each winter I've had Kwik Fit put on my Nokian winter tyres.  The difference is staggering - always able to drive confidently on ice or snow:   any loss of traction tends to be minor and easily controlled.  I've heard it said that 2WD with winter tyres is a safer situation than summer tyres on a 4WD.

 

When I compare the treads on the standard Dunlop summer tyres and the Nokians, there's a world of difference.  The Nokians have lots of irregular slits built into the tread -'sipes' I think they're called - to grip on ice and snow, whereas the Dunlops are essentially smooth apart from the rain grooves.  OK, the Dunlops claim to be safe to 170 mph or something, but that's kind of academic, particularly in winter!  And, as kcey confirmed, the rubber compound on the Nokians is softer to improve low-temperature grip.  As a bonus, that improves the ride.

 

There are probably just 2 or 3 days in my average winter motoring when I really need the benefits of the winter tyres, but on those days I regard them as essential for my safety and that of other road users.  So for me, they're a must.

 

All good wishes,

 

Martin

[Old Peter]

I think at lot does depend on whether or not you need to use the car when conditions are bad I used to do 25000 miles a year but since I retired in only do about 7000.

 

Luckily the bus stop is 5o yards away and the railway station 600 yards away.  There is also a supermarket 500 yards away.  I ca make a choice whether to be lazy and use the car or leave it on the drive and get a 'bus or train. I do not live in the countryside, though, and a big city can be useful at times.

 

However, if I was still doing a big mileage, I would certainly consider putting  on winter tyres.

 

Peter.

[Mike_eng]

Hi Guys,

 

There is an alternative, they're called Auto socks and they are a fraction of the cost of winter tyres and rims, they can be fitted in moments and work brilliantly in the snow.

 

http://www.autosockdirect.co.uk/shop/product/24234/Autosock/AS600/?gclid=CIj1tuqk4LsCFeLHtAodph8AHA

 

I've used them for several years now and although I've only been driving for 30 years I did used to live in Scotland and I can state that these are the answer to maidens prayer when it snows. 

 

Oh and buy the way I have absolutely no connection with Auto Sock or any other automotive company

 

Mike

[Old Peter]

They look very interesting, Mike.

 

They would cost £64.95 on my S Type, which is not bad.

 

Cheaper than a dented wing!

 

Peter.