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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider winter tyres?

46 replies

DuchessDandelion · 11/12/2022 23:47

Very little spare cash (emergencies only really) but given that I want to update my tyres this month I'm thinking about having winter ones fitted...

Anyone familiar with pros and cons?

And can I leave them on all year?

OP posts:
Oakbeam · 11/12/2022 23:51

You would be better off getting “All season” tyres. Unlike winter tyres they are intended to be used year round.

ClosedAuraOpenMind · 11/12/2022 23:57

well I've got winter tyres on my car right now, so I would say yanbu
technically I think you could run them all year round, but the performance would be poor when temps get too high for them
they do make a massive difference for driving in winter - not just in snow/ice but when it's cold and wet. I live in Scotland so that covers a big chunk of the year
I tend to run on winters from October/November to April/May
the way I look at it is I lease my car for four years, so I would need to buy new tyres at some point, but by buying winters and using them for about half a year my other tyres last longer
but that works for me cos I've got a garage I hand store a set of tyres in, and cos DH can change them over

kidsandpuppies · 11/12/2022 23:59

Canadian here, it's pretty standard to have winter tyres where I live. I'm not sure it would be worth it in the UK because you don't have the same kind of winters but they do make a big difference in winter driving, much better control in snow and ice. Driving on them in the summer will wear them down really quickly. Cons would be that you need two sets of tyres and you have to change them out twice a year.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 12/12/2022 00:02

No don't do that. They'll work beautifully for 2 weeks a year and be difficult at best for the remaining 50 weeks.

KrystynaZ · 12/12/2022 00:03

Get the snow tyres, but don't use them all year round.

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 12/12/2022 00:04

All seasons!

Scautish · 12/12/2022 00:06

We put them on for the winter - definitely not suitable for all year round but absolutely brilliant for winter (not just snow, but colder weather in general as tyres have better grip and also for wet roads with deep puddles as the tyres disperse the water more efficiently)

but you definitely need to change for summer. So only do this if you can afford two sets of tyres + wheels. And you also need space to store the unused set.

Warmwesterly · 12/12/2022 00:07

All seasons but be prepared to wait.

My car is currently stuck on the drive with a damaged tyre and a week - 2 weeks wait for a replacement, if they can get it.

Who knew that tyres are the latest shortage? Certainly not me.

ForestDad · 12/12/2022 00:09

I got a bargain set of winter tyres and wheels on eBay. Great for driving in the snow and cold rain. Terrible above about +10°.
All seasons are more suitable for the UK Winter if you definitely need to get about when it snows rather than the batten down the hatches and play in the snow approach that most people take.

Frabbits · 12/12/2022 00:13

I used to put winter tyres on when I regularly. went up hills in scotland during the winter, putting them on around november and switching back around March time. They do make a huge difference but whether they are worth the cost really depends on how cold it typically gets where you live and whether you want/need to be going out in the kind of conditions that you would think twice about with summer tyres.

Oakbeam · 12/12/2022 00:13

All seasons but be prepared to wait.

It must depend on the specific tyre. I have all seasons on my car and managed to get a damaged tyre replaced in four hours. That was three weeks ago.

We have all seasons on all our cars now. Used to swap over to winters but it became a right PITA.

Original poster
DuchessDandelion · 12/12/2022 01:00

Thanks for your replies, food for thought!

Unfortunately, not in coldest Scotland (far from it) so it sounds like All Season tyres might be the way forward.

OP posts:
Yarrawonga · 12/12/2022 08:30

I have all-season tyres on my car. They have a mountain and snowflake symbol on them so meet the requirements for a proper winter tyre too.

JudithHarper · 12/12/2022 08:33

Just drive according to the conditions. It's not that hard.

gogohmm · 12/12/2022 08:41

All season are better for the U.K. you can buy socks or chains for extreme weather

Oakbeam · 12/12/2022 08:43

Just drive according to the conditions. It's not that hard.

It is if your normal tyres don’t actually grip the road. Then you are driving nowhere, except perhaps into the nearest ditch.

coldec · 12/12/2022 08:44

I used to put Michelin cross climate on my cars. I found they were a good all rounder. I no longer do the mileage I used to and have no commitments so can choose not to go out in bad weather so when I bought a new car last year a decided just to keep the tyres that it came with.

Rowthe · 12/12/2022 08:47

Ive arranged for a good set of all seasons to be fitted this week

WhaleInAManger · 12/12/2022 08:49

Just echoing the suggestion for All Seasons.

They help in winter but run well through the better weather too.

JudithHarper · 12/12/2022 10:03

Oakbeam · 12/12/2022 08:43

Just drive according to the conditions. It's not that hard.

It is if your normal tyres don’t actually grip the road. Then you are driving nowhere, except perhaps into the nearest ditch.

If your tyres are legal, they will grip the road if you drive according to the conditions. That could well mean driving very slowly and very smoothly. If you drive too hard and/or too fast, no tyre on earth will generate the friction you need to stay on the road.

During that snowy winter of 2010, I was driving to work in my trusty little Nissan with 'normal' tyres when two idiots in 4x4s whizzed by, heading towards a known accident spot.

Sure enough, 5 minutes later, I arrived at the corner to see both 4x4s in the deep ditch. Didn't bother stopping for the morons but made it to work with time to spare.

xogossipgirlxo · 12/12/2022 10:09

We always have all seasons, seriously you don't need anything else in the UK. Perfectly fine to drive in snow. Saves you time and space, unlike having summer and winter tyres.

Nocaloriesinchocolate · 12/12/2022 10:09

I have them on my car and I love the peace of mind. I store the summer tyres at a local tyre place (which changes them for me) and vice versa in summer. I notice the difference on frosty roads. Of course, the decision was easy for me because I can afford all this (the tyre place charges for storage). I started doing this when I was working and needed to be able to drive to work (public transport impossible). Whether I would bother now, when I and DH are retired so could cancel social appointments if the weather were too bad I don't know. Its certainly quite costly but if you are of working age, I suppose you have to assess the financial costs of eg writing off your car in the ice + being out of action due to injury because of this.

To sum up, Im glad I did and am trying to persuade DS and DIL to let us buy winter tyres for their cars for Christmas since they both need to drive for work,

FuckabethFuckor · 12/12/2022 10:10

Start this debate on Pistonheads, you'll still be reading the responses in 2030.

I would say all-seasons are a good compromise. If you have winter tyres you have to have them changed over twice a year. Which gets either time consuming (if you do it yourself) or expensive (if you pay someone to do it). Winter spec tyres tend to be more expensive anyway.

I've got Pirelli Scorpions (which are all-seasons) on mine, they've been extremely good. I live in Scotland (although Edinburgh so not exactly the Highlands) and have never had grip issues in ice, snow, heavy rain or on hills.

rumship · 12/12/2022 10:23

This should answer all your questions OP

Oakbeam · 12/12/2022 10:25

If your tyres are legal, they will grip the road if you drive according to the conditions.

I’m sorry, but this is complete and utter bollocks.

How much experience do you have driving on snow and ice with winter or all season tyres?

During that snowy winter of 2010, I was driving to work in my trusty little Nissan with 'normal' tyres when two idiots in 4x4s whizzed by, heading towards a known accident spot.

What kind of tyres were they fitted with?