New tyres

[Bob99]

Looking to have my wheels refurbed and new tyres fitted. Has any one tried Michelin cross climate 2. Have Goodyears fitted at the moment but front ones have started cracking and rears need changing.

[Linas.P]

They are alright all things considered, people seems to report decent fuel economy and wear. Reasonably quiet as well. But don't expect handling or feedback from all season tyres, as well all season does not mean winter, so they are no-go below 0C and they will behave on ice exactly the same as summer tyre. The only time they have the edge over purse summer tyres will be temperatures ~1-8C. Basically that is my personal issue with all-seasons - there are no days in my driving where they would give me any benefit over normal summer tyres, when it is really cold they are no better and when it is not that cold it is usually still well above 0, so why compromise on summer performance and handling then? In the end of the day - they are very good tyres, but I would say more comfort focused, compromised on performance and that is just not for me, but it may be what you looking for, in which case - yes they are good!

Secondly... they are really expensive. You can have a lot of excellent tyres for less money e.g. Michelin Pilot Sport 5, Continental Premium Contact 6, Goodyear Asymmetric 6 etc. 

[J Henderson]

I've had CC2s on my car since July last year, so I've now experienced all 4 seasons with them. Everything from heatwave conditions to minus double-digit degree temperatures, and everything in-between.

A lot of what Linas says is on the money, and yes they are expensive (especially the rear sizes), but I would disagree with his assessment regarding their worth in Winter months. Yeah, you might not need anything other than summer tyres in London, or other parts of the SE. But, somewhere further north like Lancashire (which, I believe is one of the more hilly counties in England), the benefits of an all-season tyre will be of greater value.

So yeah, basically it'll depend on the topography of where you live, or where your regular driving routes are. Personally, I can't even make it out of my side street if there's a light dusting of snow if I'm on summer tyres because the hills are too steep.

Previously, I had full Winter tyres before getting the CrossClimates, and honestly, there wasn't much of a drop-off in performance on snow.

Summer performance is more than adequate to run them all year round. Wet weather too. My other set of wheels are shod with Michelin PS4 and I would normally ditch the winter set at the earliest opportunity, but I have yet to take off the CC2s since getting them. That would be unthinkable with full winter tyres.

Regarding the price, I managed to get my set during a promotional campaign for under 500 quid (£499.76 to be exact), so not too bad.

 

[scudney]

Nice one John,well said, I have got Continental all seasons on my IS250 fsport, crashed my first IS200 after spinning on black ice in 2010 and ever since then have gone for all seasons especially being a rear drive car, couldn't get on my drive which has a slight incline without the car going sideways once there was a light covering of snow on summer tyres, chances are I probably wouldn't have crashed if I had all season tyres on. 

[rayaans]

Ours been on a Renault Clio for 2 years and they've started cracking too 

[LenT]

7 hours ago, Bob99 said:

Looking to have my wheels refurbed and new tyres fitted. Has any one tried Michelin cross climate 2. Have Goodyears fitted at the moment but front ones have started cracking and rears need changing.

What Goodyears are you used to?  The Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6 is regarded as a direct competitor to the CC2 and some test comparisons would even have it edging the Michelin.

I put the original CCs on our Suzuki 4x4 and was very pleased with  the noise levels, ride comfort and wet weather handling.  I would have had them on the Lexus but mine required two different sizes in the front/rear axles - one of which Michelin didn’t make.  So I opted for the Goodyear Asymmetric 5 which again proved an excellent choice.

But much depends on your driving style.  My prime concern is wet weather performance and ride comfort.  If I was to find myself exploring the limits of its dry road grip, then something has gone seriously wrong!

There are quite a few comparative tyre reviews for the Michelin CC2 - including against the Goodyear.   It’s well worth looking them up.

Incidentally, if you have a Costco account, they do have regular discount offers for both brands.  Another thought that may surprise you, is that it’s been my experience that my Lexus dealer has matched a price from a tyre Wharehouse - which may be of interest if you can couple it with a Service and perhaps new TPMS valves if appropriate.

 

[Linas.P]

3 hours ago, scudney said:

chances are I probably wouldn't have crashed if I had all season tyres on. 

If it was truly black ice, then all-seasons would have made absolutely no difference. 

Snow, slush, slippery mud with leaves, temperatures close to 0, but not negative - yes all seasons deals with that nicely, but on ice they are just summer tyres basically.

And that is one thing I don't like about all seasons (not that it is tyre fault), but people fit them and drive way too confidently... almost as if it is summer. On summer tyres they may get warring just coming out of their drive that it is slippery and they need to drive more carefully, on all seasons they don't get that warning before it is too late and then smashes at even higher speed then they would have if they were on summer tyres. Again - not tyres fault, but just leads to bad habits, especially for people who don't have experience driving on really really slippery wintry conditions... which, sorry to say, but it is 90% of Brits. And by the way that is not an attack of overall driving proficiency, but one just can't be competent in something when they see those conditions 2 days per year... and likely even when they see them, they don't have right car, tyres, space or skill to practice.

[Sundance]

Tyre threads, not to mention treads 🙃 , are often an interesting topic but always subjective and even more so given different types of cars and styles of driving.

I've mentioned on another thread that I've recently fitted 4x Avon AS7s (all seasons) and I did so for three principle reasons ... firstly as an experiment for they matched what was left on the car when I bought it last December, secondly they suit the RX both visually & practically then thirdly because I got good discount meaning that the set of 235/55/18s cost just £510, significantly less than my choice of 'summer' tyres then available 👌.

I'd prefer to experience personally and report rather than write anecdotally about what others may or may not experience, especially if they are arbitrarily deemed unskilled or poor drivers.  That said, I've only had these tyres for four months and with no adverse weather I can say little other than they are both quiet & comfortable and suit both my driving style and the RX.

As and when wet, slippery or more challenging conditions occur I shall be happy to comment on handling with pragmatic feedback.

In direct answer to your question though Bob, if I was not experimenting with all seasons then I'd be looking at Goodyear Asymmetric, tyres that I've experienced for many years mainly for their comfort, quietness and, perhaps most of all, longevity.

[DBIZO]

9 hours ago, Linas.P said:

They are alright all things considered, people seems to report decent fuel economy and wear. Reasonably quiet as well. But don't expect handling or feedback from all season tyres, as well all season does not mean winter, so they are no-go below 0C and they will behave on ice exactly the same as summer tyre. The only time they have the edge over purse summer tyres will be temperatures ~1-8C. 

Secondly... they are really expensive. You can have a lot of excellent tyres for less money e.g. Michelin Pilot Sport 5, Continental Premium Contact 6, Goodyear Asymmetric 6 etc. 

Sorry, but no. Current all season tyres from premium brands perform well in snow, and perfectly fine driving them below freezing point - that's the entire point. They tend to have the 3PMSF symbol to comply with regulation in countries where winter tyres are mandatory during winter season (e.g. Austria) or conditions (eg. Germany). This makes them legally equivalent to winter tyres. No, they're not as good on snow as a good winter tyre, of course, but capable, and outperform winters in dry and wet. All season also tend to perform on par or even better on very wet road surfaces (torrential rains, standing water) and aquaplaning happens at higher speeds, because of the tread pattern.

For these reasons, premium all seasons are the choice for the UK for safe all-year-round driving, and particularly so when driving across Continental Europe in colder months. Summers simply won't cut it, particularly up north. Just because millions ignore this does not make it right. The only other responsible alternative (save not driving when it's cold) is to have two sets so you can either have UHP summers and/or Nordic winters for icy conditions.  But increasingly in the UK it seems like a pain to have season swaps, expensive and many garages/tyre shops refusing to fit a used set.

I've had a set of Pirelli Cinturato SF2 for over 30k miles, done the Alps stint, too, can't fault their performance, the only issue was that at the side wall they were a few mm narrower than the wheel, leaving the rims exposed to curbing. It's the opposite of protecting the rim, and also looks a bit odd. For this reason I cannot recommend them.

Cross Climates 2s are considered the gold standard for now, most balanced, particularly if snow performance is important.

Verdict: go for premium all seasons. My next set this winter will be a new set of all seasons. Hoping Pirelli remedies the rim protection problem. The cost is a non-issue, it's a tiny fraction compared to fuel costs. Cost me £400, my set of Pirellis, and I'm only done with them because I suffered multiple punctures. I probably spent £5k on fuel over the same period (blimey).

Look at tyrereviews.com.

[scudney]

Opinions Opinions Opinions, some based on facts,some  experience, some other reasons, we all have them. I am happy with my choice, works for me and so far so good😊

[Linas.P]

20 minutes ago, DBIZO said:

Sorry, but no.

Current all season tyres from premium brands perform well in snow

not sure if that is language barrier or something else.

1 hour ago, Linas.P said:

If it was truly black ice, then all-seasons would have made absolutely no difference. 

Snow, slush, slippery mud with leaves, temperatures close to 0, but not negative - yes all seasons deals with that nicely, but on ice they are just summer tyres basically.

Why can't all seasons deal with negative temps? Because that is when waters turns from liquid, so solid... which in English language (which is not my first one) is also called ICE!

So again - all seasons deals with everything nicely, expect of ice, and if you hit patch of ice you will spin just as you would spin on summer tyres.

Any other questions? 

[Las Palmas]

Coming from a country where winter can be winter, and have lived in an even norther country I have to say that Linas is right.

Summer tyres are good down to 0 Celsius. All season are never really good (compromises are not good). In winter when snow and minus 0 Celsius are the conditions only winter tyres have any value and when real snow in quantity

Possible to get something functioning close to this in plastic in order not to damage the wheels.

[DBIZO]

29 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

not sure if that is language barrier or something else.

Why can't all seasons deal with negative temps? Because that is when waters turns from liquid, so solid... which in English language (which is not my first one) is also called ICE!

So again - all seasons deals with everything nicely, expect of ice, and if you hit patch of ice you will spin just as you would spin on summer tyres.

Any other questions? 

No language barrier, concept barriers, no questions, only corrections. I specifically responded to that quote. Later you shifted that position, but it does not make your previous comment correct.

You can safely drive in winter with all-seasons, in fact recent all seasons compounds are the most reasonable option for the UK, and arguably much of the continent for many drivers. 

Purely logically, snow is below zero, and with all season compounds you can expect reasonable traction, handling in -10C. And because of road salting, you can have below zero temps and still liquid wet (freezing point depresses down to -7 even) on the road.

All season are the best for driving on dry or lightly damp road in winter - better than summers, better than winters. They also offer reasonable traction/breaking on snow. If the going gets tough, it should be chains anyway.

Look up tests for all seasons, don't take my word for it.

There is limited testing done for ice driving, and it's really only Nordic grade winter tyres that have some useful grip on ice, because generally the advice is don't drive on ice.

For black ice, it's a tough one in any case. All seasons still should give you some better grip, the question is of course is it enough for anything. Hitting it at speed, likely not. But probably not even standard winters could handle that, landing on it at speed. But of course they would be better. That is a corner case, where advice is generally: if black ice formation is likely, don't drive.

Conclusion: in the UK, all seasons bring the best balance for most drivers, including for those driving to Europe in winter. I do.

[DBIZO]

14 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

All season are never really good (compromises are not good). In winter when snow and minus 0 Celsius are the conditions only winter tyres have any value and when real snow in quantity

Tyres are always compromises, including summers and winters, what else they could be? The question is what they're optimized for. All seasons are optimized for a range of conditions that are happen to fit UK climates. More so than summer tyres, because it's wet and cold a lot, sometimes near freezing point; and more so than winter tyres, clearly. That makes all season less of a compromise than summers, still the mindless standard, doesn't it? Frankly, it's perplexing how this is even a debate. Look at the data.

2021 Tyre Reviews All Season Tyre Test - Tyre Reviews and Tests

[Linas.P]

37 minutes ago, DBIZO said:

No language barrier, concept barriers, no questions, only corrections. I specifically responded to that quote. Later you shifted that position, but it does not make your previous comment correct.

You can safely drive in winter with all-seasons, in fact recent all seasons compounds are the most reasonable option for the UK, and arguably much of the continent for many drivers. 

Purely logically, snow is below zero, and with all season compounds you can expect reasonable traction, handling in -10C. And because of road salting, you can have below zero temps and still liquid wet (freezing point depresses down to -7 even) on the road.

All season are the best for driving on dry or lightly damp road in winter - better than summers, better than winters. They also offer reasonable traction/breaking on snow. If the going gets tough, it should be chains anyway.

Look up tests for all seasons, don't take my word for it.

There is limited testing done for ice driving, and it's really only Nordic grade winter tyres that have some useful grip on ice, because generally the advice is don't drive on ice.

For black ice, it's a tough one in any case. All seasons still should give you some better grip, the question is of course is it enough for anything. Hitting it at speed, likely not. But probably not even standard winters could handle that, landing on it at speed. But of course they would be better. That is a corner case, where advice is generally: if black ice formation is likely, don't drive.

Conclusion: in the UK, all seasons bring the best balance for most drivers, including for those driving to Europe in winter. I do.

Overload of fallacies here, moving goal post with each sentence, creating imaginary narratives that you can then defeat yourself (that is strawman, but I have lost the count of others)...

I never said they are not good on snow, now you introducing arbitrary conditions... salting, dry or damp road in winter... nobody cares. Seems like you just summarising all the conditions that all seasons would be perfect for, but not the conditions of the real winter, nor even the one some of the parts in UK gets. 

My statement was fairly simple - below freezing point they are useless... now think of where the freezing point is in your imaginary world and from there they will become useless. Got it? 

21 minutes ago, DBIZO said:

That makes all season less of a compromise than summers, still the mindless standard, doesn't it? Frankly, it's perplexing how this is even a debate. Look at the data.

It is debatable, because 360 days per year Summer tyres are better compromise where I live... and 50% of the population in UK lives. This winter was kind of mild, so I hardly remember a day when temp was below 5C, but even going back all the way to the "beast from the east" times that was what? maybe 2 days of snow? wow... sure it was probably -5C at night, but by 8AM when I was driving to work it was already +2C and everything was melting.

This is typical anxiety of something that you don't understand... I lived and learned to drive in the country where we often have full month of -10C and at least 3-4 months when it gets below 0C... by the way -10C or -20C are amazing conditions for driving, dry and easy. The worst time is exactly around 0C, that is because in some spots water freezes and at the same time ice melts in others... and you get patches of black ice everywhere, there are no tyres that works in those conditions. Studded ones are bad in puddles and on dry surface studs just falls out, non-studded winter tyres still struggles with black ice, the all-seasons are useless, summer tyres are obviously illegal.. the chains don't work either. So you just have to learn to drive in those conditions. And then you come to UK where it is basically a single season all year long and people are complaining about winter conditions 👍 

[Bob99]

Thanks for all the replies, I have been running Goodyear asymmetric 3’s and later 5’s, and have been really happy with them both in performance and longevity. Didn’t get any cracking on the rears like there is on the front. When I went for my quote for refurbishing my wheels I mentioned I would be changing tyres at the same time and the guy said don’t buy Goodyear as they always crack before they are worn out. Then he looked at mine and said Michelin were better.  So getting quotes for a set of pilot 5

[Mr_Groundhog]

All I can add to this thread is that I'm super happy with my very reliable, very durable, and very comfy Michelin Primacy 4 VOL on my IS300h. It's been 5k miles so far and they're just like new.
Whe we had snow and ice this last winter, all it took was a bit of care and I drove everywhere just fine. They are rated A for rain so that's not a problem... and when I drove to south Spain a month ago, they were brilliant too. And quieter than the OEM Yokos by far

[LenT]

 

2 hours ago, Bob99 said:

Thanks for all the replies, I have been running Goodyear asymmetric 3’s and later 5’s, and have been really happy with them both in performance and longevity. Didn’t get any cracking on the rears like there is on the front. When I went for my quote for refurbishing my wheels I mentioned I would be changing tyres at the same time and the guy said don’t buy Goodyear as they always crack before they are worn out. Then he looked at mine and said Michelin were better.  So getting quotes for a set of pilot 5

If you haven’t seen it, you may find this comparison between the Eagle 6 and Pilot 5 interesting.  As it concludes, the choice really comes down to your personal priorities of the particular qualities each tyre offers.  Clearly, both are excellent- although  the differences seem rather marginal 

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Compare/Eagle-F1-Asymmetric-6-VS-Pilot-Sport-5.htm

Sometimes, reading these reviews and owners’ comments, I do feel  that often much is being made of very marginal differences that may only be sensed when cars are being driven in (shall we say) an exceptionally exuberant manner that doesn’t really reflect real world experience for the vast majority of Lexus owners.

But maybe that’s just me! 😊

[Linas.P]

I have long given-up reading tyre reviews from actual owners, because they are always all over the place. 

The guy in tyre reviews who does driving tests is excellent thought, the only annoying part is that he often tests Premium tyres on Ecnoshaitboxes like 1.5 Golf, or even GTI. Basically, what works and doesn't work on Golf will be completely different on Lexus or some other Premium RWD car. 

As far as Goodyear always cracking before wearing out... again really depends. Tyres age, so if your mileage is low it may be the case, but will not be the case for people who drive more. So I would take such blanket statement with pinch of salt (even if sometimes I like to make such statements myself). And it is not necessary that such statements are wrong, but because they can be interpreted wrong without context.

[Las Palmas]

11 hours ago, DBIZO said:

Tyres are always compromises, including summers and winters, what else they could be? The question is what they're optimized for. All seasons are optimized for a range of conditions that are happen to fit UK climates. More so than summer tyres, because it's wet and cold a lot, sometimes near freezing point; and more so than winter tyres, clearly. That makes all season less of a compromise than summers, still the mindless standard, doesn't it? Frankly, it's perplexing how this is even a debate. Look at the data.

2021 Tyre Reviews All Season Tyre Test - Tyre Reviews and Tests

Where we live temperature in winter at night when it is very cold is very, very seldom below 10 degrees Celsius. Not sure what could be a compromise here with summer tyres.

Where I was born, winter meant winter tyres, or calling for help. Or learn to drive in other conditions than sunshine.

[Las Palmas]

2 hours ago, Bob99 said:

Thanks for all the replies, I have been running Goodyear asymmetric 3’s and later 5’s, and have been really happy with them both in performance and longevity. Didn’t get any cracking on the rears like there is on the front. When I went for my quote for refurbishing my wheels I mentioned I would be changing tyres at the same time and the guy said don’t buy Goodyear as they always crack before they are worn out. Then he looked at mine and said Michelin were better.  So getting quotes for a set of pilot 5

A good sales-person is always able to recommend something that is most profiting.

[DBIZO]

10 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Overload of fallacies here, moving goal post with each sentence, creating imaginary narratives that you can then defeat yourself (that is strawman, but I have lost the count of others)...

I never said they are not good on snow, now you introducing arbitrary conditions... salting, dry or damp road in winter... nobody cares. Seems like you just summarising all the conditions that all seasons would be perfect for, but not the conditions of the real winter, nor even the one some of the parts in UK gets. 

My statement was fairly simple - below freezing point they are useless... now think of where the freezing point is in your imaginary world and from there they will become useless. Got it? 

It is debatable, because 360 days per year Summer tyres are better compromise where I live... and 50% of the population in UK lives. This winter was kind of mild, so I hardly remember a day when temp was below 5C, but even going back all the way to the "beast from the east" times that was what? maybe 2 days of snow? wow... sure it was probably -5C at night, but by 8AM when I was driving to work it was already +2C and everything was melting.

This is typical anxiety of something that you don't understand... I lived and learned to drive in the country where we often have full month of -10C and at least 3-4 months when it gets below 0C... by the way -10C or -20C are amazing conditions for driving, dry and easy. The worst time is exactly around 0C, that is because in some spots water freezes and at the same time ice melts in others... and you get patches of black ice everywhere, there are no tyres that works in those conditions. Studded ones are bad in puddles and on dry surface studs just falls out, non-studded winter tyres still struggles with black ice, the all-seasons are useless, summer tyres are obviously illegal.. the chains don't work either. So you just have to learn to drive in those conditions. And then you come to UK where it is basically a single season all year long and people are complaining about winter conditions 👍 

I responded but it doesn't show up...anyway.

We will continue to disagree. I reject your accusation of fallacies yourself have acted out (goalpost shifting specifically). 

The data is quite clear, and your interpretation lack internal logic. Your assertions that summers are better 360 days and that people just need to learn how to drive for those 5 days a year does not pass cursory standards of reasoning, let alone safety considerations.

There no value to the performance of summer tyres on UK roads. Zero. You're normally driving very far away from the limits of their grip window. All seasons cover you comfortably.

This notion that you're giving up something of value with all seasons vs summers has no substance. If you can drive all seasons hard at high tempo (90-120 mph) in frosty, subzero conditions across Germany and Austria (I have), surely driving in the UK is not even a challenging task for them, don't you think? Or almost anywhere, really. I'd put money you couldn't tell summers and all seasons apart for their performance in a blind test. Unless you drive like a lunatic, or going on a track day.

Your other assertion that people will just need to learn how to drive on summers in cold conditions for those few days and you use a corner case (black ice) to justify it is just the empty inanity I expected to surface on this topic. Not from you personally  just in general when received wisdoms and 'common sense' are challenged. Surely you cannot be serious suggesting that we should put the onus on millions of drivers' skills, the majority of whom should have never got their license in the first place? And slippery conditions where it is actually important how much grip you have left are much more common than you imply. All seasons give you that additional safety floor, literally under your car, that you won't be sliding off the road as easily just because it's 1C and wet. Again, lack of logical coherency in your reasoning: you need all your summer tyre grip in good conditions (when you don't actually need it) but it doesn't matter how much grip you have left in poor conditions?

I too learned to drive in a Continental climate and driven in all sorts of conditions, including blizzards at night, ones that don't really exist in the UK. And I regularly drive from and to the UK across Europe, on all seasons, in all seasons. They perform excellently.

I've said everything I wanted, so I'll not respond any more. Evidence supports the conclusion that safer all-year-round driving in the UK means all-season tyres as a standard choice. High-performance cars, track days, sure, go for UHP, and then don't drive when there is a chance of precipitation or condensation in cold conditions, please. 

[Las Palmas]

23 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

I have long given-up reading tyre reviews from actual owners, because they are always all over the place. 

The guy in tyre reviews who does driving tests is excellent thought, the only annoying part is that he often tests Premium tyres on Ecnoshaitboxes like 1.5 Golf, or even GTI. Basically, what works and doesn't work on Golf will be completely different on Lexus or some other Premium RWD car. 

As far as Goodyear always cracking before wearing out... again really depends. Tyres age, so if your mileage is low it may be the case, but will not be the case for people who drive more. So I would take such blanket statement with pinch of salt (even if sometimes I like to make such statements myself). And it is not necessary that such statements are wrong, but because they can be interpreted wrong without context.

RWD cars are good for less than 5% of drivers, so no reason for tyre testers to look hard into such cars.

Golf is a very common car so good reason to try on such a car.

It is possible to read on the tyres when they are made and UV is hard on not just rubber. Outside of tyres are more often cracking than inside. Never used Goodyear but see no reason they should crack much more often than other tyres.

[DBIZO]

14 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

Where we live temperature in winter at night when it is very cold is very, very seldom below 10 degrees Celsius. Not sure what could be a compromise here with summer tyres.

Where I was born, winter meant winter tyres, or calling for help.

That's all fine, but we were talking UK originally. Summers clearly fit your climate. Last winter in the UK, as you must have seen it in the news, hundreds of cars ended up in the ditch and stuck on roads because of accidents. Summer tyres  were clearly a major factor, the other one of course is incompetence, as always.

[Las Palmas]

9 minutes ago, DBIZO said:

I responded but it doesn't show up...anyway.

We will continue to disagree. I reject your accusation of fallacies yourself have acted out (goalpost shifting specifically). 

The data is quite clear, and your interpretation lack internal logic. Your assertions that summers are better 360 days and that people just need to learn how to drive for those 5 days a year does not pass cursory standards of reasoning, let alone safety considerations.

There no value to the performance of summer tyres on UK roads. Zero. You're normally driving very far away from the limits of their grip window. All seasons cover you comfortably.

This notion that you're giving up something of value with all seasons vs summers has no substance. If you can drive all seasons hard at high tempo (90-120 mph) in frosty, subzero conditions across Germany and Austria (I have), surely driving in the UK is not even a challenging task for them, don't you think? Or almost anywhere, really. I'd put money you couldn't tell summers and all seasons apart for their performance in a blind test. Unless you drive like a lunatic, or going on a track day.

Your other assertion that people will just need to learn how to drive on summers in cold conditions for those few days and you use a corner case (black ice) to justify it is just the empty inanity I expected to surface on this topic. Not from you personally  just in general when received wisdoms and 'common sense' are challenged. Surely you cannot be serious suggesting that we should put the onus on millions of drivers' skills, the majority of whom should have never got their license in the first place? And slippery conditions where it is actually important how much grip you have left are much more common than you imply. All seasons give you that additional safety floor, literally under your car, that you won't be sliding off the road as easily just because it's 1C and wet. Again, lack of logical coherency in your reasoning: you need all your summer tyre grip in good conditions (when you don't actually need it) but it doesn't matter how much grip you have left in poor conditions?

I too learned to drive in a continental climate and driven in all sorts of conditions, including blizzards at night, ones that don't really exist in the UK. And I regularly drive from and to the UK across Europe, on all seasons, in all seasons. They perform excellently.

I've said everything I wanted, so I'll not respond any more. Evidence supports the conclusion that safer all-year-round driving in the UK means all-season tyres as a standard choice. High-performance cars, track days, sure, go for UHP, and then don't drive when there is a chance of precipitation or condensation in cold conditions, please. 

I have been driving on summer tyres on the high way from Oslo to Trondheim (through Röros) when snow covered the road looking at the marking sticks on both sides of the road to make sure not getting out of the road.

Like Linas said. Learn to drive in different temperatures. In Norway you learn to drive in snow and accidents happens everywhere, but not very often there because of snow on the road.