Changing To All Season Tyres Two At A Time

[Roybus]

RX400h, Bridgestone Potenzas all round, front ones are pretty new but the back ones are getting to the end of their life. I do a small amount of off roading (2 mile track, 500 feet difference between bottom and top, made up of some muddy stretches but mostly loose stone as it's a disused quarry). We're in the Pennines and it's generally colder, wetter, icier and snowier than average.

I'm not into the idea of changing to winter tyres for the 2 months a year they'd be really worthwhile so I'm thinking all season is the way to go. So the big question is, do I change the rear tyres now to all season type and leave the 'summer' Potenzas on the front until they're ready to change?

[wackyjim]

No...Don't whatever you do mix the two they have different characteristics and could invalidate your insurance, I recently bought 4 Vredestein Wintrac 4Xtreme tyres for my Rx400 and will keep them on all year round. I have used these tyres on my Range Rovers with no reduction in grip or performance and there is plenty of online evidence to back this up, I believe you can do the same with Nokian WR SUV 3 tyres as well

[scudney]

I run vredestein quadtrac 3 all season tyres(not cheap at over £500) on my IS 200 and like Jim said best not mixing them.

[stevet]

I've got Hankook all season on mine. Great in the south of France at 40 degrees and also this week in the snow. Done about 10k miles on them and still at 7mm on recent mot check. Paid £97 each, so not too bad to replace all four.

[Boxbrownie]

I have the Nokian WR SUV3 on my RX..well did have changed them to my new Q3 on Monday, fantastic in cold conditions and obviously in snow, but I would not use them during the summer but not because they would be no good they would just be a waste, all weather tyres are a big compromise (tests confirm this) good in the summer, not brilliant in the snow but at least better than summer tyres.

In your situation it sounds like two sets of wheels is the real answer, and for about £800 you could get an excellent set from somewhere like MYTYRES with German made alloys and Nokian or Conti winter tyres.

[kingy68]

I always change in fours.

I use Conti TS Winter tyres on a front wheel drive car and they are excellent. No issues with traction in the snow. (Live in the Peaks so they have been well tested). Only downside is as they are best run approx. Nov - March when road temps and conditions suit them I had to source a second set of alloys. Didn't mind though as I preferred that to tyre swapping on one set of rims.

all weather tyres are a big compromise (tests confirm this) good in the summer, not brilliant in the snow but at least better than summer tyres.

I've used Pirelli Scorpion M&S tyres on a BMW X3. They are 'All Season' tyres. Contrary to your ^^ statement I found them fantastic in the snow. Actually went out purposely finding untreated lanes in the Peaks with snow to play in. The tyres performed brilliantly. Come summer they were fine and wore well - lasting over 30k miles. I saw no compromise at all in their use in 3 years of running them (2 bad snow/ ice Peaks winters).

I pick a RX450h up in the next few days which has Dunlops on and will be putting the Pirelli M&S tyres on that when they want changing. If anything like as good as when on the X3 they will make a perfect all year tyre without the need for seperate winters.

[Boxbrownie]

all weather tyres are a big compromise (tests confirm this) good in the summer, not brilliant in the snow but at least better than summer tyres.

I've used Pirelli Scorpion M&S tyres on a BMW X3. They are 'All Season' tyres. Contrary to your ^^ statement I found them fantastic in the snow. Actually went out purposely finding untreated lanes in the Peaks with snow to play in. The tyres performed brilliantly. Come summer they were fine and wore well - lasting over 30k miles. I saw no compromise at all in their use in 3 years of running them (2 bad snow/ ice Peaks winters).

I pick a RX450h up in the next few days which has Dunlops on and will be putting the Pirelli M&S tyres on that when they want changing. If anything like as good as when on the X3 they will make a perfect all year tyre without the need for seperate winters.

I am sure you didn't, but then you did not compare them directly with summer tyres in the summer and winter tyres during the winter snow, they ARE a compromise regardless, of course they work, just not as well as a dedicated tyre. There is no debate about this, its a fact.

[kingy68]

all weather tyres are a big compromise (tests confirm this) good in the summer, not brilliant in the snow but at least better than summer tyres.

I've used Pirelli Scorpion M&S tyres on a BMW X3. They are 'All Season' tyres. Contrary to your ^^ statement I found them fantastic in the snow. Actually went out purposely finding untreated lanes in the Peaks with snow to play in. The tyres performed brilliantly. Come summer they were fine and wore well - lasting over 30k miles. I saw no compromise at all in their use in 3 years of running them (2 bad snow/ ice Peaks winters).

I pick a RX450h up in the next few days which has Dunlops on and will be putting the Pirelli M&S tyres on that when they want changing. If anything like as good as when on the X3 they will make a perfect all year tyre without the need for seperate winters.

I am sure you didn't, but then you did not compare them directly with summer tyres in the summer and winter tyres during the winter snow, they ARE a compromise regardless, of course they work, just not as well as a dedicated tyre. There is no debate about this, its a fact.

Yes I did, as we ran summer/winter and All Seasons, but what the point bothering trying to share experiences with dramatic pedantic posters like you? Wish I hadn't bothered and I certainly wont again.

[Boxbrownie]

all weather tyres are a big compromise (tests confirm this) good in the summer, not brilliant in the snow but at least better than summer tyres.

I've used Pirelli Scorpion M&S tyres on a BMW X3. They are 'All Season' tyres. Contrary to your ^^ statement I found them fantastic in the snow. Actually went out purposely finding untreated lanes in the Peaks with snow to play in. The tyres performed brilliantly. Come summer they were fine and wore well - lasting over 30k miles. I saw no compromise at all in their use in 3 years of running them (2 bad snow/ ice Peaks winters).

I pick a RX450h up in the next few days which has Dunlops on and will be putting the Pirelli M&S tyres on that when they want changing. If anything like as good as when on the X3 they will make a perfect all year tyre without the need for seperate winters.

I am sure you didn't, but then you did not compare them directly with summer tyres in the summer and winter tyres during the winter snow, they ARE a compromise regardless, of course they work, just not as well as a dedicated tyre. There is no debate about this, its a fact.

Yes I did, as we ran summer/winter and All Seasons, but what the point bothering trying to share experiences with dramatic pedantic posters like you? Wish I hadn't bothered and I certainly wont again.

We like to hear opinions, but facts are indisputable.......name calling however is out of order, think before you type, thank you.

[wackyjim]

There's no right or wrong here It's true that any dual purpose item by it's very nature will be a compromise to anything that has been designed for a specific role including winter/all season/summer tyres ,however R&D manufacturing processes have come a long way making these compromises less of an issue. In essence although trials still show a % difference that difference is really quite hard to detect in real world driving conditions making all season tyres a good "compromise" choice for us here in what is a relatively temperate Britain...for me? happy to run Vred Wintracs all year on the Rx400 and prefer 2 sets of tyres Summer then Winter for my LS400 but that's just my personal choice :winky:

[Boxbrownie]

Exactly...... ;)

[Roybus]

Wow this is exciting! Hope no-one draws a cartoon of an all season tyre.

It's snowed a couple of times, but not heavily, and been a bit icy on and off. The original Potenzas have been OK. We'll see if we get a real wintry spell I suppose.

I've decided I'm still happy to wait until the back ones really need changing, then go for all season and keep them all year round. Changing and storing wheels is such a faff, not to mention the cost of buying a new set of wheels. If all season are better than summer tyres in winter, and not much different to summer tyres in summer (and this is what I'm expecting), then I'll be perfectly happy with that.

One thing that did occur to me is that everyone who tests proper winter tyres tends to do so in Sweden or Northern Canada and the like. I can imagine that they make a big big difference to all season if the temperature is minus 20 or something and you're driving on 100% snow, but I would hazard a guess that in northern a English conditions, the difference is less pronounced.

All in all I get the compromise argument, but I'll settle for 'slightly better than summer tyres' and an easy life.

[stevet]

All seasons are perfect for the UK as never getting very cold or very hot.