Winter tyres - good time to buy!

[mike-p]

I've just got a set of 4 Michelin Alpin winter tyres and alloys for €400 from eBay Germany.

They're the recommend 205 50 17 tyres on a set of Audi 5 spoke alloys. The tyres have 7-8mm tread depth.

A mate of mine lives in Dusseldorf, so he's bringing them over before winter starts. Now these are compulsory in Germany, the prices are getting realistic, whereas in the UK a single Michelin Alpin tyre is £120+

Apparently the prices are softer now but they will increase in 2-3 months.

Find yourself a bargain!

[skyblues11]

so true. Last year ( start of december) i was in an Israeli hotel browsing at tyres, and the prices went up by 30quid within a week! I recall it was that first cold spell, before the big cold freeze of 2010\11.

being in a hotel wifi, i was afraid to do the transaction, so in the end, i had to pay more when i came back to uk

[Shaun]

Got mine quite early last year, they went up by about £100 each by the time winter came !

[Westfaliaman]

Hi guys, running on the 18" Interlagos , what are the recommended options for winter wheels & tyres? -18" on the present rims, or thinner higher profile tyres on 16 " or 17" rims? I imagine a smaller wheel and narrower tyre would give more grip but I want to comply with insurance company requirements etc. Are you better buying steel rims & tyre packages from say "mytyres" or looking for 2nd hand alloys, maybe the 17" Scirocco ones or something from a Golf? What other VAG group alloys would fit?
Thanks.
Sam

[ayeaye]

I'm going to run 235/40/18 on a set of interlagos this year - I had some steels last year which were 16" on a 205/55 or something like that, but couldn't live with the looks! Our CC was left on its standard interlagos with winter tyres and managed fine.

[coullstar]

Looking to sell the steels?

[ayeaye]

Sold them earlier this year.

[mike-p]

My winter tyres are 205 50 17 to replace the 18s, You can get 235 40 17 Winter tyres but they are very pricey, VW recommend 205 50 17 for Winter tyres on the Roc, check the tyre pressure label on the inside of your fuel flap.

[coullstar]

I used 225/45/17's last year and they are more common / cheaper so I dont see a problem using them. There is next to no difference in rolling diameter to the recommended. They probably say 205 for narrower tyres but I had zero problems with 225's and I know folk who ran 18in 235's last year so dont always follow what VW say. Thats in Aberdeen by the way so plenty of snow.

[yellowplum]

Only thing I would say about buying tyres now is you will get last years tyres at best or maybe the year before. Manufacturing for winter tyres does not start until end of Aug/Sept - all the new ones then come out for start of October.

[Sam63]

I've used 235/40/18 winter tyres (Vredestein) only on the front axel for the last 2 years up here in Aberdeen (Real snow land ) and they work great. You don't need 17's or 16's or 4 winter tyres for that matter, just replace the front two. cost me £300 - Sorted.
Also if you put winter 17's on for your summer 18's you will need to tell your insurance company, but if you do a straight swap - 18's for 18's then no need to inform them.

[ayeaye]

Got my winter tyres fitted to wheels (spares) today - only to get home and find that the fitting place had put one on the wrong way round. Would have thought it would be quite basic to see that the word "inside" was on the outside of the rim.

Still, the kumho's look the business.

[Shaun]

Winter tyres should be used on all four corners IMO, try looking at the videos on YouTube and see how dangerous mixing summer and winter tyres is.

[youtube][/youtube]

I've used 235/40/18 winter tyres (Vredestein) only on the front axel for the last 2 years up here in Aberdeen (Real snow land ) and they work great. You don't need 17's or 16's or 4 winter tyres for that matter, just replace the front two. cost me £300 - Sorted.
Also if you put winter 17's on for your summer 18's you will need to tell your insurance company, but if you do a straight swap - 18's for 18's then no need to inform them.

[Sam63]

Winter tyres should be used on all four corners IMO, try looking at the videos on YouTube and see how dangerous mixing summer and winter tyres is.

[youtube][/youtube]

I've used 235/40/18 winter tyres (Vredestein) only on the front axel for the last 2 years up here in Aberdeen (Real snow land ) and they work great. You don't need 17's or 16's or 4 winter tyres for that matter, just replace the front two. cost me £300 - Sorted.
Also if you put winter 17's on for your summer 18's you will need to tell your insurance company, but if you do a straight swap - 18's for 18's then no need to inform them.

You are probably right but the point I was making was that I have only used 2 on the front for the last 2 winters which considering how bad they've been and how much snow we get up here in aberdeenshire I have had absolutely no problems with mixing summers on the rear and winters on the front.

[a4gee]

All 4 would be right but since our roads don`t look like that when it snows(or at least not for long) then front 2 should be ok. Also depends on how you drive?


Anyways since everyone is talking about getting them,maybe posting some links to where folk has bought them would help others?

[ayeaye]

Only thing I would say about buying tyres now is you will get last years tyres at best or maybe the year before. Manufacturing for winter tyres does not start until end of Aug/Sept - all the new ones then come out for start of October.

Of the winter tyres I've bought this year, all are 2011 manufactured - weeks 13 and 19.
I think the demand in Germany where it's now compulsory means that demand starts earlier in the year and thus manufacturing will too.

Anyways since everyone is talking about getting them,maybe posting some links to where folk has bought them would help others?

http://www.mytyres.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for me - Kumho KW27s for the winters.

[yellowplum]

Some guidance to EU country specific legislation - http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/ov ... tyres.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As with regards to winter tyres I would look at the reviews here to begin with, your best bet is to see what ADAC comes up with each year with it's test, you can translate the site through google if you can't speak German - from last years test continental TS830 is the best - http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/re ... 5_R17.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/20 ... e-Test.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is Autobilds test in English, however as I previously stated these are 2010 models even if you did buy them in 2011 they are still 2010 models, new winter tyres don't arrive until September onwards.

If you travel to Europe at all I would recomend trying to get a set from one of the numerous dealers, you can pick up a set of winters from a VW dealership with Rial rims for €250-€500 fully fitted. Which is what you pay for the tyres alone in the UK (annoyingly as we are ripped off).

[mike-p]

Makes my €400 seem right on the button then!

I checked the price of the Michelin Alpins in Germany and they were still €120 each, without the alloy rim.

[yellowplum]

That is very reasonable, I had to get seperate alloys on this occasion so I bought some Rials, and could only find Pirelli SotoZero IIs last year, they cost me £400 just for the tyres, the alloys where £350.

You have done well...

[a4gee]

I checked the price of the Michelin Alpins in Germany and they were still €120 each, without the alloy rim.

share the love Mike?