Winter Wheels fitted

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by ergonomist

Oh - and I have a set of four winter wheels

Originally Posted by ergonomist

If you expect to drive in snow (eg travel to the Alps etc or based in rural Scotland) then winter tyres are probably a given.

Tick, I do live in rural Scotland and can honestly say I have never felt the need to fit winter tyres. That includes 5yrs with a 5 series Beemer, which was certainly not the best.

I am not against them, I acknowledge they do make a difference and probably prevent accidents, however I cannot help but wonder how many people religiously change tyres and never actually have a need for the benefits?

I'm hoping to pick up a new XC60 next week, are the folks here really suggesting I should immediately change the wheels and tyres?

[WhatNext?]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Tick, I do live in rural Scotland and can honestly say I have never felt the need to fit winter tyres. That includes 5yrs with a 5 series Beemer, which was certainly not the best.

I am not against them, I acknowledge they do make a difference and probably prevent accidents, however I cannot help but wonder how many people religiously change tyres and never actually have a need for the benefits?

I'm hoping to pick up a new XC60 next week, are the folks here really suggesting I should immediately change the wheels and tyres?

I am in central Scotland and I did, before even driving away from the dealers for the first time

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by Bloke69

I am in central Scotland and I did, before even driving away from the dealers for the first time

Aye, but did you need to? Was the added grip necessary, or did it simply give you 80% margin whereas not changing them would have left you with 50%, when in fact you never even got close to that?

[Haldex]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

I acknowledge they do make a difference and probably prevent accidents, however I cannot help but wonder how many people religiously change tyres and never actually have a need for the benefits?

[foggyjames]

For my money, it was night and day different. When I do a lot of motoring in all weathers, it's money well spent. Just watch that video, especially the braking test, and tell me it doesn't make you think twice!

I don't mean to sound sanctimonious...I didn't buy any for the P3 last year owing to a restricted budget...but I also ended up kissing a kerb in snow and badly kerbing a rim...

cheers

James

[ergonomist]

I'm absolutely not advocating who should/shouldn't fit winter tyres. Honest... But I do contend that winter tyres provide better braking performance in the winter (whether there is snow or not). Good drivers can cope with poor grip. But better grip is better... Ultimately it's for you to judge how much that better grip is worth to you. I won't push anyone to fit winter tyres provided they don't criticise me for doing so ... but I do agree with I Feel Old - just because you haven't needed the extra grip doesn't mean you won't tomorrow...

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Tick, I do live in rural Scotland and can honestly say I have never felt the need to fit winter tyres. That includes 5yrs with a 5 series Beemer, which was certainly not the best.

I am not against them, I acknowledge they do make a difference and probably prevent accidents, however I cannot help but wonder how many people religiously change tyres and never actually have a need for the benefits?

I'm hoping to pick up a new XC60 next week, are the folks here really suggesting I should immediately change the wheels and tyres?

I dont think anyone is telling you what to do, just that there are a number of people here who like the benefits of winter tyres. And also TBH we are all a bit car nerdy so we like swapping wheels then building a storage box for them in the garage and stuff like that. I guess if you are a west coast resident then temperatures are that bit warmer, but my friends used to live outside Inverurie and he ended up running winters all year round. He reckoned if he ran summers he would have had a few nights stuck in the car on the A96 but with winters he got home. He couldnt be bothered to swap them off again.

Good luck with the new car and I am sure you will be pleased if you have winters or summers on it. Just dont put winters on the front only! Oh and if you live anywhere near Auchterarder watch out for a spinning S90 coming past you.....!

[I Feel Old]

Right, who has an XC60 on winter rubber I can borrow to throw around to get a better understating of the difference?

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

And also TBH we are all a bit car nerdy so we like swapping wheels then building a storage box for them in the garage and stuff like that.

That makes a lot of sense. Good fun too!

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Good luck with the new car and I am sure you will be pleased if you have winters or summers on it.

Many thanks, I've never owned a Volvo. When looking around dealerships it seemed silly not to drop in to the Volvo dealership. We were attracted by the XC40, had a drive and liked it. On mentioning it elsewhere it was suggested I should drive the XC60 if I was considering Volvo. I did and preferred it to the XC40. I'm looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Just dont put winters on the front only!

No chance!

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Oh and if you live anywhere near Auchterarder watch out for a spinning S90 coming past you.....!

Naughty.

[MaDProFF]

Funny as it seems, people with winter tyres cannot seem to explain in a convincing way enough to anyone who has never driven in snow and ice on winters tyres how good they really are.

It really is night and day, until you have had the experience you will never understand how passionate we winter tyre users are.

[Wizzpop]

Here on the south coast I'm not sure about needing winter tyres. Having said that I was offered a set of Volvo Mannam wheels and winter tyres, for my V40, by my dealer at a price I coudn't refuse. Unfortunately they are not the right size for my V60 T5, so they are sitting in my garage looking for a new home, whilst I am hoping we don't have too severe a winter.

Reminiscing to those days when we had snow most years in NE London/Essex, I learnt to drive with a light foot on accelerator and brake, and with gentle steering. OK the tyres were not as technical as they are today, nor were the cars so powerful.