Winter Tyres - Do They Work?
Published Date: 17th Oct 2013
Although in the UK we do not appear to be sold on the idea yet, winter tyres are becoming big business for the tyre companies across Europe. So ar they worth the cost and do they make much of a difference?.... Well the short answer is yes, read on....
Benefits Of Winter Tyres
On rear wheel drive vehicles in ice/snow/slippy conditions they will make a huge difference in all areas of driving but especially in braking and traction, experts say you should see in excess of a 50% improvement in grip and braking when driving in slippy conditions with winter tyres
On front wheel drive vehicles the benefit is not as drastic but you will still see a significant improvement particularly in braking performance.
Are Winter Tyres Just For Snow/Icy Conditions
In fact winter tyres should provide a significant benefit even in dry conditions at temperatures of 7 degrees Celsius or lower and in similar temperatures in the wet you will see a more significant benefit, they are designed to be used for a sustained time throughout the winter.
Are Winter Tyres Expensive?
There shouldn’t be a big difference between the cost of a set of winter tyres compared with conventional tyres and when you consider the differing cost of many 2WD models against their 4WD equivalent then it’s worth doing some research into the cost of a set of winter tyres. Most tests point to winter tyres equalling or surpassing the benefits of a 4WD drive vehicle on standard tyres.
In short a 2WD model plus a set of winter tyres may well get you around just as well if not better than the equivalent new 4WD model so all you really need to do is the maths!!