AutoExpress
tests winter tyres
Gordon Hesketh-Jones provides useful feedback on his tyre
choices as a heavy MGBGTV8 user and highlights an AutoExpress
winter tyre test.
Which? magazine winter tyre test report. More
See our briefing note on winter tyres. More
Are winter tyres worth the expense? - see our article from December
2010. More
Are snow socks a low cost alternative to winter tyres or snow
chains? More
See a
winter tyres update from Chris Hunt Cooke. More
Further
update. More
Posted:
191211
|
Visit the AutoExpress website and see a video clip
of their useful tyre tests. More |
Gordon
Hesketh-Jones, an all the year round high mileage
MGBGTV8 driver, notes "AutoExpress ran a reasonably
scientific Winter Tyre test in one of their October
editions, the actual tests being carried out in
Sweden for the snow tests and then in Hanover for
the dry and wet comparative tests." |
Gordon adds that "predictably the Continental
tyres came out best - but we all know that they
are sold out. Mentally I had decided (old-fart prejudice)
against the Asian makes, but I was quite impressed
by the scores for Hankook etc. I do have some spare
V8 wheels but feel that my main requirement is in
improved braking; I have frequently driven home
through snow from Exeter or Plymouth and have found
that the RWD MGBGTV8 with its old-fashioned low-end
torque can maintain traction even when modern FWD
cars are spinning their front wheels to a frustrated
standstill. I plan therefore to fit initially Winter
tyres to the front only; as to the make, the chart
above is useful, but it depends on availability.
AutoExpress mention mytyres.co.uk and I see that
their local fitting agents charge £17.45 for
fitting, balancing and disposing of the old tyre.
I also spoke to my local ATS depot who have been
supplying my tyres for approaching 30 years and
they quoted £15 per corner.
On a related point, all my V8 mileage has been on
Michelin X tyres and their various successor versions.
These tyres carry a pronounced bead around the side,
this being originally at the behest of Mercedes
who required it to protect their newly-introduced
alloy wheels. I routinely asked ATS last August
to order some new Michelins for me; every so often
I called in to check progress, and last week ATS
became frustrated and did some serious delving -
only to find out that our size of tyre in that X-successor
range (the Energy/MXV) has been totally discontinued.
As a result of this I plan to switch to Hankook
tyres (if I can get them) as they came out well
as an all-season tyre.
Remember you don't need snow for winter tyres to
show a benefit for winter driving - they work considerably
better in all conditions as temperatures drop below
7C. In some parts of the UK that can be as early
as September or October. With average winter temperatures
of 3.7C, winter tyres can offer 60% more grip than
summer tyres and noticeably more traction and steering
response. |
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