tyre question

Hi,

I bought a Mondeo last October with "Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tyres". In the snow last year these tyres were awful. I got a few yards to the end of my road and then got stuck and had to be pushed back home!

I've just typed Hankook... etc into google. Auto express reviewed these tyres and did not like them: they came last of the all the tyres tested. But other sites seem to have good reviews; so I don't know who to believe. That said, many of the positive reviews are on tyre selling web sites, so perhaps they have an interest in encouraging you to buy or perhaps they are reviews from customers who have not driven in the wet or snow or had other tyres to compare them with?

I've measured the front tyres today and one side is 3mm and one is

4mm. Should I be concerned that the one side is more worn than the other?

I've always thought 3mm was a good time to change them, so should I change now or wait for the 4mm to wear another mill?

The rears have already been changed to Rain Expert.

I'm not sure what to do.

Option 1. Put Rain Experts on the front to give me Rain Experts all around. But presumably these would not be as good as winter tyres in the snow?

Option 2. Ask them to take all four tyres off. Dispose of the Hankooks and give me the Rain Experts back to keep until next spring. Put four winter tyres on the car. Then in the spring, remove the winter tyres and fit the two saved Rain Experts and buy two new Rain Experts.

The tyres are, I think, 215/55R16.

I know some people keep their summer and winter tyres on separate rims. I don't have a spare set of rims, so this way saves me from having to buy any. A second set of alloys would cost too much and I don't know whether a set of steel rims might look a bit ugly?

If I did go down the new rim route, would I be better to buy narrower rims and tyres for the winter set?

What would you suggest?

TIA

Reply to
Fred
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In message , Fred writes

Sacrifice vanity for that smug feeling as you drive effortlessly past your neighbours who are sliding about helplessly in the snow.

Seriously, winter tyres are so much safer in cold temperatures as well as being stonkingly good in the snow. Get some steel rims and some good winter tyres. You will get 3 or 4 winters out of them depending on your mileage and swapping the wheels is much easier that changing tyres on the same rims.

Yes.

I've got Nokian tyres on my Focus and they are great. They are a Finnish company and they know a thing or two about winter driving.

Reply to
Paul Giverin
[...]

Might there be implications with your insurance company if you change from the standard specification?

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

This would be sensible - Rain Experts are pretty handy in snowy conditions anyway (at least the fresh ones on my MX5 were last year).

Ideally, you want a spare set of wheels with winters on them, though. I have winters (Marangoni 4Winter) on the MX5 at the moment and it feels very sure footed on slippery winter roads. Looking forward to trying it in the snow.

Reply to
SteveH

Probably not, but you'll only know if you ask them.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

Yes, I was thinking of Nokian. I had them on my last car. When the spring came I didn't bother swapping them, I guess it saved me the time and money of buying a summer set and swapping them over. I'm not sure whether that had any disadvantages? At the time I thought a winter tyre in the summer was better than a summer tyre in the winter.

Reply to
Fred

I think as long as the narrower size is specified in the manufacturer's handbook, it is ok. What size do you go for: the absolute narrowest listed? Do I get four space saver rims and use those?!

Reply to
Fred

As a rule, the manufacturer's approved winter size is smaller and narrower- it's best to ask a dealer.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

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