jont- wrote:As for buying more tyres - moot point. You're not wearing out the summer tyres when the winters are on. For the clio I bought a s/h set of alloys which I can probably sell on for what I paid when I get rid of the car.
that can vary - with lots of people on leases it is not inconceivable that on a one year / two year lease the tyres will not need replacing - so there is an extra cost... with inclusive leases where tyres are a part of the built in cost, I don't believe that would include winter tyres and switching...
then there is the cost of switching the tyres over - assuming no second set of wheels which would be a big cost - at anything from c. £40 - £80 for four wheels - twice a year - and if you do the spare as well (assuming you have one!) then that adds a little bit more
then the storage costs - some folks won't have space at home - so the garage might store the spare tyres / wheels for them - but are likely to charge...
it can add up - many households might have 2-4 cars if they have young adults at home - that could be £400 / £500 a year extra...
Gareth wrote:One of my friends in a hilly part of the Cotswolds - a long-term advanced driver - used to find that sometimes he couldn't get home so, for him, winter tyres made his life a heck of a lot better.
I never had an issue in my RRs in any conditions / any terrain - I used Pirelli Scorpions which were M&S, but not winter compound... I drove in scottish hills / mountains in conditions which would normally preclude cars... but had no issues... I would be sure that it would have had no issues in the cotswold hills...
the point being is that Winter tyre compounds are but one tool available to the driver - type of car / attitude to driving / driving skills / etc. all play a part in successfully getting from A to B - and while I would support winter tyres as being a great solution (for the 3 days a year you need them!) to see them as a solution without considering the other changes / skills you need is I think fool-hardy - it can give drivers a sense of mis-placed confidence and superiority...
Alasdair