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Don't know if this is of any use to anyone, but Mytyres is selling winter tyres already fitted onto correctly sized steel wheels for not too bad a price.

I've just bought a set, will update when I recieve them...

Well that was where I bought a set of 5-off back in February - and they are back on again this year. I bought 14" ones so that I could keep the tyres width down to 185 - idealy for maximum winter grip you should drop down to 165. Its Michelin Alpins A2 that I got and they seem to work quite well on my wife's Polo. The wheels look exactly like a 14" version of the steel 15" spare wheel that came with the car.

To be honest, I'd doubt if there are any places based in UK that could supply winter tyres now, even Mytyres will be having a bit of trouble keeping up with orders as Germany made it law to use winter tyres in wintery conditions and tyre manufacturers seem to have only raised their output by 20%.

plus it states a 15 inch wheel and tyre for the gti, instead of the 16's fitted standard, no good for us who are running big brakes then, i cant even get 16" steels over the brakes without spacers fitted, boo

All you have to do is mark a different car that has the right size tyros on a 16inch rim as standard. I had to select a mk3 golf cab to get the right size for the 6n2 GTI

What size of wheel/tyre did it throw up at you Alex?

Hmm I thought it was Mk3 cab, but they appear to have changed the tyre option from a 45 profile to a 50 profile so thats useless!

alexperkins wrote:Hmm I thought it was Mk3 cab, but they appear to have changed the tyre option from a 45 profile to a 50 profile so thats useless!

I think they are changing what's available based on stock levels. I've just looked again and the set that I bought are no longer on the site either...

RUM4MO wrote:To be honest, I'd doubt if there are any places based in UK that could supply winter tyres now, even Mytyres will be having a bit of trouble

RUM4MO - You were right.
Just got an email to say that my order is cancelled as there is no stock available. Only took them a week to realise...

That said, the Michelins I've got fitted at the moment are coping quite well with the snow, much better than the 4 mismatched budgets I was rolling on last year. Didn't stop someone going into the back of me at some lights earlier though

Oh well...

blazeguarder wrote:

RUM4MO wrote:To be honest, I'd doubt if there are any places based in UK that could supply winter tyres now, even Mytyres will be having a bit of trouble

RUM4MO - You were right.
Just got an email to say that my order is cancelled as there is no stock available. Only took them a week to realise...

That said, the Michelins I've got fitted at the moment are coping quite well with the snow, much better than the 4 mismatched budgets I was rolling on last year. Didn't stop someone going into the back of me at some lights earlier though

Oh well...

Well that is a proper downer! Not so good that they originally accepted your order. It has been said that in Germany, the country mainly where mytyres end up sourcing their tyres, that some enterprising barstewards are buying up stocks of winter tyres, with the knowledge that Germany's new law concerning their use, was quietly coming along - then they started to drip feed them back into the market, so tyres costing 45 euro last year are costing more like 120 euro this year. Oh to be wise enough to have bought winter tyres before this winter. I was, well not really as I bought mine in late January/early February after I panicked and knew that I really did need them! Then this winter waited until Costco had a 20% off campaign - and missed it ending by a week, as I had even considered, after last winter's experience driving my wife's Polo with winter tyres, that my Passat 4Motion would be able to stop better when asked to by fitting a set - dash!!

By the way, I am assuming that the Michelins that are on your car are not Exaltos - as these good summer tyres are one of the worst performers in ice and snow - and where the very reason why I had to get some Alines fitted for winter. Costco tyre guys now warn you if buying Exaltos that you better find something else to use in winter! Passat 4Motion has Primacy HP on and them with four wheel drive seem to be able to get moving but stopping is not as good as it could be.

RUM4MO wrote:By the way, I am assuming that the Michelins that are on your car are not Exaltos - as these good summer tyres are one of the worst performers in ice and snow - and where the very reason why I had to get some Alines fitted for winter. Costco tyre guys now warn you if buying Exaltos that you better find something else to use in winter! Passat 4Motion has Primacy HP on and them with four wheel drive seem to be able to get moving but stopping is not as good as it could be.

I've got Michelin Pilot HX's on my car at the moment. I've heard similar stories about Exaltos, but these seem to be doing alright... no excessive sideways action at the lights! I seem to be having less trouble in the snow than some of the other cars round my area, and since I'm in absolutely no way an exceptional driver I'm putting it solely down to the tyres...

I've managed to find a set of Pirelli Snowcontact 2's and because Christmas is an impulsive time of year I bought a set of chavtastic alloys from a friend to put them on. Unfortunately they seem to be catching slightly on my brakes so I can't use the new tyres, but I managed about half a mile before I realised and one word sums up winter tyres. Wow

I'd seriously recommend these, they are awesome. Takes all the drama out of driving on snow. I went out on the same road with my standard tyres on a half hour later and the difference in traction was huge. Well worth the money IMO