[Latetotheparty]

I have two sets of wheels, one for summer and one for winter. I have recently retired a set of Michelin Alpin winter tyres, over 40,000 miles driven, and old rather than worn out. I will probably do the same with a set of Michelin Primacy summer tyres over 45,000 miles driven also not worn out but getting old. The Yeti has done 128,000 miles since new and has only had three sets of tyres since new. Michelin are more expensive but you get what you pay for, I have fitted Michelin cross climates to the winter wheels and when I swap over in a few weeks time will probably leave them on all the time, with no more swapping.

Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. I’m amazed at the condition of the two sets of tyres, not even worn, just old. I like the sound of the cross climates…
Not being au fait with tyres and swapping them according to seasons, do you think Michelin cross climate would suffice?
I hasten to add the Firestones were not my choice, but what the dealer was willing to pay for before I drove it away.
Loving this site! It’s a real source of information and I’m slowly being educated in the ways of the Yeti.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. I’m amazed at the condition of the two sets of tyres, not even worn, just old. I like the sound of the cross climates…
Not being au fait with tyres and swapping them according to seasons, do you think Michelin cross climate would suffice?
I hasten to add the Firestones were not my choice, but what the dealer was willing to pay for before I drove it away.
Loving this site! It’s a real source of information and I’m slowly being educated in the ways of the Yeti.

Nto all tyres are equal….

 

[Latetotheparty]

Croaa climates perfect for what you want.

Thank you For the endorsement!

 

[Latetotheparty]

I have two sets of wheels, one for summer and one for winter. I have recently retired a set of Michelin Alpin winter tyres, over 40,000 miles driven, and old rather than worn out. I will probably do the same with a set of Michelin Primacy summer tyres over 45,000 miles driven also not worn out but getting old. The Yeti has done 128,000 miles since new and has only had three sets of tyres since new. Michelin are more expensive but you get what you pay for, I have fitted Michelin cross climates to the winter wheels and when I swap over in a few weeks time will probably leave them on all the time, with no more swapping.

The cross climates are intended for year round use, they are much softer than the others so it will be interesting to see how they do. I got mine from Costco and they were £120 a corner fitted, The 225/50/17 were the same price but the 16's are a far better ride with the extra air between the rim and road.
As a member of 4x4 Response I need to be able to get around regardless of the weather.

Showing my obvious naivety here… I have a SKODA YETI OUTDOOR SE L DRIVE HATCHBACK 1.2 MANUAL 5dr, can I fit 16’s to my car?

 

[Latetotheparty]

Cross Climate 2's outperform many winter tyres for snow traction.

View attachment 10263

Thank you.
That‘s a mean looking tyre!

 

[Latetotheparty]

You could but obviously you'd need a set of 16" wheels

Oops, I think mine are 17”

 

[Latetotheparty]

The standard wheels for a Yeti are 17" (other than the Greenline which had 16" wheels) I have a set of 16" Audi wheels which I bought before my Yeti was delivered brand new. I bought them on eBay as a collect only purchase as prices for such items are lower than when delivery is included as an option.

Here are both sizes side by side off and on the vehicle which shows the increase in sidewall, the ride quality is like chalk and cheese. Some Yeti owners managed to get the wheels changed to 16" when ordering but Skoda soon stopped doing that.


View attachment 10264
View attachment 10265

Thank you for the photos.
A significant difference I would say judging by the thickness of the wall on the 16”.
Such a shame, I would have liked the extra comfy ride but will sadly have to stick to my 17 inches.

 

[Latetotheparty]

I agree - cross climates (or similar all season tyres) are the way forward.

Thank you for your endorsement. I’m now researching Michelin Crossclimate tyres Online. Lots of options regarding where to buy etc. and differences in the price. It’s a minefield! Just looking for a decent price now. But where to start?

 

[Latetotheparty]

For your (OP's) use.
Mich Primacy 4s.

Thank you. I see the Primacy cropping up around the forum.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Depending on your location and the weather conditions that you drive in there are three classes of tyre to consider, summer, all season and winter tyres.

If you are unlikely to spend much time driving on snow or ice summer tyres would suffice. (Primacy)

If you live in an area which gets a decent amount of ice and snow they might be better replaced with all season tyres. (Cross climate)

If you live in the highlands and get regular snow and ice, winter tyres are slightly better than all season, (Alpin) but the gap between all season and winter tyres is getting smaller and they are a very good alternative.

If you are likely to take your car to Europe in the winter, some countries such as Austria specify winter/all season tyres and a minimum tread depth. Others such as Germany recommend winter or all season tyres but they are not a legal requirement (yet), however should you be involved in an accident you would regret not having them. I mention Germany as we have family members there who up until recently stored their winter tyres in a "tyre hotel" and only had one set of wheels, but have swapped to all seasons.

Summer tyres are designed for longevity and water clearance with a less blocky tread pattern, but start to harden below 7 degrees and loose efficiency.

Winter and all season tyres have a blocky tread designed to fill with snow as snow sticks to snow and they do not harden as the temperature gets below 7 degrees. The blocky tread means they do not clear water quite as well as summer tyres. Winter/all season tyres are not necessarily better in wet mud as the treads will fill with slippery mud and could slip/spin even on a four wheel drive.

AT/all terrain/off road tyres are a different matter with aggressive self cleaning tread patterns and can be noisy and fuel hungry, don't go there.

Hmm… now that’s what I call food for thought, and it’s thrown the Primacy tyre into the ring.
I’m erring on the side of CrossClimate, partly based on a couple of experiences I had last year when heading into the depths of snowy Derbyshire mid winter, when I couldn’t even get up a titchy wee slope of about 10ft. (Had the Firestones on the car ) and then had a similar experience on the motorway with sudden heavy snow and turned off pdq through lack of confidence in the tyres and how they were responding, or not.
As we speak I’m perusing prices online rather than wait for the Firestones to get below 3mm, the video health check I received showed some perishing of the rubber too.
I think confidence in the general safety of a car and it’s passengers is paramount, hence deciding to replace tyres.
Am I being over cautious?
Yesterday, someone on here eloquently drew attention to the fatal drawbacks of Inadequate tyres and likened them to widowmakers. It’s all about the safety of those not just inside the car but those outside the car too.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Just discovered ASDA sells tyres!

 

[Latetotheparty]

Any discussion on tyres throws up a multitude of opinions.
For what it's worth, here are mine;

My shortlist for summer tyres would be the Continental PremiumContact 7 or the Michelin Primacy 4+.

And for all-season tyres it would be the Michelin CrossClimate 2 or Hankook Kinergy 4S2.

I now do over 40,000 miles a year, and I'm just in the midst of changing from running all-season tyres year round to having a separate set of summer wheels and tyres.

I have CrossClimate 2 on my daily driver at the moment, and I don't think many UK drivers would need any more winter performance than the CC2 offers. They are truly impressive in the snow, especially given their decent summer capabilities.
However I'm finding their durability is not as good as their Michelin predecessors.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the next tyres I buy will be the Conti PC7 for the autumn, and Hankook 4S2 for this coming winter.

Thank you for sharing your shortlist and insight. I’m certainly drawn more to theCrossClimate 2 especially its snow performance. Winters here in the UK can be so incredibly unpredictable annd it’s all too easy to get caught out.
I can’t imagine how gruelling it must be to drive over 40k a year taking into consideration the dreadful state of the roads, constant roadworks, road closures and the sheer volume of traffic. I used to really enjoy driving but of late it’s becoming a chore. But I STILL love my Yeti!

 

[Latetotheparty]

Thank you for sharing your shortlist and insight. I’m certainly drawn more to theCrossClimate 2 especially its snow performance. Winters here in the UK can be so incredibly unpredictable annd it’s all too easy to get caught out.
I can’t imagine how gruelling it must be to drive over 40k a year taking into consideration the dreadful state of the roads, constant roadworks, road closures and the sheer volume of traffic. I used to really enjoy driving but of late it’s becoming a chore. But I STILL love my Yeti!

Can I just throw a general question out there to everyone…
what’s the difference between these two tyres?

Primacy is a very good summer tyre mine have done over 45,000 miles and I am about to pension them off with lots of tread left. When the temperature drops in a few weeks I will fit the 16 inch wheels with cross climates having retired the Alpins, and leave them on permanently. I have four sets of wheels and tyres across two cars and am downsizing stock. My only concern is how soft the CC's are.
The 17 inch wheels and elderly Primacy tyres will be stashed out of the way and if the car should be sold on will go with it. The longevity of the Primacy and Alpin tyres make having two sets uneconomical.

Oh the joys of having so much choice!
You have obviously given great thought over the years to your tyres and have chosen wisely. You have quite a collection!
I don’t suppose you’re interested in a full set of less than three year old Firestone Roadhawks with just 3mm tread and some perishing? Ha ha!🤣

 

[Latetotheparty]

Primacy is a very good summer tyre mine have done over 45,000 miles and I am about to pension them off with lots of tread left. When the temperature drops in a few weeks I will fit the 16 inch wheels with cross climates having retired the Alpins, and leave them on permanently. I have four sets of wheels and tyres across two cars and am downsizing stock. My only concern is how soft the CC's are.
The 17 inch wheels and elderly Primacy tyres will be stashed out of the way and if the car should be sold on will go with it. The longevity of the Primacy and Alpin tyres make having two sets uneconomical.

The picture below is Aachen 2010 (pre Yeti), the arrow points to the top of my roof, 14 inches of snow in one night, the car had been parked clean of all snow, now that is what I call snow.

View attachment 10267

Impressive! That would bring the UK to a grinding halt.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Which two tyres were you referring to?

Which two tyres were you referring to?

 

[Latetotheparty]

Different load index and speed rating.
This explains it :-

Tyre markings explained: How to read a tyre? | MICHELIN

Tyre markings are a mine of information for those who know how to interpret them. Understanding the information on the sidewall of your tyres will help you choose the best tyres for your application and to look after your investment and your safety in future. What do they mean? In this article...

www.michelin.co.uk

Thank you, that’s incredibly useful. I have certainly been well educated in this thread with regards to learning about tyres, though not quite ready for Mastermind 😂

 

[Latetotheparty]

If you EVER plan to drive your car in snow or icy conditions, then do not buy summer tyres. Even if that's only once in your lifetime of owning the vehicle - all-season or winter tyres work in snow and ice - summer tyres do not.
I personally believe it should be illegal to be out in wintery conditions with summer tyres - they are accidents waiting to happen and idiots on summer tyres that are unable to get away from junctions because their wheels just spin are what cause this country to go into gridlock and people getting stuck in their cars in snow for hours on end - basically costing lives.

Only buy summer tyres if you NEVER EVER will use your car in the snow.

Thank you for the heads up.
Following solid advice and suggestions on this forum I’m looking at Michelin CrossClimate2.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Thank you for the heads up.
Following solid advice and suggestions on this forum I’m looking at Michelin CrossClimate2.

Also spend quite some time researching online the tyres reliability and performance as well as reading forum member’s experiences.

 

[Latetotheparty]

I can only echo @137699's advice. My Yeti (20,000 miles) is on it's original Pirelli Cinturato P7 (summer) tyres. This never used to worry me because I do not drive in conditions of snow and ice. Then last year while visiting my sister, we had an unexpected fall of an inch of snow. The short drive home was horrendous. I have never owned a car that has performed so badly in these conditions. The tyres seemed to 'ski' over the snow rather than cut a path through it.

I may never drive my Yeti in snow or icy conditions again but when the time comes to replace its tyres, I shall take the advice of many on here (and on the Darkside) and fit Cross Climates.

That’s the thing, it doesn’t even have to be inches of snow to find out how inadequate tyres can be. I’m always amazed at how many cars slip and slide and run into the ditch when we’ve only had a sprinkling of snow.