Clio 172, what winter tyres do you use?

[AndrewD]

Looking for some recommendations please?

[Tycho]

On my 182 I just keep the usual Goodyear GSD3s on and they are fine apart from in the snow when you just take it slowly.

[simoid]

Didn't have any bother with the current 'summer' Kumho front/Michelin rear in the mega snow of December 2010, and they've been holding on well enough for everyday driving this winter despite the fronts being close to replacement.

[tail slide]

I knew I had to use my 200 Cup mostly as a winter runabout, when my rwd cars are tucked away, but wasn't looking forward to the lack of handling precision on typical soft winter tyres, and also wanted a set I could leave on all year.

I'm familiar with Winters, with a set of highly-rated Sava Eskimo's on daughters Focus 1.8 which are unstoppable up steepest icy hills last winter - eg. a frozen stream across a 1 in 8 hill road. But inevitable downside is soft steering and handling, even running raised pressures.

So after reading latest snow tyre reviews, as a compromise fitted Vredestein Quatrac 3 All-Seasons. Have been almost as precise in dry/wet as the original performance summer tyres, with their reasonably stiff sidewalls, and I'd say 75% of the snow grip of the Sava's. In a mag test (in Evo?) they still stop 5 times quicker on snow than summer tyres.

They were amusingly good in yesterday's UK snow, several 4wd's beeped me when I overtook them safely but quickly

Edited by tail slide on Sunday 5th February 18:44