I'm about to buy a spare set of wheels to put winter tyres on.

I drive around 500+ miles per week, and want the comfort in knowing that regardless of conditions I should be able to keep going. I didn't get stuck last winter, and drove in some interesting snowy conditions a few times. But, at the back of my mind it ocurs to me that winter tyres must exist for a reason.

So, before I spend the better part of four figures, does a RR really need winter tyres or am I being overly concerned?

Thanks

What type of tyres have you got on your existing wheels was my first thought?

Standard contis which came on a MY12.

Not sure an extra set of wheels & tyres is necessary for everyone using a RR in the UK. Usually buy a good all year round tyre no matter the car and drive within my own and the vehicle's capabilities... never come unstuck in a 4x4 or standard 2WD car, despite some heavy winters in the past few years.

tyrereviews.co.uk is a good website if you've not seen it and might help

Thanks

this very topic has been on my mind recently, I used to have a summer set and then an offroad/winter set....to be honest as things are a bit tight I am getting a nice refurb'd set of 20s and then putting a good all rounder on, Cooper LTZ or similar....I do less than 12k a year so the extra cost of all rounder tyre I can justify Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

The standard vehicle with a decent set of road tyres is an exceptional vehicle and will get you around when others become stuck but it really depends on your own situation, I went through the same dilemma last year and because I live in a fairly remote area on top of a large hill down a farm lane that does not get plowed or gritted unless the farmer does it I opted to get a set of winters. I'm in North Yorkshire and we got a fair amount of snow but the only day I got stuck was when the lane got blocked by two abandoned cars (including a Freelander on normal tyres) I didn't miss a day of work when others did, I could get to where I needed all the time and knew I was as best prepared as I could be. If I lived near a main road or a train station I probably would have made a different decision. This is what my road looked like when we got a decent amount of snow and I had no issues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEA9QFPVTi4 2021 P400 Silicon Silver AB
Gone 2011 Bournville TDV8 VSE
Gone 2008 Black Canadian HSE LUX

no. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Straight to the point Stan What I meant by it depends is imagine your are self employed or contracting or have a pregnant wife or a sick child you may want the extra comfort of knowing you will have a better chance in the snow with winters so I will stick by 'depends' IMO  2021 P400 Silicon Silver AB
Gone 2011 Bournville TDV8 VSE
Gone 2008 Black Canadian HSE LUX

Living on a main road with easy access to the Motorways and of course being retired (if it snows I say at home) I will get by with the Nexens I just ordered. Although I did venture out for fun last winter in the snow and drove past lots of abandoned vehicles, towed another out of trouble and then past a stuck snow plough. All on standard tyres  Geoff

If you want better grip on icy roads, then yes.

These discussions seem to revolve around " getting stuck ot getting through"
I think being safer is more important.
I am driving on Wintrac 4extremes, all year round.( temps here last month or so 38-40C. But in Winter , as I am at the gateway to the Park with the highest mountain here, we have many roads with warning signs of "Gel" or ice, and sure enough some manages to kill himself and others every year.
When it rains, there are torrential downpours, where locals crap themselves , and crawl around at 30kmh.
In both situations, I feel SAFE!
No doubt the following will cause dissent, but it is safer to drive on Winter tires in Summer, than on Summer tire in Winter. Stats show more accidents occur in Winter than in Summer ie decreased visibility, less grip on road.
As I understand it, a vehicle on Summer tires in Winter, needs about 5 meters More ,to come to a stop, than a car on Winter tyres in Winter.
A vehicle on Winter tyres in Summer, tested under similar conditions, needed 1 meter more to stop.
Looking at mine, I think more wear does occur in Summer, due to the softer compound, OR I am driving more wildly in Summer? ( yes, Mikey, I am trying to be more careful after reading your posting on your life-saving work and fire-engines not invvolved in traffic accidents- it definitely makes one think! ) Range Rover Vogue TD6 2002
Defender TD5 90Hard Top 2001
Range Rover Classic TDi 1994
Mercedes Benz 1959 220S Sedan

Reading your post Fame, i wonder if it is not forbidden in all EU to drive on summer tyres in winter. Here insurance companies will not pay out if you are driving on summer tyres during winter weather. I think in Germany it's the same. ???

There will be plenty more answers to this coming up - I'm sure !

Think of winter tyres assisting you to STOP as opposed to GO.
The tread pattern on them tends to look more aggressive than the standard tyres, although the "standard" tyres fitted to FF's are pretty effective anyway.
Crucially, however, winter tyres are constructed of different materials to either "summer" tyres or all year rounders.
Whilst winter tyres have a tendency to wear more quickly than the all rounders, they are far more effective in colder temperatures. By that, they are proven to stop a car in a considerably shorter distance. If your cars weighs 2.5 tons (ish), they can stop you a good distance less !

That being said, I'm with Stan on this one. I drove my last FF easily in the winter before last and we had a hell of alot of snow and ice here. The car was a standard Td6 on 18" Goodyear Wranglers - nothing special - it was superb. Not only for the "going", but also the "stopping".

My latest motor has the standard 19" Scorpions on - I see no reason to change.

 Where do you go after one of these . . . ?

For me there's no option, and having driven over mountain passes in snow storms I wouldn't want to be on anything else.

As for cost - it's not as much as people make out. You're only using one set of rubber at a time, and another set of wheels are pretty cheap if you're not fussy about size and type.