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Ads90



Member Since: 16 Jun 2008
Location: Cots-on-the-Wolds
Posts: 800

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 CSW Keswick Green
Nordic tyres for UK winters?
I have been thinking for some time about getting a second set of wolfs to fit Nokian Hakkapeliitta to as a dedicated winter combo.
Having just watched the test review below, comparing summer/all season/winter/& Nordic tyres, and am surprised how poorly the Nordic perform in any normal UK winter conditions other than actual snow & ice.

Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, after all the Nordic tyres are not designed for, or marketed here - I had just assumed that they would out-perform or at least equal normal all-season tyres in most wet & cold (i.e. 5C & below) conditions.
So to me, it doesn't appear as though they are worth choosing over an all-season for the UK, when considering their improved performance in snow/ice versus the poor performance on cold wet (or even dry) tarmac.

Anyway, for those who are interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKtnczk8Mxk
Post #804856 5th Dec 2019 1:38pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16809

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
A very interesting review, thanks for posting. I wonder if he could be persuaded to repeat the tests in a Defender with a selection of the most popular AT and MT tyres?
Post #804858 5th Dec 2019 2:08pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2045

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
yes was an interesting vid and has persuaded me to most likely put some "cross climates" on the dog shed / wifes car as it does so few miles every year albeit it is around 300ponies............

only thing that no-one seems to answer is how good the cross climates are in 'normal' (dry) summer use if you use the loud pedal a little more
Post #804861 5th Dec 2019 3:21pm
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Ads90



Member Since: 16 Jun 2008
Location: Cots-on-the-Wolds
Posts: 800

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 CSW Keswick Green
blackwolf wrote:
A very interesting review, thanks for posting. I wonder if he could be persuaded to repeat the tests in a Defender with a selection of the most popular AT and MT tyres?

Actually, a test by the same guy came up next on my YouTube feed doing those tyres on a F150.
The results were more as expected though, road bias best for roads, mud best for mud and AT a good all-round compromise!
Post #804881 5th Dec 2019 6:07pm
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miker



Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1758

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Rioja Red
90 Dreamer wrote:
yes was an interesting vid and has persuaded me to most likely put some "cross climates" on the dog shed / wifes car as it does so few miles every year albeit it is around 300ponies............

only thing that no-one seems to answer is how good the cross climates are in 'normal' (dry) summer use if you use the loud pedal a little more


Can't comment particularly on cross-climates, but winter tyres in general get squirmy and wear out fast when abused in the summer.
Post #804883 5th Dec 2019 6:40pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2045

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Yes that's why i wanted something else that was a good year round tyre......car is lucky to do 2000miles most years so having 2x sets of wheels is a nonsense for this vehicle (and i have just a few others to look out for)
Post #804908 5th Dec 2019 8:58pm
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BobT



Member Since: 13 Jan 2017
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 110

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Santorini Black
I use Mitchelin Cross Climates on my taxi, a Toyota Avensis, and think they are brilliant in all weather conditions plus I get decent mileage out of a set.
Not sure of the cost to fit a Defender but I just replaced the front two and got them for £116 each fitted on an offer from Kwik Fit.
Post #804932 6th Dec 2019 7:33am
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
90 Dreamer wrote:
Yes that's why i wanted something else that was a good year round tyre......car is lucky to do 2000miles most years so having 2x sets of wheels is a nonsense for this vehicle (and i have just a few others to look out for)


The go-to reviews of winter tyres (indeed all tyres, as far as I’m aware) is the German ADAC test or the Autobild test. As you’d expect from the Germans, very comprehensive, highly respected and have been conducted for years. Here’s last year’s for winter tyres, but they do other’s for 4x4s, summer tyres etc, just do a Google search.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2019-...e-Test.htm

https://www.oponeo.co.uk/blog/adac-2019-2020-winter-tyre-tests

With regard to using winter tyres year-round, you of course can and many people locally who have tighter budgets do. But if you can afford two sets, then I’d recommend for three main reasons:

1. Winter tyre sipes are completely different to summer (or normal) tyres which have much better patterns for water extraction and better compounds for dry grip. Winter tyres can be quite unpleasant in rain, even on damp roads where they squirm. Given the amount of rain in the UK, or damp conditions, this is worth considering.

2. On dry, warm roads they also perform less well. The compounds in winter tyres are designed to work best at 5c or less, and are a softer compound that grip better on snow once the sipes have filled with snow. As such, with excessive heat, their grip levels get worse. Indeed this is a problem in winter too, when people barrel down motorways to ski resorts and then head straight up snow-covered mountain roads. Whilst they can still work, they are not ‘optimum’. Often advised to pull to one side, grab a coffee and let the tyres return to working temps before heading up the hill. So, in summer, or in fact most of the year under ‘normal driving’, they will be less effective than standard tyres or all-year tyres.

3. Finally, for the reasons mentioned in point 2, (soft compound), winter tyres wear very quickly if driven throughout the year and will need replacing more quickly than an equivalent set of normal/summer tyres.

Based on where you live, if you can afford only one tyre, you should look at how many dry days you have, damp days, wet days and sub-5c days. That’ll govern which tyre you buy, with an all-year tyre perhaps being best if you only have cash for one set. And it’s worth noting that I’ve driven a huge variety of winter tyres (Hankook, Michelin, Vredstein, Continentals, Goodyear, cheapo-things), plus Cooper and BFG year-round 4x4 tyres, and they can vary wildly in ability across all test areas: rain handling/braking, snow handling/braking, ice etc etc. Think really clearly about likely usage type/style/season/car and decide from there. No tyre does it all, good research will govern which suits your usage best, and Nokian Hakkepeliittas may not be the ones for you. Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #804934 6th Dec 2019 8:04am
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Post #804945 6th Dec 2019 9:18am
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kallito



Member Since: 21 Nov 2019
Location: Velturno
Posts: 50

Italy 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Alaska White
Hi

after I tried a steep incline over bumpy iced grass approx. 40deg incline an hour ago
I thought I'll add my experience to the thread.
I went down the hill and then up again reversing in low range, no slippage at all Shocked

The tyres I put on my Jimy is a set of GT Radial Maxmiler WT 1000 Q in 235/85-16
As they are designed for light delivery trucks pondering around in the Alps
it's not your typical choice for an offrad vehicle
but works perfectly as a winter tyre and were recommended by the tyre shop owner
- his brother is 4 wheeling a lot and uses those during winter, off and on road

Personal experience:
Having had rain, snow, slush and icey temperatures the last few weeks now
the commute to work consists of dry and wet as well as iced surfaces
(I live quite high up from the city, 800mt above sea level) and the roads are not cleared often as they only
connect a few houses)
very confidence inspiring on dry, wet, snowy and icey roads (and steep iced grass hills Smile )
fair price - paid 620 Euro in a tyre shop, mounted and balanced
not noisy at all and they weigh approx half of the BFG MT I had on before,
Jimy bounces less around and rides much smoother now Thumbs Up



Post #804983 6th Dec 2019 1:39pm
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
ericvv wrote:
Monsieur Le Grenadier, if I remember well, you just installed a set of new Nokian winter tires. So how do you like those new LT2?
Eric


Salut Eric,

Actually, i was so busy last season I never got round to it and just used the BFGs. However, they’re quite old now and I’m strongly considering a set of wolfs with Nokian. However, we have so few days over the season where the road is covered in snow, and so few roads with season-long hard packed snow, I’m wondering about the value in buying the Hakkeppeliittas which aren’t quite as good over tarmac, as opposed to a tarmac specific winter tyre which on review might be ‘pretty good’ on snow. If you get my drift?

Dgardel, I was with Mrs Grenadier in Cervinia last weekend (bellissima) and had most of the conditions you mentioned. Mrs Grenadier refuses long drives in the DC, despite knowing how cool we’d look with the locals, so we used her TT. She has Conti WinterContact TS860 tyres and they are excellent. Slush, hard packed snow, fresh snow, tarmac with ice glaze, dry tarmac. Worked in all of them. Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #805000 6th Dec 2019 4:05pm
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
90 Dreamer wrote:
yes was an interesting vid and has persuaded me to most likely put some "cross climates" on the dog shed / wifes car as it does so few miles every year albeit it is around 300ponies............

only thing that no-one seems to answer is how good the cross climates are in 'normal' (dry) summer use if you use the loud pedal a little more


Apparently they do these in SUV sizes and they have very good reviews:

https://alltyretests.com/goodyear-vector-4...st-review/ Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #805004 6th Dec 2019 4:16pm
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
One thing I learned. Gravity can not be taken lightly even with the Nokians installed now. My SVX weighs 2.3 tons, and a week ago I was backing down our relatively long driveway which has non slippery stone pavement, but which has a light very dry fresh snow cover. Driveway is pretty steep at 9 to 10°, and even proceeding very slow, the SVX started sliding downward. I had to release the brakes to steer it between the open gate. Was lucky to just be able to steer it onto our narrow lane and not in the opposite side neighbours garden. Even Nokians command extreme care here on our mountain.
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o
https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I
https://vimeo.com/201482507
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw
Post #805019 6th Dec 2019 5:33pm
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
I think I might try these....
These look like they might strike a nice balance between SUV, Winter, Snow. Good wet weather traction as well...

https://www.coopertire.fr/nouvelles/d/!/27...r-at34s-ty Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #805023 6th Dec 2019 5:50pm
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jonny



Member Since: 10 Mar 2013
Location: North Wilts
Posts: 143

90 Dreamer wrote:
yes was an interesting vid and has persuaded me to most likely put some "cross climates" on the dog shed / wifes car as it does so few miles every year albeit it is around 300ponies............

only thing that no-one seems to answer is how good the cross climates are in 'normal' (dry) summer use if you use the loud pedal a little more


I've got Cross Climate+ on my Subaru.. They seem very good to me - much quieter than the tyres that came off, seem to have decent grip in the wet / dry / cold / snow etc and are wearing very well. I'd buy them again...
Post #805071 6th Dec 2019 8:05pm
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