Deliberating Over Winter Tyres

[Wiz201]

I've heard Aygos in snow are rather good even without winter tyres. I've been looking as I'm aware they have a narrow time window before they stop making them and supplies dwindle. I've used winter tyres on my previous two cars and I know they've got me through some pretty bad winter trips to work.

Without them I think I'd feel so nervous, especially when my Jazz went ice skating one morning on a dual carriageway over a motorway It was only because I was going so steady in the first place and I steered it from side to side to avoid hitting the traffic. I remember that day as Black Ice Wednesday of 2009 where everybody was affected.

I've been looking at tyres on mytyres.co.uk and there are many in my Aygo's tyre size which seem reasonably priced (£20 - 40) so I'll probably ring Mr Toyota and see if they can match any tyre prices from there as they will do free storage of the other tyres.

How have other people's Aygos faired in snowy conditions?

[korat102]

I think winter tyres are a great idea. I used to use them on my Prius, it had a nightmare of a system that cut the power totally if the wheels lost traction. Going with winter or all seasons tyres really depends how much snow and ice you expect to encounter, I suppose. I don't get very much around my neck of the woods so on my Verso (where I have the option to turn the traction control off), I'll be going with all season tyres, they're a good compromise between the normal (summer) tyres and winter tyres and avoids all that messing about with storage and swapping of wheels twice every year.

Whatever you decide to go for, look at a few reviews first...all tyres are not made equal...

[rajivrattna]

The Aygos sold in UK do not have anti skid/slide as standard and that means you all are more vulnerable during ice and snow. I would definitely get winter tyres. They are your chaep insurance and peace of mind. Besides you will save on the wear and tear on your summer tyres. Don't buy cheap no name chinese winter tyres. They are worse than your regular summer tyres. The yearly winter tyre test from Sweden and Finland, puts Nokian, Continental, Michelin, on top. Some times other makers like Good year, and Pirelli manage to get to the top three but are second choices here.

[Wiz201]

I've seen Avon Ice Touring tyres, they seem to get good reviews and they're a good price at £33 on mytyres. I've had marangonis before but mytyres don't seem to stock them for Aygos. I'll have a final decision and order them around late October and have them put on then. If Mr T can't match any prices below £40 I'll just order them off mytyres as Mr T will still fit tyres even if they're not bought from them.

[rajivrattna]

Mr. T will probably charge you a lot to just shift 4 tyres bought from some one else. I presume that the winter tyres that you order on line comes allready fitted to a rim and balanced. All that is required is to raise your car on a jack, remove your summer tyres and bolt on the new ones. Why not get it done at your local garage? Changing tyres is no rocket science, I do that myself twice a year on two of our cars and it takes me 30 min for each car.

[Wiz201]

Mr. T will probably charge you a lot to just shift 4 tyres bought from some one else. I presume that the winter tyres that you order on line comes allready fitted to a rim and balanced. All that is required is to raise your car on a jack, remove your summer tyres and bolt on the new ones. Why not get it done at your local garage? Changing tyres is no rocket science, I do that myself twice a year on two of our cars and it takes me 30 min for each car.

Mytyres.co.uk don't sell the tyres on rims so they'll be coming naked and I'll have them put on the alloy rims. Mr T in Huddersfield do not charge for swapping over even if you've bought the tyres elsewhere as with the free storage of the summer tyres. I was most pleasently surprised last year when I turned up with my yaris and said, would you swap them? They asked if they were my own but no more quibbles and when I came to collect my car and service lady said nothing to pay, I was taken aback.

[eygo]

after our last winter you maybe better waiting to see if we are to expect some bad winter weather

this year, for example last year i stocked up with loads of de-icer and i still have all of it left now so maybe only

go and buy them if it is necessary for you as you might be spending money you dont need to.

[Wiz201]

after our last winter you maybe better waiting to see if we are to expect some bad winter weather

this year, for example last year i stocked up with loads of de-icer and i still have all of it left now so maybe only

go and buy them if it is necessary for you as you might be spending money you dont need to.

yeah but these tyres will last me for minimum three years so its not a lot of money really when you look at them long term. Even if it doesn't snow, they'll be more effective under 7 degrees and I start work early so I'm always setting off in dark winter mornings. Black ice is invisible in the dark.

And later on in the year, winter tyre supplies will go down as they stop making them after a period. People had trouble in 2010/2011 winter trying to get tyres and they weren't available. Pays to be prepared for the worst I say :)

[eygo]

yeah totally agree with you ,and with you living in yorkshire you will get more use out of them than i would ,if we get a couple of inches of the white stuff then we are having it bad lol

[korat102]

On the other hand, it's a bit late once the weather men/girls/dogs start talking about a cold spell, the prices will shoot up. Get them before demand outstrips supply...

[ajf350d]

If it helps, there is a seller on eBay who will do a set of 4 14" steel genuine Toyota Aygo wheels for £120, plus Goodyear Ultragrips for £63 each fitted to the wheels.

I'm just debating whether to go with the Goodyear or the Michelin Alpins.

[Wiz201]

Thanks but my budget has to be 40 per tyre max. Did think about steels but I'll have storage problems

[We-go]

Hi Isobel. I also live in Yorshire and decided to get winter tyres for my Aygo. Although the last winter was mild, I did find that going over the moors early one morning in snow, the car was magnificent; hardly a twitch! I looked around for a spare set of steel rims in the usual places, eBay etc, but found that my Toyota garage, Vantage Knaresborough, offered the best price. Also they are incredibly helpful. They will match prices of tyres from elsewhere and fit them on the rims. If you have the space to keep a set of tyres on rims, it is the way to go. Get a good brand of tyres.

By-the-way, other than as a customer, I've no connection with Toyota or the garage!

[rajivrattna]

If you have a garage then you have a place to store the winter tyres. You just pile them up one above the other in a cool , dry and dark place. If you live in a flat and do not have a garage then perhaps a corner in your store room would suffice. These are quite small tyres compared to the SUV tyres.

[Wiz201]

After contacting Toyota and checking with Parts King on this forum for options, I've ordered and just had my 4 Avon Ice tourers tyres delivered to my house. Toyota said they will change them for £10 a tyre and store the summer ones for free. I've got it booked in to Toyota in just over a week's time to get them changed and cause I've got a service plan card, they'll do a free courtesy car and I'll ask them for a free winter check.

[rajivrattna]

Here in Sweden, they charge about 20 Euro for changing tyre on all 4 wheels and about 30 Euro for storing them. That is a good price that you have got.