The two models in question are:
Pirelli 240 Sottozero Serie II run flat Dunlop SP Winter Sport no run flat Would in your opinion the Dunlop not being run flat be a deal breaker?
I'd like to hear some opinions on what of these two brands and models to choose. I'm currently being offered both for a Winter tires set and the Pirelli are a few hundred bucks more expensive.
Depends a little on what they're being used for and whether you need the extra rigidity of run-flat tyres.
What size tyres are you buying, and for what sort of car? Also, is your car equipped with a spare tyre (or re-inflation / sealant kit), or do you need to rely on your run-flat tyre? Finally, do you have large/expensive alloy wheels that you want to protect from damage in the event of a flat?
When you're considering winter tyres, also consider Nokians. They're getting great ratings these days. I fitted them to both of my cars and have been extremely happy with them, much happier than with the Dunlops that were fitted previously.
Be sure to check out the prices on http://www.reifendirekt.ch/ for the same tyres, as they're usually the cheapest place to get tyres in Switzerland. At least you'll know whether the price you're being offered is competitive.
The car is a BMW 5er and yes I will have large/expensive alloy wheels 19''. I will be buying the same wheels set I have for summer because I like them a lot and I can have the off-season rims set repaired every time from minor side contact scratches.
Thank you for the suggestion however I'd prefer to stay on brands I know/trust.
http://www.tcs.ch/de/test-sicherheit...nterreifen.php
Oh well, your loss. As the tests from Sbrinz show, the Nokian was as good as the Dunlop in both tests. At the time I bought mine, they were the top-rated winter tyre tested, across the board.
You may not know the name Nokian, and they're still relatively new at the summer tyre game -- but when it comes to winter tyres, they're the specialists. They're not some Chinese knock-off tyre -- they're European tyres designed and produced in Finland. They know a thing or two about snow up there.
I had the Dunlop Wintersports fitted before. In my experience, the Nokians are better performing in almost every category.
I would go for non-run-flats and would also consider smaller wheels for winter.
My summers are 19" and winters are 18". I'm looking at some Dunlops for next summer.
If buying tyres online, how much does it cost for delivery?
Also what do tyre shops charge to fit them to rims in Switzerland?
Those Nokians looks great from the reviews online, and not expensive.
Agree. But go for Conti runflats.
Careful with the type of run flats as many require a special wheel with a safety bead.
I use Goodyear for snow, Pirelli for dry.
Pirelli, Michelin, or Avon for bikes.
Tom
If you use Reifendirekt, delivery is included. You can have the tyres delivered directly to the shop.
You can compare the prices of various fitting partners. From memory, it cost me about CHF15- per wheel to have the tyres mounted on my rims and fitted to the car, including recycling the old tyres.
+1 for Nokian - I bought a set for last winter after a fair amount of research and was very happy with their performance ...... best I've had to date.
If anyone knows about driving in severe winter conditions, the Finns do.
If you look at the ADAC report, the Continental tyre beats Nokian slightly on every aspect (German grading: 1 is good, 5 is bad)
Isn't the Nokia phone company a spin off from Nokian tyres?
Sorry to say it so directly, but I strongly believe that the ADAC always had a strong bias towards anything German including Continental... all it takes is to change the weighting of all factors just a bit to make the one you like to come out on top. (That said are Continental some of the best tyres money can buy.)
Nokia used to be a company like Siemens or GE producing hundreds of different things. "Nokian" is actually the genitive of Nokia as the company was a part of the group originally called "Nokia's tyres"...
Nokia has been making rubber products like tires for industrial vehicles, cars and bikes since 1932. The mobile phone division was a crazy idea that someone at the tire company had in the beginning of the 90's. Nokia is also known for making rubber boots and cables (and TV's and computer monitors, but that's another story).
If you're interested in the history, check out wikipedia
And the company just sold that crazy idea business to Microsoft yesterday!
Nokian was part of Nokia.
Nokia was bought by Microsoft.
Microsoft products crash all the time.
Do you think these tyres are safe?
Having had Pirelli Sottozeros (Alpina B3x - 245/35R19) and Bridgestone Bizzacks (BMW 530xd 225/45R17) I can only advise you to steer clear of the Bridgestone - they are terrible.
The Sottozeros on the other hand are outstanding - providing an insane level of grip and traction - especially when combined with the rather clever x-drive system.
RFT really doesn't a winter tyre perform so opting away from it may help.
No. Nokia sold their smart phone business to Microsoft, that's all. They will remain a sizeable telecom network producer...
It's actually the other way around - Nokia was part of Nokian Renkaat. Check out the wikipedia link