I have been looking for quite a few weeks now for real winter tyres that will fit my vehicle. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a manufacturer that makes any 'snowflake' marked tyres with the same tyre size as original equipment or the same rolling radius for a smaller diameter wheel as fitted by the manufacturer to lower specification models.
I am going to call the manufacturer to request their advice and to get it in writing.
I found these two websites while searching that may be of interest.
I would probably approach a specialist in tyres in Switzerland, e.g. Kwikfit equiv. You want wheels and tyres (probably about 700-1000 EUR total) and have them put on when you arrive and off when you leave. The cost is around 50 EUR.
Note you are switching wheels and not just the tyres. This is normal ad not a luxury as wheels can come off in secs the tyres switching should only be done when replacing worn out tyres with new ones. Seasonal adjustments are the whole wheel. The garage will also store the unused tyres (wheels+tyres) until you wish to swap back (about 50 EUR per year).
Sorry for EUR prices, but I pay in DE, not sure about CH but assume similar.
If you were thinking of changing in UK and driving over with same then I would actually chat with Kwikfit or similar. Though if you ask them to store your unused wheels/tyres they'll probably look at you like you are nuts so you'll want space in your garage/shed.
Do you already have a spare set of wheels for your winter tyres? If so the size of the wheel will probably be stamped or cast into the wheel somewhere.
If you do not already have a set of wheels you will most probably need some the same size as your existing set. Your current tyres will have markings on the sidewall that will indicate the tyre size.
I once put a 4*4 Ford Explorer in the ditch in Finland, Had S & M tyres on, which are no use what so ever on sheet ice If I'd had winter tyres I would have been fine.
That said, Winter Tyres in Finland generally means studded. I have yet to see just how good the non studded winter tyres are on the ice. I guess I will find out soon enough, have just ordered my winter tyres for my CR-V
4wd enables you to get the power down on the road over more wheels but it doesn't make much difference when your tyres lose grip when cornering or braking. Winter tyres achieve a reasonably safe level of grip in poor weather conditions.
I was wondering if you need to have an all-wheel drive car in winter? I heard that insurance companies will require you to use snow tires in winter. I was planning to drive up to ski resorts in winter (will you need chains? are they legal there?).
Should I buy the tires from the US and bring them with me? It would be a considerable saving, as my company is paying for the move. Or are there special snow tire requirements?
click here for the Continental Tire Company website and scroll down till you see the tire recommendations for Switzerland. Word of advice, don't cheat and buy All-Season tires. They're just a compromise tire, they under perform in summer and winter.
Winter tires are a must if you are planning on driving into the mountains. I learned the hard way with all season ones I had an all wheel drive car with summer and winter tires and loved it, didn't have to use chains and zipped up the mountain while other people had to put chains on or park and get on the bus. An all wheel drive isn't necessary, but if I buy a car again, then I'll buy one of them.
I managed to answer this question myself, categorically and for life in just 4 hours.
All I needed was:
1 x trip to Flims in Feb
1 X 05:30 start
1 x Audi TT with summer tires
3 x Fully grown adults
The trip took 4 hours, and was broken down as follows: The first 30 minutes spent with "we can do it" bravado The next hour spent in silent terror The remainder of the trip spent discussing the merits of winter tires and AWD estate cars
You pull the passenger seat fully forward and the poor bastard in the back puts their feet behind that seat and their head over the other side. It is not very comfortable.
We now have a AWD estate car so the Audi rarely gets used.
I have noticed many cars in Switzerland in the winter with black steel wheels fitted, presumably, with winter tyres. I have a 2005 Subaru Legacy and cannot find any suitable steel wheels in the UK on which to fit my winter tyres, which have to be laboriously changed onto the standard alloy wheels twice a year. Can anyone help me to locate a steel wheel supplier in Switzerland?
Quite, I thought that when I asked my dealer for winter tyres I would get winter tyres, in fact they came complete with wheels, all for about £400 (equiv). The hub caps came seperate...
Note of warning.. If you trying to buy steel wheels to replace alloys on your Scoobie then you know that really you should ber adjusting your suspension too right? Because you'll know that reason why you have alloys instead of steel in the first place - right?
You have alloys to make it look nice. The reduction of unsprung weight doesn't really apply for most road going cars on sensible roads at sensible speeds.
If you buy Subaru steel wheels, they should simply fit OK...