Winter tyres - changing car

a_ominous

Hi
I would be interested to know peoples experience of winter tyre ownership.
I'm moving to Germany and winter tyres are compulsory from October to April. I've read some people prefer to buy second set of wheels for winter tyres, but I won't be doing this. My current set of tyres, originals I believe, nearly have 100000km now and due for replacing anyway.

Since my car is already 6 years old and winter tyres supposedly good for up to 10 years, what happens if I change my car, which has different wheel size?
Here in Ireland, I have just driven on my all season tyres until they needed replacing. No storage issues. I've also seen websites for companies that will store the tyres but that's a problem for next year.

I don't see the problem here. Just sell it with the tyres

Winter or 4-season tyres with the Alpine symbol will meet the requirements in Germany. If you sell the car the tyres go with it presumably.

AUDI20

I would like to know the brand of tyres you are using to get 100,000km out of them?

a_ominous

AUDI20 wrote: »

I would like to know the brand of tyres you are using to get 100,000km out of them?

They're Bridgestone ER300 Turanzas. I bought car at 4 years with 38000 on it and I've clocked up 60000 in 2.5 years. Clocked up >4000km alone in July.

a_ominous

Augeo wrote: »

Winter or 4-season tyres with the Alpine symbol will meet the requirements in Germany. If you sell the car the tyres go with it presumably.

Agreed.

I wasn't clear. If I sell car next summer, I have a set of winter tyres in a locker for my old car that I've spent 700 euro on. Expect new owner to take them for a price?

wonski

a_ominous wrote: »

Agreed.

I wasn't clear. If I sell car next summer, I have a set of winter tyres in a locker for my old car that I've spent 700 euro on. Expect new owner to take them for a price?

Expect new owner to haggle down if you don't include them.

It work both ways.

Normally cars are sold with winter/summer set in the boot.

If it's not there and winter is close the buyer will tell you to knock few hundreds off anyway

Cee-Jay-Cee

That’s amazing mileage from the Turanzas!!

Don’t expect to get 10 years use from winter tyres if they’re being used all year around. You’ll be lucky to get 3 years use doing average mileage as they’re much softer compound and wear quickly in dry warm weather.

I have a set of Yokohama Ice Guard tyres (full winter tyres) that I have been using now and then over the last 10/12 winters. I might only use them for 2 or 3 weeks in total. They still have 5/6mm thread and the rubber is still very soft and sponges as it should be. The tyres themselves are 18 years old and were on a set of wheels I bought years ago, I’ll get many more years use out of them I hope. They’re stored indoors in the garage when not in use.

CiniO

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

That’s amazing mileage from the Turanzas!!

All depends on driving conditions.
I was struggling to get 15k kilometres from a set of front tyres when driving on bendy Mayo roads. No matter if it were budget Nankangs, or premium Michelins.
Now driving the same car (same driving style) in Poland, mostly on motorways and some city driving my tyres are only half worn after 50k kilometres.

Don’t expect to get 10 years use from winter tyres if they’re being used all year around. You’ll be lucky to get 3 years use doing average mileage as they’re much softer compound and wear quickly in dry warm weather.

On the one hand that's true.
On the other hand though, winter tyres once they are few years old (3 maybe 4) compound becomes harder and IMO they wear down slower than summer tyres even when driven in hot conditions in the summer.

CiniO

OP depending on region in Germany you'll be living at, you might consider all season tyres.
They are legal to use there in the winter same as winter tyres.

Most would be very far from providing good traction on snow like winter tyres, but as I said depending on region you'll be living at, you might actually never see snow on the roads.

spaceHopper

Is your car an Irish car and how long are you going to Germany for. I'd sell the you car and get a LHD car over there with winter tyres. Then stop over thinking it. Buy a second hand set wheel there and put summer tyres on them when the time comes. The Germans are doing this all the time there must be a way, like you said, payed storage...

If you get a nice car in Germany, keep it for 1 year and then bring it home with out having to pay VRT. OK the wheel is on the wrong side for here but it's a big saving on VRT. You could do it with the likes of camper van the VRT would be 13% of the open market value here and they always over value them