Top 3 tyres for best grip in cold/wet conditions

[Tim.]

I've currently got Turinis with Hankook Ventus V12 Evos in 205/45/16 but having recently switched from 2118s and Yokohama AD08Rs (195/50/15) I'm finding the Hankooks a little lacking.

I want to swap to something that will tide me over until things warm up next year when the Yokos will go back on. I'm only likely to cover 1,000 miles in that time.

I'm not too concerned with cost or value for money, I just after recommendations for the top 3 best performing tyres offering maximum grip for the wet & cold months of November through March. If it's icy or snowing I won't be driving, so dedicated winter tyres needn't be considered, but everything else is fair game... What should I be considering?

 

[Cub.]

My P Zero Nero were putting up with some serious stick in mine today. They only lost grip when I went 'full r****d' with the right pedal :smile:

Same tyres I did Wales on, and you saw how they were then. Great all rounder IMO.

 

[George182]

I really rate the P Zero Nero's too - they are my regular road tyre and are an excellent all rounder.

 

[Mini182]

Winter tyres are the way forward mate.

They work better in temps below 7 degrees. They are not just for the snow.

 

[TimR26]

Goodyear Asymmetric 2's are great in the wet. They are the tyres I used in that monsoon at Llandow.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

I can't comment on the other tyres above or compare as I've no experience of them . But I've been running Uniroyal Rainsport 3's for the past month now and the grip they offer in the wet is fanatastic . It was absolutely pouring down today , lots and lots of standing water and they just drive through it as if it was dry . I really rate them , had the Rainsport 2's previously and rated them also . You'll get people saying the sidewalls are soft , personally i don't think that's the case , i think It's more to do with the soft compound and quite tall tread blocks . I won't even consider another tyre now , baring in mind where i live in the North West it rains hell of alot .

 

[Tim.]

Winter tyres are the way forward mate.

They work better in temps below 7 degrees. They are not just for the snow.

Totally with you - I've got Dunlop Winter Sport 4Ds on the 3 series, but that's driven differently to the Clio.

Do you think winters would offer more grip than something like a P Zero Nero, or Asymetric2, on average, over the next 4/5 months?

 

[George182]

Yes.

 

[coverman]

My personal preference for all year round Vredestein Sportrac 5.

 

[TimR26]

Winter tyres perform worse if temperature isn't low enough and it's unlikely Tim will be driving the Trophy in those conditions.

 

[Briv6]

The Goodyear tyres mentioned by tim are fantastic and have lasted me longer than michelins

 

[TimR26]

The Goodyear tyres mentioned by tim are fantastic and have lasted me longer than michelins

That's my experience as well having switched to Goodyear from the PS3's my R26 originally came with.

Cheaper as well.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

I can't comment on the other tyres above or compare as I've no experience of them . But I've been running Uniroyal Rainsport 3's for the past month now and the grip they offer in the wet is fanatastic . It was absolutely pouring down today , lots and lots of standing water and they just drive through it as if it was dry . I really rate them , had the Rainsport 2's previously and rated them also . You'll get people saying the sidewalls are soft , personally i don't think that's the case , i think It's more to do with the soft compound and quite tall tread blocks . I won't even consider another tyre now , baring in mind where i live in the North West it rains hell of alot .

I find the uniroyals are good when tread is at 6mm - like you say, the blocks are quite tall!

 

[16_Valve]

If you're not looking for dedicated winter tyres then 'Michelin HP Primacy' are very good for wet conditions imho.. Dedicated winter tyres, I'd personally opt for Goodyear Ultra Grip's..

 

[finch wxm]

I have the good years on my 400bhp Nissan to keep the rear gripping , great tyres !

 

[ed55j]

Why not put the yokos back on? They will be fine as long as their is plenty of tread on them.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Have you checked the pressures in the Hankooks, Tim ? It might be 10-15C colder than when you last ran them...
Also, if these are going to be winter only tyres, get some M&S tyres .. (mud and snow, not bloody marks+sparks..)

My Nokian WR A3's are amazing in the cold/wet, and you wouldn't know they were winters even when it's 20C. Hankook W300s (or something similar) i had before than were sloppy when it was warm, but these are unreal. I can't wait until there's some proper cold stuff to see what they can do !

 

[Tim.]

Why not put the yokos back on? They will be fine as long as their is plenty of tread on them.

It's definitely an option I'm considering.

 

[Tim.]

Have you checked the pressures in the Hankooks, Tim ? It might be 10-15C colder than when you last ran them...
Also, if these are going to be winter only tyres, get some M&S tyres .. (mud and snow, not bloody marks+sparks..)

My Nokian WR A3's are amazing in the cold/wet, and you wouldn't know they were winters even when it's 20C. Hankook W300s (or something similar) i had before than were sloppy when it was warm, but these are unreal. I can't wait until there's some proper cold stuff to see what they can do !

Cheers for the response, Rob. I'll check again to make sure the PSI is where it needs to be. It was a long time since they were last used I wonder if they've degraded in how they've been stored.

M&S tyres (apply sultry female voice) - these aren't just tyres, they're mud & snow tyres!

Nokians - another option to consider, thanks.

Maybe it's not tyres I need, perhaps it's a 4WD Impreza?

 

[Hodgins]

I can vouch for the pzeros
I had them on the 182 and never had an issue or an oh sh1t! Moment

The rs came woth hankook ventus v12 on it and didnt rate them at all

Ive since put 4 michelin pilot sport 3s on and its a different car

 

[RSprojects]

I have found the yoko ad08 great in wet once warmed up, why not just stick with that all year?

 

[Daniel]

I love Uniroyals at this time of year. If I wasn't so skint i'd be putting 4 on the Passat!

But for what you'd use the T for, i'd go for something a little more 'performance' orientated. And seeing as @TimR26 drives like his balls are on fire, he's a pretty good guy to recommend a tyre for such an occasion.

 

[Lozza-p]

I'd go with Michelin ps3's best tyres I've ever had on a car

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Winter tyres perform worse if temperature isn't low enough and it's unlikely Tim will be driving the Trophy in those conditions.

This is worth noting.

Having used winter tyres for the last 4 winters on various BMW's, it's much closer to 0 degrees before you notice any real benefit- more like 3 degrees and below. And no benefit in the dry.

 

[ldubl]

If you're not driving in ice or snow, that's potentially anything below 4 degrees C, so probably just stick with performance summers:
Goodyear Asym 2, Michelin PS3 or Pirelli P Zero would likely be the top three (as per this & other threads, other opinions permitting

Uniroyal Rainsport & Hankook V12 get some great reviews too, but opinion varies a bit more with these, each to their own.

Personally, the T is my only car & I'm needing new tyres soon, so I'm thinking about the Nokian WR A3's after reading TheEvilGiraffe's comments!

 

[brucey106]

I will have 2 brand new hankook v12 for sale never fitted, and two half worn hankook v12. Only after what it will cost me for two more PS3's

 

[Goodj]

I'm rocking borderline-legal Yoko Advans, and haven't died yet.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

I'm rocking borderline-legal Yoko Advans, and haven't died yet.

You drive like an old lady.

 

[Budgie]

All about PS3'z.

I'm dicing with death and running T1R'z and Paradaz this winter. Because daredevil

 

[Goodj]

You dont drive like an chavnob everywhere.

This is true

 

[Chris71]

Facing a similar dilemma at the moment.
I'm debating whether to go the whole hog and fit winter tyres - we don't tend to get a huge amount of snow around here, but my 172 Cup is our main car and my wife is having a baby in the middle of January!
Michelins or Goodyears seem to be the way forward. Anyone know if there's much to choose between them in wet/cold weather performance?

 

[Lal B3N]

My personal high performance tyre for dry/wet is Pzero nero.
There are plenty of other great choices though, Michelin PS3, Vredestein Sportrac 5, Ultrac sessanta, Dunlop Sportmaxx etc. The list is huge really.

Winter tyres will be far better once it starts getting properly cold. Even Budget winter tyres will perform better than a high performance tyre in cold temperatures/ice/snow.

Drop me a pm if you want any more info, happy to help.

 

[Matt W]

Would love a set of mud and snow tyres and pretend to be a rally driver when it snows, but think i'll just save the £600 and have the day off work when it snows.

 

[Briv6]

The Goodyear eagle f1 assyrmtric 2 is an excellent tyre in the cold and wet . I wonder if any of the people raving about the ps3 Michelin have tried the Goodyear asymmetric

 

[coverman]

Costco are having a sale on Michelins right now

 

[Budgie]

Why bother? Michelins are so well priced and able that I won't try anything else.

Had a set of Eagle F1s before and they were very soft

 

[Chris71]

My local garage was competitive with Black Circles etc. for PS3s so booked in for a full set of those. Slightly scary to think that at £100ish a corner they will be almost a quarter of the value of the car!

 

[Goodj]

Had a set of Eagle F1s before and they were very soft

Never found this with F1s, ever.

 

[Briv6]

Never found this with F1s, ever.

They are y rated , I thought that meant stiffer tyre . Maybe budgie means the gsd eagle good years and not asymmetric

 

[Goodj]

I pay zero attention to the ratings, given that after about 2000 miles, they're utterly irrelevant.
It's like all the tyre-tests in Evo
"this brand new tyre, being run for all of 40 miles, is amazing"
OK.....what's it like after 6 months? Or are we expected to swap them out the second the sticker wears off?