The differences between 16, 17 and 18 inch WINTER tyres tested and explained!
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2018
- Please help me hit 50k subscribers by christmas! bit.ly/2p6kKXq There's 3 good winter tyre videos left before the year is out!
Will a narrower 16 inch winter tyre give you better snow performance because it's narrow, or will the larger, wider 17 and 18 inch winter tyres perform better in the snow because they have more sipes and edges?
Conversely will the smaller winter tyre struggle in the wet and dry more due to less rubber?
Only one way to find out, and that's to go winter tyre testing!
More details and information can be found on the write up here:
www.tyrereviews.com/Article/Th...
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Hi Guys, I know this isn't the promised "4WD VS Winter tyre video", that video is still coming soon so be sure to subscribe... it's just too warm in Europe to publish it! Hopefully you'll enjoy this video covering the differences between 16", 17" and 18" winter tyres which should hopefully help your winter tyre shopping plans!
Do you know what size/width tyres are fitted when you take the cars out? If yes. I'd like to hear your thoughts if testing without knowing what's fitted. I wonder how much your expectations play a part.
Yes for this test I was aware, and the differences are so large when compared to normal tyre tests it would have been easy to notice. Some group testing for next year will be done blind :)
Thanks. Enjoy your vids. Good work.
We all know the result... Winter tire open diff car will crush the 4x4 locked car on summer tires... I saw a video from some other UA-camr ;)
You're not wrong, hopefully the video will be an entertaining watch as we do some fun tests!
"I have no life outside of tyres." Almost sounded sad until I remembered how much you're drifting around with cars. Thanks for testing tyres man, it's very informative! :)
For winter, the smallest-diameter wheel your brakes will allow, with the narrowest, tallest sidewall tire the stock diameter or a touch taller: tall and skinny for winter road driving.
Canadian winters have taught me that "pizza cutter" tires work far better than wide tires in the snow.
What he said. The proof is in the winter rally stages. Go check, they all have high walls, narrow wheels with strong rims. But all are narrow with high walls.
You don’t want to drive on top if the snow, for traction you would want to cut through the snow so your tires touch the road surface. Only then will you have traction.
I remember my MK4 Golf with 175/80R14 tyres thing was a beast in the snow especially since it had no issues pulling away in 2nd gear even on an incline. Sadly its a struggle to even find this tyre size anymore since they don't make wheels that small and narrow anymore.
1:58 snow testing
4:20 wet testing
5:58 dry testing
Thanks bruh
Thank you!
Thnx💙
Thks.
Quality of your channel feels higher than most 350k subs channels, let alone 35k. Be patient, with quality like that hitting 100k is just a matter of time :)
Thank you :) I try my best, and really enjoy the shooting and editing process (though this isn't my best edit, the next 3 videos should be much better!)
It affects a lot when you upload like 60 videos in 7 years, or 60 videos in 1 year. Without regular uploads peoples just wont sub.
well that's mainly because this is more a paid for advert than it is an independent making a video for fun :D
@@slayyou I wish I got paid to make these videos :(
Really liked this video, so informative. Was just trying to decide between these same (albeit 215 width 17's) sizes for my a3 for snow tires.
Very important to remember tire prices as well, a set of 18" 225 winter tires costs twice as much as a 205 16" set.
Fr fr
Winter is also the time for potholes to start appearing, an 18 inch tyre will burst easily while the 16 inch one will be far more likely to survive.
Don't forget that the 18'' is 50% more expensive than the 16''
I totally forgot costs :(
We get huge potholes every winter in Canada. 18" summer/16" winter works well for me and my gti.
They're also 50% better looking ;)
Kitsunemimi who cares about rims in the winter when the whole car is muddy
16" would look so stupid on my pickup😂, got 22" Winter, 24" Summer
best channel about tyres by far! keep it up
Is it best because it's the only channel about tyres? :)
Well, in Germany we mostly check the ADAC tests, but they only post the summaries of the tests in youtube. It is also true that ADAC is not a purely tyre-testing channel, so I really appreciate the length, the detail, and the explanation you give, and i would follow your channel twice if i could :-)
From NYC. Great reviews, tests and tutorial. I watched it in full, because I’m trying to smooth out a GT on 20 inchers, which I would do by going to 18 inch. It would date the look a bit - but since I’m not tracking the car, (and I haven’t had a ticket in 25 years), daily comfort is paramount. I wanted both objective and subjective thoughts on how the handling would be affected. And I am subscribed! Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words :)
For people with 'ordinary' cars, the huge difference in cost between the higher profile tyres in combination with smaller wheels is, in my view, huge. This accounts for the purchase cost of both, but also better mpg (as the higher profile ones are far more likely to be narrower and thuse will have a lower rolling resistance) and, most particularly, this type of tyre lasts considerably longer even without sidewall damage, but their higher and softer sidewall mean that they are far less susceptable to damage from potholes, speed humps and debris on the road.
I found that, going down from 16in to 15in (I bought all-season tyres [near to needing replacement anyway] and new alloys [mis-shapen as corroded and leading to the tyres leaking air] - just an example) saved me between 20% and 45% (depending on the new one chosen, compared to replacing the OEM alloys on a like-for-like basis) on the alloys alone (nearly £70 each), and the tyres (for the same tyres - CrossClimate+, not including fitting costs) over 20% (£15 each). I could easily tell the difference (improvement) in ride quality between my old 16in Dunlops (still reasonable) and the new 15in CC+s.
For winter tyres and comparing 18in with17in and 16in (at the three actual sizes in the video and using the Goodyear Ultragrip 9 or closest Gen-1), I would say cost could play a huge part. Here's a comparison for the purchase cost of the tyres alone:
205/55 R16 H - £71 (no V rated tyre available*)
225/45 R17 V - £120 H - £105
225/40 R18 V - £120 (no H rated tyre available)
From a cursory look, the price of steel rims varies about the same if you wanted to change from 18in to 17 or 16. I personally think that for 'Sporty' cars (not REAL sports cars), 17in rims and the 225/45 R17 tyre combo is more than good enough for ordinary (including spirited) road driving and are more comfortable, durable and cheaper to run than 18in ones, which to me are more about image than about performance. For example, the Toyota GT86 seems to get along quite fine with 17in rims, yet a far slower (but good handling, even on 16in rims) Mazda3 2.0 Sport gets 18in rims and 40 profile tyres as standard. Go figure.
* (via Blackcircles) not a problem if that rating is acceptable by the manufacturer of the car and insurer. Many ordinary 'Sport' models are just more luxurious and aren't actually any/much quicker than lower models, e.g. Mazda3 Sport (not the 165), though check if the brakes can fit, as some cars DO have bigger brakes on Sport models even if the engines are essentially the same as on (say) the SE-L model below. I chose an H rated CC+ set of tyres as my older Mazda3's (previously 205/55 R16 V) top speed is over 10mph less than the H rating (130mph) and the 195/65 R15 is acceptible to both Mazda (its allowable on the car's tyre info plate on the door and in the manual) and my insurer. Saved myself £330 overall for the OEM wheel and 4x tyre replacements (1/3 less than at 16in). Barely any reduction, if at all in dry handling/performance as its a newer generation design of tyre.
I can fully understand why someone with an actual higher performance car like the Golf GTi, etc might want to either stick with 18in winter tyres or at most only drop to 17in rims, especially if handling were compromised in the dry (but cold) or the brakes didn't fit.
Great comment, not much I can add. I certainly should have covered cost in the video, a lesson learnt for next time!
Andrew, I completely agree with your point and I do with my cars very same "combinations/downsizing " last 15years, or so...
Well said, and explained!👍
P.S. I live in Michigan with more than enough snow during the winter.
What I find telling is that (decent) cars (like mine) produced just 5-15 years ago were being fitted with 'standard' sized tyres (e.g. 195/65 R15 or 205/55 R16 for C Sector cars) and were considered then and even now to be (if well maintained) decent handling cars. A mid-2000s Golf (round about the same age as my Mazda3) parked on a nearby road to mine had the same 15in tyres fitted as mine, as, to be honest, MANY cars of that era.
It's VERY noticeable now that, not content with going for the 'easy win' on the handling stakes of fitting lower profile tyres, I believe that car manufacturers are 'getting into bed' with the tyre manufacturers by also offering them in 'unusual' size combinations, perhaps to boost sales margins as they often cost 50%+ more than the more common ones, e.g. Mazda fitting 205/60 R16s as opposed to 205/55 R16. Have a look on a tyre fitter's website and you'll see how much expensive the first tyre costs than the second. Its the same across most makes now - very few will spec formely 'common' tyre sizes like the 205/55 R16.
My Dad's basic Ford Fiesta is just as bad - it should be fitted with a common14in tyre, but has a 185/50 R15 tyre which is MORE EXPENSIVE than my car's OEMs and far more than the 15in ones I now have fitted. I could understand it if his car was a Sporty model, but its not. A money-making wheeze if ever if heard (IMHO).
I think you guys in North America are much more wise to car/tyre manufacturers' money-making schemes than we are in the UK - we often (as I often see when I have my car serviced at the main dealer) grumble about the huge bills (I saw one guy when my car was having its tyres fitted doing so about paying £185 to have his damaged 18in tyre replaced on his gen-3 Mazda3 - round about the same price as three tyres [fitted] on my 12yo model) but still pay the extortionate prices. We Brits hate to complain (stiff upper lip and all that) - probably why we're so good at queuing.
I'll admit the Mazda 205/60 R16 is an unusual move, but I promise I've never heard of anything like that actually going on and I probably would have. Higher sidewalls allow for more comfort and lower rolling resistance so it might have been a choice for the CO2 banding.
The american market buys way more premium tyres than we do. Of all of Europe we're known as the dumping ground for cheap budget s**t :(
True i have 15" tyres and new studded tyres would cost around €500 but 17" were around 950
You have great videos on tyres, thanks for the information!
1. Smaller rim = cheaper tires
2. Smaller rim = more tire to pad pot holes and help avoid rim damage
Those are two of the biggest factors to consider for winter tires. You should always go with the smallest rim size your car allows for your winter set; in my case, buying all new 16" wheels + Michelin X-Ice XI3s was cheaper than buying just the tires for my 18" rims.
Additionally, having a whole other set (wheels+tires) makes swapping easy, and damage (to your wheels or rims) less likely to occur while swapping.
As long as you don't mind the steel look and can fit them over your brakes, I agree :)
You're also a lot more likely to slide into something in the snow/ice and a steel rim with more tire sidewall can mean the difference between driving off and waiting for a tow or changing to your spare.
Wider tyre less traction in winter ;)
Here in finland we have winter tyres on for about 5-6 months.. i prefer them to not look like crap :D
@@Anomoomin thats about the time anyways even tho there is no snow, well 4-5 then.
nice test, I have had winter tires from continental in the past and the difference when it gets cold is fenomenal vs summer tires. After both summer and winter sets got used up I pondered and chose the Michelin CC because it would spare me the hassle of swapping out tires two times a year, and it would also mean that i get to buy newer tires more often. I had the winter / summer set for 8 years and they were performing poorly even though they still had a lot of "meat" on them. So for people who do few miles and with these new european winters which are super short in most countries I would definitely recomend the all season. It doesn't sacrifice that much in the summer and it gets you through those 3 weeks of snow fall a year.
I agree, especially for the UK and smaller cars, I think all season tyres are a good option.
His analysis was informative.
Winter driving conditions in Canada vary with more extremes though.
Northeastern Ontario, in particular, can see driving conditions that include roads covered with deep slush. A small amount of slush interfere with the ability of the sypes to maintain contact with the road surface. It can cause hydroplaning. Deep slush offers rolling resistance and also affects the likelihood of hydroplaning with one added complication. Vehicles traveling on deeper slush-covered roads displace the slush as the trires roll through it. This throws slush to either side of each tire and eventually a significant piling of slush about 8.inches apart, creating troughs through which the tires travel.
You will have traction in these "ruts" then the cars stray and "whoops" your tires on one side face significant deceleration as hits the slush provide sudden rolling resistance on one. The uneven tracks tends to pull your vehicle to on side. The slush can freeze solid and all of a sudden the road can become very bumpy. Skinnier tires may cut through the slush more efficiently but they are horrible on frozen solid
slush, causing road surfaces with uneven traction
Interesting test! Thanks buddy - well done again!👍
Never thought. Tyre videos may be so enjoyable :)
Thank you!
Great video as always!
Did you forget to pack a jumper when you went to Finland?! 😁
I'm not sure I own a jumper! :)
No problem, today they even sell cars with heaters....
Can't see the biceps under a jumper ;)
@@csllover Biceps is biceps when both ceps are there and only then, a good example is Albert Backles as an illustrative explanation.
I feel cold just watching you in a t-shirt with all that snow outside!!!
It was surprisingly warm... plus coats are noisy on mics :)
Shrink1061 i drive in T-shirt when it’s -25°C outside, been doing it for years.
Tyre Reviews but in tight T shirt You wouldnt look like a gay in night club 😂
He gotta show off those arms bruh
Justin Galvan there is nothing to show off. These arms are very medium. Gronholm and Makinen drive in jackets. 😂
10:30 for a balance view. With so many garages selling part worns for £10 you really have to worry about what is coming towards you when it is wet, snowy or icy.
Thanks for the wealth of information on you channel and the high production standards.
I wouldnt have guessed that the biggest difference is comfort/nvh, very intersting. Thanks for another great review!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
So happy to have my 17s on. Though I'm running michelin latitude cross
“I have too much oversteer during winter driving” said no one ever
I love your videos, and in this one I am actually amazed by the nature :)
I work at a tire shop. all your information is very educational and helps me to understand tires more. Most people do not realize how much tires can effect a car all the way around. Id love to see a video of good vs cheap snow tires if you're able to. I'd love to be able to educate people
Thank you :)
I enjoyed the video, thanks! I'd love to see a video comparing say, a 225 against a 245 and 265 of the same rim diameter.
The wider the tire the easier it is to slip(less traction) in wet or snow conditions
The comparison of handling and grip is interesting among the three snow tires, due to their contact patch size. It is the opposite of the relationship between bias plies and radial summer type tires, where contact patches are shaped differently, the bias plies being longer whereas the radial tires have wider patch contact. Radial tires perform better, as their patches are larger and wider; thus, they gain a performance advantage. However, it seems that there is an advantage to having a tire with a longer, more bias ply type contact patch that will cut through the snow in order to grip a road surface better. Another advantage is The smaller the wheel and tire size, the cheaper the tire will be, which is also something to be considered.
I’ve been a fan for a good while but this is my first time watching this vid. Gotta say, the triceps are popping bro
Sir,you're one of the best revieuwers i've ever seen on YT ..I wish there was also a technical revieuwer/investigator like you but with "car-springs and shock-absorbers"..thanx alot.
Thank you! I'm hoping to add these to the channel soon!
Nice video and as someone living in the alps with a 2 wheel drive car I can endorse just how good winter tyres are compared with summer tyres when it is cold and slippery - almost negates the need for a 4wd. I went the route of getting 205/16 60 winter instead of the 215/55 17 summer tyres. They don't handle quite as sharply but I really appreciate the extra comfort and they are not too noisy.
As for the test, the one thing missing is the ability to hill start on a snow covered slope. This is my number one concern when driving in snow as I don't want to have to put on the snow chains.
The traction between the three sizes was pretty much the same so... holy smoke I forgot to put the acceleration data in the video... oh no i didn't phew. 2:03 :)
Great points. I lived in the Alps and totally agree. Standing starts on slopes are a common issue, I hate electronic handbrakes for snow driving too... winter tyres are a revelation, I only had to use chains two or three times in 6 months when there was sheet ice.
I live in Canada and I think the key to driving in winter is to slow down and give yourself more braking distance. Sometimes if there is 40cm of heavy snow on the highway you may only travel at 60km/h. Also certain winter tires perform worse on dry roads vs. snow/ice/wet. So you should pick a tire based on your climate. Where I live it gets cold and the snow turns to ice as it can be -30 or -40. So I use Nokian studded tires which I find work really well on my Honda Civic.
That's crazy cold!
@@tyrereviews yesss it is haha ! I live in Québec and we got 30cm of snow since the beginning of november lol
The best tyre channel.Your videos are very helpful and detailed.Are you planning on doing track day street legal or extreme performance tyres test?Keep up the good work!!
I will hopefully be doing 2 videos for track day tyres next year :)
Had my new Continental TS860's on 16" steel rims fitted today.
Then I had to brave the shed, clear out the crap and spiders to fit the 17" alloys with Goodyear F3's get to spend the winter.
Keep up the great reviews!
Thanks
If the tyres are on the rims it's best to stack them or hang them. If they're not on rims it's best to stand them up and rotate them every 4 weeks.
I have 205/55/R16 winters on my E90 BMW 328 and they're spectacular. I use 18 for summer.
Great review thank you
Thank you for the thanks :)
The best channel of its kind in UA-cam
Best and only :D
Thanks, another great detailed review.
Thank you for the kind words :)
True story, a few years ago, we had quite some snow here in Lyon (France), I was driving my 325is e30 to work, with some old Michelin Alpin, old school winter tire with agressive thread pattern in 175/70r14 pizza cutter size. On the highway, I was cruising in 5th gear on the left lane, the snow was wet and heavy, but the car felt very safe, stable and as always being smooth with inputs and decontracted behind the wheel is important. A dude which was convicted that his new X5 with 4 wheels as wide as my car alone could do better because Xdrive bro, moved behind me. I can tell you that I saw the headlight beam in the rear view miror starting to float over the lane pretty badly, and the guy had no other choice than to go back to the middle lane. I carried on in my lane like no big deal.
My personnal preference is to give away a bit of dry performance in favor of comfort and wet + snow performance in winter. I can understand that some people don't want the steel rim / fat tire in winter and keep their gigantic alloys, at least it's better than nothing but I don't really see the point (storage, yeah why not).
Can't wait to see that 4wd vs winter video, I tried my A6 Quattro on worned out Yokohamas snow tires (16") vs budget summer tires on snow (though the snow was over but surprise), I have to say that I expected a bigger difference but permanent awd, snow tires even worned out, it's cheating :D, stable as a freight train, takes off the line like it's just wet, it brakes nice even if the car is 2000kg, so safe in those conditions ! Amazing
Great story! My ex girlfriend used to drive a Ford KA and I'd put it on 165 winters every year. It was super fun going out and helping all the big suvs get moving again as they span all 4 of their massively wide summer tyres.
@@tyrereviews the worse thing about 4wd is it does not help the braking in anyway. Rwd is the best for slowing down.
I agree regarding 4WD braking, not sure I follow regarding RWD though
@@chrisredfield3240 yes the brakes brake on all 4 wheels, but don't forget engine braking, on permanent all wheel drive like my A4 quattro when you back of the throttle all 4 wheels brake making it really stable.
@@TC-V8 fwd is bad letting the engine slow you down as you loose the front end. With rwd it pulls you strait under engine braking. To be honest i don't know what 4wd does. If you have to do real slowing down i guess they don't have much more to offer. Least the getting off the line vs. Slowing down is more balanced without 4wd
Hey there! First of all, great video as always. :)
I found it really interesting, because I changed from 16 to 17 inch winter tyres couple of weeks ago. I bought brand new summer rims and tires and I didn't want to sell my old original summer rims. Therefore I bought Nokian WR 4D in 225/45/17 for them.
So far, I can say that I didn't expect them to be so confortable. I thought, I will lose on comfort compared to my old 16 inch winter tires. Maybe the fact, that they are brand new and have almost 9mm soft thread dept plays a big role. I am looking forward to testing them in snow conditions.
On the bad side was the price difference of almost 35-40 euros pro tire between 205/55/16 and 225/25/17. After all, it all depands what your motives are. If You don't want to spend more, You stay with smaller rims and tires, which do the same work, if not better in snow conditions and for comfort. But as I said, I don't think You would loose a lot on comfort. It's just the protection of potholes, which is suffering. I live in Germany and have no problems of this kind. But I come originally from Bulgaria, where I busted my 16 inch winter tire last winter. Therefore it's something to keep in mind. haha
PS: I would very much like, If you give your professional opinion of my choice of winter tyres (Nokian WR 4D MFS). They scored excellent results, but what is the reality like? :)
I really like the WRD4, in fact they make my top winter tyre list in the winter tyre video (should be out next week!) They're very strong in the snow, but not quite as good as the best in the wet.
@@tyrereviews Thank you very much for your reply! I asked you previously for your opinion about my summer tires and you replied back then too. Cheers :)
Top tyre review as always!
Thank you :)
Before even watching this... the narrower 16" with the higher sidewalls should win... Or I could be corrected... Thoroughly enjoying your comprehensive work! Keep up, and I hope you and your channel get the recognition you deserve.
Yep, wintry, snow conditions and nasty roads, smaller size, narrower tire.
Quality content as usual!
One of the best channels out there.
Thank you sir :)
Great video again! Similar experience on my side after switching from 16" crossclimate (205/55-16, as initially my standard size wasn't available) to the standard 215/45-17. Much more steering feel and control. Feels more stable and safe on highway due to the different width and wall height ratio (and load rating is more optimal). Unfortunately also higher fuel consumption, a bit more than I expected.
You guys are my standard reference for tyre info. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the kind words :)
Excellent work. Very informative.
Thank you
Finally a test whit this tires !
Nice test. One thing you didn’t mention is brake size, with a BMW 325i for example you can go down to a 16” - but for a 330i you’re looking at minimum 17”.
I like how you are in a t shirt with all that snow and ice.
Well done, love watching your videos... come to the USA and review tires for our market!
I'm working on it! I just did a little work with Michelin - www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Michelin-Pilot-Sport-4S-vs-Continental-ExtremeContact-Sport-AS3-RE980AS.htm
Good channel and excellent info. Thanks
Thank you!
i usually run 15" with 175 to 195 MAX with.
Narrower tyres with a deeper sidewall every time. I have an old Passat Estate workhorse and with winter tyres (195/65x15) it has more grip than my 2003 X5 (255 and 295 x 19 tyres)
Oh, I and really like the Gen1 tyre, it does provide quite reasonable handling for a winter tyre.
Very informative. Best video on tyres.
Thank you!
When muscles are more important than the weather
Keep up the great work! UA-cam favors quantity over quality, which is a shame, as your quality is HUGE!
Thanks :) Sadly I couldn't make a lot of videos about tyres even if I tried, there's just not enough things to talk about!
Very good video!
Thank you very much!
Oau! Vrey professional! Good job! I belived that in winter you realy neat that extra elasticity in your tyres sidewals to improve the mechanical grip, but you prove me wrong. Thank you !
The extra siping helps the wider tyre, it's all very close these days :)
With bigger wheels on cars as standard these days - would love to see 18 vs 19 vs 20 winter performance. Is it true that a 20"+ wheel just pretty much sucks in winter conditions?
I have an Audi TT 8s (MK3). The recommended winter size is R17 225/50. However due to many reasons, I just used the same R19 245/35 size of tire that I use for summer. The aquaplaning and the drivability were down right dangerous.
Also depends on your car. If you have a heavy car, it will be easier to counteract larger rim/wider tire.
I consider some different aspects when choosing a wheel size, and because of that I always try to get a smaller wheel.
I've had a few mishaps in the snow due to visibility and road conditions. Curbs, ice chunks, road debris, potholes, etc. Here in Ohio it snows enough to hide these obstacles so a big concern is the likelihood of damaging your wheels but smacking into something you can't see. Even traversing a snow-covered parking lot could result in bumping a curb or parking block, even running them completely over. It's pretty common, actually, and these scenarios don't have anything to do with traction.
The higher-profile tires on smaller wheels are much less likely to get damaged by hidden obstacles. I recall that the snow tires on my old RX-7 were 205/70-15, factory-sized balloon tires, and all the winter tire brands I used managed to withstand several impacts over the nine years I drove the car. Combine that with steel wheels, and any wheel damage that does occur can be fixed with a hammer. Because of that I'd say a higher-profile winter tire on a smaller wheel is almost always the safer, more reliable choice.
Yep, it's an important consideration :)
Great Info. I run a saab, during the summer with 17" and winter with 16" works well. And as the profile on the 16" is higher the speedo is the same. You didn't mention this on your tests.
Very good video (as usual).
Thank you :)
Love it mate, could listen to you talk tyres all night long... (was that slightly gay haha)
This can be arranged
Only slightly 😀
I'd vote for smaller diameter winter wheels too: extra sidewall for the winter potholes and MUCH, MUCH cheaper. Just remember to check that your car can take the smaller sizes and it isn't always obvious!! I found a VERY cheap set of 17" alloys off the same year Audi A6 "Ultra" - except this was the bottom end TDI and mine was top end petrol version. Turns out that you can't fit 17's to the high-end A6's as their front brakes are ~340mm and 17" wheels won't fit around the brake calipers - even the 18's only have a few mm clearance!
A good point, always check the handbook :)
Love these videos, would really appreciate if you also included rolling resistance and wear in the future.
Rolling resistance I will do, wear is usually too expensive and time consuming to do properly :(
Thanks for a great video. I recently purchased a 2016 Mazda GT and love the vehicle with the exception of road noise, that makes my ears ring for hours after driving on the highway. It is taking away from my enjoyment of the vehicle. It came with Dunlop sport all season 215r45 18inch. They are just starting to show the wear indicator. I have now put the winter 215r45 17inch wheels on, and they too are noisy, although with not as much vibration. Any suggestions?
I feel like you tend to find more winter/offroad options in smaller wheel sizes (15/16) than the larger sizes (17+), and that is worth taking into consideration.
Larger wheels/low profile tires are more attributed to sporty driving, so you will find more summer/sport options in those sizes than winter/ice options.
195/65R15 💪
245/45R20 🤚🏼🤞🏻
145/80R13。I have a Kei car in Japan.
One important question, which was more fuel efficient?
16 and 17" are both rated C on the EU fuel label, overall the 16" will be best as it's narrower and lighter.
Most important question is safety, can't cheap out on that.
@@ChosenBlood1 when the objective data is showing a 1% difference, everything else is more important.
Fuel is cheap. If it costs you 20% more to avoid a crash it is well worth the investment.
Small one
Good watch, thanks!
Just bought some alloy wheels to put winter tyres on, thank you for this video
Let me know how you get on with it :)
My wife came off the road in the last snow, was thinking of getting the Michelin summer biased all season tyre for country roads in the Midlands this winter. She currently has the up with the standard eco tyres. Seem sensible?
The CrossClimate will be many times better than the summer tyres, check out my last video on all season tyres :)
I just go with stock 15 inch alloys with hideously tall sidewall 195/65 tire for winter to absorb all the potholes and curbs I'm inevitably going to hit driving through heavy rain in the dark and leave fancy aftermarket r17 215/40 for summer
Like driving on a cloud
on many cars now you cant fit smaller wheels than 16 or 17 even. So 15 doesnt even work.
@@SupraStar29 nah I'm still running in the 90s
@@darius2640 yup thats the advantage for the 90s haha
The Goodyear Ultragrip is my winter tyre of choice and I use 205/55x16 for the winter and 225/45x17 Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance for summer. In UK we don't get snow very often but from October to April the rural roads are greasy with mud and the winter tyre excels in those conditions. NOTE the Goodyear Ultragrip is a MUD and snow tyre, which is often forgotten. A taller sidewall tyre helps the tread to conform to the road surface giving the best grip on normal UK roads that are not the billiard table smooth surfaces of the test track.
Glad you're getting on with the Goodyear pairing :)
I had a Golf just like the one in the video, 2.0 tdi 150ps 17" wheels and had the tyres swapped to Michelin Alpin 5's in winter - it was so good subjectively, only very occasional drives on snow heavily and frosted icy slippery roads were okay, they were very good in the wet and seemed impossible to aquaplane even hitting significant standing water on the motorway. Generally the car still handled very well with them.
Now driving a 250ps rear wheel drive BMW 230i that has 18" wheels and brakes that mean only certain 17" wheels might fit. Have a set of 18" winter wheels with 225 40 Michelin Pilot sport Alpines fitted, on this car with these tyres the car seems to loose some of it's planted feel and I perceive a reduction in ultimate grip, and very wet conditions don't feel quite as secure as in the golf but it does retain very good handling balance and control-ability. I have driven in proper snow in the countryside where I live and it didn't get stuck but felt it might still struggle with steeper hills.
You'd probably be surprised at how good it is on hills, but you're right the most powerful a car gets, the worse it can feel on winter tyres.
So basically not a 16, 17 or 18 inch winter tyre comparison, but the effect of sidewall size....
Yes, different side walls is the result of different rim size. You can’t change the diameter of the entire wheel.
Lower width and higher profile winter tire should help in deep snow (3+ inches ?). Thinner tire should cut snow better (kind of similar to hydroplaning results) and flexing sidewall of higher profile tire should provide better traction on the uneven pavement which is likely to encounter under deep snow.
@RichardADastrdly. Agreed. Wider tire changes shape of contact patch but doesn't necessary increase size. It would be interesting to see an ice performance test of the same model tire but different width.
Add more weight to the vehicle so the bigger tires have more force to push slush out of the way.
More weight does help to get car going. Many limo drivers carried sand bags in the trunk of their rear wheel drive cars to help with traction during winter. On the negative side, extra weight may increase stopping distance.
@@oz7564 It all depends on what pressures they were running. Two tyres with the same static load, same sidewall stiffness and same pressure will have the same contact area, so the wider you go the shorter the contact patch.
Cheers fella. really helpful
Glad you found it useful :)
Great work
Thank you :)
I like using 16s, plenty of tire choices along with the wider aspect ratio of the sidewall really helps when you hit something unexpected in deeper snow. But really any snow tire is going to be a big improvement in snow and on ice compared to any all season.
how about my 14" :o
Super comfortable? :)
Differences aren’t dramatic, but a good test. Well done.
Thank you :)
Thx for video!
Thanks for watching!
My car came with 19" on it lol
My car came stock with 20 inch rims..... i had to drop my winter tires down 2 sizes (basically to size of base model).....
Also 16" is cheaper than the 18" ones
And also lighter.
Love the videos pal. Keep them coming. I've been running the Michelin Alpin on my previous MK7 GTI and B9 S4 now. A great (expensive) tire but well worth it. 18 and 19 inch tires respectively. They grip like hell on snow (northeastern US) and give otherwise good feel and performance for winters.
My question for you: what's the next step up in the winter performance tire game?
TS860 S improves on dry performance, but at the expense of wet. There's no real breakthrough I know of on the horizon in tyres, just refining the technology we have :(
Michelin alpine is not a "snow" tire. It fits ligth slush and cold wet wether. Im from norway, We call tires like the alpine all seson tires. If you need good "snow" tires you shuld try goodyear ultragrip ice, continental vikingcontact 7(6), nokian hakkapilitta r2 or the underdog, sava eskimo ice (sava is owned by goodyear)
Excellent again. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Having 14“ winter tires😂
In mid 90s I run 155/75r13 Hakka's on Civic instead of 175/65r14 - cheaper, never problems with being stuck in deep snow, no bend rims, and I like to keep it that way - the smallest size rim that I can fit.
@@pliedtka yeah i just kept my 14 on.
Suomi mainittu torille perkele
TORILLE!!!!
Tätä mä etsinkin
Kyllä kyllä
A 16-inch wheel is best but that depends on the Offset (ET#) as not all 16-inch will clear caliper/brake assembly. Example: 18x8 ET50, you should try to keep the Offset close to the original wheel offset number such as 48 or 45 Offset as going to 42 Offset may not work. Therefore, if a 16-inch does not fit get a 17-inch. Another thing is you can only go 2 wheel sizes up or down from 18-inch being the smallest 16-inch and largest 20-inch wheel. If you have 18-inch alloy wheels, use caution because hitting a pothole or the curb during the winter season may damage your alloy wheel or rupture the tire. Proper storage of winter/snow tires (any and all tires) after the winter season will prevent dry rot and flat spots so they will be usable for the next season. Temperature variables will affect inflation so check your tire PSI at least once a month. Note: this gentleman 7 years ago (3 years prior to this video) did a 17,18, and 19-inch comparison.
Hi, can you please do a video with the top 3 very best snow chains ? Thank you and good luck
I'll try my best :)
I wonder… for the subjective ratings, did you judge them in a blind test, or did you know which tire was on?
As much as I trust your judgement, the mind is a fickle, fickle thing, and even the most experienced people let prejudice taint their opinion almost everywhere, everytime, without any bad intention and even when knowing about possible bias. it's just something we humans can't switch off.
So if it wasn't a blind test, it would be cool if you could do that next time, have somebody guide you into the car while you're blindfolded (etc.), and make your judgement that way. Double blind would be best, but I suppose that would be hard in this case.
My next proper test will be blind :) In this case the differences are so vast I would know instantly what wheel was on!
I have 19'
😅
Rip
Even though I live in a tropical country, winter tires interest me a lot and I frequently find myself looking at Blizzaks. This video is incredibly good. The cinematics are amazing, plus all the information!
Glad you liked the video even if you have no use for winter tyres :)
Good stuff as always!
Once you've done with the seasonal stuff, Id love you to get some cheapo ditchfinders, a mix of part worn tyres and some premium tyres, to perform some emergency maneuvers in the wet as a safety comparison... If possible...
It's on the list, as is mixed summer and winter fitment :)
@@tyrereviews Nice! I saw the '2 winter' test upcoming...
Looking forward to it. Its good you are building these relationships with Michelin and Goodyear etc, as there is much mutual back-scratching to be done... :-)
20" INCHES for ME !!!!!!!!!!!
Summer Tires - 22"
20 inch for me to....not cheap 😂
He has no life outside of tires because he is too tired ?
I know, i'm out, sorry
Does the fact that the 16" wheel being made of steel and the other two larger sizes made of alloy show differences in feel of the car/tyre + wheel combo? Could steel wheels be more absorbing in nature compared to harder alloys and could this add the impression in the dry/wet tests and make the 16" it feel more spongy and unresponsive as a result?
got a sub and a bell, merry christmas
And a happy new year :)
Good test..i have 16 inch and will buy next 16 in 4 years..
Excellent test, thank you! Were those tyres already broken in or fresh off the shelf?
Fresh on for snow testing, wet bed them in with wet braking for the dry and wet.
Love the vids! Ive never put winter tyres on a car i just struggle on through. How about a video, not testing size against size but winter vs summer to show the true(if any, im sure there is!) advantages and gains in safety and control under breaking and steering?
That video is already filmed and coming in a few weeks :)
Really interesting presentation. When buying winter tyres in the past, I have always matched the tyre size to that of the tyres/wheels originally fitted to my car. I was under the impression that the speedometer had been synchronised with the original wheel tyre combination during production.
All three sizes in this test have the same rolling radius so are interchangeable without affecting your speedo
@@tyrereviews. Ahh, I've had to look up how to work out the rolling radius.