Winter tyres in germany and other countries in europe

Utter BS!! I would like to know who is the jerk at Toyota UK that told you that. He clearly has no f****g clue of what it means to drive a car with summer tires in winter conditions...

Try to drive with summer tires (any summer tires) in snowy winter and you will have to pay €€€€ for an accident (against a wall - you don't need another car at all) or to the police who will fine you and give you points on your driver's license if you are, even, a disturbance to traffic and get you trying poorly and unsafely to drive around.
If you are in Austria, I think you are not even allowed to drive *at all* as winter tires are compulsory - period.

I would *never* drive *any* car with summer tires, even when the temperature goes around 4C, with melting snow or remnants of iced snow, or wet roads - it is simply too dangerous.

It is usually not recommended to have alloy wheels on winter tires since salt and small stones used sometimes on roads to improve grip, could ruin them quickly. So usually you get normal steel wheels - but it's a matter of taste and €€€€€ available.

I got from Toyota Germany 16" wheels with Dunlop Wintersport M3 195/55 tires. I am pretty satisfied with them. They were 585€+19% VAT = 696€ (!!), including wheels and wheel caps (somewhat pleasant) - Prius winter tires are usually more expensive because I am told they use a special type of wheel attach not very common on other cars (???). That might be BS, but I am not seeing many much cheaper (good quality) winter tires out there in any case...

PS: I miss my wonderful 17" alloy wheels... need to wait until April...

 

There's no law over here regarding winter tyres. So long as the tyre has more than the legal minimum of tread (1.6mm) then away you go!

First sign of snow a couple weeks ago and accidents everywhere. Also, many garages sold out of winter tyres too. Previously we don't get snow here to warrant winter tyres but the last couple winters have been bad.

I'm tempted to get some myself - do you buy an extra set of rims or just swap the tyres over and store them in your garage at home?

I'm sure you're surprised by me asking this but we just don't get the snow (at least not for the last 20 years) to warrant them. I suppose it's like residents of Darwin Australia asking about rain tyres?

 

Is there an all seasons low rolling resistance tyre? Are the Bridgestone Ecopias an all season or summer tyre? I didn't realise it was all so complicated.

p.s. Which spelling of tyre do you use in Canada? I notice you're using the UK spelling but is that just to be helpful. I know Canada & UK use differing spelling to the US for such things as cheques etc. Just curious.

 

In Slovenia winter tires are compulsory. Sometime before 15th of November (official road winter here) I went to the first tire rack and purchased 215/45/17 Continental TS 830 M+S tires.

 

For winter I replaced our 17" stock tires with 15" Corolla steel rims with Michelin X-Ice Xi2 195/65R15. Also got regular steel rim nuts. No problems. The rim is p/n: 42611-02471

 

So when all these Toyota drivers get involved with fatal crashes for following that "expert" advice, are you allowed in the UK to sue a company for negligence?

I personally run dedicated studded snow tires in winter. We have winter conditions that can reach -40 if not a bit colder, and can last for a few months

As long as the OD outside diameter of the tire is the same, and the wheel offset and bolt pattern are correct, you can "minus size" to find a snow tire to fit

Not sure of the 2010, but my 2004 I ran 185 65 15 in winter. That was also the stock "all season" size

 

In blizzard conditions I always have fun terrifying drivers of those cars by pulling insane stunts with my FJ

 

From a UK perspective, you can get steel rims (16") with winter tyres (195/60) from mytyres that are suitable for the Prius. They are then shipped in from Germany, where (and most of Europe) are sensible enough to have some legislations on the use of winter tyres.

Driving around effortlessly on Conti TS830.

 

With the 2010 stock 17" 215/45R15, and going to 195/65R15 for snows, the Outside Diameter is close: the 15" od is a bit more, about 102% comparing to the 17". Close enough though, works fine.

Also, 15" snows are signif cheaper, and the narrower tire cuts through snow better, and your gearing is slightly taller.

 

My Ecopia EP20s are very clearly marked as M+S all-seasons, making them legal on the nearby mountain roads when winter traction requirements are posted.

However, after two summers and 22000 miles, whatever winter abilities they may have had are long gone. They were almost worthless in Seattle's recent snow. (During last year's mild winter, I took a different car on the very few challenging days.) I was quite pleased with how the TC and VSC handled them, but these were triggered at an astoundingly low level. Braking was very 'interesting'. I'd have been much better off with a no-ABS, no-TC car pushing fresh all-seasons (the pretend-winter-tires that Jayman hates) than with these worn Ecopias with all the electronic assists.

 

The Bridgestone Insignia SE200 and Ecopia EP20 both have "M+S", but that doesn't make them decent snow tires. Brand new they're "ok", but with half the tread gone they're useless. Their tread is nothing but lonitudinal grooves by that point, all the lateral tread and siping is gone. Neither have the mountain/snowflake symbol that snow tires have.

 

i got the Toyo Observe G02 Plus for my Prius................so im coming back home in 4 weeks and wont even see my car with the beautyful 17 inchs wheels

 

The new Conti TS 830 P is available in 215/45/17, but can't find them in the UK though.

Perhaps try the Nokian?

 

The rims (new) were $70 each. I also got 20 steel rim style lug nuts for $31.