All weather or Regular Tyres?

[CaliJoe]

Hey everyone, I’m coming up to replacing the tyres on my VW California Beach and wanted to get some opinions from those with more experience. At the moment, I’ve got all-weather tyres, which have been fine, but I’m wondering whether to stick with them or switch to regular summer/winter tyres instead.

A few things I’m mulling over:

Do all-weather tyres actually last longer, or do they wear down quicker than standard tyres?

Are they really worth the price difference in the long run?

If you’ve run both, have you noticed much of a difference in handling, fuel economy, or road noise?

I mainly use the van for longer road trips (some European travel too), but I don’t do anything too extreme off-road-wise. Although I typically head to the Alps in spring, so I like the all weather peace of mind for this.

Just keen to hear what others think, what do you run, and what would you recommend?

Thank you!

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

I live in Southern Germany and run all year tyres (Hankook Vantra) on our T6.1 Beach. We ordered them as factory fit to avoid the annoying winter/summer tyre changing routing you have over here.

The rears are still fine but we did replace the front two at 45,000 km (around 28,000 miles) with the same tyre. I personally don't think that's too bad for a heavy vehicle that is used daily.

Suitability wise, we get properly cold weather and snow here, I have never felt they were struggling for grip. They were fine in proper snow in the Alps a couple of weeks ago. Noise wise, I doubt I could tell any real difference, a VW Cali is brilliant but it is hardly the quietest vehicle to start with. I think I could tell any real world difference in fuel consumption, far too many variables.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Edit, typed faster than my brain, meant to say I don't think I could tell any real world difference.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

All weather usually wear quicker than ‘summer tyres’.

The word summer is actually a bit misleading as summer tyres will generally perform better in the wet (shorter stopping distance) than all season tyres.

All season tyres tend to be jack of all trades, master of none, but give extra confidence when getting out of muddy fields, snow.

It’s better to have 2 sets if you venture into snow, summers + winters (on steel rims). Winter tyres have a different tread pattern with a softer rubber compound which works better in cold conditions, but will also wear a lot quicker.

Is your response based on experience or just what you've heard or read?

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

I should also add I've driven the van on those tyres at 40+ degrees in Croatia as well. It's true that all weather tyre don't grip as well as summer tyres but that's talking about limits of grip really. The dynamics, suspension, etc of the van stop it getting anywhere near testing those tyre grip limits. At the end of the day it's a van not a sports car.

 

[CaliJoe]

Thanks guys really helpful. I don’t think I can handle 2 sets, and probably don’t do enough genuine winter driving to justify that. Great insights, my front have also worn faster I was wondering if that was due to the all weather (Falken Euroall) and the fact that they’re cheaper than the Good Years, but given what you’ve said I think it’s probs just the fact they’re on the front!

Will aim for a mid range all weather.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Thanks guys really helpful. I don’t think I can handle 2 sets, and probably don’t do enough genuine winter driving to justify that. Great insights, my front have also worn faster I was wondering if that was due to the all weather (Falken Euroall) and the fact that they’re cheaper than the Good Years, but given what you’ve said I think it’s probs just the fact they’re on the front!

Will aim for a mid range all weather.

The fronts (summer, winter or all seasons tyres) wear quicker due to the weight of the engine, those wheels doing the propulsion (assuming it isn't a 4Motion) and them doing the steering. Totally normal for them to wear faster.

 

[pjm-84]

All seasons....whilst I hated the A005 Bridgestone they were mighty in the wet and better than the CC...... softer rubber.

With campsites and the like.....all seasons.

 

[Flower Power]

I have one set of all weather tires here in the German Alps. Good in the snow, when there is snow! Fine in the Summer. What I want to point out is that you might want to choose 17" nondirectional or asymmetric tires and get a spare wheel as well. Winter tires these days are directional (80-90%) so no proper spare possible. Majority of all season/4 season are as well but there are good choices of asymmetrical like Vredestein Quatrac Pro, to Yokohama Geolandar or General Graber AT3 for added off the tarmac performance. Depending which size of wheels you have. 18" wheels do not fit under the van. But you can get narrower tires and they will.

 

[Camperfamily]

We ordered All Season on our Beach. It came with Bridgestone A005 Weather Control. I’ve not had all weathers before, so nothing to directly compare them to, but they give me more confidence in icy weather and muddy lanes; some of this is no doubt placebo effect.

 

[Keitheeweithee]

I spend a month each winter in the French Alps and specced the 235/55 R17s all season (accredited winter tyres with 3 peaks symbol), when I purchased the van (Ocean T6.1 4Motion). It came with the Bridgestone A005s which I was sceptical about, I would have preferred Michelin Cross Climates. But here we are having used them for 3 winters and they've been good in all conditions including snow and ice, no doubt aided massively by the 4WD, and in the UK summers and generally quiet and a nice ride all year, they've now done 25k miles and still half a tread left on all 4 tyres. I will change them before next winter (probably for CC’s although I’m now worried will they be as good?!) but I must say they have been fine all round and much simpler than the faff of having two sets of tyres. Definitely recommended. I am wondering if I might get a single 215/60 for the spare, same diameter but thinner, the 235/55 is a tight fit in the carrier.

 

[TrevM]

I run Michellin Cross Climates on my rental fleet in Scotland and they are amazing. Strong sidewalls, quiet, fuel efficient and they wear incredibly well. We rotate the tyres and get around 40-45k miles per set.

You'll pay more initially but they've worked out the cheapest long term that we've trialled.

 

[PeteS]

I had an opportunity to test all weather tyres against summer tyres at a test track last year. The test involved two identical cars but one had summer tyres on and the other had all weather tyres on. We drove down a strip of dry and wet tarmac and did an emergency stop from 50 mph in both cars and both strips of tarmac. On the dry I did not notice much of a difference but in the wet it was incredible the difference it made.
Afterwards I spoke to the Continental rep and I asked when you should use summer tyres. This reply was in the UK he would recommend all season tyres all the time and in fact would only recommend summer tyres in areas like Dubai.
My van already had all season tyres on as we had done a winter trip to Germany but I changed the tyres on my daughter’s car within a few weeks of carrying out the test. To be fair the tyres did have about 2 to 3 mm on them so it was time to change them anyway. The difference in cost was only about £5 a tyre between the same band Summer tyres at and there All season tyre.

 

[gatvol]

I have year round all weather tyres for my California and on winter wheels for my VW Up! Gti. Michelin CrossClimate "Plus" or "2". I also had them year round on a Volvo estate.

I had 4wd audi s5 on premium sports tyres and could not believe how awful it was on snow. A FWD Nissan Micra on summer tyres was far superior. That converted me to all season tyres for any regular car, year round.

They are superb tyres. They have marginally less summer grip than regular tyres. However in the winter on snow and ice there is a massive difference.

VW vans are meant to be workhorses. If you ever face the risk of a journey on snow or ice, I'd say go for workhorse tyres. This improvement in safety obliterates any concerns I may have about tyre longevity.

 

[BeeBee]

We had our original Michelin tyres, for 5 years, on our Ocean from new. We’ve now had our replacement Goodyear Vectors ( All weather ) for 10 months and haven’t noticed any difference in noise or ride and as regards hold on wet roads, well maybe it’s the way we drive but no discernible difference either. Even so, I guess the difference might come into play in an emergency situation.
For me, worth it on our UK (mostly Scottish driving)

 

[Jane and Lee on Tour]

We have Michelin Cross Climate 2 on our 2WD Ocean. Used them on snow in the Alps last year. Very impressed with performance in particular pulling away uphill with excellent grip. No noticeable change for normal driving and would happily replace with same.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Keep in mind that all weather tyres and all season tyres are not the same thing. You'll want all weather tyres, since, confusingly, these offer the (relative) best performance during the entire year (all 4 seasons). Also, wether you live in Spain or the UK or Switzerland is something to keep in mind.

We used to have summer and winter tyres. The reason we switched to all weather tyres is because of the hassle of changing tyres. And since we had the changing of tyres done and didnt do it ourselves, it was always busy at the garages when teh need for winter tyres arose, so we'd find our selves driving on summer tyres for too long and on winter tyres for to long as well. Which isn't good for the tyres or your safety.

Haven't noticed a difference in comfort since changing to all weather tyres. Have noticed that it's less hassle. Now we need to see how long they last. (Daily driver and we do both holidays in the south of Europe as well as in the North. And were in NL so in between climates during the year)

 

[GollyOlly]

Hey everyone, I’m coming up to replacing the tyres on my VW California Beach and wanted to get some opinions from those with more experience. At the moment, I’ve got all-weather tyres, which have been fine, but I’m wondering whether to stick with them or switch to regular summer/winter tyres instead.

A few things I’m mulling over:

Do all-weather tyres actually last longer, or do they wear down quicker than standard tyres?

Are they really worth the price difference in the long run?

If you’ve run both, have you noticed much of a difference in handling, fuel economy, or road noise?

I mainly use the van for longer road trips (some European travel too), but I don’t do anything too extreme off-road-wise. Although I typically head to the Alps in spring, so I like the all weather peace of mind for this.

Just keen to hear what others think, what do you run, and what would you recommend?

Thank you!

I had the same dilemma but after doing a lot of research and talking to people who drive daily for a living, it reinforced my military training: get the proper tool for the job. I went with pure winter tyres for winter weather when the temperatures continually drop below about 7C. The reason is, the tread thickness, rubber chemical construction and tread design are specifically geared toward providing the best adhesion during wet, snowy and cold conditions. I viewed All Weather tyres as a "jack of all trades". They do the job but not as good as either a summer tyre or a winter tyre. I have Michelin Alpine 5 on the Cali and have had no adverse effect on handling, noise, fuel mileage, etc., and have been very happy with their grip and stopping distance in inclement weather. The above is OMHO, but I firmly believe in getting the right tool for the job and not relying on the jack of all trade. I am happy to go through the spring/autumn tyre change routine in exchange for the peace of mind and improved performance. As I said....my humble opinion but summer tyres for Spring/Summer and winter tyres for Autumn/Winter.

 

[gatvol]

I have only ever had 2 sets of wheels for one car and that's my little up. A stack of 4 Cali tyres is a fair size

Just be aware that if you get 2 sets of wheels/ tyres

Cost of 2nd wheels
Cost of 2 sets of tyres
Storing wheels
Transporting wheels, which tend to be filthy unless you clean them beforehand (if you want tyre shop to change)
Changing wheels yourself. This needs a decent non-marking socket set and torque wrench as the free socket with the van will scratch your alloys. You light also want a decent jack as the free one with the van will probably scratch the underseal off when you use it.

 

[GollyOlly]

I have only ever had 2 sets of wheels for one car and that's my little up. A stack of 4 Cali tyres is a fair size

Just be aware that if you get 2 sets of wheels/ tyres

Cost of 2nd wheels
Cost of 2 sets of tyres
Storing wheels
Transporting wheels, which tend to be filthy unless you clean them beforehand (if you want tyre shop to change)
Changing wheels yourself. This needs a decent non-marking socket set and torque wrench as the free socket with the van will scratch your alloys. You light also want a decent jack as the free one with the van will probably scratch the underseal off when you use it.

Yeah, that's true. I bought some Michelin Tyre boots and swap the old ones into the boots housing my clean tyres when changing tyres. I have an old blanket that I use inside the van to protect the bench seat and floor when transporting the tyres. The boots and blankets do a great job in protecting the van and preventing dirt scuffs. Agree with you about additional wheels, storage, etc. 12v electric jacks work a treat and don't scratch the van.

 

[Alan Andrews]

Thanks guys really helpful. I don’t think I can handle 2 sets, and probably don’t do enough genuine winter driving to justify that. Great insights, my front have also worn faster I was wondering if that was due to the all weather (Falken Euroall) and the fact that they’re cheaper than the Good Years, but given what you’ve said I think it’s probs just the fact they’re on the front!

Will aim for a mid range all weather.

I note your comment re 'real winter driving'.

I run a set of Summer alloys and Winter steels. Each with appropriate tyres.

The thing about tyres is that the rubber compound is designed for a temperature range. So Winter tyres are designed for winter temperatures. And they tend to have improved grip and chunkier moulding to deal with more rain, mud, ice and snow.

If you have ever driven over Snowdon in the middle of winter with summer tyres, you will soon appreciate that the level of grip is very low....especially if you are going down hill in heavy rain, darkness and mud everywhere.

We did just this, and soon adopted the approach to run 2 sets of wheels and tyres. The difference is very dramatic.

Whilst a lot of attention is now given to All Weather tyres, they will always be a compromise.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Keep in mind that all weather tyres and all season tyres are not the same thing. You'll want all weather tyres, since, confusingly, these offer the (relative) best performance during the entire year (all 4 seasons). Also, wether you live in Spain or the UK or Switzerland is something to keep in mind.

We used to have summer and winter tyres. The reason we switched to all weather tyres is because of the hassle of changing tyres. And since we had the changing of tyres done and didnt do it ourselves, it was always busy at the garages when teh need for winter tyres arose, so we'd find our selves driving on summer tyres for too long and on winter tyres for to long as well. Which isn't good for the tyres or your safety.

Haven't noticed a difference in comfort since changing to all weather tyres. Have noticed that it's less hassle. Now we need to see how long they last. (Daily driver and we do both holidays in the south of Europe as well as in the North. And were in NL so in between climates during the year)

Agreed with all that (including the less hassle).

Having changed this morning my four original VW supplied Bridgestone all weathers at 25,000 miles - with plenty of tread left particularly on the rear but with worn edges on the front - a further thought comes to mind: the new Cross Climates feel very tactile and I am sure harden over time.

I used to change over and run winter and summer tyres, visiting the alps in winter regularly but our overall mileage meant I did not renew tyres often. Presumably the comparison tests use new tyres, but I wonder how older winter tyres compare to newer ones or more particularly to newer all weather tyres?

 

[oryx white]

One other thought on all season tyres.

They are much better on a muddy field than summer tyres.

Similar experience that we have no discernible impact on driveability and comfort or economy. Can't really comment on wear as yet but the published tests suggest it's not an issue from my reading. We have Bridgestones on the Cali and Goodyears on our people carrier.

I would say go all season and pick one of the premium brands - the Goodyears always seem to be well priced at the moment.

 

[Busdarren]

Some good advice here… I run all season Vectors on car and camper - as above slightly less performance in hot summer (but realistically how often and note the tyre rep comment) great for rain snow and campsites. I’ve driven them and notice no real difference in wear. Lasted really well on high use car. Remember you’re in a heavy camper not high performance car. The local paramedics use all season on their fast response cars all year round.
One point of note as is common with all VWs - don’t swap front for rear - the design of the rear suspension is prone to making flat spots on rear tyres, so if you swap you’ll get a rumble from the now front tyres! Whatever you choose - drives safe

 

[Viktorgeorge]

... One point of note as is common with all VWs - don’t swap front for rear - the design of the rear suspension is prone to making flat spots on rear tyres, so if you swap you’ll get a rumble from the now front tyres! Whatever you choose - drives safe

That is a new one to me, thank you.