Winter tyre recommendations?

[HughL]

I have a current (2017) Toyota Prius with 17" alloy wheels and I'm planning to get a set of winter tyres to fit around November and keep on to March, then swap back again. Any recommendations or experience of brands/types? Should I budget for wheels as well as the tyres, or do people just swap the tyres over at the beginning and end of the season? Safety and convenience more important than cost. I'll have to pay to hotel the ones not in use in any case, as haven't got room to store them at home.

 

Used my first Prius (Gen 3) through the last winter and during the Beast from the East I missed my last AWD Outback for the first and so far only time (it was a horribly expensive car to run, and drinking petrol and eating bits and pieces at a ferocious rate). So now I've got a lovely newish Gen 4 seems an obvious step.

 

Any recommendations for a trusted tyre service that does this in Surrey or N Hants also very welcome.

 

Thanks!

[kithmo]

The simplest solution is to put winter tyres tyres on the existing rims and re-calibrate the TPMS so the warning light doesn't light up.

If you put a new set of rims on you'll have to fit a new set of TPMS sensors and have them linked to the car by the dealer, then when you put your summer wheels back on you'll have to go through the linking process again with your original sensors at the dealer.

Alternatively you could just use a new set of rims with normal valves in and ignore the TPMS light.

Being retired, I don't do the mileage to justify buying winter tyres, I just don't go out in the car of the weather is bad, but if I were going to use winter tyres I would fit them and leave them on all year round, less faffing about.

[cew]

Get yourself down to Micheldever Tyres & get Michelin CrossClimates fitted. Brilliant performance on snow & you can leave them on all year. 

[PeteB]

I've bought almost all my tyres from my Norwich Toyota dealer since 2002.  They are quite competitive, and very helpful.  (I once even got a London tyre shop to price match my dealer!).

I bought Nokian WR D3 (Eco C Wet C 72 dB) in November 2014 for my last Gen 3 Prius, and luckily I was able to get my Gen 4 with 15" wheels so I use the same tyres on this.  I've been perfectly happy with them, but when the time comes to replace I'll have to do my research all over again.

My dealer charged £40 setup fee originally to swap the tyres and to store the tyres not being used free for life.  Each March & November they swap them on the original wheels for £30, which includes new valves, balancing, sorting the TPWS and vat.  So I didn't need extra wheels and am happy to pay the £30 twice a year.  I usually have a hearty breakfast at the Premier Inn next door while they do it.

[QuantumFireball]

Can the TPMS be disabled completely? Sounds like a pain...

[FROSTYBALLS]

TPMS became part of the MOT in 2015 for cars fitted with the system from 1st January 2012  so permanently disabling it may be unwise.

[Heidfirst]

Yes, it has to be working to pass our MOT but possibly the Irish equivalent vehicle test does not require that?

[QuantumFireball]

Oh, I didn't think of that. With the NCT (our equivalent), the TPMS "malfunction indicator" or "Obvious Modification affecting correct operation" would mean a failure. But if there's some way of disabling it outright so it showed no warning wouldn't be an issue (they wouldn't know it's there).

[FROSTYBALLS]

 With the MOT, if TPMS isn't working or has been removed, it counts as a failure. Aside from that, TPMS became a mandatory fitment on new cars within the EU from November 2014.

[HughL]

Thanks everyone. I'm not going to take any risks with the TPMS for sure!

Chris, thanks for the interesting suggestion; hadn't thought of that. Has there been an MPG penalty compared to the standard tyres if you run the CrossClimates all year?

[thecaretaker]

Take a look at my post here: 

 

[johalareewi]

I have used Michelin Alpin winter tyres on my gen3 for many years. They have now worn out and i am looking at some all season tyres so i don't have to swap between summer and winter tyres.  I know a few people who are using Michelin cross climate tyres (but not on prius) and i am interested in the Nokian Weatherproof tyres which are winter tyres you can use in the summer.

[007matt]

Maybe all season tyres are a compromise without the hassle of swapping tyres and expenses doing so?  

[TonyHSD]

Guys, you can try an all season tyres that are as good or better than winter tyres and very good in summer too. The make and model is Vredestein Quatrac 5 , they cover various sizes so no worries here,  good reviews too. I definitely getting one of those at the end of the year. 

Regards