I've had all combinations, and never yet failed to get to work, starting at 4am and i have to get up a serious never gritted hill (unless myself and John, another 4x4 owner who doesn't need the road gritted, put it down, but we do the neighbourly thing) to get out from where i live.
My experiences,
a 2WD car on some summer compound tyres will be various layers of hopeless in the snow, some summer tyres are rather better than others in this respect ie Uniroyal Rain Experts which could easily be classed as all season tyres.
A 2WD car on either all season or full winter tyres will get through all but the worst with some sensible driving, but wil require some pre thought, ie don't expect it to be the equivalent of a track layer, so getting going in some conditions might need a bit of prep, ie clear a steep section if its a standing start but once moving, if you can keep moving, you should be fine.
A AWD on all season style summer rated tyres might be slightly better than a 2WD on winters for getting moving, but it won't stop change direction or corner as well cos tread compound.
A full time 4x4 on winter (snowflake marked) tyres is virtually unstoppable, no steep drive or hill clearance necessary, but common sense is still required or you could feasably end up somewhere quite remote trapped by stuck vehicles in front and unable to return because of vehicles following you which are now stuck somewhere behind you negotiated without issue.
My suggestion, if you are keeping the car for a good number of years, then i'd source a second set of wheels, preferably as high profile tyre size with as small a wheel size as can be fitted to your car, and get a set of good winter tyres during the summer whilst they are cheap, higher profile sizes usually cheaper too...if the car is only to be kept for another year or two then maybe a set of snowflake (this is most important) marked all season tyres before next winter sets in.
The unsung advantage of a second set of winter tyres on wheels is your nice summer alloys never see salt again.
Edited by gordonbennet on 15/07/2018 at 15:10
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Thanks for the replies
I’ve never had any issues before in any or my previous hatchbacks, the aygo we have also fine for obvious reasons. Also had a civic hatchback years ago and also fine.
This is the first tourer and diesel I’ve had but it was awful, was un driveable
I was looking to keep the tourer for another 2 years so not sure the investment in wheels is best option. Thinking it will be around £80 a time to change tho.
I was also reading Honda are no longer producing the tourer.
Good to hear the crv does well on summers, reason I put the cx5 into the mix was my friend has had no issues with his.
Not sure whether to jump ship or the tourer now as trade in price is good, or try it on winters and sell in 2 years.
Next car either way will likely be a SUV
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I've got a BMW 3 series estate - RWD, and probably notorious for being one of the worst possible cars in snow and ice. I also live in rural North Wales, on the side of a hill, about 600 feet above sea level, on an area of road that simply does not get gritted.
So, as you can tell, road conditions last winter were decidedly dodgy in my area.
Every November, I swap over to winter wheels and tyres (Pirelli Sottozero), and run them until April.
All last winter I managed to get into work 13 miles away, and back home again, perfectly fine. Every single time.
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Thanks, thats great to hear, looks like winter tyres will do the job for the poor performance honda tourer.
I think I'll hold off on a second set of alloys tho, as plan to change car in 2 years
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Thanks, thats great to hear, looks like winter tyres will do the job for the poor performance honda tourer.
I think I'll hold off on a second set of alloys tho, as plan to change car in 2 years
In all seriousness, you may well find that a set of wheels and tyres end up costing virtually no more than a set of tyres on their own
Buy the wheels and tyres, and it's a simple swapover job. If I can't be bothered doing it myself, a local tyre place do the swapover for £20 - £5 per corner.
If you buy the tyres on their own, then you've got to get the summer tyres taken off the wheels, and the winters mounted and balanced. And then reverse that 5 months later. It will cost a fair bit more - I'd imagine at least double.
I got my wheels and tyres from mrwinterwheels.com - no advertising, just a very satisfied customer. Ordered online, the wheels (with tyres mounted, balanced and inflated) arrived 2-3 days later, very well packed to protect them in transit.
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I know it shouldnt matter on the look over the benefits of the winter tyres, but I think the steel wheels will make the car look pretty awful for 4/5 months of the year, maybe a 2nd hand set of alloys would be better.
Will have a look online
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Look on e-bay or the relevant forum and you may just find a bargain.
When we got the Fabia in May I spotted a set of 4 Falken winters (5.5mm tread) on steels on the OC forum and offered £75, got them for £80.
When I sold the Leon had a set of Falken winters (7mm tread) on steels spare, they sold for £260.
Still got a set of winters on steelies for the Note in the shed, e-bay will be my friend come October.
I know it shouldnt matter on the look over the benefits of the winter tyres, but I think the steel wheels will make the car look pretty awful for 4/5 months of the year, maybe a 2nd hand set of alloys would be better
When I am in the car I cannot see the wheels and to be honest I don't give a fek what others think. For our I found some decent looking trims that unless you get right up to the car look like alloys so no need to be embarased.
In truth I prefer to keep my alloys nice for the summer months, a slight touch of the kerb will cost ££££'s to sort. Do it with a steel and it does not matter.
But remember to run it past your insurers before doing anything.
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If you consider a second set, and as said they are easily sold on, then keep in mind my experience with MINI's during one particularly bad winter's day.
In a load lane would be 12 MINI's of various specifications, those fitted with wide low profiles simply would not move forwards on the 6" of snow but they would just about reverse, whilst those lower spec versions on sensible slightly narrower higher profile tyres had no grip troubles.
I'd be finding out what size wheels and tyres the lowest cost/spec version of your model has fitted, probably 16'' with 55 aspect tyres, then make sure there are no brake clearance or other issues to worry about (unlikely unless you have a typeR), then as said a quick phone call to your insurer (should be no issues at all with most good companies), a bonus those sensible sizes are usually cheap as chips, as a double bonus the ride improvments might be addictive....maybe you're already on the most sensible size.
Edited by gordonbennet on 15/07/2018 at 19:06
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looking online the standard is 205/55 R16 91V
My one has 225/45/17
Edited by monkeyboy3 on 15/07/2018 at 19:18
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I'd be plumping for the 205/55's for the winter set, very popular size and usually cheap.
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I have the 205s on a 1.8 Civic and I didn't have any particular issues on worn out summer tyres that the weather caught me out on before I could change. This was on the S Wales hills, so I would be absolutely confident that a decent set of winters would be more than adequate for you. If the weather was that consistenlty bad I'd have a set myself, but it's not really worth it for me, 2 days or so every few years. I know there are performance advantages below 8C or so, but I've never had any issues at all on standard tyres.
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So my alloys/summers are 225/45/17, therefore I could order 16" alloys or Steels and fit with 205/55/R16 tyres?
What else would I have to do to the set up? Or is it simply just swap over to the 16"s in the winter and back to the 17''s in the summer
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So my alloys/summers are 225/45/17, therefore I could order 16" alloys or Steels and fit with 205/55/R16 tyres?
What else would I have to do to the set up? Or is it simply just swap over to the 16"s in the winter and back to the 17''s in the summer
Basically yes, though a quick question on the Civic forum (question probably already asked so a search should provide the answer) to confirm no brake caliper clearance problems would be worth the time, i'm almost certain there would be no issues at all, and a quick courtesy call to your insurer would be wise, should be no issues because you are going for an OE size.
If you buy a used set of wheels, if they are OE alloys then your present wheelnuts should be fine (but always best if they come with nuts), but if you find an aftermarket set then it would be best if they came with bolts/nuts, because the seats can be either taper or curved and its best to have the right type of bolt seats, new steel wheels should come with suitable bolts.
Worth checking, there are several websites listing wheel specs, that any used alloys you are intersted in are suitable for your car, wheels sizes come in diameter (obviously) and width eg 6.5J is a 6.5" wide wheel, but you need the correct offset (eg ET +40 but i don't know what the Civic should be), correct PCD (number of holes and diameter of circle described through them) and the correct spigot size (centre hub hole).
A typical wheel might be 16 x 6.5J ET 40, PCD 5x120, centre hole 56, that's off the top of my head and probably fits no car known to man, this site is a typical but i have no idea of its accuracy or current models so have a search around.
.www.carlsalter.com/honda-wheel-fitments.html
Edited by gordonbennet on 15/07/2018 at 20:15
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No issues as the 17 inchers are an optional fit. My manual lists either. But get the right ones as GB says! My spacesaver is off an Accord, so if you look hard enough, there will be a set of them that fits too.
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I'd let to get a set of honda alloys any ideas where I can buy these from ?
I've look a my tyres ans not much difference in the price of steels or alloys, ony thing is too hard to tell if the alloys will look good. would rather stick with honda ones
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Winter tyres are just not needed in the UK - unless you live on a mountain in some parts of Scotland! Just fit a set of all-season (mud and snow marked) tyres. They'll be fine in the summer and fine in the winter - I've run all-seaon tyres for 15+ years now on all sorts of cars - not a problem. I love driving in the snow and always go out looking for trouble (nearest hilly backlanes) when it snows - never even got close to getting stuck on a variety of all-season tyres - even cheapo Nankang N607s. The other half's SX4 is on Firestone Multi-Seasons which have performed well and are good value. Admittedly my current set of tyres (Lexus RX) are General Grabber all terrain tyres replacing the excellent all-season Toyo Open Country HTs - that said, I did not like the Pirelli Cinturato's which came on the car - very squeally and moved around a lot in the wet.
All season tyres I've used over the last 15 years without complaint include Vredestein Quatrac of various flavours (all superb), Nankang N607 (surprisingly good for a budget tyre), Firestone Multi-season (only been out a short while) General Grabber HTS (these last and last!), Nokian (weatherproof?) (excellent), Goodyear Vector (good but not as good as the Scandi's IMHO).
I've also mixed sets (front to rear) while I transistion over to a different brand and had no problems whatsoever - not something I'd probably consider doing before the advent of stability control ABS etc.
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I agree with you but winter tyres do show there benfits, however in over 20 years with FWD this is the first car that is just shocking in teh snow so I need to look at an option or new car
I've read mixed reviews on all seasons and I think they would be fine and help, not sure with the tourer it may need a full winter tyre
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The exacerbating problem is the size of your present tyres, wide low profiles.
If you changed to the alternative 16" size and fitted more all year tread, ie Uniroyal Rain Expert (summer tyres) you would find a different vehicle entirely in the bad weather, a good all season (and yes Vred Quatracs are as good as any) and you would have as good as full winters on your low profiles wheels IMO.
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The latest set of tyres were Pirelli Cinturato P7 but same 225/45 R17
Going for the 16s will be best but just trying to find a good deal on Honda alloys
Just on another note, with Honda no longer producing the Tourer do you think its a better idea to trade it in now or in a couple year when I originally indented or will it make no difference in a trade in price?
Edited by monkeyboy3 on 16/07/2018 at 13:07
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I have a 15 reg CRV Petrol auto. I run with standard all year tyres (Dunlop). This winter, only two cars managed to get out of our street (a steep hill). Both were CRVs. One of us had to tow a guy with a BMW X3 up the hill, and I towed a laden Transit van up the hill.
Snow at the time was a mere 18" deep, so nothing too arduous.
I'm on my 3rd CRV - first one I got just before the winter of 2010 and was the only car to get out of the street. Which is why I've stuck with them. Plus, reliability is far better than the Land / Range Rover.
Must admit I'm thinking of the new Subara XV though......!!!
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