I know HJ would say Michelin every time but I have continental's on my car (same size as yours coincidently) and there really very good, that said with 4.5mm of tread yours will see the winter out, have another look next year.

"Where do you live Avant? If you are the south of England where snow is infrequent the Cross Climates should be fine...."

Also in deepest Dorset, Ian: Buckhorn Weston, which sounds like a West Indian fast bowler but is actually a north Dorset village on the Somerset border, between Gillingham and Wincanton.

We're on the side of a steep hill so snow and ice are the main concern, as the 4WD Q2 is very sure-footed in the wet. The OEM Bridgestones have indeed worn well, but there's too much road noise. It wasn't an issue this year as the only snow we had was for two days and then another two days, so we didn't go out.

I'm sure the Cross-Climates would be fine, but I'm not convinced that they're worth almost twice as much as the Vredesteins. The excellent local tyre place - DCM of Shaftesbury - is happy to recommend either.

My Q2 after 23,000 miles has about 4.5 mm on all four tyres: as it's a quattro, they all wear more or less evenly.

When they get down to 3 mm I'll replace them with all-season tyres. I think it has enough traction not to need full winter tyres, and the all-seasons can stay on permanently.

There isn't much choice in the rather odd size (215/50/18) so it's between Vredestein Quatrac and Michelin Cross-Climate. I've seen a test report where the Michelins didn't perform all that well in snow; and the Vredesteins are cheaper.

Does anyone think that the Michelins are worth the extra?

Is there a chance you can stick with 18in tyres but go with a different combo of width and sidewall ratio to get the same overall diameter that is more common? Not sure of course whether the car manufacturer would even allow this as a standard 'change' and the implications to insurance.

A quick check on Oponeo revealed an alternative in the 235/45 R18 tyre, with Blackcircles offering the standard CC+ (for example) in that size for £172 fitted and the GY Vector 4S for about £5 less. Ironically the Qutrac was more expensive then the other size, though still cheaper at about £148 and of a newer type that was 'C' rated for mpg, but C rated instead of B for wet grip. Not really many other choices.

www.oponeo.co.uk/advice-and-tips/tyre-size-calcula...l

You may just be unlucky that (as an increasing number of new cars are) you car is fitted with unusual sized tyres and even changing wheel and tyre sizes might not make a difference. I'm sure this is yet another money-making wheeze by the motor industry.

I save myself £15 on my insurance (about 5%) when I changed my wheels and tyres (both needed changing anyway) from 205/55 R16 to 195/65 R15, but the big saving was changing of the wheels and tyres themselves (the entire set), costing £300 less (essentially I got the tyres for free).

Probably not a cost-effective option for you this time (way too early in the life of the car), but worth a look down the line if and when the alloys start to corrode (assuming you keep the car that long). I've been lucky my car has (all combos allowable) very standard (common) sized tyres, so I pay a lot less than most people for tyres. The new version of my car sees the price go up by between 25% and 50% depending on which tyres I go for, just because the tyre sidewall ratio on the OEMs went from 205/55 R16 to 205/60 R16.

Note that the Vredesteins you appeared to fin originally are I think only 'E' rated for fuel economy (on Blackcircles anyway) whereas the Michelin CC SUV are 'C' rated. I suspect they are more expensive partly because of this, that they are of a newer design and are specifically designed for SUVs. The Q2 whilst an SUV in name, isn't really one in the truest sense, so you're probably paying way over the odds for a tyre you don't really need.