Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 25 Mar 2021 15:32
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - zacepi

Hi all,

Just had my winter tyres swapped back to the summer set. One of the summers had a bulge so they put the winter one back on that wheel for now. The car drives OK surprisingly. The odd tyre on the front. Car is RWD.

There is 3.9 to 5.5mm of tread left on the summers so not really ready for replacement.

I've done some research and shopping around and think my next set will be Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2. Currently they are Continental Sportcontact 5

Would you

Keep the winter tyre

Replace with identical summer Continental Sportcontact 5

Replace with Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2

Replace both tyres on axle with either CS5 or EP2

Replace all 4?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 25 Mar 2021 15:44
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - _

Safer to have matched summer or winter tyres.

so if you are putting summers on buy 2 to match and keep the good one as a spare.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 25 Mar 2021 16:57
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - skidpan

Would you

Keep the winter tyre

Ring your insurers and ask if they will allow that. I suspect they will not since the rule agreed by most insurers is winter tyres must be fitted in sets of 4 and only used from 01/11 to 31/03.

Do what you are proposing without approval and if you have an accident you will almost certainly find yourself uninsured for any damage to your own car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Mar 2021 05:41
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - chris87
Get 2 new summer tyres, out them in the back, move the back ones to the front, done.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Mar 2021 09:17
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - Andrew-T

Just out of interest, do you live somewhere which gets winter weather requiring special tyres ? Like my BiL, who has a place at a skiing resort in Switzerland - he keeps an old Forester there and the local garage stores the set he isn't using.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Mar 2021 09:50
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - zacepi

Thanks for the replies. I live in the south of England, but travel across Europe regularly where not only do you need winters legally, you really need them. Having driven through the Alps in January, they are fantastic.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Mar 2021 10:01
Alfa Giulia 2.2D - Tyre dilemma - to swap or not - John F

Would you

Keep the winter tyre

Replace with identical summer Continental Sportcontact 5

Replace with Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2

Replace both tyres on axle with either CS5 or EP2

Replace all 4?

None of the above. I would take the wheel with the bulging summer tyre to your local used tyre dealer and ask him to match it as near as possible.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide

Cold-snap snow-how: Advice on coping with the freezing weather, including videos, facts and winter driving advice.

Honest John's Guide To Winter Tyres