Is it just me or is there a conspiracy within the tyre supply business?
My first RRS came fitted with ‘all season’ tyres. Good Year Wrangler if I recall. I replaced them with the same.
Now, some 10 years down the line, it seems the choice is ‘Summer’ or ‘Winter’.
Local suppliers advise that ‘all season’ is no longer available. I appreciate these tyres, when they existed, may have been a bit of a compromise but would have seemed best for my geographical location.
Is this a cunning ploy to get us to buy additional tyres? There seems to be a lobby promoting a change in the law toward this.
It’s just me isn’t it?

The OE fitted Pirelli Simmetrico M&S are an all-round tyre.

There are very few genuine all season tyres. M&S markings don't make them all season, it just means there is a certain ratio of blocks and voids in the tread pattern. A true all season tyre will feature zones of heavy siping and will have a different rubber formulation. Big muggy mud tyres are M&S but are no good in icy conditions, for example because the rubber is formulated to be tough to resist damage off road.

The best advice is to have summer and winter tyres according to the season. There is usually a poor understanding of risk/cost/reward when tyres are considered. People will spend a lot of money on fripperies but are loathe to spend on safety critical items. Humans are a weird breed...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Not on my 2012 model. They were Pirelli Scorpion (something) and listed as summer. Hence my comment.
Gratefully you mention the simmetrico but I can't find a supplier.
Suggestions welcome.
Thanks

I take your point RRSTDV8 and agree it is a valid one. However the number if times in a year I am out in temperatures below 7deg C is very few. It's not the expense as such that concerns me. It is the storage of the removed set. I don't have a garage and local garages and tyre dealers don't provide the service (as yet). I've asked.
So compromise has to be the order of the day.
That is if my advice is correct and 'All Season' rubber is good down to 2deg
Gratefully if you could advise otherwise.

Last RRS had crapinental - sorry continental summer tyres but current came fitted with 20" Scorpions and they are all season http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/gb/en/suv/shee...trico.html

Best price I have found here http://lovetyres.com/tyre/Pirelli-Scorpion...tAod_RYAnA

I had one scare last year on them but many on here swear by them

I have fitted Conti winter tyres on 19" this year after claims of snow all November in the press and following years of posts on here claiming how great they are - will see if they match the hype soon - hopefully  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

RRSTDV8 - re my post above - you do like to read what's not there !

In my advice to the questioner my post said "...all-rounder..." that's because it has good off-road as well as on-road performance.

Addition despite your assertion its not an "all-season" tyre is wide of the mark because Mr Pirelli agrees with me and says " The asymmetric pattern and the all-season compound make the SCORPION™ ZERO™ ASIMMETRICO the top tyre in its segment."

The Pirelli Verde is also available as an All season variant which is also OE.

Hugh Haddow wrote:

Is it just me or is there a conspiracy within the tyre supply business?
My first RRS came fitted with ‘all season’ tyres. Good Year Wrangler if I recall. I replaced them with the same.
Now, some 10 years down the line, it seems the choice is ‘Summer’ or ‘Winter’.
Local suppliers advise that ‘all season’ is no longer available. I appreciate these tyres, when they existed, may have been a bit of a compromise but would have seemed best for my geographical location.
Is this a cunning ploy to get us to buy additional tyres? There seems to be a lobby promoting a change in the law toward this.
It’s just me isn’t it?

All Season is available in most sizes.

Talk to your local tyre people and I am sure they will help, if not I am only to happy to talk rubber, just call.  Please call us 01737 241370 for the quickest response

www.ajstyres.co.uk

Thanks AJS most informative. Seems my problem may be local suppliers then. I'll have another go but if no joy I'll call.
Thanks all.
Hugh

Am i the only one that thinks KwickBudg et all selling winter tyres is a bit "emperors new clothes?" if i lived up north, then maybe i would buy "proper" off road tyres for the few months of snow, but in all my years driving without any accidents i have never felt the need to change my tyres. just drive within the limits of the vehicle i say!

cheers
Dave MY10 TDV6 SE (debadged ), Santorini Black, Flappy paddles, Privacy Glass, 20" Stormers, Mudflaps!

Gone: a comprehensive list of imprezas and a Merc ML AMG

If you look at the Vredestein website they have a pretty decent graph that shows the braking performance of their tyres in colder temperatures.

Although this is purely what they say it seems that different 'compounds' of rubber perform differently in varying temperatures.

In cold sub zero temperatures Vredestein claim significant additional braking performance with their Wintrac tyres BUT in warmer temperatures the braking performance is worse.

Of course, you could compensate with a better driving style but it's the unexpected in winter weather that worried me.

Anyway, I've 5 for sale as I'm without a RRS post my tax inspection earlier this year...

Good tyres and 19" rims also on Fleabay now  2005 Range Rover Sport TDV6 HSE in Artic Frost. 20" 2010 HST Alloys, sidesteps, Hawke tips, plus minor bits and bobs along with a remap. Four spike spiders ready for the Alps again now tucked up in their garage boxes...

I have been driving for 29 years and rode a trail bike for a year before that mostly up north with a few years down south and never had winter tyres until this year

1983 crashed my trail bike on a hairpin bend covered in snow and ice.

1984 crashed my first car (an avenger) in snow and ice after braking.

1996 wrote off a brand new mondeo in fog, snow and ice after braking.

2006 crashed my jag x type in snow and ice after braking. While exchanging details another car hit me again.

These are the only accidents I have had that were my fault and convinced me that 4x4s rock

All my LR's before the sport had all season tyres with narrow treads and big side walls that gave me confidence and felt planted. The RRS's have huge tyres with low profile tyres and feel anything but planted in snow and ice so I am trying the winter tyres this year based on the feedback here and European culture of using them

They may turn out to be a waste of money but with a £600 excess if they save me 1 claim they will pay for themselves

Across the various forums I have looked there are many who used/have them and swear by them but also lots who never had/use them who say they are a waste of money and you should drive accordingly. I will keep an open mind and hope it snows/freezes so I can decide

I have also heard that seat belts were a nuisance and airbags/abs were a waste of money over the years from people who added ICE upgrades and special alloys when I was adding airbags and abs to mine  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Dont get me wrong MW, i have used forrest spec tyres on rally cars and driven on studs in sweden, so know the benefit of the correct tyres when negotiating bends at 60mph, it to me just seems like a marketing ploy by tyre companies to extract more money. having the correct tyres on an icy road is not going to stop someone running into the back of you at a junction, but possibly spending the cost of a set of tyres on a skidpan/training day for the general population would.

cheers
Dave MY10 TDV6 SE (debadged ), Santorini Black, Flappy paddles, Privacy Glass, 20" Stormers, Mudflaps!

Gone: a comprehensive list of imprezas and a Merc ML AMG

I hear you Dave

Couple of years ago we were in our FL1 which was fantastic in snow and ice (no fancy terrain response or winter tyres, etc) and an idiot coming towards us in a transit van took the bend too fast, braked and spun in front of us. I swerved to avoid him and ended up on the verge. We grounded and got stuck but managed to rock it free then turned round and went home a little shaken (read that has needed to change pants)

When it comes down to it you are at the mercy of fate and the idiots - people actually flash me in my rear view mirror to get a move on in my fancy 4x4 during white outs in freezing temperatures then shoot past me in Corsas, etc but never found one in a ditch further on yet - amazing  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

drdelrrs wrote:

RRSTDV8 - re my post above - you do like to read what's not there !

It was a general comment not aimed at your post...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed