I have to admit to having been a bit sceptical about the whole winter tyre debate.
I know they provide better grip in cold conditions, but fundamentally, my thoughts are that if it’s snowed and it’s too slippery to be driving on normal tyres, then the sensible thing is to not drive at all, as you know full well that other cars with less grip will be sliding uncontrollably towards you sooner or later.
But when Audi offered to let us sample its winter tyre programme, it seemed rude to say no. The firm’s dealer network offers winter tyre sets from £550 including fitting, with wheels and tyres from £792, the latter including heavy-duty storage bags for the summer tyres that go back on when the weather turns warm. Some dealers will, for a fee, also store whichever set aren’t on the car.
I was staying away when, after weeks of a mild winter with temperatures well above the optimal minus 7°C at which the tyres work best, the snow hit southern England. My fiancee told me I’d “never get up our road, the snow’s too bad”, but I gave it a go, and sailed up without any loss of traction, despite the upward gradient. File me under ‘convert’.
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