So I thought the 4x4 Cross came with 185/65 R15 All Season tires, but it sounds like that's changed. I've checked ours and it has 175/65 R15 Goodyear DuraGrips. So want to change them to All Seasons. Looks like they originally came with Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-2.


Looking on Black Circles 185 Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3's are less expensive than the 175 Gen-2's, though only by about £8 per corner. Which I thought strange for a bigger, and more modern, tire.


What are people using and are the Michellins CrossClimates any better? Had them on the Volvo and liked them.

Many thanks,

Colin

Welcome back. Allegedly summer tyres and smaller size to reduce emissions rise and WLTP economy loss. I've had Goodyear Ultragrip 9 Winter tyres on my 4x4. Didn't last long but no one on forum drives like me. Now on Dunlop Wintersport 2's. On Landrover Freelander 2 Goodyear Duragrip was an all season tyre. What Panda comes with is probably relatively soft rubber summer tyres. Maybe try them when weather chillier and see what you think. Need high end winter tyres if want decent grip in summer if leave them on. Otherwise they'll be rubbish.

Before jumping to the 185 tyre, do check your wheel size carefully. The non-Cross 4x4 always had 175/65 R15 tyres but with wheels with an ET 35 offset. The Cross when fitted with 185/65 tyres had an ET 32 offset, to allow the wider tyres to fit without fouling the suspension arms. The ET value is cast onto the inside of the wheel.
As to why you have those tyres, all models were fitted with lower rolling resistance summer tyres to get a better WLTP fuel economy figure from abou September 2018.

It seems a waste to fit all-season tyres onto a brand new car. Why not keep the Duragrips on the original rims, for when the weather's kinder, and fit proper winter tyres onto a spare set of secondhand rims? That way, you'll get full value from the Duragrips, and you won't have to accept the compromises that all-season tyres inevitably involve.

Having said that, the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons that were fitted to my Cross from new performed very well, apart from squealing in roundabouts at relatively low speeds, and lasted for over 40k miles. They were excellent in the snow. I replaced them with Michelin CrossClimates, which are quieter, and subjectively better (firmer and gripper) in the dry, but aren't wearing quite as well as the Goodyears. Both are excellent tyres imho (with the caveat that I haven't yet had the opportunity to test the Michelins in the snow).

Hi Chenry

My 2014 4x4 came with Continental winter tyres fitted and, I believe they were the original tyres until I changed two of them a few months back when I purchased the car, but only because the sidewalls were cut

If they were the original tyres then they've done very well as I know winters normally get eaten alive in the warm summer weather.

I'm switching all my tyres to G'Year Vector 4 Season Gen3 - I've had the Gen2s on several other cars, and have been quite astonished at their performance in snow and ice, they're generally a good all-round tyre; I just feel really confident with them.
I used to keep a separate set of wheels shod with winter-specific tyres for the winter months, but no longer feel the need to do that anymorebecause the Vector 4 Seasons are that good - plus I've freed up space in my garage!

Thanks for the advice all, I've pulled the trigger and am going for the 175/65 Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2, they're being fitted on Tuesday.

Was tempted to get another set of wheels and have a Summer/Winter set-up, but seeings as I have a set of 20" wheels in the garden with winter tires for the other car which winds the wife up no end, I decided just to get the tires swapped over.

- Colin

Hi.
I had Goodyear Vectors on mine and was glad to get shot of them. Noisy and ponderous handling.
Have had Nexens on for around a year and cannot fault them, summer tyres and they'll stay on.
I've never bought winter tyres in my life. I used to carry snow chains for many years and used them I think for under a mile just to satisfy the traffic police that would only let through very few vehicles. At the time I was driving a Skoda Rapid 135RIC which was amazing in snow anyway, once out of the sight of plod the chains came off and I completed a 7 mile journey with no issues.
Remember winter tyres will not protect you from other irresponsible drivers that cannot control a vehicle in extreme weather conditions.
That said in the UK we don't get the issues anywhere near as often as some places in mainland Europe. Still say good driving practice is more important than spending out on winter tyres.
IMHO.

Horses for courses, I think Trevor - the Vectors have been excellent on wifes Meriva and Suzuki Swift and now also on her Vauxhall and they're no noisier than other tyres we've had - I'd deem them as actually a much nicer ride than the Michelins that were previously on the Vauxhall.

The two new ones fitted on the rear of the Panda feel perfectly fine and are no noisier than the Continentals they have replaced. I often drive in a 'spirited manner' and don't deem them as ponderous at all (They were on the front initially but new tyres should go on the rear, so I swapped them around - no adverse manners in either position).

Having come from a Suzuki Jimny I'm much more aware of how tyre pressures make a huge difference to handling - the Jimny was very sensitive to pressures and if they were wrong (slightly too high) it was positively dangerous on that car; so now if something doesn't feel like its right, I find that adjusting the pressures even by small increments can make the difference - it's just being patient, and trial and error until it feels right.

I'm also an advocate of balancing beads - these make any tyre very much smoother and quieter

Totally agree with you about the other drivers unable to control their cars in extreme conditions - its them I'm more worried about than myself. During the snowy Beast From the East, I was able to get around the Cotswold hills easily in the wife's Swift but was very wary of anyone behind me being unable to stop; I knew I could stop - but would they?

Our 2019 cross came with 175s conti eco contact tyres rather than 185 all season. We only managed 13000 miles out of the front tyres, so time to replace all 4 with something more appropriate for the cross. I was originally thinking of putting 185s back on but now wondering whether the wheels are the right ones for 185 tyres?

Is it worth just going for 175s instead? I was hoping the 185s would lengthen the gearing slightly!

Neb1 said:

Our 2019 cross came with 175s conti eco contact tyres rather than 185 all season. We only managed 13000 miles out of the front tyres, so time to replace all 4 with something more appropriate for the cross. I was originally thinking of putting 185s back on but now wondering whether the wheels are the right ones for 185 tyres?

Is it worth just going for 175s instead? I was hoping the 185s would lengthen the gearing slightly!

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Take a wheel off and look on the back of it - the ‘ET’ number is cast into the wheel. 175 tyres can be used on the ET32 wheel, but not the other way.

By the way, there used to be claims the cross has more ground clearance than the ‘regular’ 4x4... this was all owing to the 185 tyres being 6mm taller. Now they are all sold on 175s, that ‘advantage’ has been lost.

Does the ET of the wheel actually matter?

The reason I'm asking is that the standard config is 185 tyres on ET30 and 175 tyres on ET35. However the 4x4 seems to be ok fitting 185 tyres on ET35 wheels. That would imply the cross would be fine??

Ah scratch that, the 4x4 ET35 wheels are 5.5j rather than the cross 6j. So there might be clearance issue not present on the 4x4 model.

It's so complicated!

Neb1 said:

Ah scratch that, the 4x4 ET35 wheels are 5.5j rather than the cross 6j. So there might be clearance issue not present on the 4x4 model.

It's so complicated!

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Pretty sure the 4x4 and Cross both use 6J rims... can’t get to handbook right now. There’s no difference mechanically between them (ie suspension etc all identical)

From my 2018 handbook... this suggests 6J on 4x4 too. But also shows 5.5J on cars with Duragrip tyres...

And the Cross (in 2018) shown with 6J for all tyres (but back then - pre-WLTP tests - no mention if the summer tyre option)
Also note ET30, not 32 as I said before. That 5mm additional offset (compared to ET35 on 4x4) may be significant when turned full lock, or in the rear arches where space between the tyre and the arch guard is pretty tight.

Thanks for clearing that up. I think I'll have a look at my wheels, if they are ET30 then good to go for the 185, if they are ET35 then I might just stick with the 175s to prevent any issues.

Any thoughts between Goodyear vector 4s and Michelin crossclimate+ up in Cumbria we deal with a LOT of rain, so thinking the vector 4s might be more appropriate..

Hi.
This discussion may help. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1825186

A few complain about the noise from the Vectors

Al D said:

Welcome back. Allegedly summer tyres and smaller size to reduce emissions rise and WLTP economy loss. I've had Goodyear Ultragrip 9 Winter tyres on my 4x4. Didn't last long but no one on forum drives like me. Now on Dunlop Wintersport 2's. On Landrover Freelander 2 Goodyear Duragrip was an all season tyre. What Panda comes with is probably relatively soft rubber summer tyres. Maybe try them when weather chillier and see what you think. Need high end winter tyres if want decent grip in summer if leave them on. Otherwise they'll be rubbish.

Click to expand...

Why does "no one on the forum drive like you"

Neb1 said:

Thanks for clearing that up. I think I'll have a look at my wheels, if they are ET30 then good to go for the 185, if they are ET35 then I might just stick with the 175s to prevent any issues.

Any thoughts between Goodyear vector 4s and Michelin crossclimate+ up in Cumbria we deal with a LOT of rain, so thinking the vector 4s might be more appropriate..

Click to expand...

We had a set of these https://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre/vredestein-quatrac-175-65-r15-84-h#324704603 fitted yesterday on our 2014 Trekking replacing the original Continental Cross Climates. First impressions are good, better grip and much less noise. They have the M+S and mountain symbol same as the Contis so it will be interesting to see how they perform long term.