Hello!

Yes, maybe it is too early to talk about summer yet, but one can dream.

Here is my question. Normally, the Panda Cross is equipped with all-season tires (Continentals I think), which is generally good for both seasons. However, living in Switzerland (in the mountains) these tires have proven to be inadequate for the conditions we get here. So I have fitted dedicated Vredestein Snowtrac 3's for winter.

So, obviously I am soon going to need proper summer tires. It would surely be unnecessary for me to purchase all-seasons again, (which I imagine is more expensive than summer tires), especially because I have the best winter tires already. I also don't do any hardcore off-road stuff.

Any suggestions from the informed friends here? Something which is not too expensive, less road-noise and better MPG, just for summer?

Thanks so much.

There's not a lot of all terrain type tyres around in the size you need.
I would suggest getting a purely summer road tyre for warm weather use.

Michelin energy saver plus could be good? Great for fuel economy but not at all good
off road and may not be tough as I believe these Eco tyres are made lightweight hence
thinner sidewalls.

deeyup said:

There's not a lot of all terrain type tyres around in the size you need.
I would suggest getting a purely summer road tyre for warm weather use.

Michelin energy saver plus could be good? Great for fuel economy but not at all good
off road and may not be tough as I believe these Eco tyres are made lightweight hence
thinner sidewalls.

Click to expand...

Thanks Deeyup,

Yes, that is correct: I need a purely summer road tyre. Ok, Michelin - will check it out. Any others? I guess Pirelli are a bit pricey. What tire is suggested for the normal Panda FWD and 4x4 for summer? I think we all use the same 175 size.

PS: I just read up about the tire you suggested - very impressive and a great suggestion!

I have just taken delivery of a new panda 4x4.
It has continental cross contact winter fitted from the factory.
I'm pretty sure the cross has the same size tyre 175/65/15

I'll be fitting the michelin for my summer tyres and storing the cross contacts.

I too am hoping for better fuel consumption.

In the UK they cost £65 each fitted and there is a promotion until march 31, buy at least two tyres and get a free £15 fuel voucher.

My mind is made up: I am going with your suggestion. THANK YOU!

I'm getting mine before the end of the month, but it'll take a few thousand miles to pesonally tell how good they are.

Good luck with them.

Has anybody bought steel rims to put summer tyres on for their Cross in UK ?

If so where did u get them from ?


I'm being thick-they are 15" rims ?



I've just had to spend £330 on just 1 new alloy for my Cross that was thrashed in a pot hole,so i want to get some cheaper steels with summer tyres and swap back to the alloys/Contis next winter

I was also told that Continental have stopped making the Winter Contact 4x4 tyre as fitted OE to the Cross.Is this true ?

I also heard that there is a good new dual purpose winter tyre that is designed for all year use. Anybody heard of this ?

I'll need to replace at least 2 of my Contis next winter and not sure what to get ?

Thanks for any help !!

There are a few 'all season' tyres around -- these are 'good enough' in Summer, and as the weather cools, become 'sticky' in winter and have a tread that suits snow. Examples include Vredestein Quatrac 3 (Vredestein make specialised tyres, such as the 'folding' spare used by Audi), and Kleber Quadraxer (Kleber is owned by Michelin). I have used both on my 4x4, and can report that each does a good job in summer and winter, but that the Klebers are much longer lasting. With teh new Euro labels for tyres, the Klebers have a better 'rating' for fuel economy (C,) , and my experience tallies with this. They also had a lower rating than the Vredesteins for wet grip, but in my case, both have been equally good. Both carry the 'mountain and snowflake' symbol, which means they meet the standard required for countries where snow tyres are a legal requirement in winter.

To be totally honest, I have always thought the purchase of only a single set of tires for all seasons was one of the main advantages of the Cross.
However, that was in 2007/8. Since then, even the UK has shown itself to have successive winters of massive amounts of snow, almost similar to Switzerland (if not more this year). What was thought to be an abnormality in the UK, has now become regular.

Even places here in Switzerland (on the shores of Lake of Geneva) which hardly ever got snow in the past, now have massive amounts of snow since 2008.

Somehow the planet has really changed in such a short time, and I think it is more safe to get two sets of tires for winter and summer, even if the manufacturer originally suggested all-seasons.

There is no doubt that my Vredestein Snowtrac 3's gave me much better performance in the depths of winter compared to the prescribed set of all-seasons.

deeyup said:

I'm getting mine before the end of the month, but it'll take a few thousand miles to pesonally tell how good they are.

Good luck with them.

Click to expand...

Hey Deeyup, I have just read a stack of reports saying that the new Continental Eco Contact 5 is better than the Michelin Energy Saver Plus, in almost all areas.
What do you think? Here are the two comparisons. Back to confusion.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Michelin/Energy-Saver-Plus.htm

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Continental/Eco-Contact-5.htm

Yes, the continental looks a very good tyre.
I think it scores consistently higher than the michelin in most tests.

I have read tests where the michelin has been placed 1st and in another test it was last

It's very confusing and not all tyre patterns behave the same in different sizes.
A particular tyre can be very good in one size but be just mediocre in another size.

The continental tyre is cheaper here in the UK, but after the free fuel promotion of the michelin there's nothing in it.
I think michelin say the average lifespan of a set of energy saver plus is around 60,000 km?
I could be wrong about that, but do think I've read it.
So they may last a fair bit longer than continental?

At the end of the day, there is only one way to find out which is the best choice for yours or my particular car, and that is by taking the plunge and buying a set.

I'm going for the michelin because I can get them from my local Costco for £65 each fitted and get the free fuel.
If they stocked continental (which they dont) and they were cheaper, I'd probably get them instead.

Keep checking the reviews and let me know which you went for and how they are performing

Herts Hillhopper said:

There are a few 'all season' tyres around -- these are 'good enough' in Summer, and as the weather cools, become 'sticky' in winter and have a tread that suits snow. Examples include Vredestein Quatrac 3 (Vredestein make specialised tyres, such as the 'folding' spare used by Audi), and Kleber Quadraxer (Kleber is owned by Michelin). I have used both on my 4x4, and can report that each does a good job in summer and winter, but that the Klebers are much longer lasting. With teh new Euro labels for tyres, the Klebers have a better 'rating' for fuel economy (C,) , and my experience tallies with this. They also had a lower rating than the Vredesteins for wet grip, but in my case, both have been equally good. Both carry the 'mountain and snowflake' symbol, which means they meet the standard required for countries where snow tyres are a legal requirement in winter.

Click to expand...

Vredestein have now got a new tyre called the quatrac lite which has better fuel economy ratings, may be worth a look?

Arsey said:

Has anybody bought steel rims to put summer tyres on for their Cross in UK ?

If so where did u get them from ?


I'm being thick-they are 15" rims ?



I've just had to spend £330 on just 1 new alloy for my Cross that was thrashed in a pot hole,so i want to get some cheaper steels with summer tyres and swap back to the alloys/Contis next winter

I was also told that Continental have stopped making the Winter Contact 4x4 tyre as fitted OE to the Cross.Is this true ?

I also heard that there is a good new dual purpose winter tyre that is designed for all year use. Anybody heard of this ?

I'll need to replace at least 2 of my Contis next winter and not sure what to get ?

Thanks for any help !!

Click to expand...

My tyres is a good place for complete wheels
http://www.mytyres.co.uk/Complete_wheels.html

deeyup said:

My tyres is a good place for complete wheels
http://www.mytyres.co.uk/Complete_wheels.html

Click to expand...

Thanks.

That's a great site !!!

They can do something like a EcoContact3 on a Dezent RE alloy for £117 complete !!!

That's mad having just paid £331 for 1 OE alloy from Fiat !!!

They dont have the new EcoContact5 listed though.

This is some of the list :


BF Goodrich g-Grip
175/65 R15 84 T
only 110.80 £



Bridgestone B-250
175/65 R15 84 T
only 113.60 £

Continental EcoContact-3
175/65 R15 84 T
only 117.10 £

Continental PremiumContact-2 (*)
175/65 R15 84 H
only 128.50 £

Continental PremiumContact-2
175/65 R15 84 H
only 128.50 £

Continental PremiumContact-5
175/65 R15 84 H
only 128.50 £


Dunlop SP-SPORT-01 (*)
175/65 R15 84 H
only 126.10 £

Goodyear EAGLE-NCT-5
175/65 R15 88 H
only 118.00 £


Michelin ENERGY-SAVER-plus
175/65 R15 84 T
only 121.10 £

Michelin ENERGY-SAVER ( GRNX)
175/65 R15 84 H
only 132.50 £


Vredestein SPORTRAC-3
175/65 R15 84 H
only 104.70 £

Vredestein Sportrac-5
175/65 R15 84 H


And they do have these listed in 185/55R15:

Continental EcoContact-5
185/55 R15 82 H
only 136.10 £

Continental EcoContact-5
185/55 R15 86 H
only 147.50 £






Sorry to be so thick but will the 185/55 R15 be as suitable as an 175/65R15 for the Cross on a 15" alloy ?

If so which of the 3 EcoContact5s should I go for ? The OE tyre is an 175/65 R15 84T so should I go up a load rating to the 86H or would 82H be ok as it's 475kgs as against 500 for the 84 (and 530 for the 86)



Thanks again !!!

Arsey said:

Sorry to be so thick but will the 185/55 R15 be as suitable as an 175/65R15 for the Cross on a 15" alloy ?

If so which of the 3 EcoContact5s should I go for ? The OE tyre is an 175/65 R15 84T so should I go up a load rating to the 86H or would 82H be ok as it's 475kgs as against 500 for the 84 (and 530 for the 86)



Thanks again !!!

Click to expand...

You can put the 185/55/15 on, but you may have insurance troubles in event of an accident by fitting non standard sizes.

I'd be happy to go up with the load rating, but not down for the same reasons.
Check your handbook and see which alternatives it says.

Thanks for the reply.

Think I'll stick with the 175/65R15 size but not sure which to get .

Any advice ?

Which would be the pick of this lot for durability and fuel economy ?


Continental EcoContact-3
175/65 R15 84 T
only 115.00 £

Continental PremiumContact-2 (*)
175/65 R15 84 H
only 126.30 £


Continental PremiumContact-5
175/65 R15 84 H
only 126.30 £

Michelin ENERGY-SAVER-plus
175/65 R15 84 T

Vredestein SPORTRAC-3
175/65 R15 84 H
only 102.80 £

Vredestein Sportrac-5
175/65 R15 84 H

Thanks again .Much appreciate it

I have no idea about durability, but Michelin reckon they are the best at mileage.
I had energy savers on a citroen C1, and managed to tear through all 4 ( by swapping fronts with backs 1/2 way) in 20,000 miles.

It was contract hire and I drove it like a rally car though for a lot of those miles.

I've also read that during rolling resistance tests the energy saver + just keeps going and going.

I'd personally and actually am going for the michelin energy saver plus.
Don't forget that at the moment Michelin are giving a free fuel card when you buy 2 or more tyres
http://marketing.michelin.co.uk/buynow/

God only knows why they don't give you double when you buy 4 tyres??
There's better incentive to buy 2.
I suppose you could get the tyre co. to invoice you for 2 at a time, then make the second claim at your dads house for example??

Thanks for the advice.

I've just ordered 4 alloys fitted with Michelin Energy Saver Plus tyres all for £507 delivered.


Bit of a bargain when Fiat charged me £331 for one alloy !!!!

Wheels and tyres arrived from MyTyres today.

All fitted in 40 minutes.

Very pleased with quality of alloys for the price :

Hey there!

I am getting my Continental Eco Contact 5's tomorrow. And then drive straight to the south of France for the weekend.

I nearly bought the Michelin's too - the Conti's were almost impossible to get. I have heard they have very strange production-cycles which means there are always tire shortages. It is odd, almost as if they have only one production-line! Maybe tires is the business to be in, by the sound of it.

Question: why did you get new alloys? Were the old ones buggered up?
Secondly: I hope you are not driving with those roof-rack bars, unless you go skiing all the time. I got the OE set from Fiat when I purchased it and I can really "feel" them at 120+ km/h plus the din they add to the noise.

Edit: I just read your previous post about the pothole and your rims - solved!

All the best.