Technical Panda 4x4 Wheels & Tyres

[Rondine]

I have just got my 10.th Fiat, a 5 month old Panda 4x4 Wild '23. I was surprised that the car had Continental summer tyres (175/65 R 15).
I want to fit alternative wheels with all season or winter tyres as I live in Scotland. I have Fiat 14 inch steel wheels with 175/65 winter tyres,
but reckon these will have too small a diameter.
I also have unused Fiat 14 inch alloys and wonder if these can be used, but using which tyre size ?
I am hesitating buying 15 inch wheels now as I will eventually fit all season tyres to the wheels which are on the car.
( I have too many wheels with winter tyres from past cars which I didn't have time to sell. Dealers are not giving anything for these during trade in
as opposed to the practice in countries requiring winter tyres.}

I am very pleased with my car which has a good infotainment system, but can't understand why Fiat fitted summer tyres and dropped the fog lights.
I am considering fitting some FF100 Hella elliptical fog lights. Does anyone have experience with fitting fog lights ?
I was looking at 4x4 Cross cars, but they were a bit costly. Would have liked the hill descend system on the Cross.
I had a panda 4x4 with a 'fire ' engine in 1990. Pity I didn't hold on to this as I believe there are only about a dozen of these left in the UK.

Good to have just joined the forum.

 

[Marcus Daly]

I can't understand why Fiat fitted summer tyres

Emissions.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[porta]

Ensure the offset is the same, although you can add spacers to increase this, and that the wheel clears brake calipers.
I put 14” punto alloys on with bigger, chunkier, tyres on my cross with 8mm spacers, and longer studs with no issues.
Plenty of the tyre companies put comparison calculators on their sites so that you can get equivalent rolling circumferences

 

[SB1500]

Michelin Cross Climate 2. Michelin reckon they could drive a Peugeot 208 with these from sea level to high on the French alps - on a promo video.

They seem to be good enough on snow and ice that coupled with the 4x4 Panda, which isn’t a Ferrari to corner on anyway, I’d say is worth sticking on for all year. They are all seasons.

I had them on a DS3 - previously had Pilot sports. It couldn’t corner half as well with the cross climates. They are definitely more suited on 4x4 / go anywhere any time of year cars. If I end up buying a Cross I’ll be fitting them.

Should save you needing two sets as well if you keep them on all year. Not left with any spare wheels in the future either

 

[SB1500]

Emissions.

Welcome to the forum.

It’s sad as I’m sure the 4x4 was marketed as coming with mud and snow tyres initially :-(

Then again … maybe with climate change we’ll not need snow tyres .. lol

 

[Marcus Daly]

It was still being marketed as coming with them as late as 2020 when I ordered mine. I was a bit peeved when it was delivered shod with "eco" tyres, but they've actually ended up being a boon. And let's face it, the Twinair needs all the help it can get with MPG.

 

[SB1500]

It was still being marketed as coming with them as late as 2020 when I ordered mine. I was a bit peeved when it was delivered shod with "eco" tyres, but they've actually ended up being a boon. And let's face it, the Twinair needs all the help it can get with MPG.

So I’ve seen. A couple of reviews I’ve been watching tonight in prep for buying one have cited 45mpg…. I’m getting that from my diesel Avensis and I’d consider it bad!

Might need to fish for an old 1.2 or settle for the current hybrid

 

[porta]

I think the issue with tyres is the ‘ongoing’ development of the tyre, they went from stamped as M&S to all season, with the mountain symbol and M&S to just all season

 

[airsafari87]

So I’ve seen. A couple of reviews I’ve been watching tonight in prep for buying one have cited 45mpg…. I’m getting that from my diesel Avensis and I’d consider it bad!

Might need to fish for an old 1.2 or settle for the current hybrid

If you properly mince along then you might get 45mpg.

Driven normally you’re more likely going to see 35 / 37mpg with the twin air.

 

[SB1500]

If you properly mince along then you might get 45mpg.

Driven normally you’re more likely going to see 35 / 37mpg with the twin air.

Well, that seals the deal for me…. Time to investigate this new engine

 

[Twotone2]

We get about 40mpg in an almost brand new 4x4 TA.

All short journeys though and a lot of stop and start.

 

[Marcus Daly]

Loads of threads on this.

TA improves in economy (and performance)—mine is way better at 12K miles versus new. I can get upper 40s without too much difficulty these days. Generally 47-48 across a tankful. 50 is achievable on a long run.

But no one should choose the Twinair for economy. Choose it because it's a joy to drive.

 

[Twotone2]

Our Panda 4x4 came with Goodyear Duragrip tyres. I have been thinking about replacing them with all season tyres like those Michelin ones mentioned above, we have a mental steep short driveway that I have to salt every time there’s frost or snow in the winter so was hoping that with decent tyres on the Panda we would be able to get out with less fuss ie just drive off the driveway.

Anyone know if the Goodyear’s are as good as the Michelin’s for winter driving?

Tony

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Our Panda 4x4 came with Goodyear Duragrip tyres. I have been thinking about replacing them with all season tyres like those Michelin ones mentioned above, we have a mental steep short driveway that I have to salt every time there’s frost or snow in the winter so was hoping that with decent tyres on the Panda we would be able to get out with less fuss ie just drive off the driveway.

Anyone know if the Goodyear’s are as good as the Michelin’s for winter driving?

Tony

This is pretty much the definitive test, which tests the differing characteristics of a range of AS.

 

[The Panda Nut]

It’s sad as I’m sure the 4x4 was marketed as coming with mud and snow tyres initially :-(

Then again … maybe with climate change we’ll not need snow tyres .. lol

I keep podering this, or should that be Pandering it. I have a set of Mich Alpin4 on the waze steel wheels for winter. Ths differenc on winter roads, in heavy rain and on cold roads is substantial. On Snow on these tyres its like being on rails. You cant go mad, but in normal driving snow is not much of an issue.
I wouldnt put non standard wheels and tyres on a nearly new car for insurance reasons. Recent converstations with my insurers are really quite scary in terms of their attiudes!

 

[Twotone2]

Very good review here the Michelin tyres didn’t do well btw.

2022 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

Auto Bild tests are always amongst the best in the industry, and this year Auto Bild have taken things a step further. Not only did Auto Bild start with 25 all season tyres in the popular 195/55 R16 ...

www.tyrereviews.com

 

[The Panda Nut]

Pick the bones out of that! Good year Vectors also get a pretty good reaction on here. I have to ask who wants a super long lasting winter tyre? I look for wet performance and snow grip first and foremost. If its a winter tyre and not used in the summer time will overtake it quicker than wear. The differences in braking distances are startling.

 

[Twotone2]

Aye I’m thinking about going for the vector 3s not cheap though nearly £400 for four tyres.

Here’s my existing tyres review

Goodyear DuraGrip

Will the Goodyear DuraGrip suit your car? Find the best tyre for your car read 16 reviews for the Goodyear DuraGrip and compare to other Premium Comfort tyres at tyre reviews

www.tyrereviews.com

 

[porta]

Very good review here the Michelin tyres didn’t do well btw.

2022 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

Auto Bild tests are always amongst the best in the industry, and this year Auto Bild have taken things a step further. Not only did Auto Bild start with 25 all season tyres in the popular 195/55 R16 ...

www.tyrereviews.com

That’s interesting reading, my 169 climbing came with Michelins, the 169 cross with Continentals and Goodyears on the 312 cross. The wife’s renegade came with continentals. They all have the very similar ‘curved chevron’ rotational tyres that seem to be the norm for all season.
From experience, the continentals wore rapidly but gripped nicely in the dry. The Goodyears lasted longer and we’re just as good in the dry as the continentals. Both, I found, we’re not as good as the Michelin in the wet but these were in the middle for wear and grip in the dry. The Michelin were also better in frost and light snow.
Here comes the big ‘but’…they were all pretty useless in deeper snow (2” or more).
The continentals, on the renegade, were swapped out for all terrain Rikens and, although a little more road noise is experienced, they’ve outlasted the continentals by two times, on the fronts, and still more than 6mm tread on the rears.
The renegade is very nose heavy, especially compared to a panda, so front tyres are expected to wear more, but the grip has been upto the three other tyre brands standards and far superior in snow, slush and frost.

 

[Mouse1903]

I've got just under 41mpg best and just over 36mpg worse out of my Cross Twinair in the first 1500 miles. I've also put Cross Climate 2's on it