So my new (used) Audi has come fitted with 4 new tyres. But hey, it looks like they are snow tyres!! Bridgestone Blizzaks. And Yes, it's late Spring here...
Should I be worried? Any imminent dangers and trouble I can expect over normal tyres? The car passed the MOT with no comment about the tyres...
Cheers, N.
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They are a winter tyre not all seasons so I suspect when it gets warm the softer compound will will not perform as well as a summer tyre and you'll feel it on cornering and braking when you press on a bit. They are rated average for wear so the coming warmer temperatures will see them wear quite rapidly and depending on your mileage possibly make them no good for next winter.
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Depends what Blizzaks you've actually got fitted www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Type/Winter/
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Why not give the car a month to be sure you really like it and will keep it for a few years, then take the Blizzaks off for the summer, no sense in wearing a good winter tyre out on summer roads.
A good sign for the previous care of the car you now own though, i take it as fair indicator of good previous care and probably good maintenance when i find proper tyres on a car, if people buy cheap tat tyres there's a good change it had cheap tat servicing, parts and oils too.
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Our VW Transporter came from the factory with Continental Winter Tyres fitted. I've really not noticed any difference in their summer performance compared with previous vans, although I do not tend to drive the van to its limits of adhesion! The bonus is that they perform brilliantly (and legally) in the snow on trips to Europe.
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They are Blizzak Rev01s Dog - not on your helpful link!
Only planning on doing 9000 miles/year, so not sure it's worth the effort or expense of saving them for winter and sourcing a summer set. Plus the fact that even in winter it hardly ever falls below 7-8 degrees here...
Just questioning the logic of fitting new winter tyres in late-Spring in NZ - maybe they were just going cheap?!
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Don't forget that legal tread requirement for winter tyres is 4mm and they must not be mixed with other tyres on same vehicle
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Isn't that simply recommendation (under 4mm loses much of the improved snow/ice traction), rather than legally enforced?
I think the limit (in the UK at least) is still 1.6mm for tread, and it doesn't matter how you mix them as long as they are 'legal' for the vehicle.
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I was referring to New Zealand where it is indeed the law
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>> Isn't that simply recommendation (under 4mm loses much of the improved snow/ice traction), rather than
>> legally enforced?
>>
In countries where winter tyres are mandatory (e.g. Austria), or in any event have a legal recognition (e.g. Germany), 4mm is the lower limit for them to be legal as winter tyres. And winter tyres are designated by the snowflake symbol.
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Unusual tread pattern, if these are the critters, do you get much snow in NZ Nick?
www.thetyreguide.co.uk/tyres-online/bridgestone-/blizzak-revo-1/
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>> Unusual tread pattern, if these are the critters, do you get much snow in NZ
>> Nick?
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>> www.thetyreguide.co.uk/tyres-online/bridgestone-/blizzak-revo-1/
>>
Look like Falken summer tyres to me (452s?)!
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Look more like Toyo Proxes than Falken 452s (which have circumferential grooves in the middle)
www.toyo.co.uk/tire/pattern/proxes-t1-r
Last edited by: Lygonos on Mon 21 Nov 11 at 21:29
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Here's the boys, Dog: www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/bridgestone/Blizzak+REVO1
The ones on your link don't look very 'wintery'
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Weird how the Toyo's came up on the Bridgestone site!
The Blizzaks are similar to the A001 all season tyres www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Bridgestone/A001.htm
Last edited by: Dog on Mon 21 Nov 11 at 21:39
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>> Weird how the Toyo's came up on the Bridgestone site!
Bridgestone is a major shareholder in Toyo. The companies also share manufacturing facilities.
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It NEVER snows where I am... Plenty of snow in the mountains in winter about a 4-hour drive away, but if I was looking for snow I'd take the X3 anyway.
I'll certainly replace them with summer tyres when the time comes, guess I'll just persevere with this set until they're cooked though. Seems like a waste eh?
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>>I'll just persevere with this set until they're cooked though. Seems like a waste eh?<<
Defo.
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The market for 16 inch winter tyres must be absolutely tiny in Auckland and most of the North Island RP, it never gets cold enough for 99% of drivers to even think about bothering. Plus the fact that the majority of people out here don't spend a huge amount on their motoring anyway.
My challenge will be to rotate them periodically to make sure they rotate evenly, then I'll need to stump-up for 4 new tyres all at the same time next year. Can't run 2 winter and 2 normal apparently...
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>> Can't run 2 winter and 2 normal apparently...
can you not? oh.... cough........
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Snow tyres in Summer... - NeilS
