Winter Tyres

[RIDICKSON]

I have an Enyaq 60 IV and have found the handling poor in the winter when the smaller roads are snowy or icy.
I am looking at replacing my 235/55/19 original tyres with a set of winter tyres. I can get a set of Bridgestone Blizzak 255/55/19 at a good price. Tyre calculator shows them obviously a little larger but I think there is plenty room for them considering 20 “ alloys/tyres are a standard option. Anyone considered or done similar? Thoughts please.
I’ve attached tyre calculators comparison site.

[Erakettu]

Sure there's room, but changing the diameter also affects how accurate the vehicle displays speed and distance.

[RichR]

Fitting tyres with an overall diameter that is larger than the original will mean you're going faster for the same motor rpm, so the speedo will read lower than before. If it reads slower than the speed you're actually doing, this is illegal.

However, in practice larger sidewall tyres tend to squash more away from being circular and all speedos deliberately under-read, so if they're only 2-3% bigger, you should still be OK.

[Helijock]

I have Pirelli Scorpion winter tyres fitted and am very happy with them. It was almost embarrassing driving past cars stuck in the snow.

[zice]

I have Pirelli Scorpion winter tyres fitted and am very happy with them. It was almost embarrassing driving past cars stuck in the snow.

they're called winter tyres for a reason...

[Erakettu]

I can't even imagine not changing studded tyres for winter here in the north. Always wonder how you UK people handle it every year without proper tyres, even though snowy days are probably fewer.

[MikeJL]

I can't even imagine not changing studded tyres for winter here in the north. Always wonder how you UK people handle it every year without proper tyres, even though snowy days are probably fewer.

Here in the East of England we’ve yet to see any snow lay on the ground this winter

[Vasarolli]

It's not just the snow and ice but the temperature. In cold weather (that you have anyway) (below 7C) the summer tires are loosing their performance. Iam sure there are a lot of videos comparing for example the braking distance in cold temperature.

[Helijock]

I have Pirelli Scorpion winter tyres fitted and am very happy with them. It was almost embarrassing driving past cars stuck in the snow.

they're called winter tyres for a reason...

It's why I bought them, so I could go were others couldn't.

[metalmadhammer]

@Vasaolli, It was 5th gear I think that took a pair of Ford Kugas onto an indoor ski slope, one with FWD and the other with AWD and they tried to drive both cars up 1st with summer tyres and last with winter tyres.

Basically, the test showed that Winter tyres are more useful in the snow than AWD is as the AWD version with summer tyres could not get up the hill but the FWD with winter tyres could.

Your correct about the 7degC. A summer tyres rubber starts to harden at 7degC and below making it less effective whereas the winter tyres remain softer right down to -20odd degC.

I used to use winter tyres on our old Honda FRV because traction was night and day and made the car really great in the snow. I recommend them wholeheartedly nowadays because I know people don't realise it the temps that matter, winter tyres arent just better for snow.