Given
71%
while driving a
Skoda Yeti 4 x 4
(225/50 R17 W) on
mostly country roads
for 45,000
average miles
A review here for frustrated Skoda Yeti 4x4 and Octavia Scout drivers with 225/50/17 tyres fitted with the OE "fast road" tyres that Skoda UK orders with its models instead of a proper Crossover tyre that ought to come with such a vehicle! We should be grateful that Bridgestone at least offers us such a tyre type, as no other manufacturer has bothered and hence your only choice is whether to go with these or stick to a purely performance tyre.
Firstly, ignore 90% of the reviews on here. Actual grip and "when new" noise levels are tested scientific facts and there's no point in arguing with TUV results or subjective magazine tests such as Auto Bild. This tyre fairs quite well in the 3 scientific tests conducted so far, so as Crossover tyres go it's not a bad one.
Should you switch to it when your OE tyres wear out? In a nutshell, Yes, if you live in the countryside like myself and need a bit of Off-road, Rough road or light snow confidence. No, if you live in areas that suffer from regular deep snow and ice, get some full-on Winter tyres instead!
Compared to Skoda's OE fitted performance tyres you"ll find : a slight drop off in hard cornering grip, a noticeable drop in damp road braking, but not much difference in dry road braking. On the plus side, aquaplaning resistance and straight line tracking in standing water is better, wet grass and mud grip is massively better, and uphill traction and steering in snow far better (although braking on snow is still weak). Ride Comfort in cold conditions is also good, as the rubber doesn't go so hard in freezing weather as a performance summer tyre. I've seen no difference in actual economy readings compared to the previous sport tyres.
Wear rate has been 20% better than the Dunlop Sports my Yeti came with, and Michelins I subsequently tried. I'm getting 25k from Fronts and 35k from Rears, and the tyre doesn't get too noisy with wear too, unlike the Dunlops which droned badly after 15k.
Overall, I'll stick with these for a 3rd set as the upsides on a 4x4 outweigh the downsides, and there's no competitor right now, as it looks as if Michelins potentially excellent new CrossPilot is a purely on-road tyre.