Hello

i am owner 16v non turbo coop.i just wanted to ask about winter tyres.i have already 205/55r15 which is original size for summer.How ll be if i go 195/60r15 for winter ? Also planing to buy falken hs449.. any good ? thanks advice

You already have oversized tyres on, so if you can live with that you shouldn't have a problem; you should have 195/55r15.

I've used (on the same car) Toyo Snoprox, which I don't think are currently available, and last year Goodyear Ultragrip 8. The Toyos were excellent in snow (I got stuck only when I parked on snow which melted and refroze through the wheel spokes!) and the Goodyears are fine in the wet, but it wasn't cold enough to get much snow last year. They're on the Bravo in a month or so; the coupe is hiding until spring.

I did have an issue with the Toyos when they were new; I could feel the tread moving on initial turn-in which gave a tiny but disconcerting delay when steering. It sorted itself after a few thousand miles.

When I was last looking for 205/50-15 winter tyres, non of the top brands were bothering to supply this size. However, the Semperit Speed Grip 2 (a Continental brand) came very high up in a couple of tests, so I went for those. The Semperit is consistently a top performer, better than Falkens or Toyos at about the same price. They are a very good winter tyre all round and, at least in Germany, they are very well priced.

If you go narrower (195/55-15?) there is much more choice and the premium brands are also available at not much more but they don't seem to be much better either. The other car is on Michelins which are also excellent.