In this post Winter Tyre Reviews are going to look at the superb Range Rover Sport and with our Partner, Tyremen, look at what’s great for winter driving.

So what do we know, well, as with any Land Rover, the off road capabilities are second to none, when fitted with the right tyres. These days, they come fitted with low profile road tyres, which doesn’t make the Sport the best in snow, slush or icy conditions.

As standard the Sport comes with either 275/40R20 or 285/35R22 wheels and tyres, great for holding the road in warmer conditions, but for winter, those wide tyres struggle to hold the road.

So what is the way forward? Well, as any tyre expert will tell you, dropping down a size or two and fitting winter tyres will vastly enhance the performance of the Sport.

The rubber compound of summer tyres becomes harder and less flexible at temperatures below 7C and makes the car lose grip and handling, after all, it is a heavy car.

So what is the benefit of fitting winter tyres?

Firstly, moving from a 275 or 285 tyre profile to a 255 enables less tyre tread on the road, like that on the Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme which makes it easy to cut through the winter weather.

The design of the tread pattern makes the evacuation of snow, slush and water very quick keeping contact with the road and reducing the risk of aquaplaning.

A small rim size, such as the 19″ Blazer below, enables a taller tyre height giving a softer ride and the room for a flexible tread to maintain grip and handling. With the taller tyre, the smaller rim does not look out of place.

But what if you would rather just get winter tyres rather than a package? Well, good news and bad news.

If you have the 20″ wheels then tyres are available, just not in great quantities. Prices start at around £200 per tyre and manufactures are limited.

Now the bad news, if you have 22″ wheels, then the chances of getting tyres is pretty much non-existent. If you can get some, a budget tyre starts at around £220, but as budget suggests, not great for winter.

The premium brands, such as Pirelli, start at £330 and you can pay anything up to £450 per tyre.

So what about the 19″ wheel and tyre package? If budget tyres are coming in at £880 a set, then surely its double? No, a package from Tyremen is around £1150. Why? As its a smaller wheel and tyre, therefore produced in greater numbers, costs are kept down.

For us, it’s no contest, a winter package, protect your 20″ or 22″ OE wheels and a little scrape on the winters won’t be the end of the world.

Want more info? Call Tyremen on 08456 807808

Already have a set? Leave a review below or let us know what you have done for winter and we’ll share with all our readers.

Thanks

Jason

The Winter Tyre Reviews Team