winter tyres

[whits]

opinions wanted please as the tyres on the wifes rav4 with 235/60/16 on and are a bit too road bias and a bit warn for the winter, was thinking about getting some silghtley taller tyres for it, will 235/70/16 fit without catching and what do you think is the best winter tyre, dont want anything too nobbly, i dont mind getting a spare set of rims for them and using them just for bad weather,
thanks in advance mark

[dxmedia]

For snow, AT tyres.

Snow is like sand, in that, if you claw away the surface it's very loose underneath and will just crumble. If you push down hard on the surface it'll hold and you'll move forward. So, a tyre which doesn't dig at the surface, rather rides over is the best option. You'll get miles further on snow with AT's than you will with MT's.  With deep deep snow, momentum is the key, not tread pattern.

[MuddyMike]

We have a second set of wheels for the Forester with Vredestein winter tyres fitted. These are not just snow tyres but all round winter tyres and give much better grip on ice as well as snow. Proper winter tyres are moulded from much softer compound to stay supple in cold conditions and have many extra fine sipes to assist grip on ice, as well as an open pattern to assist grip on snow. They are Fantastic and we consider them 100% money well spent.
STWNFI has to drive 20 miles of untreated high moorland road to work every day and these tyres have got her through for 4 winters when many other 4x4s got stuck or slid out of control on the 1 in 4 hills.

Mike