Tyre help please - yes i did try and search but..

I know, I know, its another tyre question, i'm sorry, but i'm hoping you guys can help me out.

My jimny is my first 4x4, previously i was interested in speed ratings and grip (at speeds) but I've grown older (maybe not wiser) and my jimny is now my weapon of choice. Anyway it has a mishmash of tyres fitted including original duelers that have tread but are hard and cracking. so with the MOT out of the way its time for new tyres but I'm getting a sore head trying to decide what to get.

This is where my car is at. standard 5 spoke alloys with 205/70/15 tyres, no body or suspension lift.

Should I be reading the tyre labels for wet grip etc like I used to in reference to performance road tyres? I have noticed tyres that will fit and have a "C" or better wet grip but they are all highway terrain and when I look at the all-terrains that id really like they all have poor wet grip.

in all honesty I am on-road most of the time but id like to to have the option to go and have a play off road if I choose and have grip over the winter with out having to buy a separate set of wheels and tyres.

I quite liked the idea of 195/80/15 as it lifts the car marginally and they are a bit narrower for winter, but id happily go for standard 205 or 215 (if they would fit).

I did read the rough guide that is a sticky and it helps.... a bit, but I'm kinda needing clarity.

Ideally I want the tyre to look good (like a knobbly go anywhere all terrain tyre should) as well as perform well all year, without me having to break the bank( I guess I may be asking too much to do this within my budget).
Id really like BFG all terrains but they are not available in the narrow size.....and they cost a lot
I also liked the Yokohama geolanders but they have shocking winter reviews.
looked into the Marshal Road Venture AT KL78 but they have crappy wet grip according to the tyre label.
Maxxis Bravo 771, crappy wet grip,
Avon ranger, crappy wet grip. :S :S :S

Am i reading into tyre labels too much? Should i be looking at All terrain tyres from a different view point and accepting some of the negatives?

Honestly i feel like i'm going round in circles and not getting anywhere.

Help would be very much appreciated before I go doolally.

Well,whatever you choose, you're gonna have to compromise.
Fistly, take a look at the hancook dynapro atm rf10. I had the same dilema coming from a set of insaturbo dakar (MT) and whent with those. Quite cheap,in the tests they have the best all round performance out there and the guys in the Australian forums love them,even on bigger vehicles.
Now,it all depends on the kind of terrain you are gonna have to deal with.
From my experince mud tyres dont like sand very much. Now, i dont deflate the tyres,and i normally drive alone, so i have to dig myself out. They dig too much in the sand,you need to be gentler with the accelerator and even then...
They do look nice and i would rather have them in sharp rocky terrain than a set of AT. Same goes for mud of course.
On road in the wet they are a huge compromise. Just gonna list a number of situations that happened to me in city driving during the winter:
-roundabouts,if small or done thightly, even below 20mph would be taken drifting like ken block. If i managed to do then slowly and safely,the rear would slip at the slightes jab of the throttle. Very fun, but very stressfull as well.
-cobblestone,tram rails,zebra crossing and raining. 20 or 30 meters away a dude decides to cross the road. I was in traffic,doing no more than 20mph, surely . As soon as i hit the brakes the wheels lock up and i slide all the way to the crossing. Car had abs. Lucky for him he was fast on his feet. Similar things happened on tarmac,sligthly less skidding, but would end up stopping in the middle of the crossing.
-wet,downhill street,tarmac. If i had to reverse to exit a prking spot or something, i had to put it into 4wd or else the rear wheels would just spin.
This was a 1.5 ddis,but even so...
Only situation the mt would help in the wet was driving thru big puddles at speed. Never had a wiff of water sliding.
Overall, i would not recommend unless you have another car as the daily driver or have to deal whith mud. In wet tarmac with MT's you can't take liberties with the car.
As for the at's i have now, i love them. Dont affect the mileage in a noticeble way, in the wet the dont try to kill me unless i really push the limits,and are much better at the beach. I just have to be a bit more carefull over the sharp pointy stuff and avoid deep mud or clay,wich i did anyway because digging yourself out of it when alone is not a fun time.
I unless you really have to deal with mud, and if its a daily driver, i would go with some decent AT. Would just avoid the dueller, geolander,crosscontact or pirelli scorpion as i doubt they're much better than a regular road track.
Would also avoid the bf AT because of price and test results. They're very outdated.But they do last a long time.

General grabber At work well on the tarmac and git me round a very muddy p+p site last month

Daniel30 wrote: General grabber At work well on the tarmac and git me round a very muddy p+p site last month

I'm running Hancook Dynapro atm for general use and they seem ok road grip isn't that bad but then I do slow down for the sharp bends, I have a lift kit so fast cornering is something I leave well alone, they are 195/80/15 also used them on a few p+p days and they preformed well, I have since bought 225/7515 black star mud max for playing out with just so I wasn't nackering my daily road tires and they are shit on road but awesome in the mud, I think they are all a compromise on road but I guess that's the choice you make with AT/MT tires.

Thanks for the feedback. I take it 205/75/15 grabbers don't foul? How do they fair up in winter months with cold weather, slush and snow?