So what winter tires should I get?

[Dayclone]

Hey guys...

Sorry to say but winter is rolling around the corner, and I was wondering what will give me THE BEST grip on the road in winter??

I was thinking the Michellin X-ice or Pilots ( The performance ones ) for my bimmer...

and yeh it's hard to drive rear wheelers in winter but this time I'm definitely watching out and going slow... STUPID BLACK ICE ><

Or what else would you guys recommend?

Thanks,
Steve

[max_boost]

If you want the ultimate grip, any Q or T tire will do. Michelin X-Ice is a great choice for lots of grip in the deep snow.

I really liked the Kumho KW19's when I had them on my 04 330CI as well as the Blizzaks WS50 when I had them on my 2000 323I.

[max_boost]

^^

Really soft tire but I had to compromise a lot of the dry road handling.

[98type_r]

6 winters on Blizzaks WS50 and not a single problems for me with them.
Haven't used them myself, but heard a lot of good reviews for Nokian's.

[Dayclone]

The Blizzaks WS50 can they handle deep snow??

And the grip is amazing?

Also, where to get em?

and I guess it's also how you drive... Definitely more paranoid this time. So I'm driving really safe.

[max_boost]

The WS50 were awesome in the snow. I got mine at Sears over 5 years ago. When you are looking at tires, just look for the one with the Q speed rating. Those are the softest tires.

Why are you so paranoid anyway? The car has stability control. I've never had any problems in the winter, ever.

[98type_r]

WS50 handled more than a few epic dumps of snow we had in Calgary in my Integra with no problems whatsoever. I even stopped a couple of times to push other people's stuck vehicles out.

[Slashin_]

personal opinion
1.blizzak
2.nokian
3.michellin ixe-x

went boardin once, and i want to test my new blizzaks,i was pulling the ebrake,cornering, on uphilll n downhill
i was amazed,i was losing very little traction,
the car was FF but bliazzaks are amazing

[alloroc]

If you want the best all the tests that I read keep coming up Goodyear.
Eagle Ultragrip GW3

But having never talked to anyone who actually has them I would peronally buy KW 19's instead. (I would put a lot more trust in first hand Canadian experience vs some Californian driving on an ice rink)

[Dayclone]

Originally posted by max_boost
The WS50 were awesome in the snow. I got mine at Sears over 5 years ago. When you are looking at tires, just look for the one with the Q speed rating. Those are the softest tires.

Why are you so paranoid anyway? The car has stability control. I've never had any problems in the winter, ever.

Heh I hit black ice on my bimmer and crash it pretty good. That was on Perilli's... which IMO SUCKS!

Okay so you guys have me convienced on Blizzaks, now their made by Bridgestone correct?

So where can I get 4 of them for a good price?

Size 255/(somthing 45?)/16 lol

Tirecraft?
Kal tire?
Crappy Tire?
Sears?
Etc...?

[aypi]

get the nokian RSi, i have the WRs and they are great during winter considering they are all season. the RSi are the winter tire version of them.

[7thgenvic]

is studding allowed in alberta?

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by Dayclone


Heh I hit black ice on my bimmer and crash it pretty good. That was on Perilli's... which IMO SUCKS!

Okay so you guys have me convienced on Blizzaks, now their made by Bridgestone correct?

So where can I get 4 of them for a good price?

Size 255/(somthing 45?)/16 lol

Tirecraft?
Kal tire?
Crappy Tire?
Sears?
Etc...?

Support our sponsors: Tirebob @ Urban Expression wheels and tires.

I think Michellin Apline are better than Blizzaks, softer rubber composite. My boss has Michellin Aplines on his cargo van ALL YEAR LONG, lol, annoying as hell when you drive it on dry highway in the summer; but really good in winter. (no fish tails, skids, etc... and we drive his truck hard, lol)

[alloroc]

Originally posted by 7thgenvic
is studding allowed in alberta?

Yes.
I had a set of studded KumhoKW-11's on the Echo. They were sliptastic on pavement until the studs broke in (about a month) after that they were simply amazing, lasted 3 winters too and still had 3/4 tread left when I sold the car.

[Dayclone]

Alright I've decided this.

Buy from Tirecraft?

and now what ones...

Blizzaks WS-50
Blizzaks WS-60
or the new Blizzaks REVO 1???

Only problem with BLizzaks is faster wear?? Can anyone confirm this?

oh also

#1.) DO NOT USE THE BLIZZAK WS50 ON A MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLE WITH TRACTION CONTROL

#2.) same goes for the Dunlop Graspic DS2
they are so soft and flexible the traction control thinks the tires are loosing grip under acceleration and then it applies the brakes to correct the issue ...... causing premature brake wear

I have traction control on my bimmer... does that count?

[98type_r]

yeah, they wear fast. i got maybe 2/3 winters out of a set, but i put a lot of mileage on my vehicles. ~36K/year.

[Dayclone]

Originally posted by 98type_r
yeah, they wear fast. i got maybe 2/3 winters out of a set, but i put a lot of mileage on my vehicles. ~36K/year.

Yeh so do I... so, do you think I should still go with them though?

or the REVO 1?

[bighead2267]

get the 032 will be the best for winter:D



J/K, try to get look into the Nokian, you won't regret. bang for the buck

[Dayclone]

I just saw on Tirerack the WS-50 are closeout... are they discontinuing them or what's going on? I might just go with the REVO 1's because of less tire wear but w.e.... it'll be awesome.

[alloroc]

You should get in contact with tirebob or one of the other sponsers and have a chat before you make a decision. I really don't think ws50's are the best choice for your car. But hey its your car and your choice.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by Dayclone
I just saw on Tirerack the WS-50 are closeout... are they discontinuing them or what's going on? I might just go with the REVO 1's because of less tire wear but w.e.... it'll be awesome.
ws-60 is replacing the ws-50 and revo.

[ryanallan]

i just ordered the yokohama w-drive winters for my car.

they are suposted to be some wonder tire that can even be used the summer...

however, they are back ordered so i cant give a review yet .

[alloroc]

Originally posted by ryanallan
i just ordered the yokohama w-drive winters for my car.

they are suposted to be some wonder tire that can even be used the summer...

however, they are back ordered so i cant give a review yet .
Sounds a lot like the Nokian WR.

[BokCh0y]

The search button is your bestfriend....tons of posts about this.

Anyways.....buy either of these two:

Toyo Garit H/T's - Ultra high performance winter tire with excellent snow traction and ice traction. Plow through hard packed or soft snow without any problems. Gribs the ice amazing. Ran these on my IS with no probs at all. One of the best winters tires you can get and they last longer than blizzaks with their walnut compound. Cheaper than Blizzaks

Blizzaks - these rock in general, had these on all my cars as well, same traction and handling as the Garit's above but pricey...plus the treads burn off fast.

I would go with the Toyo Garit H/T's.

Also another good way to minimize costs in the long run is to buy a set of winter rims for the rubber and go one size smaller. ie 225/45/17 -> 215/55/16 - this will give you better traction in the snow and the rubber will be a little cheaper.

[ryanallan]

Originally posted by alloroc

Sounds a lot like the Nokian WR.

ya kinda.

the WR's are all-seasons' that are approved for winter where as the w-drives' are winters that are recomended for all-season .

[Dayclone]

I think I will stick with the Blizzaks, even though they have faster wear. Maybe the WS-60 won't.

[sois]

Just received Dunlop Wintersport 3D - 225/45/17 74V on ASA rims from tirerack. I'll post some pics as soon as I get them on.

These are for the 335 of course

[dezinr]

Go see TireBob at Urban Expressions....I've sent a few work colleagues there and they were very happy with his pricing and service.

[2BLUE]

What about price...

I mean i ordered my tires online from tire rack and paid half of what there up here.

[narou]

Nokian's are probably the best woot.. Im am scared of the sloping crescent I live on.. Already slipped today.. Glad to know my ABS actually works!

[GT4rally]

Nokian's are a better hard-core winter tire than Blizzaks.

Once Blizzaks reach the half-way point on tread depth, they are no longer winter tires. They were designed for people who don't want to change over to summer tires at the end of the winter.

The idea is that they wear off the agressive tread over the winter and the second half of the tread is designed for spring/summer use. They are good tires, but your only getting half the winter tread life you'd get out of a Nokian or Kumho.

[CivicTunr]

i would recommend the nokians. RSI's or the Hakka 5's (hakka 5s are custom order tho)

[bituerbo]

Nokian Hakka 1's FTMFW!
I used them in the winter and had AMAZING traction.
I then used them in the summer as a rally gravel tire since the tread is so aggressive.

Studs for ice, tread blocks for snow. I plowed through 2 feet of snow in my FWD car no problem at 100km/hr and didn't feel floaty at all.

You can get a knock-off which is the Khumo KW-11 or KW-17 that has the same tread pattern for like $80 a tire or something. not sure if it's the same rubber compound, but holee fawk!

[Graham_A_M]

Get the Hakkapaleeta's (bad spelling I think) their incredible tires.

[silver_gs-R]

for a BMW I would suggest either the DUNLOP WINTER SPORT M3s or the MICHELIN ALPINs, I have X-Ice on my car and they are amazing, but they arent the correct speed rating for your BMW so I dont think you would like them much. Just my 0.2cents, good luck! :thumbsup:

[sois]

Originally posted by silver_gs-R
for a BMW I would suggest either the DUNLOP WINTER SPORT M3s or the MICHELIN ALPINs, I have X-Ice on my car and they are amazing, but they arent the correct speed rating for your BMW so I dont think you would like them much. Just my 0.2cents, good luck! :thumbsup:

You are right, I have semprit ice grip (equivalent to x-ice) on our jetta gli and they are a bit too spongy (Q rating). If you like to drive spiritedly in winter when the roads are good (quite often here in Calgary) then H rating is the minimum you will want to go. I have the v-rated dunlop 3D winters on the BMW and porsche. The 3Ds are simply the updated version of the M3s and are currently rated second behind the michelin PA3, and the 3Ds look great as well).

Unless you are making regular trips to the boonies and/or beyond banff into interior B.C., or do not drive a vehicle with a stiff suspension, and tend to drive mildly then you will likely not notice the difference as much. However, if your suspension demands more from your tires then you will likely hate anything less then a Q-rated winter tire on clear roads.

Just a couple more cents from me.

[2m0a0x2]

I have H rated winters and I can't stand them. I continually make them squeak around corners, just cause the way I drive. Especially since I've had my winters on for a month now preparing for the snow we never got yet!

I would get a higher speed rating if you can.

[grandmasterYYC]

Dunlop Sport M3. Either H or V rated. Remember to downsize to a narrower tire for better snow traction.

Also, tirerack.com is great to deal with and the prices can't be beat. Got my winter rims and tires from them and saved about a 700$ versus a tire shop here in Calgary. If you order rims and tires, they will ship mounted and balanced so you just bolt on and you are good to go.

[Tuner1]

Originally posted by grandmasterYYC

Also, tirerack.com is great to deal with and the prices can't be beat.

I wouldn't go that far. We can usually match or beat a Tirerack package price AND give local service and installation.

Keep your money in Alberta and support the local economy FTW :thumbsup: Think BIG picture vs. $2 extra in your jeans...I always do when I spend my own money.

Rob

[Tuner1]

Originally posted by GT4rally
Nokian's are a better hard-core winter tire than Blizzaks.

Once Blizzaks reach the half-way point on tread depth, they are no longer winter tires. They were designed for people who don't want to change over to summer tires at the end of the winter.


Who told you that :confused: First of all there are many Blizzaks so this is like saying that all BMWs have inline-6 engines :rolleyes: Secondly there are many Nokians and after spending three weeks driving a set of RSIs on my own car last winter I will never own another set.

This game of saying that XXXXXXX is the "best" winter tire needs to stop. Unless we know the vehicle, tire size, driving habits, budget, etc it is impossible to tell you which is the "best" tire....yet everyone is all too happy to offer their opinion.

Can you tell this drives me crazy :banghead: I can't tell you how often people come in the shop and start telling me how X is better than Y only to find out that they have never driven on Y. Gimme' a break!

Rob

[GT4rally]

Originally posted by Tuner1
Who told you that :confused: First of all there are many Blizzaks so this is like saying that all BMWs have inline-6 engines :rolleyes:

From www.bridgestonetire.com:

"As the tire wears, new pores [Multicell compound] are
constantly being exposed around the tire tread surface, creating thousands of biting edges that grip the road... When the
Blizzak is 50 percent worn, a tread depth indicator on the tire tread lets the motorist know that only 10 percent of the
remaining tread is the Multicell compound."

This suggests, to me, that the last 40% of the Blizzak tread life is not as effective for winter use. That is what I was getting at in my post above.

[DSM_1]

Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 are in my opinion the best snow/ice tires. They are outstanding on Ice, and have a higher rating then any tire for Ice on TireRack. I have just ordered a set of 205/50/16 for my Ralliart from TireRack and they were $525 CAD after all taxes, shipping, duty and brokerage fees. At a local dealer i was quoted over a $1000. It is correct that they are 55% only Multicell compound, which gives them this grip and the remaining is a standard winter compound. I still prefer them to any other winter tire. We had a used set which has probably seen over 4 winters on our old Corolla and they were just outstanding, i could go uphill on ice, very slowly, where some cars wouldn't be able to with other good winter tires. So i would definitely recommend these.

[troyl]

I have the Pilot Alpine 2's they have worked great for me.

[Tuner1]

Originally posted by GT4rally

Once Blizzaks reach the half-way point on tread depth, they are no longer winter tires. They were designed for people who don't want to change over to summer tires at the end of the winter.


I didn't quote enough of your post. Blizzaks aren't designed as year-round tires that you don't have to change, it is just that Bridgestone is honest enough to tell buyers that the tire won't behave at 40% tread like it did when it was new. Neither will a Dunlop, Goodyear, Nokian, Hankook, etc. but these tire companies don't bother to mention this in their marketing material.

Anyway, I am not trying to pick on what you said, it is really the bigger picture that I was trying to address with my post.

Rob

[grandmasterYYC]

Hi Tuner1. I would support a local tire shop instead of Tirerack.com but I called 3 different places and had quote that all averaged around $3K taxes paid for 17" tires, rims, tire pressure sensors, mounted and balaced. Tirerack did it for about $1550 shipped to my door, duty and taxes paid, mounted/balanced. That's a significant difference. I also got ASA rims which were better quality than the Sport Edition / similar that the locals were giving me. A good friend just ordered some Michelin XICE with rims for a similar savings. Not quite half price but they saved over 30%.

Maybe I should have asked the local tire dealers if they could match the TireRack price.

[Tuner1]

Originally posted by grandmasterYYC
Hi Tuner1. I would support a local tire shop instead of Tirerack.com but I called 3 different places and had quote that all averaged around $3K taxes paid for 17&quot; tires, rims, tire pressure sensors, mounted and balaced. Tirerack did it for about $1550 shipped to my door, duty and taxes paid, mounted/balanced.

I don't doubt that you were quoted some crazy high prices --- next time give us a try ;) I have been able to come within a few % +/- on every TireRack deal that people have asked me about.

Rob

[2m0a0x2]

^^ Tunerworks pricing on their tires have been very good from my own personal experience.