it's hot: let's talk about winter tires

I'm going to get some winter tires this year. It's really hot now, so I figured it might be nice to "think" cold. I've read everything here in the forums I can find on the subject.

 

What I am interested in is getting a recap from last winter. There are lots of postings from last fall, but I am wondering how folks liked their tire choices last winter.

 

What did you use, size, wheel size, geographical area, type of winter, etc?

 

I'm trying to decide between Nokian RSi, Nokian WR, Dunlop 3D (replacement of M3), Dunlop M3 (discontinued but maybe somewhat available), Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2, Bridgestone LM-25, etc. Northwest of Boston can be pretty hit or miss for winter. We could have a lot of blizzards or very few. Good cold-weather wet/dry traction is fairly important in addition to slush, few inches of fresh snow, some ice. Plowing is generally pretty good, but I want to feel connected when the winter turns bad.

 

Some of the tires are not available in 215/45R17, but instead 205/50R17 or 225/45R17. I'll be using a set of stock wheels. Anyone have photos of 205/50 or 225/45 winter tires on stock wheels? I do realize that narrower is generally better for winter tires.

 

--Lee

WRs ftw. Do a search and you'll find that those of us that have them, love them. You can run them all year long if you'd like - they do that well. I run F1s in the summer but the WRs offer about 70-80% of the performance of the F1s so there is not a drastic decline in performance when I put the WRs back on for the winter months. They will not do as well as a dedicated snow tire, but if you want to retain a high level of performance inthe winter, they are an excellent choice.

 

Good luck on your decision.

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I'm going to get some winter tires this year. It's really hot now, so I figured it might be nice to "think" cold.

 

--Lee

 

up yours ...its never nice to think cold ROFL. (j/k)

winter is teh suck

summer is teh rocks:icon_mrgr

I had great experiences with the WRs on my Forester last winter (dry, rain, and snow). I used them around San Francisco (and weekend trips to Lake Tahoe). I actually just swapped them back on today...

 

-Mike-

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im thinkin bout gettin Kumho ecsta ASX and see how they handle in rain/light snow/ice

 

what tires are good but also cheap??

Here's a pic of Nokian RSI tread. I have 225/55r17's on the stock rims on my OB. Note the "8" in the tread down at the bottom - it's a wear indicator molded into the tread.

 

We have Michelin X-Ice on our van and RSI's on an Accord V6 as well. The Michelins are quieter on the highway but the Nokians come with a deeper tread and seem to be a little more sure footed. But either are good choices.

 

It is a tossup in terms of whether they are justified. Last winter there were five days where I really used them. The previous winter was 15. I drive a lot, including Northern New england so it's worthwhile for me.

 

We did a test the previous winter (Accord with RSI; Accord with A/S; 97 Subaru with A/S) and for most driving conditions I'd rather have a car with dedicated snows than AWD on all-seasons. You can't stop or turn very well with the A/S's. AWD gives you better starting traction but not turning or stopping.

 

Once you drive a Subaru in snow with Nokians you won't want to drive anything else, though. http://www.geocities.com/theseventhfirst/nokianrsi.jpg

how much ate those nokian's?

lookin at gettin a set for my gt

If you get snow every so often, but mainly slush and cold weather, get WRs...

 

If you live in the middle of no where up in the mountains, get RSis...

 

I tried out Hankook IceBears last winter and was impressed. They are almost as good as the Nokian WRs, for 1/3 less money (even more than that depending on where you get the WRs)

 

Ted

Our used set of Nokian WR's on our Subaru WRX did very well in the two or three times you might actually need them in Seacoast NH. The wear is excellent on these tires considering at least in our area you need them so rarely. The handling is excellent even on those often too warm days for true winter tires.

 

However our LGT performed okay on its RE92's(<11k miles) too once roads were plowed down to 3" or less which normal in these parts. I think its snowier though down in NW MA and winter tires are probably the way to go.

I have a new 2006 OBW 2.5i SE that I am looking to replace the OEM Potenza tires. I am I have narrowed my list down to the Goodyear Triple Treds, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and the Nokian WR's.

 

Although on the average we don’t have too many snowy / icy days here in Central Virginia, I really need a tire that performs well in the snow and really don't want to buy a set of dedicated winter tires. I live in a rural area and just getting out of my "long" driveway is an adventure, not to mention getting out to the main road.

 

I am looking for input on the Nokian WR's as is there anyone in the mid-Atlantic who can share their experience with this tire? My primary concerns are tread life if the tire is used year round, how does it handle in hot weather and how noisy is the tire at interstate speeds?

 

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Richard

We put Triple Treads on my wife's '02 Outback last winter and they were a hugh improvement over the Potenza's that came on it from the factory. We're happy with the tire's performance so far.

Thanks for the comments. Keep them coming!

 

It appears the Hakka RSi is now available in 215/45R17.

 

--Lee

If you get snow every so often, but mainly slush and cold weather, get WRs...

 

If you live in the middle of no where up in the mountains, get RSis...

 

Only get WR's if you don't have the money or space for two sets of tires and wheels.

 

Otherwise, get the RSI. If you think the WR will do the job for you, buy the Michelin X-Ice.

Only get WR's if you don't have the money or space for two sets of tires and wheels.

 

Otherwise, get the RSI. If you think the WR will do the job for you, buy the Michelin X-Ice.

 

Could you elaborate? I guess WR > RSI in dry handling. Don't know much about X-Ice.

The RSi is a much more serious tire but is pretty jiggly in the dry. I'm currently on WRs for the winter and frequently drive at the edge of the Ontario snow belt. I'd prefer a more serious tire a couple times a year but the performance of the WRs on dry pavement more than makes up for the loss of performance in deep snow. Compared to other tires, I'd say the RSi is as good as a new blizzak ws-50 on ice and about as good as a Hakka 2 in the snow. The WR is a little worse than the Hakka 2 in snow, noticeably worse than a new ws-50 (but tons better than a used one) but much better than all of the above in the dry.

WR is A/S with severe duty rating. RSi is a snow tire. My wife uses WR's year round on her Mini.

Good stuff. (El cheapo subscribo)

I live near Boston and have WR's for snow tires on the stock rims (Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2's for summer on OZ SL's).

 

The WR's are definitely good enough in snow to be called a snow tire and are probably the best snow tires I've driven on a dry road. That said, I had 15" Vredestein Wintrac's on my A4 quattro and that was better in snow. It wasn't a huge difference but noticable. RSI's are probably a better ultimate snow tire.

Could you elaborate? I guess WR > RSI in dry handling. Don't know much about X-Ice.

 

Sure, but it makes sense to describe exactly where you live and how much you drive. And what you wish to accomplish.

 

I live in Boston, where snow tires aren't needed more than 5 days a season on average since proximity to the ocean minimizes snowfall to an average of 45" a season. But I live on the side of a hill. And commute to an office in NH and drive throughout Northern New England on business.

 

There are areas within 30 miles that average twice that of Boston. And you might live up a hill, down a valley, or near a reservoir where road salt cannot be used.

 

I'm unconvinced about the "narrower is better" theory. This has been offered as conventional wisdom since I went to buy snow tires for my 1969 SAAB - which had 155 x 15's! And tires keep getting wider and cars keep getting more capable in snow.

 

I am convinced about not having low aspect ratio tires in winter, as the potholes in Spring eat them!

The thinking behind narrow tires for snow use is that you want to be able to cut down through the snow to get maximum friction on the road surface instead of floating on the snow above it. Not all snow is created equally. There is the heavy wet stuff and the fluffy dry kind and everything in between. The most dangerous stuff at speed is rutted slush. Get out of the track path in front of you and you're doomed. Narrower tires with aggressive treads will help the car maintain contact with the road surface but even then it's like hydroplaning times 10.

.......I am convinced about not having low aspect ratio tires in winter, as the potholes in Spring eat them!

 

Anyone hear of 16" inch wheels being available this winter that will clear the front calipers on the LGT?

The thinking behind narrow tires for snow use is that you want to be able to cut down through the snow to get maximum friction on the road surface instead of floating on the snow above it. Not all snow is created equally. There is the heavy wet stuff and the fluffy dry kind and everything in between. The most dangerous stuff at speed is rutted slush. Get out of the track path in front of you and you're doomed. Narrower tires with aggressive treads will help the car maintain contact with the road surface but even then it's like hydroplaning times 10.

 

Exactly. On packed powder (a pretty common occurance in my area), wider snow tires might actually be better since no snow tire is really going to cut through that stuff. However, there are plenty of other winter situations, like the aforementioned slush, where narrow tires are better.

 

I went with the stock 215 size for the WR's on my LGT. On my A4, I had 225/50-16 for the summer but went with 195/65-15 snows.

Why not go down by 30-40mm?