This year's snow tire thread

Ok, I'm looking at snow tires for the '05. I run Bridgestone Winterfire Studs on the '95 for 4 years and have had a great experience, but Bridgestone only makes the Blizzaks now, it seems. I hear the Blizzack WS-50s are great tires in snow but can be dangerous in emergency manuvers in dry conditions. I've been looking at the new studless Blizzack REVO 1, it tests better than the WS-50s in snow/ice but I haven't found any all around tests. Anyone have any info on these? The next tire I'm eyeing is a studded tire, the Nokian Hakki 2, which looks like it would totally rip but I can't find any tests. Basically I want the tire that does everything perfectly, but they don't make that, but SOMEWHERE there must be a good all-condition test of current stud/studless snow tires. Anyone care to point me in the right direction, offer opinions, or give me some insight into new-technology snow tires? Speed rating for snow tires isn't big on my list, but what effect does it have on traction capabilites?

I'm leaning towards Dunlop Winter Sport M3's

Any particular reason?

i like the way they look and they seem like a better choice for mostly highway. The blizzacks seem like they are great for someone who lives in the mountains and doesn't see pavement once the snow starts.

I had the blizzaks ws-50 for my matrix this past winter and they worked superb! Mine were 15" on steelies so there were some "flooding" feeling going on when traveling at high speeds cause they were so light and thin (195), but overall I though they handle very well in dry conditions and wet and especially snow. The blizzaks has one of the softest compound so therefore it does exceptional well in the snow. Drawbacks are soft tires which results in rapid wearing, but it does exactly what a snow tire suppose to do.

Nokian Hakka Q or their replacement the RSI. You'll have better or the same performance as the Blizzak WS-50 but you'll also have dry-road performance. The penalty: price.

 

My 2nd choice because the Alaska Nokian dealer wont order the RSI: Hankook W300 for my Mazda6 and W404 for the LegacyGT.

I just picked up some Wintersport M3s. The surveys on Tirerack rate these as the number 1 winter performance tire. My dad runs Blizzak WS-50s, and while great in really bad conditions, he said that on dry pavement and in the rain, they are a bit scary. The M3s are rated to perform well in snow, but retain decent dry/wet handling characteristics for a dedicated snow tire.

 

I can't wait for the first snow to try them out. I had previously used a variety of all-seasons on my Audi, and braking and turning were always an issue.

Anybody run the Nokian Hakki 2's? How about the Nokian 4's? I'm not sure if the latter is available in the US but either one looks like a killer tire and seems very highly rated in the northern countries of Europe.

I'm looking for something equal to the RE92's on dry, and better on the snow....which would be about anything. I think the M3's will give me the dry/wet performance that betters the RE92's and the snow grip i desire.

If this is to be this year's snowtire thread, shoudln't it have been started in the WHEELS and TIRES forum?

yeah, didn't notice that.... MOVED

I'm looking for something equal to the RE92's on dry, and better on the snow....which would be about anything. I think the M3's will give me the dry/wet performance that betters the RE92's and the snow grip i desire.

 

 

think snow tires will help you keep it out of the ditch this year? J/K

I just ordered some Wintersport M3's for my fiance's Impreza OBS. I have seen TONS of very positive reviews from NASIOC and the M-B forum for this tire. In fact, I haven't seen ANY bad reviews for it, which I can't say for any other tire I looked at. The M3's snow performance sounds good, but people particularly praise its handling in the wet/dry. One reviewer said it performs better in the dry than the RE92, even!

 

In Wisconsin we get a mix of deep snow, wet/slush, and dry during winters, so I wanted her to have something that will significantly improve on the RE92's in all conditions, not just snow.

 

Unfortunately I'm gonna have to survive on RE92's with my Legacy at least for the first year, as I haven't bought rims for my future summer tires yet, and buying winter tires, summer tires, and summer rims two months after buying the car just ain't in the cards.

Unfortunately I'm gonna have to survive on RE92's with my Legacy at least for the first year, as I haven't bought rims for my future summer tires yet, and buying winter tires, summer tires, and summer rims two months after buying the car just ain't in the cards.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that all you need right now are the winter tires. You can buy summer tires/rims in the spring.

If I bought winter tires right now I'd have to put them on a set of 17" rims... which I down't own rightnow. My stock 17'ers have the RE92's on them right now, and I want to keep them mounted until I complete my planned Evolution autocross school next year, which will likely MURDER a soft set of Azenis.

 

The current plan is to give the RE92's a thrashing at school next spring, then buy some Rota G-Forces with Azenis RT-615's and run those until next winter, when I will put some winter tires (Winter Force M3's most likely) on my OE rims.

 

I REALLY wish 16" wheels could clear my Legacy. I'd buy two sets of 16" wheels, one for autocross and one for winter. 17" tires are crazy expensive!

......... but SOMEWHERE there must be a good all-condition test of current stud/studless snow tires. ........

 

In the Nov 2005 issue of CR, the Michelin X-Ice scored better than the Nokian Hak2 and RSI in snow traction and ice braking.

 

There have recently been several snow tire threads here, with links to snow tire tests.

I'm also going with the dunlop m3's. I had blizzak ws-50's before on my olds alero, and they were incredible in heavy snow, but not great on dry pavement and they wore down fast.

 

Having read a lot of the reviews on here and nasioc the M3's do well in snowier climates (I'm in Buffalo). A lot of people seem to like the Nokian WR's too but I think I want a dedicated snow tire, and the Nokians are harder to find locally.

think snow tires will help you keep it out of the ditch this year? J/K

LMAO

 

 

Im thinking Michelin Pilots, anyone?

In the Nov 2005 issue of CR, the Michelin X-Ice scored better than the Nokian Hak2 and RSI in snow traction and ice braking.

 

There have recently been several snow tire threads here, with links to snow tire tests.

 

X-Ice seems to be good only if you drive in snow as its scores for dry/wet/hydroplaning were bad.

 

I was more attracted to Viking SnowTech (by Continental) which appears to be a very balanced tire in terms of its handling under a varitey of conditions.

 

Unfortunately, CR have not tested Nokian WR or M3 or many other popular winter tires for that matter. I wish they did a more comprehensive test.

I am thinking about the Dunlops M3s. They seems to be the best "availible" performance tire. I am looking at the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme, but I do not know what the price difference will be. Any company that spells tire as tyre has to be good.

 

http://www.vredestein.com/autobanden/index.asp

I love the M3s on our WRX wagon. They are excellent in the dry as well as deep snow and slush. The WRX spends a lot of time on the highway so I wanted to get a more dry biased tire, but I was very pleasntly surprised by their performance in deep snow and slipperly slush. I think this is one of the best all around tires for an AWD sport sedan or wagon; you don't give up too much in the dry, wet, or the nasty stuff. In the winter I now refer the WRX as the "tank".

 

 

My other snow tire expirences are the WRX for 2 winters on the factory RE-92s, a Civic on Arctic Alpins and a Miata on Pilot Aplin PS2s.

 

The RE-92 were fair; I though they were good until I got the M3s.

 

The Arctic Alpins were okay; fine in snow, not so fine in the dry and loud in the wet

 

PS2s are great when it is cold and dry up to light snow. Not so good in deep snow or slush, but hey it is on a Miata so hard to correlate to a WRX. When the PS2s wear out, I am repalceing them with M3s, btw

LMAO

 

 

Im thinking Michelin Pilots, anyone?

 

Unless you live in an area that doesn't get much precip in the winter or need to have absolutly the best dry performance in a winter tire, I would go with the M3s. You dont give up much in the dry and gain quite a bit in the snow.*

 

*As mentioned in my previous post, this view comes from an apples to oragnes comarison of the Piolt on a Miata to the M3 on a WRX wagon, but I still think it is fairly accurate.

I am thinking about the Dunlops M3s. They seems to be the best "availible" performance tire. I am looking at the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme, but I do not know what the price difference will be. Any company that spells tire as tyre has to be good.

 

http://www.vredestein.com/autobanden/index.asp

 

The price difference will be significant. Vredestein are insanely expensive tires. And not necessarily better than M3s.

I'll be doing WRs...

 

Ted

The price difference will be significant. Vredestein are insanely expensive tires. And not necessarily better than M3s.

 

Thanks, I have not been able to find any reviews on the Vredesteins, but they look and sound cool.