Best studless ice and snow tire for dry pavement performance?

Which dedicated ice/snow tire performs the best on dry pavement?

 

While I am considering studless ice and snow tires like the Blizzak WS60 and WS70, Continental ExtremeWinterContact, and Michelin X-Ice Xi2, I am also looking at performance winter tires like the Michelin PA3, Pirelli 210 Sottozero Serie II, and Dunlop M3.

 

I need 215/50-17 or 225/50-17 to closely match the OD of my Spec.B tires. I prefer 225/50-17 for better dry pavement performance, a little more ground clearance and better ride, but not many performance winter tires come in that size. I would probably go with the Blizzak LM60, but they don't come in either size.

 

I know performance winter and studless ice and snow tires are different animals with different purposes, but of course I want the best of both. I want to enjoy handling the 95% of the time the roads are clear, but also want good traction when it does snow. I'm not concerned about getting stuck, but braking and turning are important to me!

 

I've had both types of tires on cars in the past, but not both kinds on the same car so I don't have a good comparison. Tire designs also keep improving. I just don't want to be stuck with mushy handling all winter.

 

Comparison tests usually don't compare the two different tire types, but I found a couple that do:

 

TireRack compared WS60 and LM60:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=125

 

Car and Driver compared UHP all season, all season, and PA3 and Xi2:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/2009_winter_tire_test-comparison_tests

 

Anyone have back to back experience with both types? Links to other comparison tests?

 

Thanks, I need to order tires very soon!

 

Oh, I will mount them on 17x7 or 17x7.5 wheels. Prefer 17x7, but some wheels I like only come in 17x7.5. Open to wheel suggestions too.

Which dedicated ice/snow tire performs the best on dry pavement?

 

While I am considering studless ice and snow tires like the Blizzak WS60 and WS70, Continental ExtremeWinterContact, and Michelin X-Ice Xi2, I am also looking at performance winter tires like the Michelin PA3, Pirelli 210 Sottozero Serie II, and Dunlop M3.

 

I need 215/50-17 or 225/50-17 to closely match the OD of my Spec.B tires. I prefer 225/50-17 for better dry pavement performance, a little more ground clearance and better ride, but not many performance winter tires come in that size. I would probably go with the Blizzak LM60, but they don't come in either size.

 

I know performance winter and studless ice and snow tires are different animals with different purposes, but of course I want the best of both. I want to enjoy handling the 95% of the time the roads are clear, but also want good traction when it does snow. I'm not concerned about getting stuck, but braking and turning are important to me!

 

I've had both types of tires on cars in the past, but not both kinds on the same car so I don't have a good comparison. Tire designs also keep improving. I just don't want to be stuck with mushy handling all winter.

 

Comparison tests usually don't compare the two different tire types, but I found a couple that do:

 

TireRack compared WS60 and LM60:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=125

 

Car and Driver compared UHP all season, all season, and PA3 and Xi2:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/2009_winter_tire_test-comparison_tests

 

Anyone have back to back experience with both types? Links to other comparison tests?

 

Thanks, I need to order tires very soon!

 

Oh, I will mount them on 17x7 or 17x7.5 wheels. Prefer 17x7, but some wheels I like only come in 17x7.5. Open to wheel suggestions too.

 

According to the Russian Auto Review and the NAF from this year, you're likely going to want to look at the Xi2 and the Continental ExtremeWinterContact (assuming that the latter bears any resemblance to the ContiVikingContact5), provided that you're staying within the "Studless Ice & Snow" sub-category.

 

But in all honesty, I find one particular bit of your writing above to be most telling:

 

I want to enjoy handling the 95% of the time the roads are clear....

If that were me, I'd go with a set of "Performance Winters" that excelled in the clear, for the simple reason that it's an absolutely overwhelming statistic.

 

In other threads, we've seen outahere[b/] and Dr.Cloud both reference the idea of preparing either for the most common 3/4 of your drive, or preparing, instead, for the worst 1/4. I find that to be very accurate, in light of the fact that, even today, no one tire can do it all.

 

So, you've got to bite down hard, and make that choice.

 

The Xi2s are among the most highly ranked of the clear-roadway "Studless Ice & Snows" available in North America today, and that's a comparison that even includes the Nokian Hakka R.

 

But even so, you can still readily see, with that Car & Driver article, just what the tire's weaknesses are, when compared to its own-brand cousins in the "Performance Winter" sub-genre, the Pilot Alpin PA3: a tire which, arguably well-regarded, also isn't all that highly regarded, either, in its sub-genre.

 

Framed in that manner, I think it should be obvious to you just how much of a performance compromise you should expect - with not only the Xi2, but with *ANY* "Studless Ice & Snow" - in clear conditions.

 

And yes, I'll say that the Car and Driver article puts out a very accurate representation of what you should expect.

 

Per your "back-to-back experience" question, my wife's '09 FXT (ex '05 WRX) is on a set of Xi2s, going into their third winter. I'm on a set of Dunlop SP WinterSport 3Ds, going into their 4th. So that sorta frames where I'm coming from, in the way I see things - and yes, my criteria for the 3Ds was also good clear-roads performance: their treadwear testifies to the fact that I abuse the hell out of them, during the warmer transitional seasons.

 

 

Getting stuck?

 

"Even" with "only" "Performance Winters," unless you do something *really* stupid like beaching her in a ditch or have her high-centered, this is something that you won't need to worry about. Sure, you'll want to carry a small extraction shovel with you, just-in-case, but even in the worst of it (excluding the above excursions, of-course!), you're only probably going to have to take two handfuls of snow from each tire's path, and you'll be going again.

 

Yes, the "Studless Ice & Snows" will give you more of a leeway, when it comes to "self-extraction" (get her high-centered, though, not even tracks will help ) - and yes, UNDENIABLY, they will offer a much greater safety envelope should the going get icy: but that performance trade-off is one that you will *NOT* be able to avoid.

 

You've gotta grit your teeth, and make the call.

"Best studless ice and snow tire for dry pavement performance?"

 

Per my information nothing beats Pilot Alpin PA3. They usually dominate dry tests of performance winter tires.

However they are not that good in snow, ice or wet. There are better all around performers.

 

Krzys

You've gotta grit your teeth, and make the call.

 

Thanks for the detailed response, TSi+WRX. I know I ultimately have to decide which is more important. I do realize the two winter tire sub categories serve different purposes. But within each category, different tires make different trade offs. I suppose even the worst ice/snow tires perform better on ice/snow than the best performance winter tire. But I am looking at the other end of the spectrum: which of the ice/snow tires is best on clear pavement? Another approach would be to look for the performance winter tire that is best on ice/snow, since they are all relatively good on clear pavement. (And I know ice and snow performance are different things.)

 

This is why the LM60 is intriguing. It has the construction and tread compound of a performance winter tire, but the tread pattern of an ice/snow tire. But it doesn't come in the necessary sizes.

 

I forgot to mention: for the last few winters I've had V-rated LM25's. Surprisingly good clear road performance, but I'd like a little better ice/snow traction.

 

All that said, I am narrowing it down to the Xi2 and the ExtremeWinterContact. I'd probably go with the Conti, but it doesn't come in 225 width.

 

Odd note on the Xi2: The 215/50-17 has wider tread (7.5") than the 225/50-17 (7.3").

"Best studless ice and snow tire for dry pavement performance?"

 

Per my information nothing beats Pilot Alpin PA3. They usually dominate dry tests of performance winter tires.

However they are not that good in snow, ice or wet. There are better all around performers.

 

Krzys

 

I think you're right about the PA3. And what I'm looking for is more toward the ice and snow traction side of the continuum rather than the clear road performance end. Somewhere in between the best "performance winter/clear road" and "ice/snow". Since I had Blizzak LM25's, which were pretty good on clear pavement, this time I'll try a ice/snow tire, I just want one with better than average clear road performance.

Looks like you've got your decision all set out. Best of luck, and I do hope the tire you choose do deliver to you the performance you're looking for!

 

Please do check back regarding how they do for you. I'm definitely interested to hear.

 

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Hum....that's odd, indeed, RE: footprint. ???