Tire Oppo-inions

"Tripper" (tripe46)
09/18/2015 at 16:11 • Filed to: None

Looking for a set of winter wheels and tires for my S3. I’m thinking I about going with a set of all season tires over the blizzak-LM32’s that I was looking at originally. I’m in the Philadelphia area, to give you an idea of what type of winter I’m looking at. Most of the winter is just cold and slushy with a few days that are really bad, so if I can get away with all seasons I would prefer not to be rolling on marshmallows from November til April. What would you do?

DISCUSSION (33)

Party-vi > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:13

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3. Done.

jkm7680 > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:13

Nice looking rims. I’m getting some of a similar style made by Alzor for my A6.

bob and john > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:13

wrap OEM wheels in winter shit, get a slick set of rimz for summer

HammerheadFistpunch > Party-vi
09/18/2015 at 16:20

eh...they kinda suck in the snow. Like...really suck in the snow.

HammerheadFistpunch > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:21

I would do steelies and winters...but I totally dig the look of steelies.

Tripper > bob and john
09/18/2015 at 16:21

That’s what I want to do, but the car is brand new so the summer tires that came on the stock 19” wheels will have less than 2k miles on them by the time I’m ready to put the winters on. So I don’t want to end up buying a set of wheels and two sets of tires.

uofime-2 > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:22

WS80’s on stock rims is my current plan

Tripper > HammerheadFistpunch
09/18/2015 at 16:23

Worse than an E90 M3 on Pilot super sports? Because that’s what I spent the last two winters with lol.

fairlady78 > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:24

I’ve had good results with the Ecsta 4X II on the subie in Baltimore. Continental Extreme Contact also has good reviews for winter performance on an all season.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:26

I drive a Snuze, it’s not sporty. But I roll on all seasons year round. I live right outside of DC, our winters are about the same as yours in Philly. I manage to get around just fine when I need to, and if the weather is super shitty, I just stay home.

HammerheadFistpunch > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:26

well no, but thats like saying that having a finger cut off is better than having your arm cut off. As far as All Seasons go...the A/S3’s are not. They are fair weather tires. Continental makes a good A/S that I like a lot more.

bob and john > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:27

then sell them.

Tripper > HammerheadFistpunch
09/18/2015 at 16:33

Are the conti’s that you like the DWS06 by any chance? Those are what the wheel place that I’m dealing with is slangin’.

Tripper > bob and john
09/18/2015 at 16:35

The tires? I don’t think I will get much for them. Also I will spend more on summer wheels/tires and more again for 19’ snow tires. I also don’t hate the stock wheels.

HammerheadFistpunch > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:35

Yup, I had an older version of the DWS and they were really great. Interesting that the got beat out by the Michelin, but its just my personal experience (the cars I’ve had the A/S and DWS on was a 2005 forester xt 5 speed and I’ve have the A/S on the VW sportwagen tdi 6 speed now)

TahoeSTi > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:41

Just get snow tires All Seasons suck, you really won’t belive the differnce. Dunlop has a line of “Winter Sport Tires” http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js… If you need something rated over 100mph I recommend these. These will blow your all seasons away in almost any condition. If you need something for more slush and deeper snow it’s the General Artimax http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js… Unless you can get your hands on anything from Nokian tire.

If you are really set on All Season then The Conti Extreme Contact DWS’s are the only all season that are worthy in every season. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js…

I’ve run all these tires and more. We avg 250+ inches of snow a year in town, and we don’t use salt on our roads, and barely use any sand. Also none of our roads are flat or straight. So traction is a must for me.

TahoeSTi > HammerheadFistpunch
09/18/2015 at 16:44

the weight will kill handling and braking making a bad slipper situation worst then it should be.

TahoeSTi > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:46

Best thing i ever did was buy a 2nd set of rims, now i can swap my tires when i need to, if i’m driving down the mountain for a road trip i don’t need to waste my winter tires. Those 19’s will be rough in the ice.

TahoeSTi > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:47

DWS are the only all-seasons i would drive in more then 2in of snow.

iSureWilll > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:48

I’m around Cherry Hill and have only lived through 1 winter here in Jersey but... I think All Seasons would be fine. We really don’t get much snow if ever and it wouldn’t be worth it to me to have to go through the trouble of swapping wheels/tires just for the 2-3 days that we get 2” of snow.

HammerheadFistpunch > TahoeSTi
09/18/2015 at 16:50

not...really. It might make the steering slightly heavier and the suspension will work a little harder, but it wont “kill” the handling. Also weight is good for winter traction...if it was enough weight to matter.

Patrick Nichols > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:50

I’m in NH and drive a golf on some Conti all seasons (no idea which). They are surprisingly wide for a small car and that should mean worse in the snow, but I had no issues driving this past winter through some heavy shit. They weren’t so great in Stowe, VT but a lot of people there go with studded to give you some idea.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:53

Just put on General Altimax RT-43’s

http://generaltire.com/tires/passenge…

inexpensive and have done great in the winter for me.

I drive an 07 Milan FWD V6 in metro detroit.

Lots of snow, I’ve driven it through 8-10 inches of unplowed snow with these tires and did fine. Obviously 8 inches of snow isn’t EASY. But that’s a pretty big rarity, especially down by you.

They’ve done great in Rain, Snow, Ice, Sleet, and Dry.

Also- 75,000 Mile Limited Treadwear WARRANTY - All T Rated

Tripper > TahoeSTi
09/18/2015 at 16:55

Yea that is what I’m thinking (I don’t want 19s w/ snowies on them). I’m pretty set on the wheels (pictured above) they’re 18x8 21lbs each and $900 for the set. I just can’t decide on tires. I’ve got Blizzak LM’s for my E46 M3 which will probably never see snow again, unfortunately those tires won’t fit the Audi. The blizzak’s have been great, but even though they are a winter “performance” tire, they are sooo mushy on tarmac. Decisions decisions.

Tripper > Patrick Nichols
09/18/2015 at 16:57

I’ve spent a lot of time at Stowe. So funny when a storm comes through, you only see jeeps and subarus, everything else is in a snow drift with their 4 ways on.

TahoeSTi > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 16:59

I like the dun lops on the tarmac better then most snow tires, but that’s the beauty of 2 sets of rims, if the sun comes out and the snow melts for a month then it’s an easy swap back to something thats not a snow tire.....granted my summer tires say DO NOT OPERATE BELOW 45 degrees.

Tripper > TahoeSTi
09/18/2015 at 17:18

The more I think about the more I’m leaning toward a full winter tire. I totally forgot how incredibly hilly the area right around my house is.

DrScientist > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 17:38

Blizzak blizzak blizzak.

Had lm-25 (I think, discontinued now) on a 996 through a tough NYC-philly-New England winter. Never lost confidence in them on dry, or in dumping snow storms, up to 4 inches fresh on the road

Picked up some Pirelli sottozeros last season just to check them out. Sluped around in the slush within 30 minutes of the snow falling. Have kept them on through the summer just to wear them out and throw them away.

If you have the space for the extra set, go with dedicated snows. You’ll be thanking yourself that one time you need to get home in a storm, or when your significant other needs you to do something at that instance.

All seasons are the spork of the automotive world.

Tripper > DrScientist
09/18/2015 at 17:43

Yep, I had forgotten how terribly hilly the area around my house is. I’m definitely going to go with dedicated winters. I can do the wheels I want with Yokohama ice guards for 1500, 1900 for blizzaks. I went for the blizzaks on my E46, but I’m leaning toward the cheaper yokos for the Audi because its not RWD.

NotRichBMWOwner > HammerheadFistpunch
09/18/2015 at 19:10

Is the XT as cool to drive as it looks? I guy in my area has one that I see every couple months and I kinda want one now.

BKRM3 > DrScientist
09/18/2015 at 20:38

Thank christ! It’s not just me! I, too, went from blizzaks (on a 335i) to sottozeros (on an E90 M3) and I absolutely hate the sottozeros. Why do they even bother making them? Presumably for Italian winters.... grumble. Worst winter tire ever.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 21:45

Personally, I’d keep the stock wheels with summer tires and then get another set of wheels and tires for winter. That way you can just easily swap them out for winter. But that's just me, and I'm not a huge fan of aftermarket wheels but I wouldn't mind them for a few months a year.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Tripper
09/18/2015 at 23:33

I’d still get actual winter tires, but if you are concerned about how they ride, get performance winter tires in your normal size. I’d stay away from the Blizzaks if you don’t want marshmallows, they sacrifice alot of dry weather grip for more ice/snow grip, look at Pirelli or Michelin. I ran the Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II the last few winters, and they don’t give up much on the dry grip side but still have excellent snow/ice grip. I live in North Jersey, and work in Mt Laurel, so I’m driving through pretty much the same thing you are.

All season tires are the utility infielder of the tire world. They are OK at everything but aren’t great at anything. If you are going to have 2 sets of tires, get ones that are all-stars, not an all-star and a journeyman.