Winter Tire Time

[cody]

I’m in the process of shopping for a new set of dedicated snows for my stock rims and Amanda wants to replace her OEM 2009 Mazda 3 tires with a new set that doesn’t make her car feel so unpredictable/unstable. She doesn’t want a dedicated winter setup so they need to be able to get me to work in the snow (we switch cars when it snows) and be suitable for the other seasons too. The stability issue is something she only notices and she says she’s gotten used to it, but I’m hoping new tires take care of the issue. Hopefully I can find a tire known for stiff sidewalls or something. Thoughts?

This means we’ll both be taking off tires with decent life on them if anyone is looking for cheap used tires. Mine are 205/55/16 (stock size) Dunlop Wintersport 3D’s. (Scotty S, do you still want these?) She has 205/50/17 GoodYear Eagle RS-A’s. Anybody want them for $50 OBO? They have something like 50% tread left.

I'll post some resources for my research below. Please feel free to add your own thoughts, links, and ramblings to this thread.

Tire Rack

Tests

Finding the "Ultra" in Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires - July 26, 2010

Winter Testing at the Arctic Circle: Ultra High Performance All-Season - September 6, 2009

Testing Winter Weather Specialists: Studless Ice and Snow Tire - August 6, 2010

Testing the Newest Crop of Studless Ice and Snow Winter Tire - September 30, 2009

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 Introductory Drive - January 28, 2010

Survey Results

Winter

High Performance All-Season

Ultra High Performance All-Season

Consumer Reports Ratings:

(Hover over the below images for the filename which reflects the category)

[cody]

A couple more CR Ratings:

[cody]

For Amanda, I'm thinking either WinterSport 3D's (she loved my car on them) or Continental ExtremeWinterContact. The Conti's are $80 less expensive for a set in her size and TireRack had this to say about them:

* What We Liked: Excellent road handling
* What We'd Improve: A small improvement in glare ice traction
* Conclusion: An excellent winter / snow tire that drives like your car isn't wearing winter boots
* Latest Test Rank: 2nd
* Previous Test Rank: 1st (January '09)

Their treadwear is a tad worse than the Wintersport's according to the CR tests though.

I'm thinking I want something more aggressive for my Winter setup to help us get over the pass in the Winter, etc. I'm leaning toward:

Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 (Studless Ice and Snow)

* What We Liked: Excellent ice traction
* What We'd Improve: A small improvement in clear road handling
* Conclusion: When it comes to glare ice traction, this Blizzak is the best
* Latest Test Rank: 1st
* Previous Test Rank: 2nd (January '09), 1st (October '07)

I'd have to get them in 205/60/16 since that's the closest to my stock size that they offer, but they're only $332 (minus $50 American Express Gift Card) for a set!

Thoughts?

[Kevin M]

Stiff sidewalls would make her complaints about the twitchiness worse actually. Take Nina's car for a spin on the StarSpecs if you want to know how it is. Obviously the Dunlops get high marks around here, and we just put a set of the new Contis on Carrie's STi, maybe she can chime in on how they are in good weather. Last year they got awesome reviews for winter traction, and I am still thinking about them for the FXT.

By the way, KSpeed will have tires available very soon. Just waiting on some callbacks and bureaucratic issues...

[100_Percent_Juice]

Originally Posted by Kevin M

By the way, KSpeed will have tires available very soon. Just waiting on some callbacks and bureaucratic issues...

Last time I mentioned KSpeed getting tires I got this look for everyone in the shop.

[Kevin M]

Like I said. Bureaucratic issues.

[MattR]

Yeah, we just put the Conti DWS All Seasons on Carrie's car..Dry weather performance is great so far, Looking at those tires, they should be adequate for snow and great in wet. Although we haven't had any weather to try them in.

[WRXlerate]

I ran the blizzak ws60s for a season and loved them whenever it snowed or rained, but they sucked on dry pavement and my 80mi a day commute killed them rather quickly. I have never ran any other dedicated winter tire to compare them to, but have since decided to run a decent all season for more tread life and better dry handling. I never could manage to get stuck in the snow with blizzaks and I tried a few times, they never let me down.
I am now running bfg g-force super sport A/S. They have very good dry traction, wet traction is good and are still very drivable in the snow, but they have no ice traction.
just my 2 cents...

[Dean]

On Snows, I have been very happy with the Hankook W400s. They are not going to have the ultimate ice traction of a Blizzak, but can handle the heat of our long dry spells between storms like a champ and in our Reno snow and treks to the resorts were great.

They have been on the Audi for 3-4 seasons now and still not down to the winter bars and that is with a number of dry road trips on them as well.

Tread blocks are large, but heavily sipped. I also think they are going to make a pretty good 3 season when they do get down to the winter bars.

I would buy them again in a second. I do wish TR would pick up the Hankook line so we could see some side by side comparisons for the entire lineup. DT does carry them, so they are available locally with ease.

On all seasons, the DWSs do look very promising. It will be interesting to see how Carrie feels about them in the snow on the limited.

[cody]

Awesome input! I remember finding the Conti's back in March and thinking they should be perfect.

Originally Posted by cody

I'll definitely put some more research into it before choosing a tire, but this test makes them sound awesome.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=124

And it's first in it's class in reviews:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...Clar=s+Touring

Continental ExtremeContact DWS (Ultra High Performance All-Season 225/40R18 92Y)

* What We Liked: Exceptional snow traction
* What We'd Improve: We always want more of a good thing
* Winter Conclusion: This is a tire that delivers class-leading snow traction that's in a league above the other tires in this test.
* Latest Test Rank: 1st (winter)
* Previous Test Rank: 2nd (June '09)

They're a touch more than she wanted to spend, but not bad at $496/set in her size. They sound like the best All-Season choice when snow traction is important. I'd really love to hear how they feel on Carrie's STi. Please post any driving impressions, especially regarding "stability feel" if there is such a thing.

I'm going to take a closer look at the Kooks for my car, Dean. Thanks.

[szucchet]

i really like the dunlop winter sports i had them on my sti they lasted me 3 winters (one of those winters i commuted from reno to tahoe everyday). snow traction is very good. living in tahoe they kicked ass i never got stuck or slid out of control and i drive fast in the snow. dry traction feels like an all season tire i had them on when i first move to sacramento and honestly they were good in rain and dry and thats with sti power. I had used the blizzaks, where a tad better in ice but they sucked in dry i also had a set of hankooks (the ones that dean mentioned), it was almost the same as blizzaks maybe even a little better in deep snow. i have been the happiest with the wintersports d3

[cody]

Dean, CR has Hankook icebear W300 (but now W400) and it's last in the ratings. Is that the same thing?

Originally Posted by WRXlerate

I ran the blizzak ws60s for a season and loved them whenever it snowed or rained, but they sucked on dry pavement and my 80mi a day commute killed them rather quickly. I have never ran any other dedicated winter tire to compare them to, but have since decided to run a decent all season for more tread life and better dry handling. I never could manage to get stuck in the snow with blizzaks and I tried a few times, they never let me down.
I am now running bfg g-force super sport A/S. They have very good dry traction, wet traction is good and are still very drivable in the snow, but they have no ice traction.
just my 2 cents...

You make a good point. I really want snow tires that lasts a long time. The Wintersport 3D's seemed to wear somewhat quickly too, but I did rip them up on dry pavement a couple times.

[Kevin M]

I've gotten great life out of my 2 sets of Dunlop Performance Winters, but I never pushed them hard on dry pavement either. The Performance Winter category will definitely get better tread life than the Studless Ice and Snow category, because the soft compound is how you get more ice traction.

[cody]

I am seriously considering Wintersports again, but I guess I always like to try new parts when I can.

[Dean]

I have the w400s, the W300s are a lower end tire. the Winter I*Pike is probably closer. I'd be tempted to go with it or the Dunlop Graspic DS-2s.

I would avoid anything with even a half black circle in hydroplaning in the CR list!!! If you can't move water out from under the tread, you sure as hell can't move Sierra Slushdge!

[cody]

It's hard to stray from the 3D's with regard to value. A set for my car would run $395 (after $25 AE card).

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 are a close contender. But they're $466 (after $50 AE card). They are at the top of the TR Performance Winter Survey Results. They barely edge out the 3D for 1st place. I just wish they weren't a touch lower on the tread ware ratings there though. They're also ranked high, at 3rd place in the CR Performance Winter category. I'm just not sure they're good enough to justify the $71 difference in price.

Now Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero at $310 (after $50 AE card) are quite a good bargain and they rank 3rd on TR Performance Winter Survey Results but they are mediocre according to the CR ratings.

[cody]

I can't find Hankook Winter i*cept evo in 205/55/16 anywhere.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by cody

I can't find Hankook Winter i*cept evo in 205/55/16 anywhere.

Probably on the boat and be here by Oct. would be my guess.

[cody]

Originally Posted by Dean

Probably on the boat and be here by Oct. would be my guess.

I wish they could be preordered or something. I can't even find a price.

[bigrobwoot]

Originally Posted by cody

Awesome input! I remember finding the Conti's back in March and thinking they should be perfect.





They're a touch more than she wanted to spend, but not bad at $496/set in her size. They sound like the best All-Season choice when snow traction is important. I'd really love to hear how they feel on Carrie's STi. Please post any driving impressions, especially regarding "stability feel" if there is such a thing.

I'm going to take a closer look at the Kooks for my car, Dean. Thanks.

These are the tires I have on my car right now. Cory mounted them last July-ish, and I still have at least 50% tread. I tear them up on every ramp I can, too.

They were great in the snow last winter. Never got stuck, and I tried. After it was snowing all night one night, with snow up to the mirrors, I just brushed the snow off the car and drove out of the spot, uphill, no problem. I also passed a snowplow that was spinning its wheels on the ice. I plowed some roads for him, since my car is so low

I don't have a lot of experience with many other tires, but I love the ContiExtremeContacts. I will definitely buy them again.

Edit: forgot to mention that they grip so well in the snow that when I would floor it to slide, most of the time I would just accelerate. If I did lose traction, the tires would grip again so quickly that I could smell clutch after doing that a few times in a row.

[cody]

Originally Posted by bigrobwoot

These are the tires I have on my car right now. Cory mounted them last July-ish, and I still have at least 50% tread. I tear them up on every ramp I can, too.

They were great in the snow last winter. Never got stuck, and I tried. After it was snowing all night one night, with snow up to the mirrors, I just brushed the snow off the car and drove out of the spot, uphill, no problem. I also passed a snowplow that was spinning its wheels on the ice. I plowed some roads for him, since my car is so low

I don't have a lot of experience with many other tires, but I love the ContiExtremeContacts. I will definitely buy them again.

Edit: forgot to mention that they grip so well in the snow that when I would floor it to slide, most of the time I would just accelerate. If I did lose traction, the tires would grip again so quickly that I could smell clutch after doing that a few times in a row.

Thanks, Rob. Do you like the "stability feel" of them? They aren't "wandery" on the freeway or anything? Any advice regarding tire pressures? What size are you running them in and is that your OEM size?

[bigrobwoot]

The tread is a little soft, so when they were new it made my steering feel "mushy" and slow to respond, but nothing unmanageable. I have them in 225/40/18, not my stock size. I've had them at ~38 psi the whole time, never really messed with it until I had a slow leak that I repaired with fix-a-flat last august. I don't really mess with my tire pressure, so I don't have any advice on that.

[cody]

Originally Posted by bigrobwoot

The tread is a little soft, so when they were new it made my steering feel "mushy" and slow to respond, but nothing unmanageable. I have them in 225/40/18, not my stock size. I've had them at ~38 psi the whole time, never really messed with it until I had a slow leak that I repaired with fix-a-flat last august. I don't really mess with my tire pressure, so I don't have any advice on that.

Mushiness in the steering shouldn't be an issue. They don't make the car feel unstable or unpredictable though right? What size rims are you running? Thanks Dude!

[bigrobwoot]

18x7. At times it feels like I'm driving in a crosswind, but it's not intolerable. It goes away as they wear, so it's basically gone now. I'm used to my steering being funky from my bent rims tho, so I may mind it less than your girl. My girlfriend never said anything about it tho, so it may not be that noticeable.

[GusGus91]

I LOVE my WS60's. I was able to plow through snow and ice with no problem last season. I highly recommend them.