Different kind of tire thread

[gcranston]

What's the consensus on winter tires? I run Nokian WRG3's on my BRZ during the winter. I like them because they do well in wet/slush as well as snow/ice, and the sidewalls are stiff enough that the handling isn't total garbage. There's a new WRG4 this year, and of course Hakkas. Any other recommendations? I hear good things about the Blizzak LM001.

[DanB]

Pirelli Sottozero III have amazing wet and dry grip and handling feel. You don't even notice being on "winter" tires, infinitely better than the Dunlop WinterSports I used to run on the S2000 which felt soft and seriously lacked grip. But, they may not be as good in snow/ice as other winter tires. I had trouble getting up a semi-steep driveway in the snow with them, had to do some shoveling...

[gcranston]

Yeah but what happens when they lose grip 2/3 of the way through the winter? I know that's the tire they were asked to make, but it still sucks.

[SandyClam]

In my experience, nothing beats the Hakkas. I ran them on years back on my STI, and that car was unstoppable. I've since run Dunlops, Pirellis and Bridgestones. I liked the Pirellis in the dry, but they weren't great in snow. Dunlop and Bridgestones were better in snow, but not so great in the dry.

[dtlemoine]

+1 for the hakkas, if you can find/afford them

General Altimax Arctic would be my top "budget" choice. A little noisy but grip in the snow and on ice is on par with the knobby Blizzaks, at a fraction of the price.

[joncowen]

I found the Generals to be good in snow, but have a very soft sidewall, and didn't feel "performance" at all.

I know a Nokian dealer. A local autocrosser, in Maynard, MA. Chang Ho Kim. Super nice guy. Let me know if you'd like me to put you in touch.

[n1gzd]

Blizaks have worked great for me. Very soft sidewalls are a disappointment when you first put them on but then you get used to it (and then in the spring the summer tyres feel exta awesome for a day).
Rebecca

[paultg]

General Altimax Arctic would be my top "budget" choice. A little noisy but grip in the snow and on ice is on par with the knobby Blizzaks, at a fraction of the price.

This is what I run on both my Subaru’s, and I go down an inch in rim size and get a taller sidewall. So they don’t feel “performance” at all but they are on a Impreza OBS and Forester. With the Frost Heaves up on my area it’s nice having the extra sidewalk. I’ve been very happy with them.

Paul G.

[breakaway500]

I've been installing Mastercraft Glacier Grips for many years on my customers cars.Very reasonably priced..and long life (don't run them in the summer..) The only complaint I have heard is people no longer have an excuse as to why they could not make it to work during the snow storms.

I have a set of 4 that I run on a Focus..and although they don't like to change direction very quickly..they do slide on dry pavement with predictable control. No studs allowed at Whiskey Hill though...

[gcranston]

Thanks all. There's a shop near my office that reps Nokian, and usually includes free seasonal change overs. They've also let me exchange tires in the first 100 miles if it wasn't working out. I'll look into the the other suggestions here and report back.

[gcranston]

Went with Hakkas. First impressions in about 5 miles from the shop back to the office are "not to squishy, pretty quiet, and giving up some grip on wet pavement." We'll see what's what when winter arrives properly. Of course I picked the warmest day in a month to get winters on, but what can you do?

[WillM]

Graham,

You'll be ready for the WGI season opener, and likely set FTD!

This was Friday morning qualifying for a 2-day Sat-Sun race in April of this year. Fun times!

- Will

WGI_Snow.JPG (131.93 KiB) Viewed 4074 times

[gcranston]

BMW does skid school at lime rock in April. WGI in the snow seems like a better idea. Who's in?