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Thread: Winter Tires

  1. #1

    Winter Tires

    Its almost that time... To take the drag radials off the ole' ferrari and get some winters on her for the weekly trek to the mountains. So. Whats everyone recommend? Has anyone experience with Nokian's? I previously had Blizzak LM-25's, which were phenomenal. But you know.. you'll never find something better if you stick to what you've always had.


  2. #2
    Blizzack for me. I don't drive far, but I do have a 1000' climb and descent every day from 'upper Fayston'.
    Susan Klein, Director, MRV Chamber of Commerce

  3. #3
    Good chunk of my driving in winter is on cleared highway so I went with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D. Worked really well last winter, can't really compare to anything else though. tirerack.com has extensive review section.

  4. #4
    Cleared highway? Guess your not refering to 89 or 91 in Vermont because they don't plow after dark.

  5. #5

    Not enough info

    What kind of vehicle and what kind/amount of driving?

  6. #6

    Re: Not enough info

    Quote Originally Posted by castlerock
    What kind of vehicle and what kind/amount of driving?
    I already said, its a ferrari...

    Its a European AWD sedan. 660 miles round trip to VT. All highway except for the awesomeness of 107->100->West Hill, incidentally, 91 and 89 are much worse than those are in bad weather.

  7. #7

    Re: Not enough info

    Quote Originally Posted by Dawn Patrol
    Quote Originally Posted by castlerock
    What kind of vehicle and what kind/amount of driving?
    I already said, its a ferrari...

    Its a European AWD sedan. 660 miles round trip to VT. All highway except for the awesomeness of 107->100->West Hill, incidentally, 91 and 89 are much worse than those are in bad weather.
    Another vote for Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D. I have an Audi A6 and make the trip every weekend from Boston area.

  8. #8

    Re: Winter Tires

    Quote Originally Posted by Dawn Patrol
    Its almost that time... To take the drag radials off the ole' ferrari and get some winters on her for the weekly trek to the mountains. So. Whats everyone recommend? Has anyone experience with Nokian's? I previously had Blizzak LM-25's, which were phenomenal. But you know.. you'll never find something better if you stick to what you've always had.
    If you can afford a ferrari then you should just get a winter vehicle... But if you must drive it get the Nokian. Hakka(short for hakkapeliitta) R for studless and Hakka 5 studded for the most traction.

  9. #9
    I've always chosen the more snow oriented studless than the performance oriented studless. For instance Michelin X-ice as opposed to the Dunlops. I figure, if I'm getting a snow tire, I don't want a compromise.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by castlerock
    I've always chosen the more snow oriented studless than the performance oriented studless. For instance Michelin X-ice as opposed to the Dunlops. I figure, if I'm getting a snow tire, I don't want a compromise.
    This is exactly the debate going on for me right now. Do I want better traction going up the hill, or better handling on the highway.

  11. #11

    Re: Winter Tires

    Quote Originally Posted by skiladi
    Quote Originally Posted by Dawn Patrol
    Its almost that time... To take the drag radials off the ole' ferrari and get some winters on her for the weekly trek to the mountains. So. Whats everyone recommend? Has anyone experience with Nokian's? I previously had Blizzak LM-25's, which were phenomenal. But you know.. you'll never find something better if you stick to what you've always had.
    If you can afford a ferrari then you should just get a winter vehicle... But if you must drive it get the Nokian. Hakka(short for hakkapeliitta) R for studless and Hakka 5 studded for the most traction.
    Check your sarcasm meter skiladi

  12. #12
    When you need the smoother ride, but don't have it... small frustrations.


    When you need the traction going down a steep hill, and don't have it... broken car.



    .
    Two roads diverged in a wood,

    and I- I took the one less traveled by,


    And that has made all the difference.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Lostone
    When you need the smoother ride, but don't have it... small frustrations.


    When you need the traction going down a steep hill, and don't have it... broken car.



    Very, very true. My toss up isn't so much a smoother ride vs. traction though. It is purely a safety concern. Traction on that icy downhill, or handling on 95/91 when you're going 80 and a tractor trailer/drunk driver/cellphone talker cuts you off. Those sporty winter tires ie. Blizzak LM-25, Wintersport 3d etc. will out handle a traditional snow. How much, I don't know, since I've never driven a traditional snow. They do however sacrfice deep snow and ice traction for it.. Argh.. decisions...

  14. #14
    I understand. Can you tell yourself, all the time, that you don't have your summer handling, and slow the @#$% down? All the time?? That is a decision you have to make.

    As for tires, I used to be in a ski club which was a great house, but on the road from hell, in bad conditions. We had a woman who came up in all weather tires and went off the road a number of times. After towing her back up onto it, a number of times, the local service station owner read her the riot act and told her to get a set of Hakkapeliittas. She did, and I don't think she ever went off, again.
    .
    Two roads diverged in a wood,

    and I- I took the one less traveled by,


    And that has made all the difference.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dawn Patrol
    Very, very true. My toss up isn't so much a smoother ride vs. traction though. It is purely a safety concern. Traction on that icy downhill, or handling on 95/91 when you're going 80 and a tractor trailer/drunk driver/cellphone talker cuts you off. Those sporty winter tires ie. Blizzak LM-25, Wintersport 3d etc. will out handle a traditional snow. How much, I don't know, since I've never driven a traditional snow. They do however sacrifice deep snow and ice traction for it.. Argh.. decisions...
    I think you'll find the differences in the tire types a marginal one in your ability to avoid the above case. If you balance the probabilities, you'll find that the better snow performance more important, and comes into play way more frequently, than marginal response in an emergency situation.

    I think the main performance difference you'll find is the adhesion in high-G cornering (the bigger softer blocks might fold), Frankly I don't push a car like that. (the ramifications of a mistake are huge). And I don't have any illusions as to my driving skills compared to people who actually race, so I don't flatter my self to require. The funny thing is even the snow tires on my "European AWD wagon" are 235 45 17s. I needed 17s to fit over the discs, so a low profile tire like a 17 has inherently great cornering.

    I also think you'll find the dry performance of the latest studless snows superior to what has been available in the past.

    The performance class of snow tire was developed for Europeans who drive on a decidedly different road system than we have, in a much different climate. If I lived in DC or my trips to VT were infrequent and flexible, maybe I'd pick that type.

    I was a "hell or high water" driver, so the pure snows did it for me.

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