Best winter tires for my car? (NOT RFT)

[tranquility]

Given my last thread where it seems like RFTs have a propensity for having stupid sidewall tears, I'd like some recommendations for *reg* winter tires for my car (2nd gen Z4).

I'm not about to set laptimes in winter, so my main criterion is traction, then longevity. Please lemme know!

[kyriian]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Given my last thread where it seems like RFTs have a propensity for having stupid sidewall tears, I'd like some recommendations for *reg* winter tires for my car (2nd gen Z4).

I'm not about to set laptimes in winter, so my main criterion is traction, then longevity. Please lemme know!

XIce has always been the defacto winter tires, I have had a few sets and they seem to offer the best balance between grip and longevity.
I have had Blizzak WS90 for my wife’s former C63 and they grip very well even with that torque, but wears out very quickily.

Basically the Bridgestone is great, but wears out quickily
The Michelin isn’t as great, but last longer

My beater is now on Falken Winterpeak FIce, works okay for a little Scion but for anything RWD I would not
My wife’s X5 is on Gislaved Nordfrost 200, and they are decent but of course she has awd

[ppointer]

+1 for the Blizzaks and +1 for the X-Ice. I had X-Ice on my wife's car before we moved to FL. Then, I bought a set of Blizzaks for daughter because I could not get the X-Ice in a size that fit her e91. I got no experience in the crap weather with the Blizzaks because not my car, but daughter says they're great. The X-Ice on our e60 were amazing.

[tturedraider]

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are pretty much the gold standard.

[Josh-PA]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are pretty much the gold standard.

+100. Hakkas are the way to go if you want the best snow/ice performance.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are pretty much the gold standard.

What would a company founded in Finland know about winter tires?

[86Zed]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are pretty much the gold standard.

+1. Have used Bridgestone Blizzaks (purchased) and General AltiMax (came as a spare set). Most recently switched to Hakkapeliitta R5 and these tires certainly are not messing around.



For what it's worth, we get some gnarly snow/ice days and -25F temperature days. With kiddos there is not always the luxury of working from home...

[Pauldunlop13]

I am using these - picked them up before last winter - back on now for the second winter season

https://www.continental-tires.com/pr...kingcontact-7/

[Alfisti]

This really, really depends on where you live and where you drive. For Toronto and surrounding suburbs my preferred tyre is the XICE. It's not quite as good as the Blizzack in heavy, heavy snow and flat out ICE but is far smoother, quieter, wears better and handles better. Given roads are plowed here, it is the perfec tyre.

If i were in Quebec, i'd consider Blizzack as the more heavy duty tyre and if rural/semi rural, the Nokians.

[zx10guy]

I have Blizzak WS80s on a spare set of wheels for my 135i. But haven't thrown them on the car in a few years because I have a daily beater now. On that car, I've been running Cross Climate 2s. I've gone through some winter weather with them and they're great. All season tires that are winter tire rated. I was planning on buying a set of winter tires on spare steel wheels but I don't see the need anymore. The only issue with the Cross Climate 2s are their wet performance which seems to fall off as the tire wears down.

[Th3Walrus]

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5.

[Frostynorth]

Hakkapeliittas.

[chris719]

The Michelin is the best in most objective testing. It's on a Z4 guys, an X-Ice Snow will work until he runs out of ground clearance.

[spammysammich]

Nobody I know with Hakkas has anything bad to say about them, especially coming from the Subaru community. Personally I've run Blizzak WS70, Hankook Ice bear W300, Conti Viking Contact 7. All 3 lasted multiple seasons but i mangled my Blizzaks by running them too long into the warmer months and only got 3 winters out of them. Hankooks were a very nice surprise for the money, I didn't expect them to last as long as they did but I think they are not as soft a compound as the others. They were by far the loudest and squirmiest especially on concrete, made me sound like i was pulling heroic moves in the car park when I was just driving slowly around turns. The Conti's are my current winters and the Viking Contacts are just under the Blizzaks in terms of secure handling and cost me a bit less. Discount tire did mount two of them backwards though which is kind of important for evacuating slush and rain from the treads.

Sure-footedness under braking and accelerating Blizzak/Conti/hankook. Scrambling up an icy driveway I can only comment on the Blizzaks and Hankooks; Blizzaks by far; the harder compound of the ice bears allowed for a lot more slip. When the Contis wear out or age out I'm going for Hakkas or X-Ice to mix things up.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by chris719

The Michelin is the best in most objective testing. It's on a Z4 guys, an X-Ice Snow will work until he runs out of ground clearance.

X-ices are nowhere close to as good as Nokians, Blizzaks, and several others.

[tranquility]

Tx for all the suggestions. I'll need to do some research and will have lots of time since I'm waiting for my lousy RFTs to wear out.

Originally Posted by Alfisti

This really, really depends on where you live and where you drive. For Toronto and surrounding suburbs my preferred tyre is the XICE. It's not quite as good as the Blizzack in heavy, heavy snow and flat out ICE but is far smoother, quieter, wears better and handles better. Given roads are plowed here, it is the perfec tyre.

I've lived in both TO and Montreal and actually the snowfall is quite similar (purely anecdotal) and I would say since I drive a Z4, the ground clearance is lousy, so I definitely need the roads to be shovelled or at least not too deep. I haven't encountered much ice (knock wood), so my drives are in such snow conditions. I'm not really concerned about road noise, my main consideration is traction and then longevity. However...

...I obviously dunno much about the brands being suggested, but as an analogy, re my summer choice, I ran Michelin PSSs for the longest time but even though they were touted as the best road performance tire, I didn't get the most outta them since I don't go crazy on public roads. Factor in the huge price premium and that they wear out relatively quickly, I'm very happy w my Firestone Indy 500s. So, if there's a winter brand A that is just marginally better but costs way more than brand B, I'd probably go for B.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

X-ices are nowhere close to as good as Nokians, Blizzaks, and several others.

Virtually every test I have read has the X-ICE within a bees dick of the Blizzack in all but the heaviest of weather. On ploughed, urban roads the X-ICE is the better tyre, handles better, less noise, less wear etc. The nokian is the more dedicated tyre and doesn't play in the same space as the other two, it's also wildly expensive.

Originally Posted by tranquility

I've lived in both TO and Montreal and actually the snowfall is quite similar (purely anecdotal) and I would say since I drive a Z4, the ground clearance is lousy, so I definitely need the roads to be shovelled or at least not too deep. I haven't encountered much ice (knock wood), so my drives are in such snow conditions. I'm not really concerned about road noise, my main consideration is traction and then longevity. However...

...I obviously dunno much about the brands being suggested, but as an analogy, re my summer choice, I ran Michelin PSSs for the longest time but even though they were touted as the best road performance tire, I didn't get the most outta them since I don't go crazy on public roads. Factor in the huge price premium and that they wear out relatively quickly, I'm very happy w my Firestone Indy 500s. So, if there's a winter brand A that is just marginally better but costs way more than brand B, I'd probably go for B.

Urban driving = X-ICE IMHO.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Virtually every test I have read has the X-ICE within a bees dick of the Blizzack in all but the heaviest of weather. On ploughed, urban roads the X-ICE is the better tyre, handles better, less noise, less wear etc. The nokian is the more dedicated tyre and doesn't play in the same space as the other two, it's also wildly expensive.



Urban driving = X-ICE IMHO.

Yeah I have x-ices on two of my 4 cars. Its a good tire, but I am kind of over them.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I run Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 on my rear wheel drive E92 335is. Love them, they are "squishy" as in you feel bodyroll with them but hey, in the winter I don't want a sport tire I want a tire for safety and traction.

[Josh-PA]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The nokian is the more dedicated tyre and doesn't play in the same space as the other two, it's also wildly expensive.

Urban driving = X-ICE IMHO.

I have to disagree with the Wildly expensive comment. Nokians are very much in line with the other brands. At my local tire shop, for 245/18s on my 1er the Michelins is about $20/tire more expensive than the Nokians or Bridgestones.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Josh-PA

I have to disagree with the Wildly expensive comment. Nokians are very much in line with the other brands. At my local tire shop, for 245/18s on my 1er the Michelins is about $20/tire more expensive than the Nokians or Bridgestones.

Yeah I checked for fun to and right around same prices as the top brand models for me aswelll. Michelins XICE are more expensive.

[Alfisti]

Wow OK yeah they are in line, when i looked a few years ago they were only for sale via Kal Tire who are expensive in general.