Hello everyone,
I need your help with deciding on a set of Winter Tires for my S.
I'm planning on ordering a set of Winter Tires for my S to mount on my AP2 rims.
Right now I'm deciding between:
Blizzak WS80
Michelin X-Ice XI3

Both tires are rated very well and there is a rebate on both at Tirerack right now. The Michelin X-Ice are about $40 cheaper right now.

We all know that the DC Area does not get a lot of snow but sometimes we do get a decent amount. I won't be driving through any heavy snow as I have a SUV for anything really bad. Just looking for something that is good on the highway at freezing temps. But if I do get caught in the snow I want a winter tire that will get me home safely without any issues. Any recommendations or experience with the 2 options?

And for the sizes I will be getting: 205/50R17 & 225/45R17.
Thanks.

 

Regarding snow tires, there are two types that make sense but one may make more sense than the other.

The two tires that you have selected are studless ice and snow which tend to perform better in snow and ice when compared to the other type which is Winter Performance.

Winter performance will keep more of the handling characteristics of our cars while performing well in cold temperatures.

If you have another car that can handle true snow conditions, I would recommend winter performance over studless ice and snow.

Additionally, narrower is better for snow but winter tires generally have a narrower tire already. The studless tires will feel different when it comes to handling especially with the reduced width.

Are you mounting the tires on the same wheels you have your summer tires on? If so, consider picking up a set of AP1 wheels and 16" tires in oem ap1 sizing instead. You'll save money on mounting and balancing before and after every Winter and the tires should be cheaper.

 

Can't comment on your question but I can say when I lived up in Pittsburgh I threw some blizzaks on my is300 and it plowed through snow like nothing, amazing tire in crappy snow covered conditions.

 

I take it you've factored in using some 15mm spacers for the oem wheels to clear the bbk? Just a friendly reminder. Sorry I can't comment on snow tires.

 

I have to use 17" wheels to clear my front BBK.
I will be using wheel spacers with my stock AP2 wheels to clear the BBK as well.

I'm gonna go with Winter Performance tires. Probably the Pirelli Scottozero 3s. Dave has a great experience with them and should fit my needs. And they come in the sizes I'm looking for.

 

I've used winterforce, ipikes and 4D winter tires on my subaru. The winterforces sucked in anything but deep snow and the ipikes and 4D tires were pretty comparable to each other.

 

For my previous 2 winters, I had all-season tires, that worked out fine that I did not drive into deep snow. I've looked into Blizzaks and I think any dedicated winter tires would work out fine.

 

I've run Blizzaks and found them to be excellent in the NYC snow but I also found I liked Dunlop WinterSports better. However they stopped making one of my sizes. I put Continental DWS on my wife's Z when she was stationed in D.C. She loves them and I found them to be an excellent all season tire.