I'm looking for tires for my next set of wheels. I am debating on summers or all seasons. It's usually this time of the year when I feel that I want to be driving the car yet I can't because there's still a bit of snow in my alley and I wouldn't be able to get out.

Do any of you use all seasons on your wheels? If so which models?

Consider the fact that I do live in Chicago. Would it be a good idea to even get summers if I plan on driving near the end of winter and the beginning?

 

I drove summer tires in light snow and below 35 degree weather in Boston.

Totally not safe and not recommended.

 

^^Agree! I have Falken Azenis RT-615 for my summer and spirited driving on my aftermarket wheels. I am getting Blizzaks for my stockies. Better safe than sorry bro!

 

I am morally opposed to All-season tires. I recommend you just wait it out. Driving on proper summer tires all summer is going to be a lot more fun than driving slowly all summer for an extra 2 weeks.

 

have separate sets for summer and winter. not worth the risk.

 

I'm currently running a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS all-season tires. Very quiet commuter tire, but the grip leaves a lot to be desired compared to high performance summer tires. The car does fine at about 70-80% pace, but anything above that and you can really feel the tires being overworked. That being said, they are amazing snow and rain tires.

I agree with others, get yourself an extra set of rims and summer tires / winter tires. Its just not worth the risk unless you are ok with not having any fun with the car what so ever.

 

Having 3 mounted sets including factory Bridgestone RE 050, Goodyear f1 All Season Ultra High Performance, and Blizzak LM performance winter on 16" rims I'll briefly give my impressions of each.
Summer Bridgestones are excellent in mild-hot weather, rain or shine. I found them to be fine in colder temps as long as the conditions are dry. I find the superiority of the summer tires evident in what i call the 'tool box'. You can drive faster and deeper into and thru corners and the car will respond decisively to driver inputs - giving you the tools to extrapolate more speed from the car. The factory tires I also found impressive on wet pavement ... But, stupid fast driving on rain soaked back roads can be just plain stupid ....
The Goodyear F1-AS is an excellent performance tire. Similar levels of ultimate grip (speed at apex) but does not have the tool box that the summer tires have. Smooth - fast - hold your line .. micromanaging extra nuances of speed thru braking, cornering, and transitions will get you nowhere except off your intended line with these tires. Many reviewers pan the All Seasons, but really they are excellent tires that have exceeded all my expectations.
The Blizzak performance snows retain more performance than I expected in normal cold weather conditions. Limits are lower but still very high. Braking is not as sharp, you can get the back end to step out easily and predictably .. really a lot of fun and a great way to learn what the car is about. OK in snow but the WS series studless snow would be a much better choice for winter duties.