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Snow/Ice winter tires

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Comments

  • slider3slider3 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the words - didn't think a rear-wheel drive vehicle would be all that tough to get around in with good snows on - grew up in Michigan and we never owned a 4WD or FWD!
  • stoshstosh Member Posts: 1
    I just put Dunlop SP WinterSport M3's on my Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX awd - after putting 47,000 on my previous Dunlop SP Wintersport M2's - I loved those, they were great, was going to get again and find that the new M3 replaces it. The M2's were great on snow and ice, and I ran them year-round with good summer handling, no noise problem - I would have been happy to get 30,000 out of them and not be having to switch twice a year from winter to summer tires - so the long mileage was a great bonus. These are both H-rated tires.

    The WS-50's are only Q rated so you don't want to go very fast for very long with them, and definitely wouldn't want to run them year-round, plus the 2nd half of the tread is not the same sticky winter compound as the first half is.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Last fall I put Nokian WR SUV tires on my 2001 Pathfinder LE - stock size on the stock wheels.

    When new, the vehicle came with Dunlop "all season" tires - the tread looked like passenger car summer tires! Right from the start (first winter that is), I found myself sliding through intersections with the antilock buzzing. I thought the antilock was way too sensitive, and started using the e-brake when required in "emergencies" (someone pulls out in front of you when they shouldn't for example). I even slid the vehicle sideways once to stop it! After the fourth winter I had enough! Even though the tires had lots of tread left, I figured one accident would "swamp" the cost of changing the tires early.

    Had the Nokian WR suv tires mounted - purchased at Kal Tire. They are a great outfit - free rotation for life, free tire changing if you get winter only tires. They even repaired a slow leak on one of the original equipment tires the year before, free! That brought me back to purchase.

    It was a mild fall, but the snow finally came in November. First time in the snow I found myself forced against the shoulder belt stopping on snow/ice! Antilock didn't even trip. One day we had freezing rain. If you've ever experienced winter in Edmonton Alberta you will know the typical temp is negative for the entire winter. If it ever warms above freezing from November to March it's a rare event! Freezing rain means skating rink roads until the ice evaporates, not melts. I was very careful driving on the ice, but didn't have any problems - though I found I could trip the antilock quite easily.

    Spring came and I have just done two trips to the west coast and back (2500 km round trip). The WRs are fantastic on dry "summer" temp roads as well. They were wonderful in heavy rain too!

    Very happy with these tires. Only have 10,000 km on them so far, and haven't noticed excessive wear.
  • carquerycarquery Member Posts: 35
    Hi, at the risk of sounding like a snow tie newbie, I'm wondering if I need to get 4 snow tires for my FWD car (thus giving the rear brakes added traction) or would I just put a pair in the front? Each seems reasonable to me, but I wondered if the second option would create a set of unevenly worn tires when I put the all-season radials back on in the Spring. I live in Hartford, and we had only a few major snowstorms, but they brought a ton of snow, most of which hung around on the roads and froze every night for most the winter.

    Any input would be great!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Four.... Unless you want to see your rear-end coming around past your window at every stop sign....

    regards,
    kyfdx
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  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    You will be much happier with 4.
  • mrvadeboncoeurmrvadeboncoeur Member Posts: 146
    I finally managed to find a tire tread depth gage, and tonight I checked my tires. I took my best estimate/closest whole number when measuring.

    I have about 23,000 miles on my 2001 Toyota Prius' OEM tires, I think that's about 2 years of service (I'd have to double-check my notebook in my car for the exact date). My usual pressure is about 41F/39R.

    OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE92 XL
    P175/65 R14 84S
    original tread depth is supposedly 10/32"
    Measuring the 4 main grooves:
    left outside ---> inside; right inside ---> outside
    left front: 7, 8, 8, 7 ; right front: 5, 7, 6, 5
    eft rear: 6, 7, 7, 7 ; right rear: 6, 6, 5, 4

    My husband has about 24,000 miles on his 2004 Toyota Prius with OEM tires.
    That's just shy of 2 years. Usual pressure is around 40F/38R.

    OEM Goodyear Integrity
    P185/65 R15 86S
    original tread depth is supposedly 10/32"
    Measuring the 3 main grooves:
    left outside ---> inside; right inside ---> outside
    left front: 6, 8, 7 ; right front: 6, 7, 5
    left rear: 5, 7, 6 ; right rear: 5, 6, 5

    Unfortunately, neither car has been in for an alignment yet. But the tires do get rotated (or so says my paid work orders) at every oil change (6 months or 7500/5000 miles).

    So, I have more tread wear on the edges, and it looks like about 2/32" of
    tread wear per year...

    Just some data points for those out there...

    Anyhow, the question I have is: is it time to dump these tires, or should I hold onto them for another season? (I know a number of Prius owners hate the OEM tires...)

    I know that I need to invest in some snow tires for this upcoming MA winter. Last winter I kept sliding backwards down my paved but icy driveway with my 2001, and my husband slid into a snowbank or two with his 2004 BC (and the front bumper still keeps popping off of some of its clips).

    I was thinking of just going straight to some Nokian WR A.W.P.2 tires (4-season tires with the Severe Service emblem) for full-time use, but...

    Should I/can I just put the Nokian WR onto the current aluminum rims for this winter, change back to the OEM tires for the upcoming spring/summer/fall 2006, and then remount the WRs for the following winter and on? Or should I get some steel rims just for this winter for the WRs, and then move them back when I dump the OEMs?

    Or should I just buy some steel rims and winter tires (Bridgestone Blizzak WS50 or Nokian RSI), and then have to look into buying another 3-season tire (Nokian NRHi/i3) in another year or so? (This seems much more expensive and more hassle than just going for the WRs above, but...)

    Just looking for any tire/wheel advice. Thanks in advance!
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    anything less than 5-6/32 tread is not good for snow, anything less than 4/32 is not good in rain

    I have run WRs all year on a minivan and the older NRW in winter on a Subaru. They are great tires for winter, not as good on ice as Blizzaks but much better on dry roads. they are as good as decent all seasons in summer too. Unless you have lots of unplowed roads to drive through the WRs all year round would be a good bet.

    while lots of people say don't use alloys in winter as they will corrode, I have actually found that every steel wheel I use in winter ends up rusting and needing some touch up work in the summer before going on again the next season - whether its functional I dunno but its certainly aesthetically unpleasant with rust on the rims! the alloys on the other hand seem to do fine though, but you do have to wash them regularly. stay away from chrome in winter though!
  • sequoiasoonsequoiasoon Member Posts: 223
    The WR's are an awesome tire for year round use. I've posted a bunch if you read back on the Nokians. For the best winter traction a dedicated set (RSI, Q, Hakk 2 or 4, Nordman1) would be the way too go. Many people also like the blizzaks but they only have great grip for half their life according to their own websites. Dedicted winter sets allow to use them for 3-4 seasons and you dodn't have the added expense of dis-mounting/re-mounting twice a season which will cost around $50 each time. You can steel rims from dealer take off, aftermarket like TIRERACK, or junk yard for around $100 for all 4, by the second season they're paid for.

    As much as I and family love the WR's I don't know if I'd recommend them too you as a year round. You should probably check with conner on the "ask conner at tirerack" thread. Here's my reasoning, you drive a Prius for fuel economy. For the months where it is just wet or dry you need a very low rolling resistance tire. Aired the same way as I always had, I lost some mpg running the WR's as my 3 season tires on the Corolla. I can live with it as they are some of the best tires I ever had for rain. Unfortunately the perfect tire does not exist. Great grip and wet traction normally come at the expensive of tire life and mpg. It can't stick too the road for that and then NOT stick too provide a very easy roll too increase mpg and life.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    I switched my 2001 Pathfinder to Nokian WRs. Keeping the old tires (half worn) is always an option, but I reasoned if I slid into another vehicle because I was too cheap to turf the old tires, the costs would easily swamp the "savings" of keeping the crap tires. I put the Nokians on and left the old half worn tires at the tire dealer. My aluminum wheels are fine with winter salt. Just about all stock aluminum wheels are painted - thickly. They don't corrode. Just wash them every once in a while and they'll be fine. In fact, the wheel weights corrode but the wheels are fine!

    The Nokian WR tires perform great in winter. They allow the vehicle to stop so hard I may get rear ended! They worked fine this summer too, very good in rain. I drive hard on curvy roads, and I notice they make a "rushing" noise under cornering - I suspect this is because of the aggressive siping they have. They are quiet when going straight. So far no excessive wear or other complaints. Fuel economy is about the same as when the stock tires were on.

    I have posted two previous reports on these tires - read back to find those.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
  • gordonrgordonr Member Posts: 10
    CR is messing up my thinking. I was just about to order some Nokian tires (either the WR or RSI) for winter use when this issue of CR arrived in the mail. The ratings order is:

    Michelin X-Ice
    Viking SnowTech
    Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice
    Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50
    Mastercraft Glacier Grip II
    Gislaved Nordfrost 3
    Nokian Hakkapelitta 2
    Cooper Weather-Master S/T 2
    Kelly Wintermark Magna Grip HT
    Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSI
    Hankook W404
    Dayton Winterforce

    The Viking SnowTech is fairly interesting in that it's a much less expensive tire than most of the others (about 1/2 the price of Nokians). It showed average figures for snow traction and ice braking, but better than average in all other catagories. I've never seen a CR rating for the Nokian WR, but wonder if it would have similar attributes in being a balanced performance year round tire. Anyone have experience with Viking tires? I don't always believe CR tests things with the same considerations I have, so I don't know how much weight to put into their tests.

    I live in the metrowest Boston area. I don't need to go through 10" of unplowed snow, but I've always liked the added safety of a winter tire (on our previous car we ran Gislaved Nordfrost tires with much success). My one consideration with our new Prius is that it's traction control cannot be turned off. Others have reported that if you loose traction, you can floor the gas pedal and the wheels won't spin. The only solution is to have better winter tires than the OEM all seasons.
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    I love CR but their tests while probably more objective than my subjective views can be downright strange at times. I have the X Ice and had WS50s before , the WS50s are definitely better on ice but the X ice more competent on dry surface. A few years back, CR tested the Nokian NRW (the WRs predecessor) and found it had the best snow traction of all the winter tires. I have never used a "hard core" Nokian winter tire, only the NRW and WR which can be run all year.

    Another important issue is size, I saw some German reports once where different sizes made a tremendous difference to results of the same brand, the German equivalent of the AA when testing will do different sizes of the same brand and what is top in one size may be bottom in another! Scaling up or down the tread pattern can have weird effects!
  • mrvadeboncoeurmrvadeboncoeur Member Posts: 146
    Well, I ended up buying a tire/wheel package from the Prius owner's group buy at tirefactory.net for Nokian tires. I got the Nokian WRs mounted on steel rims, for both of my Prius. Free ground shipping, should arrive sometime next week.

    For now, I'll just use the WRs as winter tires. I'll keep the OEMs on the alloys for spring/summer/fall use. When the OEMs die, I can either just use the WRs full-time, or I can buy a new 3-season tire, or I could buy a more agressive winter tire and use the WRs as 3-season (if I decide that the WRs aren't good enough for my winters). yes, more decisions, but they'll be a year from now at the earliest.

    Oh, and I'm in the metrowest area of MA, USA.

    As much as I tried to read the Nov. 2005 Consumer Reports on tires, I never found it as I don't know anyone who subscribes, and all the local libraries only have the Oct. 2005 issue as their newest mailed to them issue.
  • bc13bc13 Member Posts: 32
    Any thoughts on a good winter/snow tire. live in nyc. presently have michelin cross terrains. handling wasn't great last year during the snow, so was thinking of getting some snow tires.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    “The right footwear on a car is just as important as the right footwear on your feet,”

    Winter tires seen regaining traction (MSNBC)

    Ok, how about some Suburban help for BC13?

    Steve, Host
  • andy72andy72 Member Posts: 3
    I have some serious problems with consumer reports ratings. They do not state they test their winter tires with lateral traction (eg corners and turning) on ice/snow. This traction much more important than 0-20 MPH on ice or snow. The braking is tested which is quite important. A few years back they highly rated a now discontinued tire Michelin Artic Alpin. I was all excited to order them an TireRack stated in their testing its lateral traction was no where near a Blizzack and their other snow tire. This was corroborated by some European testing I read.

    In reference to the Nokian it is too bad they did not spotlight the Nokian WR. It is the perfect solution for those who need winter tires with longevity (50k mile tread life) and if they only want one tire it works great in wet, dry, and is quiet year round. I think the winter traction is great in snow and ok on ice.
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    I've been a Nokian bigot for quite a few years. I run studded Hakka SUVs on the Mountaineer. I've been running the Hakka Q on my VW GTI and just started shopping for their replacement. My SUV isn't used for commuting and it goes skiing every weekend so best-of-breed studded tires work perfectly for my application. A 5,000 pound SUV is a white-knuckle terror ride with stock tires on black ice. With studs, it's like driving on dry pavement.

    I'm intrigued by the high ratings for the Michelin X-Ice. It looks like it's optimized for my kind of use: Lots of flatland dry road highway commuting. Outstanding braking performance on black ice even when the tire has 25,000 miles on it. Acceptable performance in rain, slush, and deep snow.

    In my wimpy 195/65R15 size for the VW, the tire is $80 at tire rack and I can buy them locally for a similar price once I factor in shipping and mounting fees. That's significantly less than I'd pay for replacing my Nokians. I paid $94/tire for my Hakka Q's back in 2001 and the price has shot up significantly since then. I have a couple of more weeks before I pull the trigger but I'm thinking of trying the X-Ice this time.
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    Oh, and a friendly "Hi" to Steve, Host.

    Killington opened yesterday with 3 feet of new snow over bare ground but I decided to pass. My last two ski days in August at Valle Nevado, Chile were in 8 feet of untracked powder on sunny days. I seem to have an attitude problem. I'm using "I need to winterize my boat" as my excuse.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Hey Geoff (and here I thought you were just a SUV bigot, LOL).

    We had one dusting about three weeks ago that lasted a few hours - opening date for Bogus ski school is set for 12/10 but maybe they'll get to open the mountain Thanksgiving. Unlikely although there's no El Niño this season. Chile looks nice!

    I didn't run my mounted studs last winter and don't plan to this year either (they are pretty stale anyway).

    Steve, Host
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    Steve, Host, writes:
    Hey Geoff (and here I thought you were just a SUV bigot, LOL).

    I have a strong and preconceived opinion on virtually any topic. Just ask me. *grin*

    I didn't run my mounted studs last winter and don't plan to this year either (they are pretty stale anyway).

    You don't live in a place that's all that prone to black ice where studs give you that essential traction advantage. I'm pissed that Nokian did away with their Hakka Q friction tire. The Hakka 2 isn't as good unless you stud it. The RSI is more of an autobahn snow tire. I guess I'm going with Michelin X-Ice at the local BJ's Wholesale (Costco/Sams warehouse store). $97 per tire mounted, balanced, new valve stems, dispose of my old Nokians, lifetime tire rotation. They told me they've got a $5-off Michelin coupon starting November 5th so that shaves it down to $92.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That's a good tip!

    I haven't even seen any black ice since moving to Boise 5 years ago, but a surprising number of people here run studs. I guess they could come in handy over in the Sawtooths. Here's hoping for a snowy winter.

    Steve, Host
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    Have X Ice on the wife's Venture for last season. she had Blizaks before that. They are almost identical except the X Ice is appreciably better in the dry. I had Arctic Alpins on a Legacy before replacing those with NRWs. The Arctic Alpins were not as good as the Blizzak on ice but much better in dry , only problem was a pretty prominent tire whine - so bad I took the car in twice thinking there was an engine problem with a vacuum leak!
    There was an article somewhere I read about how the different tire manufacturers have different goals for their winter tires depending on their domestic markets, eg the Japanese supposedly sit in traffic jams turning the snow into black ice at intersections so they are most interested in straight line traction and ice traction, hence the special compound used on the lower speed rated Blizzaks. The mainland Europeans are interested in high speed running - autobahns etc. The Scandinavians who hardly ever plow their roads don't want to skid off the curves.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    I too am considering the x-ice. I did have a set of Arctic Alpins in the past and found that they were not very good laterally - it was a nightmare driving on icy roads with a stiff wind from the side (my wife was behind me in the minivan and had no problems with regular all season tires).

    I am willing to try the X-ice if they are appreciably better - their tread does look like it is not so fore and aft centric.
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    I posed the question to a fairly large group of Vermont-centric skiers who either drive to the resorts every weekend or live full time in ski country. The Nokian RSI got quite a few very positive responses including several who had previously run the Hakka Q I'm replacing. At my local Nokian dealer, they're $107 mounted rather than the $97 mounted that BJ's Wholesale is getting for the X-Ice in my size. I haven't tried to bargain at all with the Nokian dealer but I can usually get them to knock a few bucks off. I think I'm going with the devil I know.
  • jsmith54jsmith54 Member Posts: 1
    Has any one tried the Green Diamond tire and if so how would you compare it to the Mich Arctic Alpin? I need to replace the aspins this season. I was researching the Blizzak vs the X Ice vs the Nokian and ran across the Green Diamond site and was interested in the tire. Thanks in advance
    JS
  • love2skilove2ski Member Posts: 6
    Anyone else have experience with these ? From all the reviews I am reading I would be better off with the M3's

    2001 Volvo S60 2.4T
    Spirited driving, 35000 miles per year (80% highway)

    Obviously would like treads to last more than one season, 2 or 3 is better (duh)
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Now one year old, 11,000 km. Much of that in the summer. It dusted with snow on friday. In a restaurant other patrons were commenting on how slippery it was. I scared my passengers because when I left my Pathfinder stopped so hard when I tested to see what they were talking about. I think they need real tires. ;)
  • bgrochalabgrochala Member Posts: 1
    Are snow tires necessary on 2005 Nissan Maxima? I live in NY state and we certainly get our share of snow. I've never had to buy snow tires for any of my other cars but have heard it is recommended for the Maxima.
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    Snow & ice tires are all about safety margin. Any modern FWD car will perform fine on plowed roads with stock all-season radials as long as you drive the car correctly for the conditions. You have to drive defensively to compensate for poor stopping distances and unsure cornering. It'll struggle on unplowed snow and ice but you're very unlikely to get stuck and unlikely to crash unless you get surprised by black ice at the wrong time.

    I look at snow tires as insurance. I get 4 seasons out of them so I pay about $150/year to get an improved safety margin.
  • dahuberdahuber Member Posts: 53
    After we got our 2001 Maxima, I discovered that even the *slightest* snow and ice were not good on the stock Potenzas-stuck in the driveway. The traction control didn't help much, either.

    Unless the new Maximas have better stock (all-season, not sporty) tires, I'd strongly recommend some kind of snow tire.

    Dave
  • browncoffeybrowncoffey Member Posts: 3
    I live in the DC area and travel about 70 miles round trip for work. I would like to purchase a set of snow tires to ensure a safe trip. The weather is all of nothing. Some snow, ice, and sunny days. Want a recommendation that will be great under all conditions and still give a good and hopefully quiet ride.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    It is not snow country and I think decent all seasons should be enough.
    I would not buy dedicated ice/snow tires (Q rated tires like Blizzak 50, Dunlop Graspic etc) because one would wear them off in no time driving on dry, quite warm days.
    If you still want snow tires then I would look at high performance winter tires (H rated at least like Dunlop M3, Blizzak LM-22 and LM-25). Nokian WR might be good choice too. They give up ultimate ice/snow grip for better treadwear, higher speed rating, better dry and slush performance.

    Krzys
  • miked14miked14 Member Posts: 3
    I have an '06 M45 Sport with summer tires. Living in the Northeast I am prepared to put snow tires on soon. My question is this. The owners manual says to use four snows while the dealer told me two will do. The car comes with 19" wheels but when I called Tire Rack, I was told I could use 17, 18 or 19" tires/wheels. they also recommended four tires. can someone give me some advice on this subject?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Please, please, please... get four winter tires...

    If you put winter tires just on the rear of your car, you'll basically have all the propulsion you need... with no steering control or grip with the front tires..

    Downsizing to 18" or 17" (are you sure 17" will clear the brakes?), will also optimize your winter traction.. But, of course, you'll need another set of wheels, as well.

    Did your dealer really suggest that you go through winter with summer performance tires on the front of your car?

    regards,
    kyfdx
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  • manifoldmanifold Member Posts: 57
    If you stay in DC then all seasons are OK cus they manage the roads and stuff. It's when you start moving out to the next door Virginia country side (Herndon, Ashburn, Leesburg etc) that it get's tough and definitely recommend snow tires. You can still traverse it with all seasons by driving really slow and driving thru the tracks left by other cars assuming they're still there. But if you are caught in a incline - good luck. :surprise:
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Nokian WR would be good for the DC area. They can be run year round.

    Maybe things are different now, but when I lived in the area they were terrible at removing/treating snow, and an inch or two would shut things down. I see no problem with snows in DC. Just wait to put them on until the first storm, and they won't wear out so fast.

    Dudley
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    I bet Infinity has customer care phone number.
    Call them (maybe they have an e:maill too?) and tell them about your dealer suggestion. It asks for some reaction from higher authority.

    Follow the TireRack recommendation. They know what they are talking about (most of the time - always would be too dangerous to say ;-)

    Krzys
  • sthackersthacker Member Posts: 6
    What would folks out there recommend for a VW Passat and Honda Odyssey for winters in Boston? The Nokian WR and RSI both look good, with the WR being better on dry ground (most of the winter here the ground is dry, though we do get heavy snow on occasion) and the RSI doing a bit better in the snow and ice. I know the WR can be left on year round, but how does it do in the summer compared to a normal tire?

    Would I be better off with one than the other in the winter here?
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    That's weird - we have the same 2 vehicles.

    We've been running Michelin Arctic Alpins on the Ody since 2000. It's been a good tire for Boston winters because they run well on dry surfaces. But alas, they've been discontinued.

    The Passat is new for this year and I'll be mounting Dunlop Winter Sports on T-Day. I've heard good things about them in both snowy and dry conditions.

    The Nokian WR may be the best bet if you want that brand. Since they tend to plow pretty well in Boston, the WR will probably work well since they really are an all season tire with the snowflake designation.

    The only problem I see with Nokian is that the purveyors of fine vulcanized rings for automotive applications in this area seem to think they're Shreve, Crump & Lowe.
  • sthackersthacker Member Posts: 6
    Yes, that's a strange coincidence. Thanks for the reply. Where are you getting the Dunlops? (I'm in Newton)
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I ordered them from tirerack.com mounted on steel rims. I don't know how they do it but they beat everyone I've ever compared to locally.

    Sullivan, Hogan, NTB, and Direct are always more.
  • sthackersthacker Member Posts: 6
    yeah, the bummer is that tirerack is out of them for the season in the size I would need for the Passat. you must have gotten the last set :) and they don't have steel rims to fit the Odyssey, so the cost of alloy would be a lot more.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    I purchased Nokian WRs just over a year ago. They have worked just fine on my Pathfinder in the summer with "normal" wear rate for all season tires. They were great last winter. So far this winter they have been good in the little snow we've had. It's a record high 15 C here today, so no test for them this week.
  • miked14miked14 Member Posts: 3
    I called Infiniti customer care today and was told hey would have to research and get back to me with an answer. They suggested I call the dealer for advice. I went that route before with no luck. Called another dealer and spoke to the service manager who told me to go with either 4 all season tires or 4 snows but preferably the snows. He also suggested I call Tire Rack and look at an 18 or 19' wheel/tire combo for ease of installation. He said Tire Rack has a good reputation and a 17"wheel would be no problem on the M45 Sport. I am still waiting to hear from Infiniti at this point.
  • sequoiasoonsequoiasoon Member Posts: 223
    I haven't tried the RSI (yet). The WR is excellent choice. I run them as my 3 season because of their excellent wet and dry grip. I tried them for a couple snows the first winter I had them and was very impressed. I then switched to my Q's for the added winter grip. Many family and friends run the WR's all year and are on the 2nd and 3rd sets. They live upstate NY and in the Berkshires in MA.

    The only downfall to running them all year is of course you don't have max tread for winter time since it wore down some all summer. None of them have had any complaints and my inlaws even replaced the tires on their new at the time 2003 RX300 the first day with the WR's from their experience on their previous vehicle. The Nokian site has a dealer locator that might help you.

    Still looking for rims? try e-bay if your into it otherwise ask local dealer if they have any take-offs from people upgrading. Local junkyard might have also.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    yeah, the bummer is that tirerack is out of them for the season in the size I would need for the Passat. you must have gotten the last set and they don't have steel rims to fit the Odyssey, so the cost of alloy would be a lot more.

    Try discounttire.com - they may still have packages left.

    Town Fair Tire ads seem to have pretty good pricing on packages but I don't know what the actuality is.

    As for the Passat, were you looking at 15 or 16 inch? I got the 16" and they still have the Dunlops available. For the Odyssey, try some dealers. Some folks on another forum has reported finding them for about $45 each.
  • gordonrgordonr Member Posts: 10
    re:
    "The only problem I see with Nokian is that the purveyors of fine vulcanized rings for automotive applications in this area seem to think they're Shreve, Crump & Lowe."

    Very funny, but true. I purchased a set of Nokian WR tires from www.tirefactory.net. Their price was great, and they arrived via Fedex Ground in 2 or 3 days (to the Boston area). If I remember, DirectTire wanted about 30% more for the same tire.
  • shmoopyshmoopy Member Posts: 24
    Got our first big snow in northern Michigan this week, and had a real hoot driving my 2005 G35x on the deep snow and ice.

    I bought it this spring, and had wondered just how well the AWD system would work. Boy oh boy, that was the best money I ever spent on an automobile option!

    After some cautious experimentation, I found that I can pretty much stomp on the gas and the car will accelerate like it's on dry pavement. It pushes back into the seat and there's virtually no fishtail or loss of control.

    The slip indicator comes on and the system responds immediately, shifting torque back, forward or side to side as needed. Amazing!

    I put Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3's on just before the snow flew (see link below -- I used the same size as the OEM all seasons) which I'm sure is making a big difference as well, especially when it comes to stopping.

    Dunlop M3's

    I can't recommend the car or the tires enough, what a thrill!
  • rob49rob49 Member Posts: 1
    Looking for some advice on the best bet for snowtires for my '03 Civic Si hatch. I live in Ottawa, Ont., a city with snow, slush and freezing rain five months of the year, but also lots of clear days for serious driving. What's the best way to go...Hakka 2s, Michelin Ice X, Pirelli Snow Carvers, Toyo Observe GO-2 Plus? Tell me what works for you.
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