BMW Z4 Tires and Wheels

Claires

This is the place to talk about issues with the Z4's wheels/tires.

iancar

after reviewing the 2006 z4 photoes, i and my son are really interested in getting one instead of mercedes slk. However, since we r living in canada, i am not sure about the reliability of a soft top during the winter. Can anyone tell me how well their z4 soft top survive the canadian winter? And what kind of tires will be best suited for the z4 during winter time (my son is going to use it as daily car to his university)?

bdr127

Didn't know if you were aware.... you can get a hardtop for the Z4.

nyccarguy

I'd go for a second opinion. I live in Westchester a=nd work in the Bronx and encounter my fair share of potholes. Rims do bend and even crack, but I can't imagine ALL 4 wheels are damaged (NO WAY). Do you have the Sports Package on your Z4? Usually the Sport PAckage equipped cars have a lower ride height in addition to a firmer suspension tuning with larger wheels that have subsequently low profile tires. BUt you said you didn't drive over some huge pothole and get 2 blowouts. Take the car to a tire & wheels place and have them check it out.

cuco

Yes,

I do have the Sport Package.

I did find it surprising that ALL 4 RIMS needed work. But then, I bought the car with only a few miles on it, but it had been sitting at the dealer for a year before I bought it, so who knows what happened to it.

All 4 RIMS were fixed, at a cost of $150 each plus about $100 for alignment.

Next time I buy or lease a sports car, I'll try to get Tire/RIM insurance for it.

z4enthusiast

Hi,
I have a 2003 Z4 with 19000 miles on it. I had a flat and after changing the flat, I noticed that on sharp turns I would hear a thumping sound after intervals. I took to a tire shop and the person said, the struts are gone and showed me by jacking the car and lifting the tire. I could lift the tire up and down. I plan to take to the dealer after the holidays. After reading your description, I think I am in for some major repairs. Hopefully the dealer covers it as the car is under warranty. By the way, I had to take my car to dealer four times for fixing the airbag light...very disappointed.

kslmd

The convertible top in the Z4 is a pleasure to use. It is fast opening and closing, relatively quiet, and well insulated. Although I live in Arizona, I frequently drive my Z4 up to the mountains in winter, where temperatures are well below freezing. I've had no problems with the soft top. I think you'll enjoy it.

sebbarre

Hi,

I love my Z4 2.5 2003! I drive it during summer, and I use another car during winter.

I just crashed my winter car, and I'm wondering if I should buy another new small winter car, or go for the winter tires on the Z4... (I'd rather the later for financial reasons mainly).

We have pretty decent winter here in upstate NY (Albany, USA), at least 4 months during the year, it easily goes down to 20 F, etc. I've a 25 mins ride to work everyday (same to come back), against traffic, on a highway. I got caught once on black ice with the Z4 and my factory tires (all season run-flat I guess), and it was not pretty, I really thought I was going to crash it any second, even at low speed.

There is a recommended set of 4 Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 at Tirerack.com, and I've seen good things about it on this forum. And also adding weight in the trunk, etc.

Do you have any experience about winter tires and the Z4?

Thanks a lot

habitat1

I had a 2002 Honda S2000 and grew up in the snow belt (still have a second home there).

My thoughts are that you could probably get by with a good set of snow tires on the Z4, IF (big letters), you are going to be driving on plowed streets/highways. If, on the other hand, you will need to be able to negotiate 4-6-8+ inches of unplwed snow, forget it. The low ground clearance of the Z4 will make any attempt at more than about 3-4" pretty dicey.

Note that I assume you use a real ruler where you are from. Here in wimpy DC, a "dusting" is reported as 3-4" and they have canceled school on the forecast of snow that often never materializes. :confuse:

Another factor to consider in your economic analysis is the wear and tear on your car, come trade in time. We sold our S2000 at 2.5 years and 19,000 miles and it did not have a single paint chip. We got the highest possible "excellent" trade in value from a PA dealer that claimed it was the only car he had given that rating to in a year. Had we driven it through mush and over salted or graveled roads, chances are it would have been rated "very good" at best, which would have cost us $1,500 in lower trade in value, not counting the extra miles on the odometer. A "good" trade in was over $2k less than we got.

In the case of our new 2005 911S, the 3 year trade in difference would be about $6,000-$10,000+ going from excellent to very good/good, so you can be sure it will never be fitted with Blizzak's. But here in DC, I've had the top down almost every week since we bought it in September, so it's no big deal to keep it idle every once in awhile when we get a "dusting".

dhanley

To deal with chicago winters, i do have a separate set of winter tires (for my 328i). It's not as necessary as i thought, and i could do without, but i do like the security, and it is helpful when i venture to winter wisconsin. My BMW is old enough that it has ASC instead of the superior DSC a z4 will have. I did fine the one heavy snowfall we had this winter, and in wisconsin when i still had my summer tires on. As noted above, ground clearance is likely to be the real issue. Last winter we had that one big snowfall, and i knew that if i stopped in my building's parking lot, i might get stuck, as there was close to a foot, so i snowplowed straight into the stall. Good fun.

If you can tolerate missing a day or two of driving, and watching the forecast for predictions of serious snow, a z4 will be fine.

dave

logic1

Last winter we had that one big snowfall, and i knew that if i stopped in my building's parking lot, i might get stuck, as there was close to a foot, so i snowplowed straight into the stall. Good fun.

Bravo!

I think a lot of people worry unnecessarily about RWD and the snow.

Caution is always advisiable. Snow offers unique opportunities for thrills if you are keen to take them.

dhanley

Personally, i think snowfall is great, as it allows me to practice donuts and 360's without putting a lot of wear on my tires.

IMHO, a lot of people fear RWD needlessly. I've heard a lot of people claim they'd never own a RWD car because it's "unsafe." There's been a lot of marketing put into FWD promoting this drivel. My bmw is better in the snow than my last two FWD cars.

dave

habitat1

I grew up in the snow belt (Erie, PA) and we still have a second home there. This is a mild winter so far, but it averages 110" of snow a year, which I believe is 2-3 times Chicago's level.

I believe there would be a significant difference between the Z4 and 3 series convertible in the snow. My Honda S2000 came with Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position S02 tires. They are "W" rated and stick like glue to dry pavement, hydroplane fairly easliy on wet and freeze and glide on snow and ice. That car was undrivable on snow covered roads with the standard tires. I believe the Z4 OEM tires are a little less extreme than the S2000's, but I suspect they would exhibit some of the same characteristics. The 3 series, on the other hand, has all-season tires unless you get the sport package.

Ground clearance will also be noticably less on the Z4 than the 3 series.

I'd have a lot more confidence in getting by without snow tires in a 3 series. If you opt to try the Z4 with high performance summer tires, make sure your life insurance is paid up.

kyfdx

Hmmmm... Doesn't the Z4 come with all-seasons? I thought it only got Summer tires with the Sport Package? I could be wrong.. it happens often.. I agree... if the Z4 comes with Summer tires, you'll have to get winter tires for Chicago, if you plan on driving it at all in the winter months..

Neither car is driveable in winter weather with the Sport Package tires...

logic1

I'd have a lot more confidence in getting by without snow tires in a 3 series. If you opt to try the Z4 with high performance summer tires, make sure your life insurance is paid up.

Well, I know my Miata with the sports suspension had Potenzas. Don't know what they were rated.

I would not recommend it as a daily driver in the winter. But if the op has a truck, the Mazda would do in Chicago for the occasional spin. I don't think the Z4 would be all that more extreme.

I am with Dhanley. I took the relatively mild Chicago winters as a chance to have a little unique fun. During regular driving, I kept the baby sitter on and took it easy with the accelerator.

dhanley

Habitat, i was not advising him to drive a z4 *all* winter with stock tires. That is indeed a bad idea. However, in chicago, there are very few times the snow will be too deep, and he'll have a truck besides. He'll do fine with snows or even all seasons, and avoiding the deep stuff.

habitat1

Host,

You may be right, that the Z4 comes standard with all seasons. I was going by the ones that I have seen - all with the sport package. Byt the way, has the Z4 been discountinued for 2006? - it's not listed in Edmunds BMW models list.

Logic1,

According to Edmunds, the Miata Sport comes standard with rather benign all season tires. And there are many "Potenza" tires that include all seasons. My Acura TL 6-speed came with Potenza summer tires that were drivable -albeit a little slippery - in the winter. But the Potenza "Pole Position" S02/S03 "W" rated summer performance tires that came on my S2000 are in a different league, and downright dangerous on packed snow in sub 25 degree weather. If the Z4 came with those kind of tires, snows would be a must. I doubt even the sport package 3-series comes with that type of dedicated summer tire.

dhanley,

I don't disagree. The point I was making was that I thought the stock 3-series tires would be more winter friendly than the stock Z4 tires. However, since I haven't been able to verify what the stock Z4 tires are, I may be wrong. It may indeed be the case that you only stray from all-seasons if you select a sport package on either.

And I agree with your comments regarding RWD being unfairly criticized for winter driving.

kyfdx

The '06 Z4 is in production right now...

1st deliveries are scheduled for March..

mdw1000

Good points. I used to drive a 2wd S-10 in winter without much trouble. Definitely was much easier though when I got 4wd. I was more concerned about the tires and ground clearance of the BMWs than anything else.

I will hopefully be able to keep the truck when I get this car, but it may not be the case. We only have a 2 car garage, and the other stall is taken up by my wife's 05 TL (and I don't really want to leave a vehicle parked outside). That car is what brought on a lot of thinking for me about getting something that drives nicer than my truck. The TL drives so nice I've found it much less fatiguing to drive than my truck, which is a consideration with my chronic health problems. My thoughts at this point center around 4 options...

1. If I can find a place to cheaply store a 3rd vehicle indoors, keep the truck for winter driving and hauling, and get a convertible, such as a Z4.

2. Get rid of the truck and get a convertible that will do reasonably well in the snow, such as a 3 series.

3. Get a sedan or two door with a nice sunroof that will handle well in all seasons, such as a TSX.

4. Do nothing, and keep swiping the TL when I need to drive any kind of distance

None of this will happen in the immediate future (except option #4). I am just in the research stages for now. But thanks to you guys I have some more info to work with!

For those of you with snow tires - do you get them just for the rear wheels or all 4 wheels? I remember 30 years ago my dad having an old Nova that he'd put snow tires on the rear for, but that's my only experience with snow tires.

I'm thinking I will go the used route if I get a convertible. Seems you can find some low mileage convertibles around here for fairly reasonable prices. Any thoughts on that approach?

mdw1000

One other question. Someone mentioned increased road noise. How bad is this generally? I realize with the top down you will hear everything, but with the top up is it bad?

bdr127

I realize with the top down you will hear everything, but with the top up is it bad?

Some people think it's too much, some people think it's fine.... The best thing to do is to drive it and decide for yourself.

logic1

My Acura TL 6-speed came with Potenza summer tires that were drivable -albeit a little slippery - in the winter. But the Potenza "Pole Position" S02/S03 "W" rated summer performance tires that came on my S2000 are in a different league, and downright dangerous on packed snow in sub 25 degree weather. If the Z4 came with those kind of tires, snows would be a must.

Thanks for the update.

As I said, I do not recall what Potenzas came with the Miata sport package.

Per your Acura experience, the Miata Potenzas were slippery but workable. I agree there are some tires that are not safe on snow (or even reasonably wet pavement for that matter) at all.

peacefield

Coincidentally, my circumstances are very much like those of mdw1000. Bought my 2005 Z4 a year ago. It only comes with one set of tires and I can promise you that they're not all seasons. I have a Chevy s-10 2wd that I intended to sell which was never very good in the snow anyway. One afternoon driving home in roads that were only barely covered (a tiny fraction of an inch) made the car 100% undrivable. As much as the pick-up is not a great winter driver, I've had to keep it because the Z4 is a NO winter driver.

That aside, I've gotta tell you that I LOVE this car.

clarkkent

Isn't it dangerous to drive any kind of car, with any kind of tires in Chicago, in any kind of weather???

ck

dhanley

And, moreover, driving any car is dangerous.

Let's all start walking more!

jking50

I am sick of the runflats. I need to replace the tires and would like to put on regular tires but the dealer says the rims (2003 Z4 2.5i) are for runflats only. Can anyone verify this? Would I need to replace the rims also?

swanand_d

Hello, this is my first post as I just bought my 2003 Z4 2.5i 2 months back. The car is beautiful and I enjoyed my summer with it.
I have read lots of reviews about not driving the Z4 in winter. Quite frankly I live 0.7 miles away from work and I take my car out for work and trips (which we wont have any in winter). Is it OK to drive my car to work?... I think it should be OK) I live in southern part of Michigan.

Also, I really dont have much idea or knowledge about the details, but do I need to buy the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50?
Please advice.

Thank you!

530iturk

I've been running Mich Pilots for the last year (2003 Z4 3.0 w/sport).

They are great but the flat tire indicator doesn't work now.

major914

From earlier posts, it seems like there is confusion on the stock tires for a Z4. I bought a new Z4 Coupe in August, 2006 and it came with Potenza RE050A's. I did not get the sport package because I intended to drive the car year round (I live in the suburbs of Chicago). To quote a review of these tires, "do not even think of driving on this tire in the snow, or even when the temperature gets down to freezing". I didn't kill myself, anyone else or even put a dent in the car, but I credit that to many years of experience driving in snow and ice, plus autocrossing and SCCA experience.

BMW does not offer an all season tire for the Z4, and neither they nor the dealer will tell you that the RE050A is a summer performance tire. I emphatically told the dealer that I was going to drive the car year round, and all I got was a mild suggestion that I might want to "think about" getting an extra set of tires.

:mad:

esfoad

I got a set of wheels/snow tires from Tirerack for my 3.0Si WITH tire pressure sensors for aabout $1200. That's a small price to pay for winter security. Also, if I choose to sell the car, the winter set will always be sellable.

hydro333

I am picking up a used Z4 next week. What wheel/tire set did Tirerack recommend (sizes, brand, etc.)? BTW, I've used Tirerack for years, and swear by them!

djbarker1

Has anyone encountered any wear-related problems with the Bridgestone Potenza RFTs (Run Flat Tires)? I've got a 2005 Z4 3.0 with the sport package (18" wheels) and after 22k miles my tires are bad. The inside edge is completely worn down while the outside edge looks fine. I'm guessing that this is a problem with alignment (camber toed inside) but the problem is consistent with all four tires. I bought the car new from the dealership and it seems like this was "perfectly misaligned" since the beginning.

Of course, the dealership (Classic BMW in Dallas) will have nothing to do with me over the matter and a new set of exact replacements is $1700 from Firestone (including install & tax). I'm hestitant to get non-RTFs because of the problems I've heard and because there is no place to put a spare.

First, has anyone else experienced this type of problems with their tires and/or alignment? Second, make sure you know what you're getting yourself in to before you purchase this car -- it's a great ride by VERY expensive to fix ANYTHING (including tires).

busiris

All BMW's have the tire wear that you describe to some degree, regardless of tire brand. I have read many letters to the editor in the BMWCCA magazine "Roundel" about this issue. It has to do with how the suspension is configured, so you can drive the car more aggressively on the road. I believe its called "negative camber setup", but I could be mistaken...It gives the car a "squatty" look when cornering. Compounding this issue is that performance tires are made of a softer compound, which gives better traction, but poor tread-life.

See if you can obtain a few issues of ROUNDEL and you will see that others have the same "Issue" (I hesitate to call it a complaint, only because many buyers prefer the BMW setup so they can enjoy the "Ultimate Driving Experience"). Of course, this little "item"is seldom brought up by the car salesman...

Good luck!

drtk

I have the same car 2005 Z4 3.0 with the sport package (18" wheels). I bought the car as a certified used BMW 4months ago. It has 26K miles on it. At the time of purchase the dealership had replaced the back tires, but the founts were good as the previous owner had recently replaced. Shortly after I got the car I noticed it was very squirrelly on uneven road surfaces to the point I thought it was dangerous to drive. I documented the issue and took it in for service. At that point they did an alignment, but told me they were not satisfied with the results. They got approval from BMW to do what was called a steering column replacement. It took about a2 days to complete. 90% of the problem went away, but occasionally depending on road surface the car would want to pull to one side or the other. I'm talking a quick darting type pull. This weekend I noticed the inside treads of only one of the front tires worn smooth about 1 1/2 inches across the tire. Tomorrow I am planning on replacing the Potenza RE050A's with Mich Pilots $236 each, and buying an auto air compressor with tire sealant. This should guard against anything but a total blow out. It seems several people on this post have done the same thing with very good results. BMW sells the inflation kit or you can buy a good one at an auto parts store for 50% the BMW price

fedlawman

That twitchy, tugging steering on grooved pavement is called tramlining. It's not unusual with high performance tires.

drtk

Some will say tramlining is more pronounced with run flats. I also was told the stiffer sidewall of a runflat can affect the tracking characteristic in cold weather. Do you know if tramlining is generally better or worst with a run flat?

esfoad

OUCH! Sorry for the delay but this is what I bought from Tirerack based on their recommendation.
4 - 205/50VR-17 Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D Tires
4 - 17x7.5 Sport Edition A7 Silver Wheels
4 - BMWSEN1 Tire Pressure Sensors

They are perfect.

dvp16

I have the sport package also. The Potenza's are only good for about 20K then they are trash. That is the catch to run flat sport tires. The run flats I had on my Corvette lasted about that long also. These tires are also horrible in any type of foul weather.Try replacing them with the pirelli all season runflats. Or you can replace them with non-runflats and keep a lot of goo and a small compressor in the trunk.

dvp16

The Z is for driving and hence you can drive the tires right off...in about 20K. My experience with these runflats (Potenza) and other runflats (on Corvettes) is that they are sport/performance tires which means they have a very soft compund that lasts 20-25K then they are shot. So if you are buying a performance car you have to be prepared to deal with the fact that you will be replacing tires on a regular basis. That being said, most of the runflats I have had wear quickly but most hold their composure. The potenzas seem to twist and cup excessively with time. My personal opinion is that they are trash. I would try either another brand of runflat or a regular tire and keep a small compressor and goo in the trunk if it is time for tire replacment.

maril556

Can somebody tell me what are the stock tires on Z4 M Roadster? Are they summer or all-season?

markwell

I was the fortunate second owner of the most pristinely new, babied 2004 BMW Z4 2.5i convertible. After 2.5 years with the first owner, it was only driven 11,400 miles. It was kept in a garage at home and at work. Distance to work? 5 miles. The car seldom saw speeds above 40 miles an hour. It got garaged for the winter months. It seldom saw a drop of rain.

Ah, the tires. Standard Potenza's High Performance ZR Run Flat Tires (RFT) with little to no wear. I have been driving the car between north of Baltimore to south of Washington DC at a 2000 mile a month pace. I picked up the car Oct 06 and dry docked it for Dec, Jan, Feb. Tire wear for highway miles was negligible. It rain straight and true as the most perfect balance of roadster and performance tire I have ever experienced. That was my first 10,000 miles.

Around 22,000 miles, i picked up a small steel filament puncture in both driver side tires (months apart - Spring of 2007 and late Summer 2007) and both near the inner side wall on the bottom tread. Finding a place to plug a RFT is next to impossible. They want to sell you that $200 and up replacement tire in the worst way. "We were going to fix it for you, but ooops, its near the part of the tread near the side wall. Sorry - we won't touch it." So I squirted a couple of cans of fix flat goo into each tire and got easily another 10,000 miles out of these tires. I heard so many neigh sayers, "It will make the tires run unbalanced" or "It will ruin the tire." Poppiecock and bulltwinkies - if I couldn't use the fix flat goo, the tires were shot anyway. They are riding fine and holding tire pressure no problem. What's more, they are wearing evenly!

Where I think I goofed was I didn't dry dock the car again for the winter months (2007 to 2008). I drove it all of December 08 and January 08 as they were abnormally Northeast mild but a specially snow and ice free. What I experienced could only be compared to the exorcist on mornings below freezing. The summer RFT's take a set while the car is parked over night. The first 10-15 minutes are a challenge of every fiber in ones' body. At speeds under 25-30 mph, there is a subtle wub-wub. At speeds of 40 mph and up, the steering wheel begins shaking violently and doesn't stop until the tires have warmed.

As it turns out, I had to bring the car in for only its second service, an oil change early Feb 2008. Low and behold, with nearly 32,000 miles on the tires, they are beginning to get close to the wear indicator marks for the rear tires. A few wet cool morns, accellerating into traffic, the back was breaking free a bit with ever increasing frequency. I think if I baby the car, don't jump on it ever and only drive it when temps are over 40 degrees F, I may get another 5,000 miles out of them. The most beautiful thing is the wear has been totally even with no inside or outside wear deltas. If someone has wear only on the insides, it sounds like a definite toe, balance. alignment, or driving consistently at excess speeds on consistenly windy roads issue. I've dry docked the car now and won't drive it until late March.

Because of the "unrepairable" punctures, instead of just replacing the rear tires, I'm thinking of getting an entire new set of 4. Problem is, even with internet tire purchase, the Factory OEM as everyone knows are freaking expensive. I'm willing to try Non-RFT, but haven't heard anything good about them on the Z4. I've hear that GoodYear are a solid replacement, but don't wear as well.

I would even consider going with something less than ZR rated because I seldom even drive over 80 mph. I like the idea of All Season High Performance because odds are I will not have the luxury of dry docking her in future winters (my son gets his license and will take my non-Z4 set of keys).

Does anyone have any recommendations on off brand RFT or non-RFT replacements they have had good luck with?

roymontemayor

i've got a set of 4 wheels for that i wanted to sell. they are authentic BMW alloy wheels 16x7 10-spoke wheels. 5 bolt, great condition. they've been driven on for about 29,000 miles.

they come with a set of bridgestone potenza runflat tires RE050. the tires are in driveable condition. the two on the rear are low on tread, but the tires that were on the front are in good condition. tires have been driven on for 29,000 miles.

i was wondering, what is a good price for me to sell these wheels at? is $1250 (tires included) a decent price?

fedlawman

Check e-bay and see what they are selling for.

smilingphases

I just bought a lovely Z4 and it came with 4 Michelin Pilots. The tires are awesome, after 2,660 mile trip no noticeable wear. Heavy rain and no hydroplaning!
I treat this car like a motorcycle, so when winter hits, it is parked. Besides where I live, we get winter 8 months of the year and they don't even plow the streets so this poor toy car would be instantly high centered!

bevscar

first bmw. tire light was on at dealer. they fixed. 5 days later light on again. bought used 9,000 miles. 225/35 R18 90W on back and 225/40 R19 88 on front. Bridgestones. know nothing about tires and why light keeps coming on........ Help please

markwell

Hmm, The factory equip tires are definitely the finest for grip and are great if the garage is where you want to keep your car. Personally, I drive the puppy 11 out of 12 months a year and love it. I lost maybe 5% grippiness by going with the Yokohoma equivalents, but I have to tell you, the grip better when wet, drive in all temps, last 50,000 miles instead of 20,000 and give a smoother ride. I've never been happier.

As for the low tire pressure light. It means you have a slow leak in one tire. You need to check the tire pressure regularly to determine which tire is you culprit. Get the leak repaired. If its too slow or near the side wall for them to fix, use a can a flat fix, maybe two, follow the directions on the can. I got an extra 10K after the first 20K by employing that technique. (another reason why I went with non RFT's for my first replacement set. Non-RFT's are easier to repair and about 33-50% cheaper for the same performance specs. I've heard both sides as far as whether RFT's pick up small leaks quicker. I think the tires wear quicker and closing on 20K miles, you find small leaks crop up frequently. Don't toss your tires so quickly though, sometimes the "slow leak" can come from a dirty/faulty staitor value. Good Luck

bevscar

thank you also is it worth it to buy tire insurance????

markwell

For the run-flats, I think its definitely worth it if you do any kind of hard cornering. The tires are prone to pick up any small debris puncture especially if you don't like slowing down for the twisties. They hold the road like no bodies business, but the also are magnets for any kind of puncture material.

For non-run flats, probably not worth it. You shouldn't be pressing the limits as much, the tires are a lot cheaper to replace and repair. They shouldn't pick up the small leaks as quickly. Generally speaking, I always lose the damn insurance receipt for the tire repair/replacement and while I have purchased it several times in the past, only once have I cashed in on it and it was for repair only. So for me, it has never been worth it.

Incidentally, I have 7K on the Yokohama's and am in heaven. I did lose a hair off dry cornering hold, but made up for that in spades in wet and cold adhesion. I'm extremely happy with them (so far).

jamie15

I know about as much aobut tires as Bev. Can you give more specs as to the Yokohoma tire and where I find them?

smyrnamed

asking for help for z4 winter tires.
live in dover delaware and still undecided if i am to get winter tires
or change my tires to all season
drive a 3.0 sport so clearance sometimes could be an issue but snow here in delaware
not as bad

esfoad

I'm in NJ. Probably a little more snow than you. I recommend winter tires over all season tires. I got a set from Tire Rack with rims for a great price and the feeling of security is worth the money. Also, these cars are light and rear drive so even a little snow or ice will affect them badly. Here in northern NJ, last year the car handled perfectly and the tires were not noisy at all.