I must be mad, but always like to be a step ahead of the game... Coming from a 2007 Jeep Wrangler which was a beast in the snow.... I'm looking for some snow tires for my 2013 Cooper S 16" rims. No problem getting them changed each season (Buddy owns a shop) Found some General Altimax Arctic 205/55 16' and wonder if they will work with my stock 16" rims?

 

Can't blame ya. Contact Alex at tirerack.com. When I needed to ditch the rf's, he sold me Conti DWS. GREAT all season tire. LOVE the traction on wet roads. He will NOT steer (pun, intended) you wrong.

 

There are a couple good deals on snows on Tirerack. I've been looking for a little while, just need to sell my take offs before I can buy the snows.
Tirerack recommends 195s or 205s for snows. I won't be getting RFs to keep the cost down, and for the fact that they are only going to be on the car for a couple months a year. I'll take my chances on a set of regular tires.

 

Better now than when everyone else is looking.

IMO I would go with the stock size (195-55 16"). Narrower is better in the snow. I run the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 RFT - Yes, they are run-flats. I don't want to have to change a tire in the middle of a snow storm. They ride well and are not noisy. One of the best rated snow tires on Tire Rack. You might want to think about getting a stock set of rims off the Market Place here to mount them on.

And don't worry about the MINI in the snow. I came from a Jeep also. I ski all over the Northeast here and have not had a problem getting around with the MINI (nothing like an 11" snow storm to ski in and then have to get out of the unplowed parking lot). That was was with all-seasons. Now I have snows and it is even better.

 

I think my stock tires have been sold, I'm meeting the guy at 11 today!
I've been looking at the Dunlop Graspic DS-3 or the Firestone WinterForce on Tirerack. $95-$105 a piece depending on which size I go with. We'll take my pickup if the weather is too bad, but I still want a decent set of snows in case we get caught somewhere
Anyone have any experience with either of those?

 

Where do you live? How much snow do you get? Enough snow for dedicated snow tires? If so then I'd suggest getting a set of snow tires mounted on extra wheels.

It sounds like you were considering snow tires alone mounted on your stock wheels? If that is the case you can then consider leaving the snow tires on your stock wheels and getting another set of summer tires or all season tires on either 16" or 17" wheels.

If still interested in snow tires on your stock 16" wheels,
You can choose-
205/50-16 Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 $131 each, Firestone Winterforce $104
195/55-16 Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 $114 each, Blizzak WS70 $132 each
(for 15" wheels 195/60-15)

In 205/55-16 (a little taller than stock tire diameter but usable with stock suspension) General Altimax Artic $97 each.

 

Here is a really good deal:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-wheels&cat=46

 

I have been running the General's in the 205 55 16, never been stuck. 2 years ago was one of the worst winters I have seen in the northeast, I was laughing at people stuck in hotel parking lots with there all wheel drive, these tires dug in. Most of the name brand stuff out there is very good, put 4 on the Mini and you should be fine

 

Live in central Massachusetts... Was going to leave the snows on my 16's and treat myself to new 17's in the spring like you mentioned.

 

i will be using michelin X-Ice Xi3 because of the 40,000 mile tread wear warranty

a friend with a bmw m3 was using the Bridgestone Blizzak and never got over 12,000 out of a set

he switched to the michelin x-ice xi2 a couple years ago, has 30,000 on his first set and figures he will get one more winter season out of them

for the last 16 winters, i have had my gmc sonoma v6 5speed 4x4 with 235/75R15 all-terrain on/off road tires, never been stuck, never felt the need for winter tires, so this will be my first experience with winter tires

my cms all4 has 225/45R18s and i am going with xi3s in size 205/65R16, 0.6 inches larger diameter than the oem tires, mounted on sport edition f10 16x7 wheels (or maybe platinum e-twine 16x7s)

will get them from Alex @ tirerack and when they need replacing, i will get the wheels repainted to white

scott

 

The terrible and great fact of living in the Southeast after growing up in the Midwest is that I want to keep two sets of wheels (summer/winter) but we dont get enough snow to justify snow tires, however it does get cold enough to turn summer tires to hockey pucks. So far, the Continental DW (not to be confused with DWS) does a pretty nice job.

 

That link above is an excellent deal.

I have the Altimax on 2 other cars, fabulous tire, good balance between snow/ice and wet/dry performance. 205/55/16 is fine, actually a little more ground clearance isn't a bad thing (though we're talking fractions of an inch). I'm also running a Hankook iPike, very comparable in capability. I'd stay baway from the Winterforce - they're a great all-snow tire, but compromise too much in the wet/dry performance to get there (a little more squishy/loud/slidey compared to the others, had 'em on a Mazdaspeed Protege for a while).

edit: just noticed they've got a $50 gift card at TR if you buy 4 of the Generals, brings effective price to the $87 range!.

Note that ANY snow tire is going to feel "squishier" than an all-season or performance tire, be ridiculously careful the first time out as they'll be even MORE squishy when brandy-new (with the mold-release compound and like 12/32 of tread!).

You'll appreciate them in the snow, though: Not to start a "storytelling" thread but I'm gonna anyway: I vividly remember being behind a small Acura SUV with "SuperHICAS AWD" stencilled on the back. I was watching the computer "apportion torque" to several combinations of tires, first both fronts, then a front and a rear, then a front and two rears, another front, a different rear... and all they'd do is spin while the vehicle went nowhere. I put the Mini in 1st, eased off the clutch, and very simply drove past.

tremberj: Why not have an "extreme performance" set and a set of all-seasons? I run my DWS all-seasons as "summers" since they get the best mileage and deliver the best "commuting" ride, as well as letting me run my "good" wheels into the late fall, but have a set of extreme performance tires (Azenis on really light wheels) for when I'm feeling rowdy.

Winter tires are awesome. In winter.

 

Currently it's a money thing. And a picky thing. I dropped the S-Lites (ha) in favor of the 16" X-Lites with the Conti DW. When I find a set of wheels I like for the price I like (leaning toward some Team Dynamics) in 17", then I can run two sets.

Until then, the Conti's really fit the bill as a pretty darn good year-round tire. I believe Car & Driver just did a yearly performance tire rating and they were at least in their top 10, I want to say it was #4.

 

IN SC you can likely get away with the DW all year 'round, and be careful when temps are below 40 or so. Up here in Pittsburgh (and traveling further North into the snow belt east of lake Erie, lots of lake-effect snow there), even the DWS will be stressed with some of the "wintry mix" we get, so I run snows.

As far as economy, LONG TERM the snows pay for themselves, as they keep mileage off your "non-winter" tires so they last longer. ("Honey, I'd be buying another set of performance tires in a year, with snows I'd be buying them in 2 years"). They're also much cheaper than almost any insurance deductible, with far less hassle in "collecting"!

Just read a few higher-up posts, to the psoter looking at "Dunlop Graspic DS-3 or the Firestone WinterForce on Tirerack", don't. The Graspic doesn't last long and the Winterforce are really snow-only (rather squishy and noisy elsewhere, but great for, say, Minnnesota or Buffalo). Look instead to the Hankook iPike or General Altimax as lower cost options, or just spend the extra and get Blizzaks or the better Dunlops.

I've got a set of 17" Pace (Mini OEM 5-spoke) alloys with iPikes on 'em that work fantastic, 1 winter on the tires, though I'm actually thinking of going back to a 16" just because I like the looks better.

 

That is my problem– I don't NEED dedicated winter tires, but it'd be nice to have a separate pair of All-Seasons then some High-Performance summers.

To get back on topic– when I lived in PA, I kept a pair of beater steelies with some studless Blizzaks. Made my Jetta a snowbeast. A good smaller diameter rim, with a narrower width makes a difference.

 

Same math applies, then: The all-seasons, generally a longer-mileage, more comfortable and quieter tire, keep the miles off your "good" set! Admittedly you'll need to be prepared for the "then why do you need the performance tires?" question - in which case you r4everse it like I did: in my case, it was "Hey, I can grab these Kosei K-1's and Azenis for under $400, which is a great investment since it will keep any track days/autocrosses from destroying my good all-seasons!"

At some point you get to the "yeah, whatever" stage, which you'll need to manage however you know best.

 

Where about in central MA? we just moved to Worcester from Western MA (Belchertown, before that hilltowns near Berkshires), never had a need for snow tires as long as the traction control is off (though I'm not looking forward to the commute to Springfield every day in the winter).

 

Your weather is similar to mine, road-condition-wise. Get real winter tires. Even if it's not "snow", they're better when the temps go below freezing. My preference is for a "performance winter tire", which doesn't give up as much in dry/wet/stability and quietness as a standard winter tire does, but still dramatically outperforms an all-season in winter conditions. That said, the Altimax and iPike are pretty good for "regular" winter tires.

And yeah, I've read literally dozens of posts on multiple car Forums from people who've driven nothing but good all-seasons and have been "just fine" and "you just have to know how to drive" yadda yadda, but until you drive good winter tires in real winter conditions...

Data: In real, timed tire testing conducted by our mini club (PittStopMINI) a few years ago, on a controlled-conditions-timed-closed-course (the old BeaveRun Motorsports facility, now called PittRace), on a real "wintry mix" autocross, here were the relative times:
- Winter tires (Blizzak, Dunlop WinterSport M3): 30-33 seconds, and while slippery, easy to control and modulate. The Blizzaks did better on the icy/glazed snow parts of the course, the WinterSports M3's (performance winter tires) did better on slush/snow, about equal on hardpack.
- Best all-season time was 42 seconds (set by an instructor on an insane run), most were 45-50. Doesn't sound like much, but that's >40% longer, and far less controllable, much less steering control, and many cones were lost. (when you hit a cone while it's under 20 degrees, they explode!). The only reason these were even controllable at all was the low speeds - at higher speeds the differences were far more pronounced, but I have no instrumented testing on that.
- Best "summer" tire time was 1:15 (over twice as long!), and those tires were almost completely uncontrollable. One summer tire could not even finish the course, and it was a FLAT COURSE.

So, call me a firm believer in winter tires in areas where we get "winter". In other areas (SC, parts of NC, Georgia), it's likely that a good all-season is fine, just drive smart.

 

I dont get the questions about money on tires and wheels, I keep it simple, it is all about safety, and I keep a full set of 4 snows for all the cars, yes it costs some coin, but you cant put a price on your kids or your spouse safety, and if the snows save you 1 accident, they have paid for themselves.

 

^ I agree. My wife drives 400 miles a week commuting to work. She goes through 3 distinct weather zones in between our house and her work. I want her to be able to safely travel back and forth without worry that she may run into some crappy weather that is moving faster than the plows can keep up with. I will be buying a set of snow tires, I am trying to find a set that I can get good traction with and maybe last more than 1 season.

 

michelin x-ice-xi3 winter tires have a 40,000 mile tread wear warranty as do the x-ice-xi2 tires

scott

 

Thanks Scott, I think I'm going to go with the XI2s.
$70 rebate until 9/3

 

Degree and length of incline makes a HUGE difference as to whether or not all-seasons can cut it.

Here in West Seattle, I have to climb a small mountain (the West Seattle bridge) to get to and from work each day, and you couldn't have paid me to try it last winter (with ~6 in. of snow + an overnight freeze) with my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus's...

...which is why I had my X-Ice's on, and while they did remarkably well, I'd like to go to 17's this year.

At 205/45-17, it looks like my only options are Michelin's Primacy Alpina PA3 or Pirelli's Winter Sottozero Series II - given that I'll be on bare pavement ~75% of the time and some mix of hardpack snow/slush/ice the other ~25%, any preferences?

 

I've been debating about this for a while. For the summer I'm willing to gamble on the non-run flats, but for the winter I really don't want to deal with the wife driving the car and having to deal with waiting for AAA on the side of a poorly plowed road. I'm debating between the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 RFT and the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D DSST Run Flat. The Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 ZP's crossed my mind, but I've heard bad reviews on wear. Anyone run either of these? I'm leaning toward the Dunlops since we usually don't get too much snow in NJ and I've read that the blizzaks are geared toward always running in snow.

 

OR... grab yourself a VW Passat 4-lug spare tire and a jack, and toss it in the boot diagonally against the rear seat. It ju-ust fits (it stresses the luggage cover maybe 1/8"). Hold in place with a tie-down stretched between the rear seat mounts.

nanonanu, with due respect, how is a grade different from braking on a flat road on snow? Either way you want snow traction. I understand that making it home is important ether way! :-)