Hi all,

I'm going to be looking to replace my 16" OE Dunlop runflat tires w/ something a good bit stickier in the not too distant future (I don't really care about ride comfort - I actually like the stiff sidewalls with the runflats, but they don't grip super well). I live in central NC where we very rarely get only a tiny bit of snow, but it can get pretty cold at times in the winter. My question is: Has anyone had problems with ultra high performance summer type tires in cold temps (i.e. near freezing or sometimes just a little below freezing). I know max or uhp summer tires are a serious no-no in snow, but are they generally OK in reasonably but not wickedly cold temps? I tried doing a search on this topic but couldn't find much.

 

I'm on my second set of Goodyear F1's, with just under 100,000 miles on my 03 MCS. I have been out in temps as low as 15 without any problems. These tires are great on dry or wet surfaces. I live in Northern California and rarely see any snow so no worries for me.

 

How's the treadlife on those F1's???

 

I had 35,000 on my first set with fairly aggressive driving. Good evern wear. I have the 205/50/16.

 

That's pretty good mileage. I've heard good things about the F1s. I have always previously had all-season tires since snow is rarely an issue but every now & then we get a dusting (with very rare heavy snows). If it came down to it with really nasty weather, I could just carpool w/ my wife & our other car w/ all seasons. I don't want to be limited to only driving in temps above 40-50 degrees though. The summer tire disclaimers make it seem like they turn to solid chunks of teflon infused ice if they are driven in any temps approaching freezing. I guess you just can't push it as hard in low temps.

 

The F1s are great tires, they get a little wooden-feeling when cold and sometimes take a mile or five to come up to temperatore (flat spot wobble), and your ultimate grip isn't as good in the cold, but they're great for what they are. NO for snow, though.

 

I agee with Dixon L2. I was concerned about the handling as the temps fell in PA, but my 205/50/16's did fine in the 30's. They took a couple of minutes to warm up, but after that they worked as usual. As mentioned before, a terrific tire in the wet.