My fronts are almost shot and I live here in Colorado. We just moved here 5 months ago from Miami and before that LA.
I have already bought our winter wheel/tire package for our main car, the Prius, and I will side step the snow tires for my Mini because I will not drive it in the snow.
Mainly, I would like to buy the Dunlop Direzza Star-Spec's and call it a day, but I am not sure on how they will perform in the cold weather? Does anybody have feedback on how they work in cold temps without the snow? I believe it is a softer compound at warmer temps but at cold temps do they become unusable?
Your feedback is greatly valued!

aaron

 

I've had good experience with them in the cold 30s and 40s in north florida, now it get's much colder there in colorado so, not sure about what you'd see. Also cold + any moisture and grip goes way down. So if it's in the 40s or 50s and even a light drizzle I tone the corners down.

 

I can't speak specifically to the star specs, but as I understand it, you don't want to drive around on summer rubber in the winter if you can avoid it. I imagine it won't get warm enough to get grippy, so they'll be too hard to function properly.

Hopefully some of the tire experts will chime in, maybe I'm wrong!

 

Great feedback everyone! Keep it up, I would truly appreciate a solid answer to alleviate my concerns.

Aaron

 

At temps below 40 or so, they will feel like bricks, and their grip will be compromised to a great degree. In Colorado, it makes sense to have a set of dedicated of winter tires/wheels unless you plan take your MINI off the road for the winter.

 

Like veggivet said, the soft compound of a high performance summer tire gets very hard with cold weather and seriously compromises traction, be it for getting going, cornering or stopping. I seem to remember reading that care must be used with high performance summer tires below 8C (46F) as they lose considerable traction below that temperature point.

 

Thanks for posting those temperatures. I'll have to research to verify, but I was wondering how long I can put off mounting my Winters so long as it doesn't snow. We often get no snow here and very mild winters, and I hate driving around on snow tires when it's 12C "just in case"

 

You'll feel the difference in the tires once daytime high temps don't reach past the mid 40's. I know a guy who changes over to his snow tires when a storm is forecast, and then goes back to his regular set; he does this multiple times over the course of the winter (he lives in MA), and he's got it down to a science. I can change mine at the track in about twenty minutes without any power tools. I'm not suggesting that this is for most of us out there; I just bite the bullet and wait 'til the last minute to get the snows on my xB, and then I take them off as soon as I can in the spring.

 

Well, unexpected snow has forced me into an all weather tire. The continental extreme DWS. I will save the soft summers for summer.

Aaron

 

Excellent choice. Good to know you'll be secure on the roads through the winter.

 

Much thanks. I think so.
Aaron

 

The research on this question that I have done led me to the firm conclusion that the danger with summer tires in colder weather is created by ICE on the road. I have Star Specs and OEM Continental summer tires that are both fine all the way down to freezing so long as there is ZERO moisture on the road. However, going over a bridge or shaded patch of road can be quite an adventure if there is still ice on the road surface from the night before.

Summer tires will also perform poorly in snow because they have no sipes which are critical to snow traction.

 

I ran the 2010 set of Direzzas last winter up here in Mass.. No regrets, but they sure as hell aren't snow tires.

It takes a mile or so to get rid of the flat spots from parking on a cold morning...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Just a word of caution, while you aren't planning on driving in snowy conditions with your MINI, it is very common for for snow drifts and joyfully unexpected snow storms during the winter that really could get you into a lot of trouble. I would either put something other than summer tires on (all season would be significantly better, but they're just a great compromise) or leave the MINI parked for the winter. I live in western New York and while I'm comfortable with all season tires in the snow and dealing with icy conditions, I've done so my entire life and know what I'm up against.

It's better to be safe and cautious in snow than not and snow really changes the game! Just note, that while I have no idea if that would put you at fault in an accident in Colorado, even the best scenario is you slide and have a single car accident which is never fun. I've had my share of close calls and I won't be doing winter driving with any summer tires.

 

Charlie, I suspect not everyone realizes you are hyper tuned to reading tire traction due to autocrossing and could successfully drive on bald tires.

 

Or an idiot!