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All Season Tires for a Spec.B?

Vimy101

By Vimy101
in Wheels/Tires

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Vimy101 Grand Master

Vimy101

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Opened up the Chicago Trib today and 8 lbs of "back to school" flyers fell out so you know what that means.... yep, winter driving is on its way to a road near you. I read a ton of posts on Subaru snow driving experiences and I can't wait to try AWD in those conditions myself. I grew up in the Great White North with RWD and have also had a lot of experience with FWD as well. My last car was in Infiniti J30t that was universally renouned for being terrible in the snow. However, once I got rid of the Eagle HPs that came with the car and switched to Yokohama YK420 all seasons (available only at Discount Tire) the J responded much much better (they were superior in every driving condition actually).

 

The Spec.B comes equipped with dedicated summer performance tires. The rubber in these types becomes rock hard when the temps get down to the low 40s so they are not a good idea to run in snowy conditions and performance even on dry pavement is greatly compromised by the cold. I could go to a dedicated snow tire but there really isn't enough of a snow season here in Chicago to justify them and most of the winter driving in these parts is on dry or perhaps sloppy but still cold pavement.

I'm thinking of getting some 17" rims and fitting them out with an all season size that maintains the same circumference as the OEM set up. This means a taller sidewall which would have its advantages when dealing with infamous Chicago winter spawned pot holes. Anyone looked into a set up like that before? A taller sidewall means more flex so I'll be looking for a tire that is at least H rated and has a lower max inflation pressure (35psi) which indicates the tire is more robustly constructed.

It was interesting to read the many snow posts but there was not one mention of the types of snow various members were encountering. Snow is a generic term that covers dry fluffy stuff to heavy and wet. The dry fluffy would not be problem for almost any tire but heavy and wet can challenge even dedicated snows. As an aside, there were a couple of comments about reducing tire pressure to assist in snow handling. This is generally not a good idea because the goal in snow driving is to get the car's weight directly onto a frictional surface not spread it out as one would do when driving in sand for instance.

Any comments on members' all season tire successes and failures would be appreciated.

PS I'm loving my Spec.B :icon_bigg and there is lot's of great info to be found on this site.

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rao Grand Master

rao

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Good thinking. I have all season's Perilli P Zero Nero's and they have been pretty good although I suspect the Continental Conti Extremes are better.

 

For snow tires the Nokians are great, but you have to decide if you really want snow tires, they are great when it is snowing but when it isnot all seasons are better.

Rob

 

 

 

IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT

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Vimy101 Grand Master

Vimy101

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I looked it up and Chicago averages 36.5" of snow per year. The Nokian WR all-season is a winter-oriented tire.

 

CanadianDriver: Product Review - Nokian WR "All-Weather Plus"

 

Thanks for the link. Seems like a great product but I really don't feel that there is enough inclement winter weather here in Chicagoland to warrant them for me. However, if I lived NW Indiana (also part of the greater Chicago metro area) they might be a good solution because they get lots of lake effect snow. I had great results with my Yoko YK420s on my RWD J. It got tricky sometimes but they really did the job in some very ugly winter driving conditions, cruised nicely on the highway and were pretty damn good in summer too. The J is heavy so their stiff sidewalls were just the ticket.

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WmCraven Apprentice

WmCraven

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TireRack.com has some of the best research and selection on the net.

 

As far as tires go, the BFG Traction T/A radials seem to have the best mix of performance and value. I was informed by BFG that they are planning to begin making the H rated Traction T/A in 225r55-17 this year because of the recent demand of high performance all-weather in 17".

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andrew_j Collaborator

andrew_j

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Some tires to consider are:

Continental Conti Extremes(decent inexpensive)

Avon M550 A/S(ok in winter weather however great all-around/cheap)

Nokian WR (probably best but $$$$ like Michelins)

 

otherwise buy pure winter tires.

 

Don't even consider Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S unless winter driving is very little in snow/slush or only a few inches. These however are incredible all-season tires in wet/dry in the warm and cold with their compromise being winter traction.

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Vimy101 Grand Master

Vimy101

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Some tires to consider are:

Continental Conti Extremes(decent inexpensive)

Avon M550 A/S(ok in winter weather however great all-around/cheap)

Nokian WR (probably best but $$$$ like Michelins)

 

otherwise buy pure winter tires.

 

Don't even consider Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S unless winter driving is very little in snow/slush or only a few inches. These however are incredible all-season tires in wet/dry in the warm and cold with their compromise being winter traction.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked out the Avon reviews on Tirerack and the survey results were amongst the highest I've seen. As I want to go to 17" wheels for the winter and match the size to aproximate the OEM 18" circumference, can you suggest any wheel choices? I'm still feeling my way around Subaru stuff.

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brett s Enthusiast

brett s

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As far as tires go, the BFG Traction T/A radials seem to have the best mix of performance and value. I was informed by BFG that they are planning to begin making the H rated Traction T/A in 225r55-17 this year because of the recent demand of high performance all-weather in 17".

 

Hope that happens before I need tires, I had a set on my FXT & loved them.

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chenc544 Grand Master

chenc544

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Nokian WR is a great tire for the snow but it really is not all that good in the dry. It's really a snow tire with long thread life. I had them on my Celica GT-S and I really like them in the snow but it's really squirmy on dry pavement. Not really sporty I suppose. But they are good for day to day driving especially if you worry about driving on snow. They are expensive thou, the local Nokian distributor quoted me $130 installed per 15” tire!

 

Avon is more performance orientated while the Contiextremecontact is better in the snow. The Continental Extremecontact has been around awhile and is a favorite for a lot of enthusiast that needs to drive in the snow. Avon is relatively new so personally I’m taking the wait and see approach until the longer term reports come in.

 

As to wheels get used stock LGT 17” if want something cheap, get the Kosei K-1TS if want something light (13.5 lbs) or get the Oz ultralegga if want something that looks like the stock Spec B wheels. You might also want to check out Rota from subydude.com if looks is important to you.

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D0WNxSH1FT Proficient

D0WNxSH1FT

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I live in Boston, MA and my parents live in New York and New Hampshire so I deal with snow measured in feet.

 

I have 225/40/18 Falken Ziex ZE512 Ultra High Performance All Season tires.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/D0WNxSH1ft/Amber%203/DSC00771.jpg

 

They are great on the pavement, rain, and snow. Ive never had a problem with them, and I even used them on a race track at NH International Speedway (12 turn track) for a class, tho you really need R-compounds to be competitive.

 

Ive also heard great things about Perelli PZero Nero M+S.

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Vimy101 Grand Master

Vimy101

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Nokian WR is a great tire for the snow but it really is not all that good in the dry. It's really a snow tire with long thread life. I had them on my Celica GT-S and I really like them in the snow but it's really squirmy on dry pavement. Not really sporty I suppose. But they are good for day to day driving especially if you worry about driving on snow. They are expensive thou, the local Nokian distributor quoted me $130 installed per 15” tire!

 

Avon is more performance orientated while the Contiextremecontact is better in the snow. The Continental Extremecontact has been around awhile and is a favorite for a lot of enthusiast that needs to drive in the snow. Avon is relatively new so personally I’m taking the wait and see approach until the longer term reports come in.

 

As to wheels get used stock LGT 17” if want something cheap, get the Kosei K-1TS if want something light (13.5 lbs) or get the Oz ultralegga if want something that looks like the stock Spec B wheels. You might also want to check out Rota from subydude.com if looks is important to you.

 

Now that is one kick ass post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm going to check the inflation pressures. The ones with the lowest win. LGT wheels seem like the perfect solution though OZ has its magical appeal. I wll do more DD. Thanks for the top drawer info!

 

BTW I put the first scratch on my Spec.B today myself with my belt buckle. My old J30 had indestructable paint. It was oil based and the end of the era.

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hybridandy Community Regular

hybridandy

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You will not like the RE050A's in the snow, I can tell you that. The AWD will keep you from getting stuck but braking and the car getting loose are definitely issues. It's not terrible or unsafe but it doesn't take much to overwhelm the grip (I bought my car in January).

 

I'm also planning on getting some 17" (probably 2.5GT wheels) and more dedicated winter tire for this season. I used to run Bridgestone Blizzaks (WS-50's I think) on my '98 Honda Civic in the winter and they're great tires for the cold months but I might give those Avon M550's a try on the Legacy. I had Avon M500's (their summer tire) on a set of 16" Kosei K1's on my Civic and I was very happy with them.

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f1anatic Grand Master

f1anatic

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(3) Conti Extreme Contact @ 114 dollars each

(1) Avon Tech M550 A/S @ 104

(2)Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S @ 127

 

the (1) & (2) and (3) are the Tire Rack Ratings in that order at the top of the ultra high performance chart

 

Important to notice that the Contis are the lightest at 20lbs and the Avons weigh in at 27 lbs each. You probably want lighter tires so a 10 bucks price hike is justified. Now they lose out to Pirellis in dry but do a little better in snow/ice. I think they are a great compromise ! Avons are the best and cheapest but the heaviest so I'd choose from the other two.

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brett s Enthusiast

brett s

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As far as tires go, the BFG Traction T/A radials seem to have the best mix of performance and value. I was informed by BFG that they are planning to begin making the H rated Traction T/A in 225r55-17 this year because of the recent demand of high performance all-weather in 17".

 

I asked them about that as well through their website, got this in reply:

 

We have no plans to make a 225/55R17 in the Traction T/A

tread design in either an H or V speed rating. We apologize

for the inconvenience.

 

Too bad...

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krzyss Mentor

krzyss

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It's not terrible or unsafe but it doesn't take much to overwhelm the grip (I bought my car in January).

 

You want to tell me that dealer let you drive car off the lot with summer tires? If somebody dies and survivors/estate sue the dealer they will be out of business. Don't you think?

 

Krzys

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Beanboy Grand Master

Beanboy

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Driven both on an friend's A4 (contis and pirellis). Put 3K on the new Contis personally (on a cross-country trip), and a few hundred on the Pirellis. Pirellis felt much better setting car up for corners, no 'falling over' feeling (sidewall/tread squirm maybe?). Contis were chewed and corded after about 16K, Pirellis have about 2K on them. Friend mentioned he wanted something better in the dry than the Contis. He is pleased so far with the Pirellis, and says they aren't too bad in the winter.

 

Contis are getting old; wonder if there is an update in the works?

-B

http://www.standardshift.com

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hybridandy Community Regular

hybridandy

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Eh, it wasn't snowing when I drove off the lot and if you live around here (Southwestern PA) you are well aware what snow is what you have to do to drive on it. I was rather suprised how little grip there was when the roads got back (at least compared to my snow tire equiped Honda).
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