Studless winter Vs. Performance winter tires

[RJS5689]

So last year I ran Blizzak REVO1 Studless snow and ice tires on my GTI. I got through the winter on a FWD with an aggressive stage II tune on a vehicle that was slammed to the ground with no issues at all. The tires would just claw and bite. A lot of the time I felt I didnt even need that aggressive of a set up as they are fairly good with plowing up here in Maine. Well this winter I thought of considering a performance winter tire instead. In hopes of gainign some more dry performance but still haveing adequite performance when the heavy snow falls. Has anyone had experiences with perofrmance winter tires? The performance winters im looking at are 215/50/17 Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 and the traditional studless snow and ice tires I'm looking at are 215/50/17 Blizzak WS-60s. I've also heard great things about the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3Ds from members on these boards, those are a performance winter tire, but they come in 225/45/17 as the closest size.

[outahere]

Performance winter will do well on snow, and mediocre on ice (especially if the temp is around 30 degF).

[rjundi]

If you have the need or desire to go out in the worse conditions(not that often in your locale and mine) stick with Blizzacks REVO or equivalent. However the vast majority of the winter is spent on dry or wet roads.

 

I concur on ice studless much better but its best not to go out since most drivers are limping about on all-seasons.

[RJS5689]

If you have the need or desire to go out in the worse conditions(not that often in your locale and mine) stick with Blizzacks REVO or equivalent. However the vast majority of the winter is spent on dry or wet roads.

 

I concur on ice studless much better but its best not to go out since most drivers are limping about on all-seasons.

 

Eh, a lot of people around here prep well, but this is the land of Subarus and Pickups. Last year I had my slammed GTI out in some pretty bad unplowd conditions and it pulled through everything fine. Why should the Subi have any trouble then, that's why I figured I'd possibly make the switch to performance winter tires.... hmm maybe ill help compensate by switching to a skinnier rubber.

[ilh]

I run Nokian RSi in the northwest Boston area (and ski trips to NH/VT/ME). I think they are likely overkill for the conditions I see, and I will likely switch to something like the Dunlop 3D (i.e., "performance" winter) when they wear out after two more winters (4 total).

[whitetiger]

if you only get a aouple snow storms a year and mostly just drive in the cold, then you are better off getting a performance winter. if you have snow on the roads constantly and doeal with ice often, then a studless winter tires is better.

[bluesuby]

I run Nokian RSi in the northwest Boston area (and ski trips to NH/VT/ME). I think they are likely overkill for the conditions I see, and I will likely switch to something like the Dunlop 3D (i.e., "performance" winter) when they wear out after two more winters (4 total).

 

What kind of miles have you put on the RSis? I'm about to switch over for my 4th season, roughly 18-20,000 miles and the wear indicators show a strong "6". I'm on dry roads 90% of the time, but I do try to keep the speed at 70mph or below on winter tires. Pretty durable tires, but they should be for the price.

[ilh]

I've got about 12,500 miles on them and I believe the "8"s (8mm) have just worn off. I cruise at 75 on them when I can. I'm probably not as gentle to them as I could be.

[RJS5689]

if you only get a aouple snow storms a year and mostly just drive in the cold, then you are better off getting a performance winter. if you have snow on the roads constantly and doeal with ice often, then a studless winter tires is better.

It's not that we only get a couple snow storms a year, it's the fact they are pretty good about clearing roads around here. Usually when there is fresh stuff I can go out and have fun, but they pretty much get it plowed out of the way quickly. I think I'm gonna go with the Dunlops and see how they do for me this winter. Now it's time to go find a set of 17" wheels to mount them on.

[rtbrjason]

I think I'm going to go with these:

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=SP+Winter+Sport+3D&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=24VR8WS3D&fromCompare1=yes&place=1

 

We get about 100" of snowfall a year here but they do a decent job with the roads. I want to be able to get around in the bad but still have some fun on the dry roads.

 

Where are you guys shopping for the RSi?

[RJS5689]

I think I'm going to go with these:

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=SP+Winter+Sport+3D&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=24VR8WS3D&fromCompare1=yes&place=1

 

We get about 100" of snowfall a year here but they do a decent job with the roads. I want to be able to get around in the bad but still have some fun on the dry roads.

 

Where are you guys shopping for the RSi?

 

Looks like we're in the same boat in terms of the roads, were from the same state, same car (yours in the color I actually wanted,) and now the same winter tires... Hmmm

[rtbrjason]

I ended up going with a set of conti extremes.. Hopefully they will do fine with the awd. I went with 225/40/18 and they were about $120ea.

[RJS5689]

I ended up going with a set of conti extremes.. Hopefully they will do fine with the awd. I went with 225/40/18 and they were about $120ea.

I used to run those as A/S tires on the GTI I once had. A great tire indeed.

[rtbrjason]

How did they do in snow?

[RJS5689]

How did they do in snow?

I have never had them on in the snow through a Maine winter, but I had them on my GTI in 225/45/17 for a Southern Westchester NY winter back in 2006. They did well,never got me stuck in anything but then again our roads never really got to horrid down in Southern Westchester.

[rudy]

I run Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's in the OEM 17" size. No issues getting around during the winter. Opted for performance winters because I figure the majority of the time, I just need a compound good for highway driving at cold temps and slushy conditions in the city vs. something to really tackle massive amounts of unplowed rural snow.

[TSiWRX]

^ Tha's pretty much me, too - 225/45/17 Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D.

 

They're fine, even for NE-Ohio's occasional true blizzard (I consider this a step up from Lake-Effect snow), where the road-crews haven't had sufficient time to get out to clear the streets (as with you, RJS, we see road-clearing pretty darned fast here, too), and gives me the cold-weather dry/rain and highway performance/comfort factors that I desire. I've only got about 3500 miles on these tires (obtained last winter), but they've seen, truly, a bit of everything, and I've tried to put them through their paces, as-such.

 

I'm now looking heavily at the WS-60 and the Xi2 to put on the wife's WRX. Her driving is even more city-oriented than mine, and although I think that she'd do just fine on the 3Ds, I also think that she could likely use more safety-margin on glare ice, as well as increased capabilities to self-extricate from deep snow (not that the 3Ds, on my slightly dropped LGT, ever gave me any worries in this latter scenario).

 

[smkinsally]

I was having similar thought between studless and winter performance and settled on the blizzak ws 60. should have them on later in the week. figured get best tires for worst situation that could happen. I ski all winter in vermont and nh so im hoping they get hammered this year and the tires get some use!

[RJS5689]

^ Tha's pretty much me, too - 225/45/17 Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D.

 

They're fine, even for NE-Ohio's occasional true blizzard (I consider this a step up from Lake-Effect snow), where the road-crews haven't had sufficient time to get out to clear the streets (as with you, RJS, we see road-clearing pretty darned fast here, too), and gives me the cold-weather dry/rain and highway performance/comfort factors that I desire. I've only got about 3500 miles on these tires (obtained last winter), but they've seen, truly, a bit of everything, and I've tried to put them through their paces, as-such.

 

I'm now looking heavily at the WS-60 and the Xi2 to put on the wife's WRX. Her driving is even more city-oriented than mine, and although I think that she'd do just fine on the 3Ds, I also think that she could likely use more safety-margin on glare ice, as well as increased capabilities to self-extricate from deep snow (not that the 3Ds, on my slightly dropped LGT, ever gave me any worries in this latter scenario).

 

 

Looks like we're in the same boat with tire considerations. After some researching and talking, I've decided on 205/50/17 Winter Sport 3Ds. I'm looking forward to winter to see how they do.

 

On a side note, what does the TSi in your name stand for? The only TSi term I am familiar with is VWs TSI technology.

[TSiWRX]

^ My old DSM - a Talon TSi. That was my last car, before Winky.

[Garandman]

I run Nokian RSi in the northwest Boston area (and ski trips to NH/VT/ME). I think they are likely overkill for the conditions I see, and I will likely switch to something like the Dunlop 3D (i.e., "performance" winter) when they wear out after two more winters (4 total).

I agree. I have RSI's and WR's on rims and last winter never even mounted the RSI's.

 

Typical trip for me was last season, early March. Drive from Boston to Bucksport Maine (200 miles or so) at night on dry roads. Wake up the next morning to over a foot of wet snow and drove to Deer Isle. Drove home in torrential rain.

 

We're mounting the RSI's this year, partly just to wear them out. Still debating what to get on the WRX, as the new Nokian R is said to be better on wet roads than the RSI, and have low rolling resistance. The WR G2 is supposed to be better in every way than the WR. Someone else posted this:

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43675&d=1191554919

[TSiWRX]

^ Damn, that's impressive!

[change_agent]

I run Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's in the OEM 17" size. No issues getting around during the winter. Opted for performance winters because I figure the majority of the time, I just need a compound good for highway driving at cold temps and slushy conditions in the city vs. something to really tackle massive amounts of unplowed rural snow.

 

I have kind of done the same thing but got the new Pilot Alpin PA3'S in the OEM 17" SIZE for the same reasonS mounted them on ALLOY rims. If I have to tackle massive amounts of snow I should not be on the road anyway:lol: I am also betting that we don't have a winter like last year.

 

They have an interesting tread design similar to their new ice tire but on the inside there is the traditional zig-zag of a snow tire.

[nike boy]

if the d3's are as good as the m3's I have 15k on my set right now and they are amazing

[DosRenshos]

just had the Dunlop Winter Sport M3s that i baught from TireRack installed today. $50 mail in rebate FTW!

 

First impression is good. Turn in is much better than with my old(ancient) Firestone snows.