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      09-02-2008, 06:18 PM   #1
Eurotrash8
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Best winter tire

Im in the market and want to know where I can go to find out reviews of which is the best winter tire.

TIA
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      09-02-2008, 07:23 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Eurotrash8 View Post
Im in the market and want to know where I can go to find out reviews of which is the best winter tire.

TIA
I'm sorry, but there is no "best" winter tire. It depends on your intended use, how much snow you get, how much ice you see, etc.

Try the Tire Rack.
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      09-02-2008, 08:17 PM   #3
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Blizzak LM-22 for more regular performance...LM-25 for better winter/snow performance...

IDK about other brands but have driven both of these 22's my E46 M3 and 25's on MB S430
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      09-03-2008, 01:12 AM   #4
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Dunlop M3s, best winter tire in recent years. Hakkas are better in deep snow and ice but I doubt you will be going there.
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      09-03-2008, 02:02 AM   #5
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The Dunlops are great, also check out the Michelin Alpins. I'm planning to go with Dunlop M3s this time, but I had the Alpins last season on my 335i and they worked great.
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      09-03-2008, 02:35 AM   #6
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www. tire rack
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      09-03-2008, 07:38 AM   #7
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They hit it with tirerack.

Keep in mind, that in some cases, a decent set of all-seasons will perform 95% as well in the snow, but will also do well in other inclement weather situations, as a full-out winter tire. I love my Goodyear Eagle F1 All-Seasons, but I'm also using them year-round for now. I imagine in your area, you can get some snow/ice even once "winter" has passed and you're wanting to get decent performing tires back on the car - maybe check out some all seasons to last you through the winter and still have some fun during that winter-spring interim
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      09-03-2008, 08:25 AM   #8
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I ran Michelin Pilot all seasons on my e46 330 all 12 mos of the year and they got me thru the winter but there were times in snow that I slid around a decent amount.

I currently run Dunlop Winter Sport M3s on my e46 M3 and they are excellent tires. I deal with snow on a regular basis in Chicago. You can safely drive highway speeds in bad conditions with them.

With the hp of the e9x M3, I'd strongly suggest dedicated winter tires.
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      09-03-2008, 09:12 AM   #9
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All seasons are bad, dont be fooled!
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      09-03-2008, 09:37 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gorun View Post
All seasons are bad, dont be fooled!
+1

Read the reviews on Tirerack. I imagine the temps in Calgary stay pretty low in the winter (below 0C for months). All season's won't cut it. I love my Michelin PA2s, but don't know how they compare with other tires. I drove on them every day in two Minnesota winters (very cold, not so much snow). If you spend much time traveling distances on the highway, I think the PA2s are quiet and ride well and wear like iron. They were good up to the point my car high sided in the snow.

It's warmer here in NY with significant quantities of snow. I'll drive on my partially worn PA2s for the first part of winter and then decide if I want to buy a different brand (because the PA2s will be worn out) for the rest of the winter.
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      09-03-2008, 07:20 PM   #11
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tirerack doesn't list anything for winter tires when I plug in my car... how are you guys searching?
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      09-03-2008, 09:42 PM   #12
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I went with the dunlop's and was very happy.
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      09-05-2008, 05:57 PM   #13
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all season tires = no season tires
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      09-05-2008, 07:18 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MosesDKE View Post
tirerack doesn't list anything for winter tires when I plug in my car... how are you guys searching?
Search by size.

Either 225/45-18 (best in my opinion) or
245/40-18 square setup (what I'm running) or
235/40-18 square setup (what BMW recommends)

Be sure to narrow your search to winter tires only. You'll need wheels also, but TR has a great set of cheap wheels for the M3

Cheap 8.5x18 wheels
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      09-08-2008, 06:21 PM   #15
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How about for 19" wheels?
Looking specifically at the Blizzak LM-25's: The 245/40r19's seem to be too tall at 26.8". So, I'm looking at the 255/35r19's which are 26" tall. I prefer a square setup.
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      09-09-2008, 11:25 AM   #16
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Tirerack does not have the winter tire packages and winter product searches programmed into the website yet for the M3. I am trying to push for this to be done soon. In the meantime, anyone here is welcome to call me directly. My number is in my signature.
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      09-09-2008, 11:56 PM   #17
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I ran Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3's on my G35 last winter and I plan to do the same on my M Roadster (yes, I'm crazy) this winter.

I'm sure they are not as good in the snow as, say, a Blizzak LM60, but they are awesome tires in the wet/dry/freezing temps. I could greatly exceed the speed limit with good noise levels and zero vibration or stability concerns. Grip on the dry was good despite downsizing to 225 in the rear.

Ben, do you have any idea how the PA3 compares with the LM25 and the Dunlop M3?
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      09-10-2008, 09:10 AM   #18
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Thanks for all the feedback. Right now I am looking for my A4 Quatttro (winter car) and I think I have it narrowed down to the Michelin X-ice 2, Dunlop 3D, and Nokian Hakka RSi. If any one has experience or knowledge of which will work best overall that would be great. Ben?

The climate up here is typically always below 0, icy and sometimes slushy (Chinooks)

TIA
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      09-10-2008, 06:58 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chris719 View Post
I ran Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3's on my G35 last winter and I plan to do the same on my M Roadster (yes, I'm crazy) this winter.

I'm sure they are not as good in the snow as, say, a Blizzak LM60, but they are awesome tires in the wet/dry/freezing temps. I could greatly exceed the speed limit with good noise levels and zero vibration or stability concerns. Grip on the dry was good despite downsizing to 225 in the rear.

Ben, do you have any idea how the PA3 compares with the LM25 and the Dunlop M3?
PA3 is in a similar category to the LM25 and Dunlop. All are designed to balance performance and winter capability, which seems perfect for the driving you describe.

The LM25 has the most aggressive tread. This will help in deep snow, but make them the least sporty. I ran these for several winters, and was very pleased with them. They are now due for replacement after 3 winters.

The Michelin has a new Helio compound, that uses sunflower oil rather than petroleum in the compound. This is supposed to help traction on wet or slushy conditions, as well as ice and snow. It is very new, with only limited availability last winter. We may get a chance to test it, if not I may run a set to see what they are like. Very good customer reviews so far. Michelin winter tires usually empasize handling and responsiveness more than Bridgestone.

The Dunlop is an excellent balance of handling and winter traction, and has been very popular for BMW's. I would say it falls between the Bridgestone and the Michelin in it's balance of handling and winter traction.

Hope that is helpful. I think any of the 3 will do well.
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      09-10-2008, 09:04 PM   #20
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Thanks for the info. What is unfortunate is the limited sizes the PA3 comes in vs the M3 and LM25. If I run 17" wheels on the Z4M I think only one Borbet wheel listed fits (others probably don't clear the brakes) and it's pretty ugly, but I can get the PA3. If I buy some 18" CSL replicas or M6 replicas to use as winter wheels I have to choose another tire, not that they are bad I'm sure.
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      10-03-2009, 11:08 AM   #21
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Any updates on this topic for winter of 2009-2010?
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      10-06-2009, 11:06 AM   #22
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subscribed. What is the best handling tire for winter? I've used wintersports in the past and they are really good, but I much preferred the M3 to teh D3 they use now. The tires went all soft. Now I'm thinking an all season would give me that performance I'm looking for?
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