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[Subw00er]

Well its almost that time again. Normally I buy full out snow tires (dunlop wintersport are my favorite due to the stiff sidewall), but this season I've decided to do a performance all season assuming that I can get a little more fun factor in there with an all season vs a dedicated winter tire. Most of the time the roads here in NY are cleared so fast, its almost pointless buying snow tires.

So, what is the best performance AS tire this year? My purchase criteria is:

-great performance (little to no sidewall flex, good turn-in)
-snow/ice performance


I dont really care about a comfortable ride, wet traction, longevity or cost. I wont buy Blizzak because I've had a bad experience with them and I think they're overrated.

[ben@tirerack]

Snow and Ice performance and good handling characteristics (turn in, minimal flex etc) are mortal enemies. One will always compromise the other.

For winter traction you want lots of void area in the tread, lots of siping for extra biting edges, and tall tread blocks.

For good handling, you want as close to a slick as you can get: lots of solid tread area, narrow spacing between tread elements, and shallower tread depth to minimize flex and squirm.

An enthusiast oriented all season tire will give you good handling, though not as good as a summer tire, with a little bit of snow traction. Compared to the snow tires you have had before, you will probably find the snow traction to be poor. Compared to Summer tires, you will find the grip to be a bit of a letdown. They will be sportier than any of the snow tires though.

Not sure what sizes you use, but Bridgestone RE960 AS Pole position and Yokohama Advan S4 are good enthusiast all-season tires that come in OE 18" M3 sizes. Michelin Pilot Sport AS + is also very good, and comes in a pretty wide variety of sizes.