Blizzak WS-80 for me. Nothing beats the traction on RWD German sports cars.
Blizzak WS-80 for me. Nothing beats the traction on RWD German sports cars.
Porsche 944 Turbo Build
One ride and you'll understand why most rocket scientists are German.
My ZHP Build 2004-2014 RIP
Car: 1998 BMW 540i
Tires: Bridgestone Blizzak WS-15
Size: 215/55R16
Car: 2000 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0L
Tires: Firestone Winterforce (studded)
Size: 195/65R15
Car: 2007 Volvo S40 T5 AWD
Tires: Firestone Winterforce (studded)
Size: 205/55R16
Typical conditions: Maybe one to two days a year that has between a dusting and 1-2" of snow. Every three or four years there's a significant snow storm that accumulates between a couple of inches and a few feet of snow. Temperatures tend to hoover around freezing during the day and below freezing at night, making for slick conditions during the day.
Personal Driving Habits: In the BMW and the Volkswagen I tend to approach snow driving cautiously (both for safety and the cars aren't mine). Slow, deliberate motions with no sudden changes in speed. In the Volvo (and my old Audi), I am much more adventurous. I turn off as much of the stability and traction controls as I can and slide when it is safe (no cars around, lots of space). Plus, in Portland, the town tends to shut down and people stay inside until the snow blows over. So if you're out there, there's very few cars on the road and empty back roads can become your mini rally course if you use smart judgement.
Impressions (Note: I have not done much winter driving on these tires as snow is very intermittent and I am usually out of town when there is snow, and all of the tires are pretty old age-wise at this point, if not particularly worn): The Firestone Winterforce studded tires are great around town when there's snow and ice on the ground. There is a fair amount of tire noise on snowless roads thanks to the studs, but in the snow they're relatively quiet. They handle the snow and ice very well. We take the Volvo to the mountain for skiing and it has no trouble handling anything we encounter. Grip is definitely reduced in the dry compared to the regular A/S or Summer tires but that's not really the point of a dedicated winter tire. Damage to roads caused by the studs aside, I have had zero problems with the Firestone tires in either the Volkswagen or the Volvo. The Blizzak WS-15s are old but get the job done. My father isn't too impressed by them, but I find them to be perfectly suitable if you're careful and deliberate. If you've seen this famous video of drivers in Portland from a few years ago, those are very steep streets. The 540i can climb them and hill start on them with little drama in the snow (that intersection is about five minutes from my house). I'm guessing that the Blizzak WS-80s are an improvement over the WS-15s, so I might try those.
Interesting article, something to consider when I hopefully get a set of winter shoes.
I was living in Oneonta at that time. Well, just outside. Still in grade school and remember all the snow. Don't remember any buzzards, though. :-)
I hear that.I would feel safer in my ZHP with the WS70 Blizzak's than I do in the 4 wheel drive Tacoma.
I love talking cars with the, shall I say, uninitiated, and it amazes me how many are clueless to the utility of proper tires for the season.
But, overall, great narratives!
Blizzaks are well represented here.
2006 Vert ZHP, Steptronic - new to me as of mid Oct, 2015
Blizzak LM-32 XL 225/45-17
This is actually the first time I've put dedicated winter tires on one of my BMWs. I've usually used another car/awd vehicle when there's snow on the ground. But the transfer case on my E53 is shot, and with that parked I need this car to be able to move in winter. And the ZHP had summer tires. We have a 2011 Outback too, but we try to balance commute miles between vehicles (120/day round trip!). My ZHP has Pilot Sport run-flats - I'd just had them balanced, along with control arms, bushings, and alignment and I got a pressure alert on my way to work. I checked the pressure and reset the system, but figured it was time to address my winter needs.
This was also the first time I've used TireRack, and I must say it was not such a great experience. I ordered LM-25's (RF's) and a set of rims for them to be mounted on. A few minutes after placing the order, a guy from TR called me to tell me he couldn't fulfill my order as placed. He insisted my car didn't have run flats - I assured him it did, and that it has no spare. Then he insisted he must either sell me TPMS sensors for ~$400 or change the order to non RF's. Copped an attitude with me that left a really bad impression.
So at the end of all this, he changed my order to the 32's, and added a mobility kit. And of course I verified afterwards that despite his insistence otherwise, he certainly could've sold me the tires as I ordered without TPMS sensors. And at a subsequent visit to my local dealer's service dept, they verified that my run-flats are correct for my ZHP, and that it uses the ABS sensor, not TPMS. Oh, and they really liked my ride - they don't see many of them and this one was particularly nice, clean, & solid.
Anyway, the tires are fine so far but haven't seen anything but rain. It's certainly a softer ride over all, and much quieter than the summer tires so far. Hopefully they'll get me thru a couple of seasons - my commute racks up miles fast!
I have been running Altimax for a couple seasons now and really love their performance. I did encounter a serious pitfall, though. The aggressive grooves at the corners of the tread can be a negative. I now have a deep dent right behind a wheelwell, where the tire picked up a rock and threw it at the car. LOUD bang, believe me.
My PDR guy couldn't do much at all with it.
2006 6MT Coupe, Alpine White • Premium, Cold Weather and Xenon packages
MFactory 3.38 LSD • 27mm M3 bar • ECS strut brace • Koni FSD's
Other tweaks: see my profile
Hmmm...
2006 6MT Coupe, Alpine White • Premium, Cold Weather and Xenon packages
MFactory 3.38 LSD • 27mm M3 bar • ECS strut brace • Koni FSD's
Other tweaks: see my profile