All season tires ?

[Qdog]

I need to take the AVS-I Yokohamas off for the season. I'd like to find a set of all seasons that will be good on dry roads, warm or cold, and better than passable on snow. I tried XGT-H4's, absolutely worthless in the snow, and scary in the wet when worn. I need to run something other than a summer tire here from November to March, then it'll be back to the Yoko's. Two candidates look promising. Contiextremecontact (V rated), and Kumho Ecsta HP4 716 (H rated). They're both cheap at tire rack, but the Conti is out of stock for now. Any comments on these or others ? I'm sticking with 15 inch wheels for winter.

[maxnix]

See my post in the Tires Forum under subject like "Cheap 225/60-15 for a Q45."

[szh]

Why not try a true Winter tire? Since you live in MN, this may be safer ... plus you are going to switch back to the Yokohams's later in the summer anyway!

Check out the Pirelli Winter 210:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...1=yes

and the Michelin Alpin (make sure to get the HR rated, not the QR rated):

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...1=yes

One of these ought to do well!

Z

[maxnix]

A winter in Minnne Soootah salt ought to have the car looking like swiss cheese come spring from all the rust.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

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[Qdog]

Szhosain, I've been on Alpins in the winter since I've had the car. Very nice on snow & ice, but I'm on dry roads most of the time. Looking for something that will do better on dry pavement. Maxnix, you're too kind with the swiss cheese remark. The Q actually still looks good. The sort of driver who buys a Q new here probably has a SUV for the winter, and a nice heated garage. I have neither, but I do hose off the salt & crud at every opportunity. The Q is actually my winter car.

[maxnix]

Hosing is good, eh? Heated garage will actually accelerate corrosion process.

I saw through some of the car bodies in MN when I drove through there two years ago. Even the guards on the fuel pump islands were covered with rust. It makes a Texas boy think maybe the Bible belt is better than the rust belt.

Oh yeah, get the winter tires, then. The best you can afford, and drive very carefully! It's not just you, but the idiot on the baldies that's sliding into you.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

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[PalmerWMD]

I strongly agree with Z comment about going with a tru winter tire in Mn.Having lived in South Minnesota as well as the twin cities for seven years I can say your qulaity of life from late MNov to early March will be much imrpoved with Blizzaks or Alpines.The fact that you are running 15 inch makes those premium winter tires more affordable.

Dont total ypur car, cuz you wanted to save at teh wrong spot.

I am speaking from experience.

Fred..

PS: Moved to tire forum

[szh]

Szhosain, I've been on Alpins in the winter since I've had the car. Very nice on snow & ice, but I'm on dry roads most of the time. Looking for something that will do better on dry pavement.

Hmmm, in that case, I would still say, stick with the Alpins! Because, none of the "all-season" tires will really give you superior enough performance in snow, IMO.

In very cold weather, "all seasons" will work as well as or better than "summer tires" on dry roads, but the risk of being out in snow occasionally would be more important to me. In other words, I would take the reduced performance of the Alpins in dry road conditions, in a heartbeat over than the reduced performance of any "all-season" tire in snow! Having lived in New Hampshire hill country for many years, and having slid my Turbo 300Z off a hill once, I shudder at the thought of not having snow tires in snowy country.

Z

[Q45tech]

All season is just the industry definition of a tire with a high void ratio.......less rubber per square inch of tire pattern. Hopefully it tells you that the compound ideal temperature curve [at the extreme---- the plasticazation point has been shifted lower].The temperature when the compound hardens and abruptly loses friction.Summer Racing = 70F; Summer tires = 40-50F, A/S= 25-30F, Winter = 15-20F.........super special winter maybe 10F.

They never give you the upper temperature when they turn to gooey dripppy rubber.

The number one mistake is installing new A/S tires in May so they get destroyed [hardened] during the first Summer.

The best snow/ice tires will melt at 70F road temperature.

[Grant@tirerack]

There are quite a few nice H rated Winter tires out there that handle very well on dry pavement. The worst snow tire is going to give you at least 40% better traction in snow and on ice than the best 'all-season'. Frankly, Americans have been sold a bill of goods on 'all-season' tires. No one tire compound can function well in the temp range we have in the northern U.S. and the tread design has to be very different for snow and ice traction. Give me a call and we can look at some of the options for your tire size. I would never go back to running all-season tires as long as I live in areas where there is snow/ice.

[fxjackso]

I used the Pirelli Winter 210 Assimetrico. It has a little less traction than the Alpin or the Pirelli 210 Winter, but it is quieter on dry roads. H rated, it is a V carcass with different tread. The Alpin Pilot is similar.With snow tires and the LSD, the Q always went around many FWD cars with their "all season" tires.

[Qdog]

Still looking for the holy grail of a really good winter tire that can stay on all year. The Nokian WR may be it. They seem to be popular on Audi's & Benzes. This is an H rated tire in 15", any one familiar with these, especially on a Q ?

[SmithSR]

Nokian builds the best winter tire IMO. Check the HK1 and it's variants, for the very best winter snow/ice traction tire money can buy.(they'll be expensive)

No tire has all ingredients to be used in all conditions all year round. You'll be making compromises.

Grip vs. wear

[maxnix]

Still looking for the holy grail of a really good winter tire that can stay on all year.

Doesn't exist unless your summer temperatures never exceed 40° F and your speed is never over 50 mph.

It's all about the rubber formulations. They cannot be optimized across a large temperature range effectively as compounds designed for specific narrower temperature ranges.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

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[Ceptos]

ive heard a lot of good things about the perelli 210/240 winter tires, ive read good reviews on its all wheather traction, some drivers leave them on all year.

[maxnix]

ive heard a lot of good things about the perelli 210/240 winter tires, ive read good reviews on its all wheather traction, some drivers leave them on all year.

Oh, I saw an auto boker in my office building who had blizzaks on his 5 series in June! It's not really hot here then, but they were way past due to be changed. I wouldn't want to be going down a mountain pass at any speed in that car.

By the time the next winter arrives, the tires are vulcanized to near concrete by summer driving.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

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[Grant@tirerack]

The Pirelli snows would be toast after only a few months with the temps above 50-60 degrees. They will wear down very quickly and the remaining compound will hard as a brick if they even last through the Summer.