I can't decide between these four models for winter rubber on my stock rims. All are around the same price..

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25, Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, or the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2.

I have read many posts and also searched, just would like your opioions. Thanks.

Also, I'm going to be getting these from TireRack, so Neal your input would also be appreciated.

 

Of the dunlop and the two bridgestones which I have driven, I like the ws50 the best for inclement (deep snow/ice) conditions but they are pretty loud and crappy on dry pavement. They are the best if you want to get through anything. The LM-25 is a good all around but not quite as beefy for the really bad stuff. I didn't love the dunlops. I am going for nokian hakkas next as they are supposed to be vastly superior to basically everything else out there.

 

Are these going to be winter only tires? Or are you going to be running them year-round?

I've ran the Conti SportContacts are all-seasons before and liked them. They won't be as good as dedicated snow tires (like some you listed), but there an option, and pretty cheap in stock fitment.

 

LM-22's are very nice in snow and aren't *too* bad on dry pavement. I ran these for almost 3 seasons before they were dead. If you have ALOT of snow I would go with the WS-50's...

I went with Hanook W300's this year because I didn't want to spend 600+ on another set of snow tires. I can't comment on them yet as they are still being shipped.

 

These are winter tires, but we don't always see alot of snow here so there will be alot of dry pavement miles. If all seasons would work, I'd look into those.

Just want something that will work great in the snow (like when we get say 4 or 5 inches) but still won't be super loud on dry pavement.

 

All of them except the WS-50 are sport based winter tires. They will work well in low snow conditions, mainly urban areas where more plowed roads are seen than accumulation. They handle better on dry but wont do as well on the bad days.

The WS-50 is the opposite. Its designed for harsher climates where you see a lot of ice/snow. Good for rural applications. Will be a bit softer handling but provide better traction.

So it really depends on what climate your in. I've owned all of them and love the Blizzak line. WS's have never let me down, have gone thru some crazy stuff with those. Currently running the LM's on my IS350.

 

So will the LM-25's still do well if I take it out after a fesh dumping of 3 - 5 inches and the plows haven't be out yet? Neal, would an All season be a better choice? If so what do you recommend within a simialar price range as the LM-25's?

 

With AWD you should be able to handle that. If your even thinking of changing tires for winter and have the potential of seeing that much snow, it would be best to use a dedicated snow.

 

sweet, thanks for the help!

 

np

 

I'll agree with Neal and throw in my thoughts regarding the Michelins. I have the Alpin Sports and here in Utah we get a good amount of snow but the roads get plowed quickly. But there are plenty of times I'm out before the plows get out and the Michelins seem to do just fine with several inches of snow on the ground. The worst accumulation I've driven in with them is about 5-6 inches of fresh snow on the roads, and I felt very confident. On hardpack snow they seem to have less traction for sure than the WS, but don't slide unless I want them too. The Michelins are great for winter drifting because I find they are easy to control with a decent amount of traction to still stay safe and keep moving.

But with much of the winter driving I do on roads that have been cleared, the Michelins are a good compromise for dry performance on those days that the snow isn't flying.

Hard to beat the WS for heavy snow, but I've been very happy with the Alpin Sports.

 

Yes, without any problem at all. I put the LM-25's - 225/45VR on my Evo last year. They are unreal in the snow! A great handling tire for a snow tire, a nice riding tire and long lasting. I put at least 3,500 miles on them, and they still look new. It is hard to tell someone just how great an Evo is in the snow. I would go with snow tires vs all season.

I was going to go with Dunlap M3s although they sold out, and some places try to rip you off on them. I ordered my LM-25 from TR, great price, great service, and fast shipping. Check on TR for a local installer as well. TR will ship them right to the installer.

I ran WS50s on my Integra. Great snow tire, although is best for 100% snow and ice.

 

PS: http://www.steves-digicams.com is a great site. Do you work for them?

 

I'm still trying to figure out what Winter tire to get for my Evo as well. The WS-50s are awesome in deep snow but are not fun to use on dry pavement. I'm leaning towards all season tires like the Pole Position 960.

 

All season tires are a compromise.

They do all seasons OK but nothing great.

I started running dedicated snow tires 5 years ago. I had them on my Type-R, Altima, my wife's Trailblazer (which BTW transformed it into an unstoppable tank) and just picked up WS50's for my EVO. I'd much rather have tires that are meant to deal with the situations that I drive than compromise and be average or even below average at accomplishing everything.

I run sticky tires in the spring, summer and fall till the temps dip below about 45, then I go to dedicated snows on a seperate set of wheels and store my summer tires on OEM wheels. Then in the spring I switch back to summer tires on OEM wheels and swap on R compound rubber onto the beater wheels for autocross and track events. I started doing it this way with my Type-R and had such success that I do it the same for all of my cars now.