zabes

i have the dunlop 3D wintersports, very good in the snow. didnt even get stuck last year in that storm that dumped 2+ feet of snow up here in the northeast.

user 629782012

I won't beat around the bush.. These tires are loud on pavement, also. At full throttel @ pretty much any speed the car becomes fairly squirly. While cornering on boost in 1,2,3rd gears you can get a full on 4 wheel drift with tc off or off off . Breaking on pavement requires more distance also.
Now on gravel. The noise is comparible to advans, on full on snow. I can't give you much data yet. I've been on some snow but not a couple kilometers of full on snowy highways. I will keep everyone updated as the forcast calls for snow tomorrow. High of -6C. Maybe I'll even take pictures

I would only recomend these tires for areas where snow and ice will be a major obsticle all winter. I will also be attending some rally cross events with my local sports car club. (Rally cross is on a gravel parking lot with cones set up just like autocross but during winter months.)

TheRedBaron

I'm in PA and can say after the snow storm last week there is no reason to even think twice about a dedicated winter setup. I'm sticking with the stock wheels to avoid TPS issues and because it'll be cheaper up front. After some research I'm thinking of going with the Michelin Alpin PA3's with a narrower width and higher sidewall than the stock Advan's. Glad to see Consumer Reports ranks them near the top; the V speed rating should help retain some performance feel in the colder weather too.

Str8Pimp

iTrader: (2)

^^
The Michelin Alpin PA3's are the sh#t! I bought them for last winter, and didn't get a ton of snow here but they worked well in the snow and aside from a slight squirmy feel occassionally they are the closest to summer tire feel you will ever get on winters. I have liked these much better than any all seasons I have run, by far. Get em, love em.

Jeror32

iTrader: (6)

I have had great success with the Continental dedicated winter tire. They were a beast in the snow and I dont ever remember losing traction, unless I wanted to

user 629782012

So it snow'ed today and i offically will say that i am soooo impressed with the traction! it almost made me want to do a comparison with my long dead summers ..

it's simle Grab and go... no spinning at all untill boost hits about 10psi on a full throttle acceleration. On fully snow/ice roads tonight going 60km/hr id say 80% reduction in noise compared to dry pavement.

the amount of snow was hmmm 1CM max pretty much a skiff but enough to warrent 130 accidents here in calgary this morning.

here's a pic of my car to night at the mall

TheRedBaron

Glad to hear you liked them, I just ordered a set of 235/45's from TireRack. The $70 pre-paid card/rebate for Michelin right now is a nice offer too.

Tahoe55

I just put a set of Conti DWS A/S with Montegi racing rims 18x9 with TPMS. Recalibrating the new wheels cost $53 at the local dealer and they didn't know if the car would remember the original sensors or not. I'm pretty sure it is one set at a time. I'll know when I put the summer tires back on next year.

Those considering A/S tires for winter need to factor in the temperature they are dealing with. As temperature drops below 45 degrees, A/S braking distance starts to increase. Check with your installer on exact temps for specific tires. Winter Tires like Blizzaks are rated for much colder temperatures and therefore safer as the temps drop. I can drive another car when it gets really cold so I went with A/S tires to keep as much grip as possible when the weather is "normal" for Oregon.

This is a quote from the Continental Website on A/S vs Winter tires: “It’s a fact: as temperatures drop below 45 °, so does an all-season tire’s ability to grip the road. And that can lead to dangerous driving conditions,” said Jay Spears, technical product manager, Continental Tire. “Since all-season and winter tires are about as similar as sandals and snowshoes, we’ve launched this program to encourage our customers to stay safer in winter by switching to Continental Winter Tires."

Summer tires like the stock advans literally disintengrate if you drive them below 50 degrees so you will replace them sooner than later if you keep driving on them. I shredded a set of star specs on my EVOVIII just by driving during a cold october last year.

mtnracer

Hi! All-Seasons I have driven on with my Evo 8, and now X, and recommend:

Yokohama Advan S4
Yokohama Envigor
Both of these retain Evo like driving for the most part in dry, not summer tire performance, of course, but good enough for twisty moutain roads at good speeds.

Others:
Pirelli P Zero Neros (did not like these much, wore out fast and horrible traction)
Conti ExtremeContact (NOISY!) and poor traction

The Envigor's have much better tread wear than the S4's and better snow grip. I need all-seasons becasue I drive from snow conditions down to no snow, and only have 3-4 weeks of snowy days, interspersed from Oct-April.
I haven't tried the new Conti DWS - heard a lot of good reviews, but not very many on how they do in dry/normal conditions. Treadwear?

Summit1

OK, all, after much reading, a lot of feedback here (thanks!), I have decided to go with the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3s (245/40/18). I ordered them this morning through Discount Tire Direct, which was willing to match the lowest price I found on the web. I'll have them installed locally by Mavis.