Subaru WRX Forum banner

2013 WRX-Just replaced the Stock Summer Tires Today with UHP All Season From Mavis

23K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  Heide264 
#1 · (Edited)
Me and me new WR Blue WRX Premium with 300 miles, were 5th online this morning at 7:45, waiting for my local Mavis to open

Swapped out the stock Dunlops for the Conti Extreme DWS tires at $164 each, including mounting and balance...Mavis did a awesome job, no scratches or dings on the wheels, my 'OLD" tires were doubled bagged and waiting to take home for sale (stay tuned for another post on this)

Now to the disclaimer (OK, its a rant) about Subaru putting those stock summer tires on WRXs:

I can understand STIs coming with Summer Performance Tires...but really...does the WRX need to come with them (especially in the North East)...just to increase the skid pad and slalom times in the trade mags?

Why spend the extra $$$ for winter tires (and maybe steel wheels) in order to keep the summer tires during the warmer months...who road races or rally's their car daily against the likes of Citroen, or comes across Ken Block in his Ford, on your commute to work, where you wanna keep up with them?

Just my 5 cents (inflation)

FWIW,, my decision to go with UHP All Season Tires -vs- buying snows and keeping the stock summer tires, was based off of my personal experience with my 2005 WRX with the factory Bridgestone UHP All Season tires: They kept me glued to the road in the summer months, and allowed me to hit dirt roads with virgin snow in the Winter, for some FUN OF GO IN THE SNOW, for 2 years!

Results may vary...pending where your drive...consult your right foot and the go pedal (and at times...your left foot and the need to use the stop pedal)

-Mace-
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I'm quite satisfied with my stock summer tires. Grip is great. Not so much in the rain.

The only other option for Subaru would have been to use All Weathers as stockers. All weathers are equally bad in summer & winter. There simply cannot be a rubber compound that can cover the wide temperature range without compromising on grip.
 
#3 ·
pmacey said:
Why spend the extra $$$ for winter tires (and maybe steel wheels) in order to keep the summer tires during the warmer months...who road races or rally's their car daily against the likes of Citroen, or comes across Ken Block in his Ford, on your commute to work, where you wanna keep up with them?

Just my 5 cents (inflation)
I don't want "jack of all trades, master of none" tires; I'd prefer to have the right tool for the job. Considering that tires are the #1 factor in handling, I have no problem investing in a good set of summers. For winter, A/S tires don't cut it with my driveway. I'd rather drive up my icy driveway than have to walk.

pmacey said:
FWIW,, my decision to go with UHP All Season Tires -vs- buying snows and keeping the stock summer tires, was based off of my personal experience with my 2005 WRX with the factory Bridgestone UHP All Season tires: They kept me glued to the road in the summer months, and allowed me to hit dirt roads with virgin snow in the Winter, for some FUN OF GO IN THE SNOW, for 2 years!
RE92s were a horrible attempt at "performance" A/S tires (how they were able to market them as such is beyond me). Switching to a decent summer tire could net you 5MPH in a turn. A good summer tire could net you 7-10.
 
#4 ·
OK...who has actually owned UHP All Season Tires on your WRX, and really felt they sucked so bad, that when driving in any type of wet road..non-dry conditions, you felt the handling of your WRX was compromised, and most important, that your life was in danger? (hopefully you're keeping the WRX under 100MPH)

Curious...who has real life experience driving a WRX with UHP All Season Tires, all season long?

Really would like some feedback here -vs- all the hype someone read on the Internet (BTW...I'm a French Model, I just posted this here on the Internet, so it must be true), that UHP All Season tires just suck all year round on a WRX!

No disrespect: but I'm posting from previous experience...and I standby driving a WRX...ALL YEAR LONG WITH UHP ALL SEASON TIRES!!!

-MACE-
 
#5 ·
No disrespect: but I'm posting from previous experience...and I standby driving a WRX...ALL YEAR LONG WITH UHP ALL SEASON TIRES!!!
No disrespect? Your post sure does not read like that. You did not mention the region you live in - important in deciding which type of tyres.

For the entire time I have had my WRX I have gotten by with UHP all seasons in the winter. A little mishap last year in some light snow has made me rethink that and finally am running on performance winter tires. I have always run summer performance tires when it is warm.

Like it or not there is no such thing as a truly good all season tire. As stated above they are a compromise and not a very good one.
 
#6 ·
No one is questioning your experience . Sadly tires are the most overlooked part of the car.

A side by side comparison from tire rack should make my point a little bit clearer. These tests were done at low speeds. Most cars on the road are travelling at a greater speed,so the effects would be multiplied. Of course this only applies if you live somewhere where it snows.

 
#7 · (Edited)
@Sasquatch: Damn, sorry for your mishap. What tires did you have?

I Live in NY. With my 2005 WRX and those All Season Factory Tires they came with, have driven in some really bad snow storms!

UHP All Season Tires have never let me down...never driven on a ICE rink though...but have on snow covered roads, such as the Taconic, Sprain Brook Parkway, Hutch, Bronx River Parkway, Saw Mill, 287, etc.

Have also driven in 6 inch plus snow on dirt roads in Northern Westchester County and Putnam, passing all those high fancy 4x4s that ran off the parkways, in my stock factory All Season Tires

I actually passed a stuck Carmel, NY Snow plow, that went off the road, with my 2005 WRX with the stock Bridgestone All Season tires, in a blizzard, driving up Mt Ninham.

I'm just trying to share my real world experience in a WRX with UHP All Season tires, driving them all year, in all seasons.

What works for you guys...awesome and cool

would like to see some posts of real life stories on how a UHP All Season Tire has let you down, hopefully no hyper BS you read on the Internet!

I know what works for me, and that is I still swear by UHP All Seasons Tires...all year long!

BTW, don't you all think its a oxymoron that a AWD car needs snow tires in the Winter and Summer tires in the summer -vs- All Season Performance tires all year round? Just asking.

-Mace-
 
#9 ·
I personally run UHP All Season tires all season long. And I'm constantly asking WAY too much of my tires.

Cornering is huge for me, AWD helps a buttload but will always be limited by traction that the tires provide. That said I'm constantly screeching/sliding around corners in warm SoCal weather.

So why do I use UHP a/s tires? I have my reasons, would probably bore you guys to death if I explain myself. I would prefer sticky ass summer tires honestly.

Posted from a fone.
 
#8 ·
pmacey said:
OK...who has actually owned UHP All Season Tires on your WRX, and really felt they sucked so bad, that when driving in any type of wet road..non-dry conditions, you felt the handling of your WRX was compromised, and most important, that your life was in danger? (hopefully you're keeping the WRX under 100MPH)

Curious...who has real life experience driving a WRX with UHP All Season Tires, all season long?

Really would like some feedback here -vs- all the hype someone read on the Internet (BTW...I'm a French Model, I just posted this here on the Internet, so it must be true), that UHP All Season tires just suck all year round on a WRX!

No disrespect: but I'm posting from previous experience...and I standby driving a WRX...ALL YEAR LONG WITH UHP ALL SEASON TIRES!!!

-MACE-
I have driven WRXs/STIs with A/S tires, in the same conditions you have. You can "make them work"; I choose not to. I can cut through a tree branch with the saw on my pocketknife, but I'd prefer to use a chainsaw. As for dry conditions, I take corners noticeably faster with my summer tires than I would be able to with a set of A/S tires. I also stop quicker.

Also, as I stated, A/S are insufficient for use on my driveway in the winter. There would be too many instances where I would be unable to get up, meaning I'd be walking up the icy incline. I do not have this issue with a proper set of snow tires.

pmacey said:
BTW, don't you all think its a oxymoron that a AWD car needs snow tires in the Winter and Summer tires in the summer -vs- All Season Performance tires all year round? Just asking.
It's not needed, but ideal for someone who sees four seasons. Some people are willing to make the sacrifices that come from having A/S tires. I'm not one of them.
 
#10 ·
Had allseason on a preious car, Altima, driving in VT to go skiing spun out and crashed into a snowbank. Yes it wasn't allwheel drive but it was less than 2 inches of snow and I wasn't going above 30 mph, after that I always run winter / summer. And the fact that the car comes with summer means I only have to buy winter and dont have to sell a set allseon tires on ebay
 
#12 ·
I learned to drive in the snow...at the age of 16, in a 1965 Chevelle, rear wheel drive...you can imagine the tires that came with that car...bias-ply tires and not radials!

To all my fellow ClubWRX friends...I so much appreciate your feedback on this post!

Take care of your SUBIE...AND STAY SAFE MY FRIENDS!
 
#14 · (Edited)
Calvinball...never owned a set of Winter Snow Tires.

I've owned and driven RWD Chevelles, Mustangs, a Corvette, a Cuda, and California Highway Police Interceptor (Dodge Polara), and a multitude of FWD, AWD, and 4x4s with, bias ply and radial ply tires, some with or without All Season Tires, but none with Winter tires.

Including mid/late 2000 WRX (kept the factory All Seaons), STI (swapped the summer tires for All Seasons), Mitsu EVO9 (swapped the summer tires for all Seasons), PT Cruiser GT Turbo (kept the factory All Seasons), and a Dodge Caliber SRT4 Turbo (kept the factory All Seasons)

That being said: already posted a Q about how does a good set of Winter tires handle, corner, brake, and perform...on our WRX in the Winter...in warm, dry conditions, when it is not cold out and there is no snow on the roads?

-MACE-
 
#21 ·
Calvinball...never owned a set of Winter Snow Tires.
I'm in the same boat as you. I've always had all seasons on my cars and felt they did fine in the snow. When I bought this car, though, I put aside extra money to get a separate set of wheels/tires for the winter, here was my reasoning:

- I already have summer tires on the car from the factory, that can't be helped.
- I don't want to drive on them in the winter, too many horror stories read on here and other forums.
- While I always had all seasons and did fine in the snow, since I already have summers why not just get winters? If I'm going to own two sets of wheels/tires, I might as well give the car the best performance I can in the two extremes I see in my area. I did "fine" with all seasons, but from all accounts I've read, winter tires will do better than fine. "Fine" still meant there were tractionless moments and braking issues. I don't think they will vanish, but I'm betting that with tires specifically designed to winter weather they will be reduced quite a bit.
- I got the steel wheels with winter tires with a few thousand miles on them for about the same price as it would have cost me to just get a set of good all season tires...without any wheels. And I am not about to spend the money twice a year to swap tires on the same wheels.
- Finally, two sets of wheels/tires means that I'm going to get more time out of both, since I will not be using them for part of the year. So that to me is going to do a good enough job of offsetting any extra cost from having two sets.

Just my two cents from someone else who always used all seasons and thought they were decent. I'm hoping/expecting to be pleasantly surprised once I see the real winter around here.
 
#15 · (Edited)
pmacey said:
That being said: already posted a Q about how does a good set of Winter tires handle, corner, brake, and perform...on our WRX in the Winter...
It depends on what snow tires you buy; there are performance snows and regular snows. Performance snows will have better grip on dry pavement at the expense of grip in deep snow, slush, and ice. Regular winter tires will have better grip in deep snow, slush, and ice, at the expense of some dry grip. I run studded Nokians, since my driveway is a nightmare.

Whichever route you go, a snow tire will offer better grip in winter conditions than an A/S "equivalent".

pmacey said:
in warm, dry conditions, when it is not cold out and there is no snow on the roads?
They get greasy and don't grip well; I had issues when I went to FL and had to do U-Turns everywhere, with tires squealing at slow speeds. For the same reason you shouldn't run summer tires in winter conditions, you shouldn't run winter tires in summer conditions.
 
#20 ·
#22 ·
Good Morning to the WRX world.

Let it get cold, let it rain, let it snow (see below)

Sunny and about 40 degrees this morning here in Northern Westchester, NY

Went out for a spirited run in my new 2013 World Rally Blue WRX Premium Sedan with 458 miles and maybe 75 miles on the new Conti UHP All Season Extreme DWS tires

Took some local roads for the first time and pushed my Blue Angel as much as I felt comfortable, due to the miles....but did take corners and accelerate out of the apexs to straight-a-ways fairly hard...and the Contis performed and handled quite well, providing a fun and decent driving experience.

Now want to see how they handle in wet and snowy conditions...especially on dirt roads, report to follow

-MACE-
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
silvercookie said:
This is his thread, and if he chooses to write about his experiences with his newly-purchased snow tires, he's welcome to do so. Last I checked, you weren't a staff member, and nothing he's doing is breaking the rules. You, however, are trolling, which is against the rules, and can stop now...
 
#25 ·
I bought a set of snow wheels and tires for my WRX, and swap them each season with my summers. Here's why:

On my older cars, which always had all-seasons and FWD, I could navigate well-enough in light or packed snow. I never hit anything or spun out anyway.

However, many mountain passes in Oregon REQUIRE chains or snow tires in the winter months. State troopers set up checkpoints for all vehicles, and will not let you pass unless you have chains or this logo on your tires:


Before my WRX, I just put a pair of chains on the front tires, drove over the pass, and took them off at the bottom. It was a pain, and I usually ended up cold and dirty by the end of it, but it got me over.

However, with the symmetrical AWD system, chains are generally a no-no. Yes, the manual DOES say you can use them on the front wheels at low speeds (at least for my 2003 WRX), and there are lots of other threads arguing this one way or another (let's not get into that here), but I decided I never wanted them on my WRX. This left me with no option to get over passes except buy a set of winters.

In summary, the real reason I bought winter wheels/tires at first was simply for compliance so I would be allowed to drive over the mountains, but after using them for a couple seasons now, the traction benefits alone have sold me for life on snow tires.

FWIW, I have Yokohama Ice Guard Studless tires. They aren't really a performance winter tire, but have superb traction in snow up to the bottom lip of the car. I'm confident the car would high-center itself before the tires lost traction in deep snow.
 
#26 ·
I always drove on all-seasons before I got my WRX. No problems. I bought a set of Hankook iPike winter tires and wheels for the WRX. On a snowy morning, I went around a corner just a little bit faster than I would have with all-seasons, and hit a curb with the back end. The front end did what I wanted it to, but the back end slid out and I broke a wheel. Luckily no suspension damage, as it made a loud bang. Part of the problem is that with TPMS I have to keep like 35psi in the tires, or the TPMS light comes on. I would like to run 20-25psi on those snowy, icy roads. In conclusion, I haven't found a good solution yet, despite spending lots and lots of $$$.
 
#32 ·
Ignore your tpms light. Mine is on all winter. It's not that bad.

Sorry to hear about the incident though.
 
#27 ·
I am now running on all season tires. I don't and won't be driving my car at it's uttermost limits. I enjoy the car and occasionally wind it out. Only if you are driving your car at it's limits do I believe season specific tires would be worth the hassle. There is no right or wrong here. Everyone knows their situation better than casual posters who don't know all the variables involved. I also don't need to drive long distances daily which factors in my personal choice.
 
#28 ·
ok so I bought my plasma blue wrx premium in October and love it!! (My first subie!!) My issue with the tires is that the pick up everything and sandblast my car, there are already little chips in the paint around the wheel well and under the rockers and I only have 2000 miles on the car. Any one else have this issue??

Help!
 
#29 ·
ok so I bought my plasma blue wrx premium in October and love it!! (My first subie!!) My issue with the tires is that the pick up everything and sandblast my car, there are already little chips in the paint around the wheel well and under the rockers and I only have 2000 miles on the car. Any one else have this issue??

Help!
Summer tires are soft. They tend to pick up stuff.

This is an extreme example of a soft tire from an F1 car. But you get the idea.







The only way to prevent this is either clear bra the vulnerable areas or get a set of mudflaps.
 
#30 ·
I also wish Subaru would at least offer all season tires as a no cost option. I don't drive my car at it's limits. I'm just an average Joe who enjoys a fun car. I swapped out the summer tires for all season tires on my 2013 WRX. I live in Ohio. A choice would be a good thing.
 
#31 · (Edited)
+1

Question to you new 2013 WRX owners: If our WRX came stock with All Season Ultra High Performance tires -vs- Summer Performance tires (just a few years ago: Subaru only provided the WRX with A/S tires) ...would you still feel the need to swap to dedicated snow and summer tires?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top