Its winter again here in Wisconsin! now the question is, what is the best snow tire for my plasma blue beauty?! i almost put it in a ditch last winter (before i stored it) while running the stock dunlops that came on it... so im just curious. what does everyone run on?! Thanks and stay safe out there boys and girls!
Get black steel wheels.
They run like $200-250 for all 4.
15s won't clear the brake calipers, they have to be bigger.
My winter wheels are 17's they work well.
General altimax arctics. I ran them the previous winter in 205-50-17 and they were absolutely amazing. Best bang for your buck.
And I believe you can only get away with 16 inch wheels the smallest
If I were to say what the "Best" winter tire for our car would be I would go with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. Not the cheapest tire though. You could run a 16" wheel on your car. Keep the tire as narrow as possible. A narrow tire performs much better in snowy conditions.
Any winter wheel and tire package will work well, it really depends on what you're looking for. Performance winters, or winters on a budget.
I run on 16" Firestone winterforce tires. They are noisy, and make the car handle like garbage, but grip like a cat on carpet in snow and on ice.
There are countless winter tire threads here, Do a quick search and decide based on your needs.
I would agree with this. Even though I would recommend the Generals for winter conditions, I would recommend a performance tire due to the Generals being a bit squishy. As my car is a DD, they work perfectly fine, but for spirited driving, they are not the best.
My considerations: ice/snow grip, dry performance, dry tread wear, and cost.
My choice, a year ago, was Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D's in the stock size (235/45-17) on cheap 17" alloy wheels. I figured I'd be on mostly dry pavement most of the time.
In pricing, remember the TPMS if you get new wheels. It'll be a choice between paying for them or looking at a warning indicator for months.
I do this. It's not bothersome or annoying to me at least. I know it bothers some people, but while looking at the road, it blends in with the rest of the lights in your periphery.
I don't see the point in spirited driving in snowy conditions...thats why I recommend generals.
Edit: was thinking too literal. Some reason every time I think of snow tires I think it's always snowy out
Spirited driving in snowy conditions can be some of the most fun you'll have in a car. Naturally I would advocate care, and more importantly finding an appropriate time and place for it.
I picked up some 03 wrx wheels and general altimax artics. The sidewalls are a bit squishy but they grip well in snow/ice. Great combo. I run them on my wife's FXT too. - 1 sizing for both means 16" on my wrx and 17" on my fxt
I had the General Altimax Arctic and now the Blizzak LM60. The Generals were definitely great in the winter, but the dry road performance and on center steering feel was a bit of a drag. The car would kind of float around at highway speeds forcing two-handed steering and lane line watching. I don't have those issues with the Blizzak LM60s. They also handle almost as well as a good set of all-seasons on dry pavement...minimal compromise. I survived a HARSH winter in Michigan last year on the Blizzaks in my G37. Never got stuck...never lost control. The LM60 is an older model, but still should be available...?...LM32 might be the replacements, but I could be wrong.
i'm pretty sure 15" braids, team dynamics, and enkei racing RC-G4 will fit 11+ wrx's. but you'll probably end up dropping $800+ on the wheels alone.
as other people have said, if you're looking for a tire that'll get you thru anything you should encounter (if you go out in 24+ feet of snow your probably screwed regardless) grab a dedicated snow like the general altimax artic. relatively cheap, great reviews, great performance, great tread wear. if your looking for a tire that will give you grip on cold roads and will get you through light snow get a performance winter tire along the lines of the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D as mentioned above.
i just grabbed general altimax artic 215/55/16 and 16" steelies from tirerack as reference
I have a '14 WRX hatch base. I went with the latest Blizzak's. They are absolutely amazing and I highly recommend them. I have driven through very very deep snow and haven't even come close to being stuck. They also handle amazing in icy conditions.
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