Anyone have a bowl of wheaties?
The two tires I PERSONALY hate the most (i have mounted on 2 sets of wheels for my GTi)
#1 hated tire: BFG Touring T/A- Reason: My 1800 lb MK1 cannot burn those ultra hard mfr's off-- Been trying for 4 years, they don't stick to anything dry, wet, snow nothing... Damn tires squeel at the very hint of a corner, but they were cheap! They would be a great tire for my grandma. I'm sure my set will be around long after the cockroaches are gone.
#2 hated tire: Bridgestone blizzak's: The reason: They would be a great tire if you live in the U.P. where the roads are alwys snow packed. But in Colorado where we get waayyy more ice than snow pack- they are only marginally better than an all season tire. ( personal thought: ANYTHING is better than an all season tire in the snow!!!) Once again, mounted on the winter wheels for above mentioned GTi, the Blizzak is too hard a compound- I intentionally burn them on dry pavement and the tread seems to always to stay the same. Again, a far better choice than an all season tire- but I do have some tires that I prefer. I will start below with the snow tires I love and have excellent luck with.
Tires I PERSONALLY love:
First a disclaimer: As a resident of Colorado (read that icy road world) I am a firm believer in studded snow tires. Yes they are noisy, yes they don't like spirited driving, and yes you have to pay attention to rotational direction every season you run them. So in general, yes they are high maintenance--- perfect for a German car.
I believe in studded snows for the one very simple reason that I drive to the ski resorts virtually every weekend during said season. I don't like to slow down, I don't like to worry about road conditions, and I certainly don't get up to go snow boarding in the morning, look @ the weather and proclaim " the roads are bad, I'm staying home". Studded tires give me the confidence to KNOW I will make it to the mountain for some sick Colorado powder. I also like knowing that my wife will get to work or wherever she is going without incident.
#1 loved winter tire: The Semperit Ice Grip- Studded. The reason: This tire has the sidewall stiffness of a true performance tire, and the tread pattern of a truly agressive, nasty Atilla The Hun of Tires. The stud pattern is also agressive in the center tread area as well the outer tread blocks. The tread itself has a high silica content thus remains compliant in extreme cold and the tread blocks have symetrical voids between them allowing for good snow pack adhesion. These tires afforded me the grip of a summer tire in the dry in any road condition, at any speed, no questions, no compromises. Just point and shoot accuracy with no slip ever. The bad thing about this tire is poor availability as they are made in Germany, import numbers are sometimes low. They were available in any of the common current performance wheel sizes. I ran a 205/55/16-- if memory serves me, about $130 each + $10 each for studs. I payed @ $80 each through mainstreet tire for wholesale.
#2 loved winter tire: Cooper ST2- Studded. The reason: I bought these on recomendation from the mainstreet tire rep when he could'nt get the Semperit Ice Grip for me one season and Steph needed winter shoes for her Passat. I was equally impressed with these tires as the Semperit's for many of the same reasons. The Coopers actually have a slightly more agressive stud pattern through the center tread blocks than the Semperit, but are virtually identical in all other areas, sidewall stiffness, tread pattern/ blocks/ voids and have a more severe siping across all tread areas. No slip in any conditions--- just go go go. I do believe that the Coopers have a higher silica content though as they did wear faster than the Semperits. All in all, I was very happy with both tires and will look for them in any size that I need winter tires in. The Coopers were quite a bit cheaper, retail was @ $109 + $10 for studding, in a 205/60/15 size.
I am a firm believer in season specific tires, run summer tires in the warm months, and snow tires in the cold and overall your tires will last twice as long as a tire run year round. On average, if I buy 2 sets of tires in a year and run them in their respective seasons I will have those sets of tires for approx 4 seasons each. This is observing rotation and tire pressures of course.
For summer tires, I am a Pirelli fan, always have been- likely will stay one. The tend to be a little louder, and some models track road ruts more than others- but the grip and wear are worth it I believe. I have heard lots of good things about the newer generations of BFG ultra high performancve tires, as well the Kumho's but have yet to try them for myself. Michelins are good tires but damn, they are proud of their donuts... I am not willing to spend the $250 a tire to find out of they are worth it or not. Although all tires are going up dramatically in price ( the 1st set of P Zero Nero's I bought in a 225/40/18 were $108 apiece, now they are @ $180 each
Oh well, guess that is just the times.
So there is tire experiences and opinions from the peanut gallery- Take it for what it is, or not at all.
Happy tire smokin'
