17/18 Season Snow Tire thread

[Ken_R]

Snow tires are not needed they said ,it will be fine they said....

 

[Dadskier]

Got the Generals on today:

 

[oswaldr2]

https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/bmw-e90-335xi-winter-tiresr17/6350702688.html

Thoughts on these winter tires for my BMW 3-series? Fit shouldn't be an issue as my car is also a BMW 335xi E90 and they only made this particular car in 2007 & 2008. I'm a novice when it comes to knowing much about tires, other than what I can read online.

Some initial concerns on these are tread life, if there's enough left for 1-2 seasons? Then also living in Denver with studded winter tires, does it make sense to have studded? I understand Colorado allows it. I ride my bike to work daily and drive very little, so really I'd be driving long distances on these up I-70 to ski. Or down I-25 to the Southern resorts. Anything that I can look for if I go check them out in person?

I'd probably try to negotiate the price down as I've seen the listing on Craigslist for a couple months. FWIW, I'm also considering a new winter tire setup from a BMW dealer and will work with them for tire storage as I live in an apartment. Just trying to save a few bucks if I can going used.

Thanks for any insight in advance.

 

[Ken_R]

https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/bmw-e90-335xi-winter-tiresr17/6350702688.html

Thoughts on these winter tires for my BMW 3-series? Fit shouldn't be an issue as my car is also a BMW 335xi E90 and they only made this particular car in 2007 & 2008. I'm a novice when it comes to knowing much about tires, other than what I can read online.

Some initial concerns on these are tread life, if there's enough left for 1-2 seasons? Then also living in Denver with studded winter tires, does it make sense to have studded? I understand Colorado allows it. I ride my bike to work daily and drive very little, so really I'd be driving long distances on these up I-70 to ski. Or down I-25 to the Southern resorts. Anything that I can look for if I go check them out in person?

I'd probably try to negotiate the price down as I've seen the listing on Craigslist for a couple months. FWIW, I'm also considering a new winter tire setup from a BMW dealer and will work with them for tire storage as I live in an apartment. Just trying to save a few bucks if I can going used.

Thanks for any insight in advance.

I would not get a studded tire in Denver. The wheels in that ad look decent, the tires don't look good. Might be serviceable for a few outings but the rubber looks cracked in places. Tires not only degrade because of wear but also over time. The best value is to get a set of steel wheels (as small diameter as it fits over your brakes) and a set of decent studless winter tires.

 

[SnoKarver]

I'm a snow tire snob... kinda. Grew up in MN, and not having snow tires was like, DUH?
I've been running Blizzak WS80 tires for a while, and honestly, they are amazing

Falkens have been very good to me in the past, my last set, I studded them... was not worth it
I still have a set of General snows on my AWD Previa Van. OK, Blizzaks are better

Ran an Acura Integra '97 to almost 300k miles, new snow tires every couple of seasons
Bust out the Previa AWD when it gets really crazy deep out there

Running a '99 Saturn SL2 now, got it really cheap, and very clean, Blizzaks on it

Snow tires are the bomb, don't think all seasons are good enough, it's crap

 

[tball]

https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/bmw-e90-335xi-winter-tiresr17/6350702688.html

Thoughts on these winter tires for my BMW 3-series? Fit shouldn't be an issue as my car is also a BMW 335xi E90 and they only made this particular car in 2007 & 2008. I'm a novice when it comes to knowing much about tires, other than what I can read online.

Some initial concerns on these are tread life, if there's enough left for 1-2 seasons? Then also living in Denver with studded winter tires, does it make sense to have studded? I understand Colorado allows it. I ride my bike to work daily and drive very little, so really I'd be driving long distances on these up I-70 to ski. Or down I-25 to the Southern resorts. Anything that I can look for if I go check them out in person?

I'd probably try to negotiate the price down as I've seen the listing on Craigslist for a couple of zmonths. FWIW, I'm also considering a new winter tire setup from a BMW dealer and will work with them for tire storage as I live in an apartment. Just trying to save a few bucks if I can going used.

Thanks for any insight in advance.

Yeah, those are too old! They are Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4's, and the current model is Hakkapeliitta 8! As @Ken_R said, tire age matters. Those look pretty worn out, too.

Here's how to check the markings on a tire to determine age:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

I love studs and run Hakkapeliitta's on my truck that is something like 50/50 Denver/Mountains. On our vehicles that are driven mostly in Denver, I have Michelin X-Ice snows, including on an RWD G35 that rarely goes into the mountains in the winter, but could with those tires. X-Ice would be a fantastic tire for your AWD BMW and would turn it into a great ski car.

 

[Sibhusky]

Actually they are up to 9's now. My daughter just bought them.

 

[Tom K.]

https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/bmw-e90-335xi-winter-tiresr17/6350702688.html

Thoughts on these winter tires for my BMW 3-series? Fit shouldn't be an issue as my car is also a BMW 335xi E90 and they only made this particular car in 2007 & 2008. I'm a novice when it comes to knowing much about tires, other than what I can read online.

The tires might be a little sketchy, but as a former BMW lover, I can tell you that is a GREAT price for just the OEM wheels and TPMS sensors.

In your shoes, if those really do fit your car, I'd buy them in a heartbeat.

 

[BGreen]

https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/bmw-e90-335xi-winter-tiresr17/6350702688.html

Those tires are done, but it seems like a fair price for the wheels.

Studded tires in Denver are generally pointless. Denver gets icy, wet, and long spells of hot and dry. A tire like a Michelin X-Ice works exceptionally well in those conditions. Also studs are sketchy AF in dried mag-chloride. What studs do, IMO, is allow a tire tread to be biased toward deep/loose/slush and still work well on ice/hardpack. Now, once you get outside of Denver-metro, the conditions change and a studded tire may make more sense. After hemming and hawing between another set of studded snows, trying one of the new hybrid-AT tires, and the Michelin X-Ice, I went with Blizzaks because they were on sale and cheap. We'll see how that goes. People seem to like them. The other tire I would look at is whatever is the current incarnation of the Nokian RS. That may be my favorite all around winter tire that I've used.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Going for one more season on my Duratracs, probably get new shoes in the spring.

 

[oswaldr2]

So my 335xi doesn't have a spare, BMW doesn't force me into run-flats but I would need to get towed from the exact breakdown location if I were to pop a tire.

That being said, it appears that in the TireRack category, only Performance Winter/Snow are available in the Run-Flat category (long story short a RFT can't be Studless Ice & Snow according to Tirerack). Where as any tire available without Run-Flat is categorized as Studless Ice & Snow and seems like a safer winter tire.

Anybody research this part of the tire market thoroughly for a BMW and can provide any advice?

It seems the options are:

1. Performance Winter/Snow gives me the run-flat option. But sounds like this tire has less ice traction than a Studless Ice & Snow.

2. Studless Ice & Snow likely a better performance winter tire and also cheaper. However I pretty much have to get towed from the spot of my flat if occurred.

 

[Tom K.]

So my 335xi doesn't have a spare, BMW doesn't force me into run-flats but I would need to get towed from the exact breakdown location if I were to pop a tire.

That being said, it appears that in the TireRack category, only Performance Winter/Snow are available in the Run-Flat category (long story short a RFT can't be Studless Ice & Snow according to Tirerack). Where as any tire available without Run-Flat is categorized as Studless Ice & Snow and seems like a safer winter tire.

Anybody research this part of the tire market thoroughly for a BMW and can provide any advice?

It seems the options are:

1. Performance Winter/Snow gives me the run-flat option. But sounds like this tire has less ice traction than a Studless Ice & Snow.

2. Studless Ice & Snow likely a better performance winter tire and also cheaper. However I pretty much have to get towed from the spot of my flat if occurred.

Not sure about the distinction between Performance and Studless, but I've bought RFT Blizzaks for our Sienna in the past, and switched to non-RFT Hakkas last year (plus two cans of Flat In A Can and a AAA membership).

 

[oswaldr2]

Not sure about the distinction between Performance and Studless, but I've bought RFT Blizzaks for our Sienna in the past, and switched to non-RFT Hakkas last year (plus two cans of Flat In A Can and a AAA membership).

This would be the distinction.

https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/cooper/performance-winter-snow-tires-vs-studless-ice-and-snow-tires

So I guess I have the answers, I just don't know what answer is best for me. Obviously if I never get a flat, I would want the Studless Ice & Snow superior traction. Also I'm not sure 50 miles on a Run Flat is really going to help me all that much as I'll likely be in the mountains in the middle of nowhere and still need a tow to get me to a place that would sell me a new tire for exactly what I need.

 

[Sibhusky]

And if it's the middle of nowhere is there cellphone service? Not here.


There's no area to put a spare? I get that it came with run flats, but is there something else in that space?

 

[oswaldr2]

And if it's the middle of nowhere is there cellphone service? Not here.


There's no area to put a spare? I get that it came with run flats, but is there something else in that space?

not unless I wanted to carry a spare in my normal trunk compartment or cargo box, which I don't want to do. No space underneath the trunk like your traditional spare.



My BMW dealer refutes that run-flat snow tires are less grippy than non based on his correspondence with manufacturers. Says they are made of the same rubbers and have the same tread as the non-RFT models.

 

[Blue Streak]

I am putting these
Nokian Tire Hakkapeliitta 7 Suv
on my Subaru Outback 3.6R tomorrow, unless someone has a good reason why I should buy something else.

 

[tball]

I am putting these
Nokian Tire Hakkapeliitta 7 Suv
on my Subaru Outback 3.6R tomorrow, unless someone has a good reason why I should buy something else.

Studded I hope! Yes?

I have them on my truck and love them.

 

[Blue Streak]

Not studded.
Don't get me wrong, I love studded tires on ice, but I just spend too much time in Metro Denver.
Studded tires would drive me crazy on those 55 degree winter days (which we have always had).
This is Colorado, not the UP?

 

[Ken_R]

Not studded.
Don't get me wrong, I love studded tires on ice, but I just spend too much time in Metro Denver.
Studded tires would drive me crazy on those 55 degree winter days (which we have always had).
This is Colorado, not the UP?

Now it seems there are 65º "Winter" days down here

 

[tball]

For not-studded, I chose the Michelin X-ice over Hakkapelittas on our two vehicles that spend more time in Denver. I'd do the same again. My dad just bought a set of X-ice yesterday on my recommendation.

Also, the Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV is an older model. I believe they have a Hakkapelitta 9 SUV out now. The X-ice 3 is Michelin's latest model for the same price. The technology in each generation gets better. I'm not sure if there is a direct comparison anywhere, but I'd bet the X-ice 3 will outperform the Hakka 7 SUV (without studs).

I think the X-Ice 3 will probably drive much better in the dry as well. My Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV (studded) feel more like a truck/SUV tire, as you'd expect. On an Outback, I'd prefer the more car-oriented performance of the X-ice 3. On my G35 they drive surprisingly nicely.