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What are your favourite winter tires?

SteveRedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Vermont
Car(s)
2020 GTI S
I just started to look around for my 2020 GTI S, I have 18" wheels now, and I was debating going smaller for snows. I hate the thought of lugging a set of mounted wheels out to the shed for storage, but it does save $200 a year for doing the changeover.

The Blizzaks speak for themselves, and the best others I have had for eight years on another vehicle are the General Altimax Arctic. Those tires got better each year with more miles. The 17" are 225 45R 17. Not even sure how much better that size would be than the standard 225 40/18.
 

Cssoz

Ready to race!
Location
Toronto, Canada
Car(s)
Golf 7, 2017 1.8T
Continental series

i have WinterContact SI but next year be VikingContact 7
 

SteveRedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Vermont
Car(s)
2020 GTI S
The Viking 7 is an slightly older tire, they just started to bring it over to the states. Pretty much the same price as the new Blizzak WS90, which seems to be newer design and better road manners. But my results seem to differ from tests year to year, and almost always with their tests of the Michelins. Maybe their new XICE Snow really is good now, but I'm skeptical having owned two generations that didn't impress me at all in real snow.
 

Cssoz

Ready to race!
Location
Toronto, Canada
Car(s)
Golf 7, 2017 1.8T
The Viking 7 is an slightly older tire, they just started to bring it over to the states. Pretty much the same price as the new Blizzak WS90, which seems to be newer design and better road manners. But my results seem to differ from tests year to year, and almost always with their tests of the Michelins. Maybe their new XICE Snow really is good now, but I'm skeptical having owned two generations that didn't impress me at all in real snow.
viking 7 just came out lol late 2020 max
 

SteveRedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Vermont
Car(s)
2020 GTI S
Viking 7 came out in Europe in early 2018, so no, it's not ancient, just not as modern and new design. Hard to rate them until you drive them all, which is too late. Most reviews online are sponsored or copied. You probably can't go wrong with the top 3-5 snow tires. Maybe it won't even snow again this year :rolleyes:

I'm still up in the air as to tires and wheels. 17 or 18?
 
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Oscar LaVista

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Mt Kisco, NY & Weeki Wachee FL
Car(s)
2018 GTI SE 6MT
In the winter, my tires work best when they're in Florida.

When I'm in Connecticut, I do not love any winter tires so far. I've had Sottozero and now have Vredestein. I liked my BMW E46 with Dunlops better than my GTI with either of the tires I've tried.
 

lou06483

Go Kart Newbie
Location
East Coast,USA
Car(s)
Audi and VW
FWIW--- I've had good luck with DUNLOP--
205/55R-16 SP WINTER SPORT 4D
They work well in snow, rain and the dry---not much tire noise, good thread life.
 

GenX Retread

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
2021 GTI Autobahn
I'm going to try the Michelin X-Ice Snows, in 225/45-17, if I can get up off my wallet and spring for new rims. Otherwise they'll be 225/40-18. That rim money would look real nice sitting in my garage as part of another motorcycle...
 

Oscar LaVista

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Mt Kisco, NY & Weeki Wachee FL
Car(s)
2018 GTI SE 6MT
Check the price difference between 17" and 18" tires. That savings will pay for a good chunk of the 17" wheels.
 

Oscar LaVista

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Mt Kisco, NY & Weeki Wachee FL
Car(s)
2018 GTI SE 6MT
Well, it depends on what you're buying for winter wheels. The difference paid for 40% of my set of five excellent used VW Goal style wheels, and the difference in tire cost is a recurring expense/savings.

If you run 18" snows, will you be paying for mounting and dismounting tires every year?

Sorry OP, end of thread derail
 

SteveRedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Vermont
Car(s)
2020 GTI S
Well, it depends on what you're buying for winter wheels. The difference paid for 40% of my set of five excellent used VW Goal style wheels, and the difference in tire cost is a recurring expense/savings.

If you run 18" snows, will you be paying for mounting and dismounting tires every year?

Sorry OP, end of thread derail
That's the other side of the coin, for me it's been roughly $200/year for mount/dismount. If I had a ground level space to store them, buying an extra set for 17" rims would be the obvious choice.
 

GenX Retread

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
2021 GTI Autobahn
Decision made: I'm going to run winters on my Belvederes, and pick up some new rims in the spring when I replace the GARBAGE OEM Pirelli rubber with some Michelin dancing shoes. If I get full bonus at the end of this project, I may have the Belvederes powder coated, because I don't love the machined face look.
 

GenX Retread

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
2021 GTI Autobahn
The X-Ice snows are sitting waiting for install next Wednesday. Turns out those tires are made in Canada.
 

OceanJack

Go Kart Newbie
Location
NJ/NYC metro
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
I like my X-Ice tires, honestly they are pretty quiet on the highway. I've had blizzaks WS80s and didn't really care for how they howled, they did good in deep snow but honestly no snow tire is going to save our low cars from deep deep snow.
 
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