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What are your favourite winter tires?

GenX Retread

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
2021 GTI Autobahn
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The best winter boots I've ever had on a car were Toyo Observe G-02s, on my '95 GTI VR6. That car was basically unstoppable with those tires; great tread pattern, and the walnut shells ground up in the rubber aren't a placebo... those things stuck to ice like hockey skates. The only time I got stuck was after being run clear off the road on the way to work at a ski hill by some jackass in a Suburban.

I had a set of Michelin X-Ice i2s on my '12 Explorer, and they were pretty good; amazingly quiet and didn't use any more fuel than the all-seasons they replaced. I've had lots of different winters on various 4x4 pickups, but that's apples & oranges.

What rubber do you you fellow snow-belters like? (Southron folk just try to keep your mockery to a dull roar, if you can.)
 

GolfRRRR1

Go Kart Champion
Location
Michigan
Currently I run the Michelin Alpin PA4 performance winter tires. They have been great but they are only so, so in deep snow...they are more of a dry winter performance tire. If I were to replace them now I would get the Continental Viking Contact 7. Heard a lot of great things about them. Good luck.
 

Intrigued218

New member
Location
St Paul, MN
I've always ran X-Ice in all my cars but since our cars are so light I don't feel they perform as good. I have them mounted on a 15inch steelies and I think I'd go to something else next time around possibly.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Michelin Alpins.... & they work quite well on black ice... untreated roads with snow/slush & black ice patches.....had to use the ABS & traction control & seat of the pants driving a few times hitting black ice at speeds upto 50mph...still sticky side down & the right way on the road.....so they get my vote!
 
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gixxerfool

Autocross Champion
Location
New Jersey
Car(s)
2016 Golf R
I’m going to get blasted for this I’m sure. I put the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 on my car. There weren’t many options in 19” so I decided to try them. I struggled to get the car loose in 2-3” of fresh snow. Partly melted snow into slush? No problem. Hard packed? They went. I watched 4x4 trucks slip and slide up hills with their AS tires and just cruise right on by.
 

GenX Retread

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
2021 GTI Autobahn
The two worst surface conditions in my experience are fresh snow on top of ice or a week's worth of polished, glossy hardpack, and deep heavy snow after a blizzard. Those are really two different challenges, and it's tough to make a tire that will handle them while not being awful on smoother winter roads that have been cleared.

I'd love it if tires were marketed like "If the river where you live freezes solid, buy these". The first set of winter boots I put on a car had huge chunky treads and were studded; they basically looked like off-road truck tires. Unstoppable, but howled like a Jeep and cornered like a U-Haul.

I hate winter.
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I give a big thumbs-up to Nokian WRG4's. Had them on continuously (even 1 1/2 summers!) and they have basically laughed at everything Mother Nature has thrown at us so far. They haven't seen snow deeper than a foot or so, so there's that. Bloody things wear like iron, even with aggressive summer use. Finally got my Group Buy Apex wheels, which then received Michelin AS4's & were installed a couple of days ago- they're going to be my 3-season tires. Nokians have at least another winter season of tread left.
Had the Michelin X-Ice's on an R56 Mini, and was underwhelmed with winter performance in CNY.
 

shovelhd

Autocross Champion
Location
Western MA
I've had good luck by finding used one season old Blizzaks used on CL or FBM in the off season. This year it seems like everyone else had the same idea. As soon as I found a set, they were gone. 225/40-18 are harder to find than 225/45-18 as those are Audi tires and this more plentiful.

This year I decided to try these. Nexen has a pretty good rep. At that price, it's worth a shot.
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
Now you have me rethinking my purchase and thinking about swapping them to something else. All the reviews I saw/read were positive for those though
They may work better for your winter conditions. If you were in the UP, I'd definitely reconsider the X-Ice tires. I'd recommend talking to Tire Rack. CNY/Syracuse practically owns the NY state Golden Snowball Award, given annually to the city in the state with the most snowfall each year. Typically puts Buffalo to shame.
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
They may work better for your winter conditions. If you were in the UP, I'd definitely reconsider the X-Ice tires. I'd recommend talking to Tire Rack. CNY/Syracuse practically owns the NY state Golden Snowball Award, given annually to the city in the state with the most snowfall each year. Typically puts Buffalo to shame.
I'm in the Metro Detroit area....so we don't get U.P. amounts of snow, but we see a decent amount and it's something to deal with/worry about

So you said "reconsider the X-ice" as in look at them, or pass on them?
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I'm in the Metro Detroit area....so we don't get U.P. amounts of snow, but we see a decent amount and it's something to deal with/worry about

So you said "reconsider the X-ice" as in look at them, or pass on them?
My experience is that they don't handle deep (8"+) snow very well. They do OK on other winter conditions like ice & slush. They may work fine for your area.
 

CaSeCa

Ready to race!
Location
Romania
Car(s)
MK7
On winter I shift from 18" to 16". I have been using Blizzak LM001 for 7 years. Very good when the snow is high. But in the last three years not a single snowflake has fallen. I am not happy at all to use 3 months the winter tires just because the law requires it.
 
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