Winter Tires

[drod1985]

Has anyone been putting stock size winter tires (215/45-17) on their LGT's? I am looking into buying a set, and was hoping for some input. Thx!

[TSi+WRX]

I went with 225/45/17 on aftermarket 7.5-inch rims, just so I can get more rubbber on the road for CLEAR conditions. :)

Yes, I know, more is worse, when it comes to performance in *wintry precip.,* but that's not what I was concerned with - I was concerned with preserving a bit of fun when the roads are clear, which, despite where I live, is the conditions that I most often see, due to my commuting conditions and times.

What you should first figure out is what kind of performance compromise you're looking for.

Are you looking to take the car ice-racing from time to time?

Do you see a lot of ungroomed roadway, with ice buildup under the fresh snow?

Do you want a tire that's more stable at highway speeds?

Do you want a tire that's pretty good in the wintry stuff, but is also fun in the clear?

Would you rather have a tire that's better in the clear, but is capable of "managing" better than the average "all-season" when it gets slippery out?

Each of these would point you more or less in the direction of various tire-selection - from studded to "studless ice & snow" to "performance winters," there's quite a bit of difference in how each can handle milder conditions, high-speed commuting on clear roadways, clear-weather performance, performance in snow/slush, and performance on snow/ice.

It all depends on what you're looking for. :)

I use a set of Dunlop SP WinterSport 3Ds, V-rated, on my LGT, simply because I know that their wintry-weather capabilities are better than just about any "all-season" could offer, but yet, I can both still have some fun when the weather clears, and also, I can, if I either put my foot down farther or played with the inflation pressures, have a car that's happy to "play" in the snow as well.

But I know that I'm giving up true "snow" capabilities, and also, the tire's not great on ice - that's what you have to live with, with "performance winter" tires.

My wife's WRX was fitted with a set of Michelin X-Ice Xi2s, 215/50/17 on the LGT's stocker 5-spoke 17x7s.

I got her that set as I wanted her car to have a bit more "self extraction" capability in deeper snow, as well as for her to be safer on icier surfaces. These "studless ice & snow" tires both have a more aggressively wintry tread-pattern, as well as have specialized compounds that make them come into their own, when it's more slick out.

The trade off?

That tire's not as stable at higher speeds, and its clear-weather "fun factor" is noticeably less than that of the 3Ds. Similarly, to get her car to slide in the wintry stuff - i.e. if I wanted to have some fooling in a snowed-in parking lot - the speeds get pretty scary, before I can really toss it around, as opposed to the 3Ds, which I can "slow motion slide." :lol:

There's always a trade-off, and you just have to know which side of the balance you want to play on. :)

[kagenmateer]

^^^ Great post as always. I would add that siping them made all the difference for me.

[john]

I have never owned a set of snow tires. Good all season radials do the trick. I am also on 225's with the stock rims. Hell - I even drove my big power supra on 285 wide all seasons in the winter. :)

[rtbrjason]

When I got my 08 spec b last May, I started looking into winter options pretty much right away as the oem tire was noted as summer performance only. I was pretty sold on a set of Dunlop SP Wintersport, and have wanted a set of these for several of my previous cars. I was going to do a set of 17's, with a dedicated "cheap" wheel from tirerack.

By the time I got around to making a purchase, it was getting close to winter and I still couldn't decide on a wheel to use. I had a lesser budget than initially planned on so I sprung for what I felt were one of the better sets of all season tires to put on my stock rims. I ended up with a conti-extreme in a 225/40/18, and though this was my first winter in the Subaru, I was pretty impressed. Traction from a stop was never an issue, but they do give up a bit on turning and braking in snow/ice as the compound they use is generally designed for a broader temperature range. Still with careful driving I had no problems at all last winter in the this area of western NY where we avg 90-100" of snow per season.

I'm still anxious to get a dedicated winter setup with a Dunlop WS and see how differently they react on this car. At this point though, I want to use my stock wheel as a winter setup as they're heavy (27-29lbs) and get a 17" lightweight set for summer use.

[TSi+WRX]

^ The ContiExtremes are very winter-capable for "all-season" tires.

Many Subaru enthusiasts here in the snow belt actually run them as their late-fall -to- early spring setup.


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I have never owned a set of snow tires. Good all season radials do the trick. I am also on 225's with the stock rims. Hell - I even drove my big power supra on 285 wide all seasons in the winter. :)

^ I think that the driver has a lot to do with it.

Those who are more seasoned winter drivers typically do very well with "just" all-seasons.

[kagenmateer]

I have siped Proxy4 (all-season) tires and I go blowin' by the slow ****s that don't know how to drive in the snow. Sometimes I get so upset at how they drive WAY slower than they need to (even in snow) that I'll go by them sideways on the other side of the road to prove a point. Sometimes they'll literally be going like 5 mph. I'll go by at 40 to prove a point, but I'm sure they just think I'm a jackass anyway.

I would have to say though, I am definitely a moving Subaru (AWD) ad during the wintertime.