As I get ready to purchase a set of snow tires for my (non-MINI) second car I thought I'd throw out the snow tire question to some MINI owners. For those that do use snow tires during the winter months what have you had luck with and what would you recommend? Do you have any suggestions for the MINI owner that thinks they may need something but aren't sure where to start?
Since my MINI currently is adorned with all-seasons (Sumitomo HRT+) I've never felt a huge need for dedicated snow tires. This is especially true living in Chicago where large snowfalls seem few and far between during winter (not at all like growing up in snowbelt of northern Indiana). However in the thick snow I have had the pleasure to scamper through I've been relatively surprised at the amount of traction my all-seasons have afforded me. That being said this traction is absolutely nothing compared to what a true snow tire can offer.
Further from my experience the performance tires that come on the MINI (and BMWs for that matter) can be truly scary on any kind of snow covered road. In fact I once got stuck trying to pull out of a lot with only 1/4″ of freshly fallen snow on the ground!
In the past I had always relied on Bridgestone Blizzaks to see me through the worst weather. However I've found their dry performance to be very lacking – this is especially apparent in a place like Chicago that's dry for a good part of the winter. So with that in mind anyone have anything specific to recommend for the snow-belt living MINI owners out there?
<p>I just installed Blizzaks on MINI JoeGreen after running him on the Dunlop factory issue runflats last winter. So, I'm not much help with new ideas but I am glad to have real traction if/when it does snow — which may be this weekend in Chi/IL/MI.</p>
<p>The ride on these is definitely lighter than the runflats which were hard as rocks. I guess I'll know more about the dry weather performance of Blizzaks as the winter progresses but so far so good.</p>
<p>At this rate though I've enough tread on both sets of tires to last another year of summer and winter driving.</p>
<p>Here in the lake effect snow belt in Western New York, there are people that swear by snow tires. I've never been huge on snow tires, because up untill recently, their performance on ice has been worse than regular all season tires. “Ordinary snow tires, as the name implies, are designed for snow and not for ice. On black ice, they are no better than ordinary tires, and in some tests very slightly worse.” (Source: <a href="http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mblackice.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mblackice.html</a> ). That being said, last winter I found the all-season performance tires that came standard on my MCS (they are either Pirelli or Dunlop runflats, I cannot remember which ones) to be very good in the winter (one of the other members in my MINI club also thought they suprisingly good). That, and the fact that the MINI is very perdictable, made for a winter without worry.</p>
<p>Snows are he way to go! I put 4 snows on all my winter cars as we head north to Maine and NH for skiing frequently. On my wifes Saab we use Blizzaks. They are horrible on dry roads. This must be what driving old bias ply tires was like. They do go well in the deep stuff but in New England we normally have groomed road once you are out of your driveway. I use Michelin's Pilot Alpin's on my Passat. They are some of the best handling tires in the dry I've ever seen. They are quiet on the highway as well. In the summer I use Pirelli P Zero Rosso's so I have a high benchmark for performance. The Pilot's cost a bunch and are worth every penny!</p>
<p>The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22s, Michelin Arctic-Alpins or Pirelli Winter Snowsports are all “performance” (H-rated) snow tires that strike a great compromise between snow/ice traction and dry weather conditions. I've driven on the Bridgestones and Pirellis during Chicago winters and have been pleased with both. The Tire Rack (tirerack.com) has performance test results comparing the tires' handling characteristics in the snow and on dry pavement.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I incorrecty specified that the Michelin Arctic-Alpins were a “performance” snow tire in my previous post. They are not. They have a Q speed rating and are designed to provide better performance in the snow and ice at the expense of diminished dry weather performance.</p>
<p>I'll wait and see how Koopah makes it through the New England winter this year with the Dunlop all-seasons.</p>
<p>I have Dunlop Winter Sport M2s on my 328i. They have been excellent on snow and ice for the last two seasons. They are also very stable on dry roads, exhibiting behavior more like a performance tire than a snow tire.</p>
<p>If Koopah needs snows, they'll most likely be the Dunlop Winter Sport M3s.</p>
<p>YMMV,</p>
<p>Theo</p>
<p>I have 15 inch Arctic Alpin. They drive well and can't tell much difference from the stock all-weather continentals. I'm very happy with them. They are also offering $40 rebate till Dec 31st!</p>
<p>I had Blizzak before on my acure, but I didn't like them much. Too soft and rubbery on dry roads.</p>
<p>Chicago roads are snowy only about six days per season. For me, that's just enough to worry about the slippery run-flat Dunlops, but not enough to go with a full snow tire and all of its problems (poor dry road traction, noise, lousy handling, rapid tire wear).</p>
<p>As a compromise, I bought a set of Dunlop SP Sport A2 high-performance all-season tires, mounted on 15″ steelies with decent-looking wheel covers from the Tire Rack. I had these on my Mini for most of the winter last season and loved them. They had good traction in the snow, with crisp handling when the roads were dry or just wet with rain. Basically, there was no loss of the Mini's fun factor.</p>
<p>Since I mount them around mid-November and don't switch back until mid-April, I'm extending the service life of the expensive run-flat Dunlops, too, which helps offset the cost of an additional set of tires.</p>
<p>i survived last winter with the factory dunlop run-flats, although it was a very mild winter for chicago! I think you really just have to drive according to the conditions!</p>
<p>If you have the cash and storage space, no brainer. The Factory recommended brands are Dunlop (SP Winter Sport M2/M3) for 15 & 16″, and Pirelli (Winter W240 Snowsport) for 17″. Can't go wrong with OEM specs.</p>
<p>My MINI rarely leaves the garage if the roads have a chance of snow. Unless its a MINI event… So, I have not given much thought to snow tires for the MINI, I simply take my other (much older,detroit built) car.</p>
<p>I survived last winter on thr stock
15 inch Conti all seasons.</p>
<p>I've liked Nokian tires for deep
snow, but I would recommend
them if you live in an unplowed
ski resort, but they're optimized
for deep snow at cost of dry road
performance.</p>
<p>On my other car (VW Jetta) I just got Blizzaks and can report they are great on ice, ok in the dry.</p>
<p>I still have Falken Azenis summer
tires on the MINI and at first sign
of snow I'm in for a pit stop and
change to put the Contis on.</p>
<p>After the Contis wear out,
I am considering Michelin Arctic
Alpins for dedicated winter-only
use.</p>
<p>I have a MCS with the stock 195/55-16 tires. After the first snow, only about 6″, I was on the internet looking for some narrower snow tires.</p>
<p>What I ended up with was a set of 7-hole MINI Cooper wheels and 175/65-15 all-season tires. They worked great. Mostly because they are narrower and penetrate thru the snow and slush better.</p>
<p>I am waiting for the tire rack test drive report on the new michelin pilot alpin 2. I have heard they are an excellant handling tire in the snow and extremely good on dry roads as well. Should be any day now. A little better suited to more moderate climates than the artic alpin.</p>
<p>Bilbo.. I'll definitely agree that it's the width of the stock tires on a MCS that's the main issue with the OEM tires, and not the actual tire itself…</p>
<p>We have used Nokian WR's on our current and previous 3 series cars. I can perceive a difference in dry pavement handling performance between them and the z-rated Brigestones, but they're H-rated so they do reasonably well on dry surfaces. In the snow of IL and WI they have been great. The dealer said that technically they are classified as all-season, and could be run the entire year. I plan to get them for the MINI when my stock 15″ contis wear out.</p>
<p>Now that I live down here in Ohio, I definitely won't bother becasue of the relative lack of snow. But, even when I used to live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (160+ inches per year of snow) and North Dakota, I did not find snow tires to be of enough benefit to bother with the swapping tires twice a year.</p>
<p>winter's just starting here in Toronto, but the MICHELIN ARTIC ALPINS 205/50/16 have been great…great traction so far.</p>
<p>I know they are wider than you should have, but I just wanted Michelin's and they didn't have the 195/55/16's availaBLE</p>
<p>Save your cash for fun stuff Prez.</p>
<p>I have snows in storage that I don't use any more cause when it snows in Chicago its instant bumper to bumper at 5 mph. I would be in my 325ix with Pirrelli p210 stuck behind a Firebird with bald Tigerpaw,s. All season are fine unless you roadtrip on the weekends a lot and want the improved grip on snow AND ICE.</p>
<p>Call the Rack</p>
<p>The problem is my 323iT currently has summer tires (with lots of tread) on it. I'd like to go with all-seasons eventually but my feeling is if I've got great summer tires I might as well use them for 2-3 years.</p>
<p>Gabe, I wish I would have known you were looking for snow tires. This past summer I just sold a set of Blizzak LM-22 mounted on 16″ steels that I got from the Tire Rack for $300. I had them on my 2000 323iT before I sold it last year and they were just sitting in my basement collecting dust.<br />
I was very pleased with the LM-22's. I drive down to Bloomington-Normal every week on business and I had no touble whatsoever driving down the highways or around town. They obviously aren't as good in the dry as the tires that came on my 323iT w/sport package, but they didn't seem that bad. :)</p>
<p>I have a Miata with Artic-Aplins, an Integra with Winter 210s and a WRX with the stock S92s all-seasons. The Integra is the worse of the bunch in the snow. Even with dedicated snow tires. Don't get me wrong, the 210s are fantastic. People don't know they're snow tires and they can handle tons of the white stuff. But the car with all-seasons left me spinning more than one occasion. You'd think that the Miata would be the worse, but with proper technique, it goes just fine and all the time. The WRX is heavier and has 205s which cut to the quick thru the snow. They're not the best but I have only gotten in trouble because the go pedal is so effective. Bottom line is that the car is a huge factor in how you get thru the snow. But I have been very happy with the 210s in the dry and snow. This was thru 3 years in Madison WI and half of a Grand Rapids MI winter.</p>
<p>Well after much deliberation and consultation I went ahead and bought <a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Winter+Sport+M2">Dunlop Winter Sport M2</a>s. I immediately put them to the test this weekend having to drive through unplowed dirt roads (with 2-3 inches of snow) to get a Christmas tree. I never once saw my DSC light come on and was amazed at the amount of grip I had. </p>
<p>Further on paved roads in perfect conditions the tires have the best grip of any snow tire I've ever felt. Granted I've only ever driven on Blizzaks in the winter but so far from the short amount of time I've had them it's pretty obvious that the Dunlops are made to be more of “performance” snow tire.</p>
<p>Folks,</p>
<p>Am I the only one who likes the 17″ all season run-flats? Combined with DSC they got us through some roads out here in Kansas that weren't even plowed yet… Oh yah, M.Clive is an 04 Works MCS… My lady started to work in her 03 CVT Cooper w/o ASC and had to come back home for me to drive her to work this morning. It was a 1 hour drive each way and the only 2 problems were the air intakes under the windshield got snow packed and the wipers froze up the melting snow. The MINI is as much fun it the white stuff as my old 67 VW was.</p>
<p>Bear</p>
<p>So my MCS got its first taste of some snow last night, and after the experience I definitely am going to need to invest in some winter or all-season tires, the Pirelli eufori@ are just not going to cut it.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any recommendations as to what 205/45-17 runflats seem to work well in the snow? I've heard several people comment that their OEM all-season tires seem to work quite well, or would I be better off with some dedicated winter tires?</p>
<p>Thanks…</p>
<p>I had a 93 delsol for 10 years and 185,000 miles in michigan and sadly sold it-but to an uncle who still drives it.
I drive hard-including the winter.
The only truely quality tire (and I ran ally types-mainly bridgestone-including blizzaks) is Nokian all weather tires. They out perform blizzaks in snow, slush and ice. And they are greaat on dry roads. Blizzaks are rubbery on the dry and are really squirelly at high speeds. so I put Nokians on my 92 mazda protege and got the same great results for 40,000 miles before I sold it. Wear was much less than expected on both cars. Higher cost? not over the long run-and no need for winter/summer tires anymore. No more spring/fall tire changes and finding a place to store tires and wheels.</p>
<p>Just took delivery on 4 Pirelli Winter 240 SnowSport RF (wheel size: 205/45VR-17). Got them at Tirerack.com for $142 each.</p>
<p>I'll be putting them on in the next couple weeks, so I'll let everyone know my experience once the white stuff starts flying. </p>
<p>I used my all-season run-flats last winter and while they were OK, there were a couple days there when I almost didn't get home from work. It'll be interesting to see the difference between the all-season tires and the snowsports. I've never bought specific snow tires before so I'm interested to see if there's really a big difference.</p>
<p>Cheers – – michael</p>
<p>I bought 4 Nokian WRs last December…about 8000 miles later and they’re worn down to about 2/32″!!! Anybody else seen this ridiculous wear on their WRs?</p>