Ask MF: Snow Tire Recommendations
This is a repost from one year ago. However given that the weather is about to get colder in the coming weeks, we felt that a re-post was in order.
So you have a MINI. You got the Sport pack and thought performance tires were a good idea. Then it snowed and you almost died. What should you do? That’s the question that prompted this week’s Ask MF sent in by Scott:
>I have a 2006 MCS with the sport package and performance runflats I just bought used and I need some recommendations on snow tires to get me through winter. I’m in western Michigan so I really need some dedicated snows rather than all-seasons. Any suggestions?
Blizzak, Nokian, Dunlop and Michelin all make solid snows for the MINI. There some versions that do better in deep snow and some that are more performance oriented. Being in Western Michigan and getting enormous amount of lake effect snow, I’m guessing you need something that geared toward ultimate traction rather than performance. Because of that I’d start with taking a look at the Nokian and Blizzak line-up first.
But what else is out there? Lets hear it in the comment section below.
<p>I’ve been very happy with my Blizzak LM-25 RFTs. I believe these have been updated this year as the LM-60. I also know several local club members who are happy with their Pirelli 240 SnowSports.</p>
<p>My Clubby was a daily driver thru a Southern Alberta winter last year and never got stuck!</p>
<p>Dunlop Winter Performance tires have worked great for me.</p>
<p>Blizzak runflats are a dream in our Minneapolis winters which are brutal. The blizzak snow tires turns my MINI into a MINI snow plow. Goes like a dream in snow – all ready put them on for the winter. The car came with all season runflats which are a holy terror on snow or ice – worst tire I’ve ever had in snow.</p>
<p>Here in Denver I have run the Hankook Icebears and really like them. They are a bit cheaper than the others and seem to provide similar performance.</p>
<p>Like most canucks, I have tried various snow tires and would most recommend a set of Nokian Hakks. There are a range of Hakks and some are almost overkill (though studdable) for a lot of climes while others penalize you less when roads are dry yet still give excellent grip in snow.</p>
<p>One consideration for those that drive where it is cold but roads are dry most of the time – invest in a stiffer sidewall rating, even on your winter tires. I personally won’t even look at a snow rated less than H as the mushiness on dry roads is so poor (I actually run Pirelli Snowsports in V rating for this reason). Bottom line: as Gabe writes you need to consider what kind of winter roads you typically traverse and how you like to drive to pick an optimal tire.</p>
<p>Also, for Northern readers, I have found CanTire “Nordic” brand tires to wear poorly, making any supposed $ savings in getting a “good enough” winter tire disappear. In comparison, Nokians cost a bit more but wear very well and give great snow performance for several seasons of use, ending up costing less over their service life.</p>
<p>Better yet? Store it if you can! :)</p>
<p>One more tidbit: most of my buddies with RWD performance cars that they run in winter (eg., BMWs) are going with Hankook i-pikes the past couple of years. Also highly recommended and easier to source than Nokians.</p>
<p>I live in Boulder, CO and run 16″ Dunlop Wintersport 3D runflats. I have driven my MC40 with them all over the state to ski throughout two winter seasons so far and I feel they provide excellent traction. Will probably replace with the same when these wear out.</p>
<p>I have been using Blizzaks on my Focus SVT and now my mini for the past 4 years. Same set of tires luckly. They have been wearing great. I have put on about 20k miles since i have gotten them and they will last at least 2 more winters. They get me to and from Vermont in the winter from NJ without much issue.</p>
<p>In recent test here in Germany by various auto clubs and auto magazines these three winter tires came out with the best results:
Continental TS 830
Goodyear UltraGrip 7+
* Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D</p>
<p>I just bought a set of Bridge Spoke (R94) wheels with the Dunlop winter tires. They came pre-assembled from BMW at a good price.</p>
<p>Living in Colorado, I have found Nokian WRG2s to perform very well in all types of snow, snow/rain mixes, and also offer good road handling and feel in the dry. They are 195/55R16s mounted on 16×6.5 MINI S-winder wheels (made by BBS), which clear the JCW calipers on the GP with plenty of room. In addition, the Nokians use an enviromentally friendly, non-carcinogenic oils in the tire construction. Highly recommended.</p>
<p>I second goat’s remarks about the type of winter conditions. I live in the Washington DC region, and we don’t get all that much snow each winter relative to further north (when we do though, it paralyzes the city). I didn’t want a really soft rubber compound on my winter tires because I knew they’d wear really fast on the (mostly) dry pavement each winter.</p>
<p>So I run with Pirelli 240 SnowSports. They really do hit the “sweet spot” for people who want “really good” snow performance yet want their winter tires to still perform decently on dry (cold) pavement.</p>
<p>If you don’t live in an area where snow stays on the ground the entire winter, consider the Pirellis instead – you’ll be much happier with the dry performance and their longevity than some of the more “hardcore” snow tires!</p>
<p>+1 on the Hankook IceBears.</p>
<p>+1 on the Pirelli Snowsports on the factory S-Lites.
Park City, Utah. made the car comfortable to drive in the winter. I even autocrossed on them once (cold/wet pavement) Now starting their third season. I would buy them again. My summer shoes are Bridgestones RE01r.</p>
<p>from experience: buy runflat snow tires. especially if you don’t have a spare. nothing sucks worse than waiting for a tow on a cold snowy day. or worse, you do have a spare somewhere and you have to change it on a cold snowy day.</p>
<p>I purchased the so called winter alloy wheels 16 inch R87 for my ’07 R56 and installed the Dunlop 3D runflats. We have Cold(!) and some snow, but I certainly have the long highway runs to make at times and the tires seem to work great. I really wanted the Nokians as I have used them for 25 years, but no runflat.</p>
<p>Anybody use the Nokian performance tires? I’m less concerned about runflat for summer use and will need to think about replacing the 17″ performance summer next year.</p>
<p>I have to respectfully disagree about runflats, whether winter or summer. They are significantly heavier and have poorer handling & ride characteristics relative to non-runflats, both caused by the extra material in the sidewalls. This also increases rotating weight dramatically since the extra mass is located on the outer diameter of the wheel/tire, affecting both braking and handling. They are also more expensive than non-runflats.</p>
<p>Of course you have to balance these factors with the concerns mentioned by the previous posters, but for me I will never use run flats again after wearing out the stock tires. Current setup: Nokian WGR2s for winter, Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs for summer.</p>
<p>+2 on the Pirelli 240 SnowSports (on S-Lites too).
Where I live in Germany the winters can go from dry to wet to icy to snow (and back) fairly quickly and I have found that the Pirelli’s give a great balance of performance when the roads are good, and traction when they aren’t.</p>
<p>I had Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 runflats and the price went way down $116.00 at tirerack good in dry and wet but great in snow <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709054@N00/402584510/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709054@N00/402584510/</a></p>
<p>try changing a tire in 30 blow temps and you will wish you had runflats</p>
<p>For winter, think the opposite of a warm dry racetrack.
Get the smallest rims that will clear the brakes, and the most narrow size that fit that rim.
You can get much higher sidewalls to match the original height, but I would not, you will handle like a Toyota.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the tires being shorter, you will have speedometer error, but it will be easier to use cable chains if you have an ice storm. Put cables on all four wheels, or you will stop sideways on ice.</p>
<p>Winter tires will not handle dry roads to Mini Cooper standards. Some are bad in the rain, and only fair on ice.</p>
<p>For a flat tire in any season, do not put a smaller spare on a drive wheel, very hard on the differential and unsafe.</p>
<p>No matter what tire, studs or not, invest in dedicated rims. One time expense, long time payoff in so many ways. +1 on the Nokian products too.</p>
<p>Blizzak LM-25/60 RFT all the way for insane Canadian winters. Now all I need is a snowplow and fireplace.</p>
<p>does it make sense to drop down to 16″ snows from the 17″ i have now? are there any run flat snows?</p>
<p>There is a Winter Edition that MINI Canada has rolled out as an option for 2010 Coopers. They Come with 2 sets of tires (Winter set and allseason set.) and all the cold weather options for keeping you happy in the winter. Its a really good option for those who are looking at getting into a car for the sake of a winter ride…</p>
<p>Has anyone here heard of or tires Green Diamond tires? Carbide granules molded into the tread material sounds like a good alternative to studs for ice.</p>
<p>@Jamie Fishman – yes, there are runflat snows. That’s what my Pirelli 240 SnowSports are. They are available in both RFT and non-RFT versions. The price difference between the two versions is only US$14 per tire (at Tire Rack), with RFTs being the more expensive ones. That price comparison is for 205/45R17, which is what I run.</p>
<p>Boulder County Co. I just got a set of “Firestone Winterforce” with studs and in the first storm 2 weeks ago I still “Ruled the Bends” with 6″ on the ground. Sounds like a Toyota Takoma on dry roads though. The local “Peerless Tire” dealer advertised Hankooks but didn’t have em in my size but ordered the Firestones for $74. I was billed for new stems but didn’t need them with my stock 5 star spoolers with TPMS. I went with 185 60R 15 size and now my speedometer is 5 mph to low at 55 mph and up and around 4 off at 40 mph, so a taller profile like the stock Conti’s 175 65R 15 would help keep the speedo more accurate. HAPPY MOTORING</p>
<p>Also the Dunlop 3D I am running at 16 inch are runflats. (BTW not the exact tire size that is listed for the R87 MINI rim I have for the winter, but Tirerack helped on finding the “right” size)</p>
<p>“Does it make sense to drop down to 16 inch snows from the 17″</p>
<p>Yes, definitely, even go to 15 inch if you can clear the brakes.</p>
<p>I have 17″ Michelin Alpin PA3 and I love them. Great in the snow and not too bad in the dry.</p>
<p>I have Blizzaks-ws60’s I think on my car. Let me just say, I have a moderate foot. I don’t press too hard and I brake somewhat normal for the MINI that is meant to be driven. The tread on these died so quickly it isn’t even funny. I thought when I put on my summer tires I could just put the back 2 on the front of my car since they had newer tread and be ok for this winter but I am beginning to think I need yet another early exchange. I nearly died a few times and taking turns are appropriate speeds is still scary in the MINI. The car fishtails horribly at the site of any less-than-dry surface. I need a tire with strong tread that won’t die and won’t make me die, any recommendations?</p>
<p>@Kevin Konrad – I’m not surprised. Blizzaks are fantastic in snow but TERRIBLE on dry pavement. What area do you live in? Lots of dry pavement in the winter? Seriously, check out the Pirelli winter tires. :)</p>
<p>I wish there was a For Sale section– we’ve got 2 sets of 1st gen 15″ holies to offer. Easily the best way to go, OEM, wall height, skinny to cut down to pavement.</p>
<p>And yes– the Pirelli Winters, make winter wonderful.</p>
<p>I have Nokian Hakka2 studded 185/65R15 tires mounted on some OEM 15″ “holies”. Fantastic snow and ice tire. It seems in my area that every snow storm ends up with icy roads for several days. The tall sidewalls are great for soaking up all of the potholes that develope during the winter months. Added benefits of taller sidewalls, smoother ride, less chance of bending a rim, and less chance of mushrooming the strut towers.</p>
<p>I do not run them all winter just when it snows, otherwise I run my all season BFG Traction T/As as long as the roads are clear . Currently the Nokians will be starting their fifth winter with a still healthy amount of tread left.</p>
<p>As others have pointed out, for best winter traction you want a narrow rim and tire. As narrow as you can find. Just personally, I do not tend to drive as fast or push as hard during the winter as I do in the summer. There are just so many other things that can ruin a nice bit of motoring, a patch of sand at the “turn-in”, apex, or “track-out”, a wet clump of leaves, a deer at dusk, black ice, etc. You get it. Just not my idea of fun. Much rather save it for the warmer weather. So having a narrower tire is really no problem for me, and I like how they handle when the going gets aweful.</p>
<p>I’ve used and been satisfied with Bridgestone Blizzak WS50 tires on my 2002 Cooper for 6 winters and 4 winters on my 2005 Cooper too. This year I upgraded to the WS60 and I switch about this time of year for the next 5 months here in southern Wisconsin. Ocasionally, to prep for an ice storm I’ve even used the spray on TYRE GRIP that repels snow build-up in the treads.This all helps the daily drive MINIs survive the lousy weather and roads here!</p>
<p>I’ve got a set of Pirelli Winter Carving tires for my car. I opted to get them studded for our harsh Alaskan winters. The tires are 185/65r15, mounted on a set of inexpensive aluminum wheels – all purchased from Tire Rack. The 15’s fit just fine on my ’04 MCS, and actually provide a much nicer ride – helpful for bumpy winter roads. This is my 3rd winter, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how these tires are holding up and how they perform on our winter roads.</p>
<p>My sister has a ’06 MCS, and purchased virtually the same 15″ tire/wheel package. She chose to go with a slightly less expensive tire – General Altimax Arctic, studded. Despite the lower cost, I’d say these tires easily grip as well as my Pirellis, with an added benefit that they’re a bit quieter as well. This is her first Alaskan winter with her MINI, so we’ll have to see how her tires hold up.</p>
<p>need proof to go skinny in the pow-pow?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/dacia-duster-troph-e-andros/full/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/dacia-duster-troph-e-andros/full/</a></p>
<p>I would love to have winter tires that skinny for my MINI! It carves corners on ice like crazy as it is with my 185-65R15’s…can’t imagine how much more bite a tire that skinny would have on the slippery stuff…</p>
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<p>Hankooks and love them. Directional so very quiet. $107 a piece in 215/45R17. Can’t beat it!</p>
<p>I’ve never had a problem in Western MI in the snow or Easter MI in the slop, ice and just plain cold with my Michelin Alpin PA2’s (they make PA3’s now). They’re great in the snow and still great when it melts. I have them mounted on a set of 16″ S-winders for easy season-swapping.</p>