|
Mid Atlantic Impreza Club Forum sponsored by Annapolis Subaru |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
09-30-2010, 08:22 PM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 185131
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Northern VA
Vehicle:2011 STI DGM |
Looking for Tire advice
So I just got a 2011 STI and am wrestling with the idea of needing new tires for the winter. With the exception of last winter I don't really think our winters have been that bad the past few years. What do you all think or what have you all done? Will Ultra Performance All Season tires do the job? If so, what Ultra Performance All Season tires do you recommend? I appreciate any advice you can give as this is my first AWD car.
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
|
09-30-2010, 08:34 PM | #2 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 120
Join Date: Jul 1999
Chapter/Region:
AKIC
Location: Where the Navy sends me...
Vehicle:1997 Legacy 2.5GT 1996 Impreza coupe |
What tires did you have on your previous car(s) for the winter?
You should be just fine with all-season tires for the winter. Last year was a freak anomaly when it comes to snowfall. |
09-30-2010, 08:35 PM | #3 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 23248
Join Date: Aug 2002
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Vehicle:2014 Toyota Avalon 2012 OB 2.5i Limited |
Do yourself a favor and get some dedicated winter tires on some winter wheels. The wheels don't have to be terrible expensive or fancy...besides, if one wheel gets messed up due to a pothole or something, it's an easy fix. For me, I have done this for the past 10 years! Besides, you don't wear your sneakers in the snow do ya?
Michael |
09-30-2010, 08:48 PM | #4 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 57283
Join Date: Mar 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Loudoun
Vehicle:2014 4.7L of TT Fury w/ 4Matic |
I ran Goodyear F1 All-Season on my '08 STI. Keep it on "i'' mode, the diff locked on 50/50 and no issues in the white stuff....just realize they're not snow tires so braking/turning require forethought (common sense snow driving really)
|
09-30-2010, 08:55 PM | #5 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 993
Join Date: Feb 2000
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: nova
|
well...you bought a 35000 car and don't want to put decent tires on it to drive in nasty weather. I don't get it. Get some cheap rims (17" prior years takes offs) and put tires on there that are at least the most foul weather biased all seasons tire rack sells. It would be a shame to hit a pothole before VA gets out there to clean them up in the spring with those nice BBS rims of yours.
|
09-30-2010, 08:57 PM | #6 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
I run Dunlop Winterport 3Ds, which ride and handle like a typical all-seasons in the dry, and are excellent in snow and ice. Even with AWD, that only helps with going. When turning or stopping , you're just like any other car out there. Yeah, we don't get much snow or ice and people will say you don't need them. But trust me, once you have them, you'll never want to use A/S tires in the winter again....
I put them on around Thanksgiving and take them off in early March. 3 seasons on mine so far and no appreciable amount of wear, either. I just use my stock wheels for the snows. I have other sets with my summer and autocross/track tires on them. Swapping tires from wheel to wheel gets $$....like stated above, just buy some cheap wheels (strong design, preferably!) and keep the winter tires on them. Here's why you want them: |
09-30-2010, 09:02 PM | #7 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
also note: a performance winter tire's true value is when it is below 32 degrees out...even on dry streets it has superior traction than an A/S tire due to the compound. And while we don't get a ton of snow here, it does get cold and we do get ice, where A/S tires are worthless.
|
09-30-2010, 09:19 PM | #8 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 57283
Join Date: Mar 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Loudoun
Vehicle:2014 4.7L of TT Fury w/ 4Matic |
cold makes an A/S tire worthless?
ZOMG!! Panic!!! |
09-30-2010, 09:31 PM | #9 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
|
09-30-2010, 09:33 PM | #10 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 77435
Join Date: Dec 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Charlottesville
Vehicle:04 WRX Wagon Stg2 '94 Miata Project |
my 3 year old RE960's got me around just fine last winter, had plenty of fun too. even got up my steep driveway no problem, i just let the air out a bit. they're not as awesome as dedicated winters, but we just don't get enough snow around here to really need them.
|
09-30-2010, 09:40 PM | #11 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
Quote:
|
|
09-30-2010, 09:47 PM | #12 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 57283
Join Date: Mar 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Loudoun
Vehicle:2014 4.7L of TT Fury w/ 4Matic |
Quote:
|
|
09-30-2010, 10:05 PM | #13 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
Quote:
you = saying I said that A/S were WORTHLESS in cold. Which, of course I did not say. A/S are fine in the cold if the ground is dry, or in snow they're decent. Not in ice. It's all about the compound. me = saying that A/S are worthless in ICE. Which they are, of course, because they don't have sipes and have a harder compound. fact = when the road temperature is below freezing, the compounds on a winter tire give superior traction to the compounds on an A/S. Especially since in most cases when the road temperature is below 32, there are ice crystals in the asphalt, even when the road looks dry. Just for your clarity, though.....Please note again that I said "traction" not "response" or "handling," which of course are the weak points of a winter tire vs. A/S. Nobody is arguing that on a dry street in the winter a car on Blizzaks will outhandle a car on Pilot Sport A/S... -- I bet Rotas don't perform as well in the winter either, do they? Last edited by irish44j; 09-30-2010 at 10:10 PM. |
|
09-30-2010, 10:24 PM | #14 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 57283
Join Date: Mar 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Loudoun
Vehicle:2014 4.7L of TT Fury w/ 4Matic |
dude! Your exact words =
what am I missing? |
09-30-2010, 10:42 PM | #15 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
Quote:
but whatever....this is a pointless argument lol. If he has the means to get a winter set, there's no real downside to it (It will help if ice/snow is on the road and it won't "hurt" anything if the road is clear). If he doesn't want a 2nd set of wheels, an A/S will work year-round. |
|
09-30-2010, 10:51 PM | #16 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 993
Join Date: Feb 2000
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: nova
|
Before this got sidetracked....this is the best reason to get a cheap set of rims and alternate tires for winter. Gigantic potholes suck.
|
09-30-2010, 10:55 PM | #17 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 191290
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Burke, VA
Vehicle:09 OPB SM WRXsedan 85 BMW E30 M2 Rallycrossr |
|
09-30-2010, 11:55 PM | #18 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 185131
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Northern VA
Vehicle:2011 STI DGM |
Quote:
|
|
10-01-2010, 08:52 AM | #19 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 993
Join Date: Feb 2000
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: nova
|
oh...well that changes things a bit. If you don't really need to drive it when it is bad out I would go for a more aggressive set of all seasons on some older year take offs. Just make sure you are home for actual snow!
|
10-01-2010, 09:13 AM | #20 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 104922
Join Date: Jan 2006
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: NoVA
Vehicle:2016 WRX |
IMO, winter tires aren't worth the .05% of the time when you need them.
|
10-01-2010, 09:18 AM | #21 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 17030
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Fairfax, Va
Vehicle:2016 audi s3 sepang blue |
I think a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires is your safest bet. Sure, not every winter is as rough as the last one but the potential is there. Plus you'll get a little more life out of your summer setup.
I found a used set that was in perfect shape for $500 for both wheels and tires for my MS3. |
10-01-2010, 09:30 AM | #22 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 2394
Join Date: Sep 2000
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Bel Air Md.
Vehicle:2005 Legacy GT wagon 2009 Forester X |
<< best of both worlds,,Michelin Pilot ultra high performance A/S on my LGT.
If it gets really bad I drive the wifes 09 Forester. IMO I think you'll be just fine with a good A/S tire considering you can walk to work. |
10-01-2010, 11:32 AM | #23 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 151003
Join Date: Jun 2007
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Vehicle:2007 STi OBP |
Quote:
I picked up 4 wheels and blizzaks on them for $400 from a guy on here back when i bought my 07 STi. I swap them out every year around thanksgiving...its the way to go. I drove to DC to see a caps game at the height of the frist huge storm we got this year. STi/WRX + Snow Tires = unstoppable. |
|
10-01-2010, 01:36 PM | #24 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 152466
Join Date: Jun 2007
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
|
Pffft. Just use high performance summer tires all year round and throw the dice. I mean, you're paying insurance for a reason, right? Worst case, you have to get a new car. lol.
|
10-01-2010, 03:17 PM | #25 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 180924
Join Date: May 2008
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: West Chester, PA
Vehicle:2017 Forester |
I ran Blizzaks on my STi last year. I was going uphill in 8 inches of unplowed snow like it was nothing. YMMV.
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
The Winter Tire thread- all winter tire questions go here !!! | Luke@tirerack | Tire & Wheel | 7479 | 02-02-2022 03:43 PM |
Yokohama Winter Tires - IN STOCK!!! | Rocket_Rally | VIC Vendor Classifieds | 2 | 10-22-2010 01:05 PM |
Winter Tires Size!!!! | bouj06 | Tire & Wheel | 2 | 10-14-2010 02:37 PM |
WTB Winter Tires// Winter Rim + Tire | essteaeye | Private 'Wanted' Classifieds | 8 | 12-04-2005 08:22 PM |
WTB: Winter Tires / Winter Wheel + Tire Setup 05 sti | essteaeye | Tri-State Area Forum | 6 | 11-26-2005 12:36 PM |