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Originally Posted by husker boxster
I have no knowledge of those particular tires you mention but I can pass along my experience with all seasons on a Box. The first winter I had the Box I bought a set of Kumho's, based on the good reviews on TireRack. They were worthless in anything over 1" of snow. I was able to get around, but it was scary and looking back it was probably stupid. Last year I bought a set of Blizzaks and got around just fine. BTW, I have 18" wheels also.
I was surprised and disappointed with the all seasons. Surprised because I had a set of Firestone all seasons on my previous car (MR2 Sypder - same configuartion as the Box) that worked great. Were the Kumhos not a good tire? Applying a little logic, it came to me. Building a good 15" all season snow tire that can go 100-110mph is possible. Building an 18" tire that can go 150mph and go through the snow isn't so easy. If the tire companies have to choose between performance or snow ability in an all season, they're going to err on the performance side since these tires (especially 18's) are going on a high performance vehicle. A snow tire like the Blizzak doesn't try to live this dual lifestyle, so they can concentrate on making it good in the snow.
You really only have 2 choices in winter: buy an extra set of wheels for snows or leave your Box in the garage. I chose the winter tire route because I drive mine every day and I don't want to have a heart attack every time I see a snow flake in the air. With the lousy weather forecasting we have around here, I don't want to get caught out somewhere and not get home. The Blizzaks give me that peace of mind.
Hope this helps in your decision.
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Traction is typically better in snow with a more narrow treadwidth. It helps to increase the pressure on the snow and compact it. For the same reason, a heavier car will get better traction. In addition, more torque will make it harder to "hook up" with the road.