Quote:
Originally Posted by husker boxster
I couldn't agree more. All season tires are a compromise. If you were looking for a skinny 15" tire, AS tires might be fine because they could compromise towards the snow ability. But we're talking about a 16"-18" tire that has to be capable of 150mph speeds. What direction do you think they'll compromise towards? It's not snow capability. If you lived in the mid-south, maybe you could get by with an AS tire, but not in CT.
And if you plan to keep them on year round, you'll be disappointed with the high performance capabilities too. Jack of (almost) all trades, master of none.
Perfectlap nailed it. Get a 2nd set of wheels and a dedicated set of snows. I don't have an impact wrench but can complete the job in 30 min with my race jack.
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Sure, all-seasons are a compromise. They are a compromise that is ideal for those of us who live in cold climates where we use the Porsche as an occasional weekend car. We don't take the Porsche out if it's going to snow -- duh! -- but it's sure nice to be able to drive on those weekends when it's cold but not snowy. We live in the Midwest where it may be 25 degrees this weekend, 70 the next, 15 the next, 55 the next, etc. etc. Under those circumstances it hardly makes sense to invest in buying, STORING, and changing an entire second set of tires/wheels -- for what, one or two weekends a year?
I bought Bridgestone Potenza RE970s about 1500 miles ago because my OEM Michelin Pilot Sports had dry-rotted in 15,000 miles while sitting in my garage in four, yes, four years. And why, do you ask? Because I had to leave my car in the garage all winter long for four, yes, four years, while UNABLE to drive it because it had the stupid summer tires on it and I was not interested in spending a couple of thou for a set of wheels/winter tires that would only be needed for a few hundred miles a year. So, I just let it sit in the winter. Well, no more. The dry-rotted tires were a wake-up call. I do not need to have tires that go rotten because of non-use, nor do I derive much enjoyment from seeing my car sitting in the garage all winter. The Potenzas are the compromise that lets me drive the car year-round with no hassles, no storage, no further expense. I guess if you drive often enough to justify it, maybe it would be worth spending the $$$ and time to buy and change out winter tires/wheels. That may be your cup of tea, but it isn't mine.
Disappointed with the handling? Have you ever actually driven on high performance all-seasons or are you just reading car magazines? Dunno how good they would be in a race, but I don't care because I don't race. They feel good on the street and give me a sense of confidence that I'm not stranded because a cold front suddenly rolls in. I can tell you I'm really happy with the cornering and braking under the conditions I use the Potenzas. I can also certify that the Potenzas handle MUCH better than dry-rotted Michelin Pilot Sports. Anyway, if I exceed the handling limits of the Potenzas, the safety device that always sits in the passenger seat kicks in and stops me anyway. LOL