All Season Tires

[blue2000s]

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.

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.

[Dr. Kill]

I concur - a second set of wheels with snow tires is worth the hassel. I would recommend calling Tire Rack. They hooked me up with a set of wheels and tires that was not on their website and the price was better than I had hoped. With those, I surived weekly commutes to, and daily traffic in, Buffalo. If it works there, it should work well where you are too. Good luck!

[Paul]

Ok guys I'll say it again, I have a set of snow tires on wheels and a set of summer tires on wheels.

How does this help me drive a car from WI to FL in Nov?

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Paul

Ok guys I'll say it again, I have a set of snow tires on wheels and a set of summer tires on wheels.

How does this help me drive a car from WI to FL in Nov?

leave teh summer tires at home and just chalk up the snow tires to travel expenses. The winter tires run fine in warm climates and you'll be ready for any winter surprises.

[insite]

i have the 960AS on the G35. they're really great. they're better than most high performance summer tires as far as ultimate grip / sidewall feel goes. good in the rain, too. i would definitely buy them again. WAY more quiet than the Pilot Sports that came off the car.

[rick3000]

I've got a question. I to am preparing my Boxster for the winter, aswell. I've got a few questions that fit into this thread.
Why does everyone recommend an extra set of rims, why not just get the tires changed at a tire shop using your current rims?
What is the difference between using 16" and 17" rims with snow tires (I've got 17"'s)?
Could you run two snow tires on the back and all seasons on the front?
Thanks!

[Perfectlap]

well for a snow tire to work its best the narrower the better.
And of course smaller tires are much cheaper and you more choices.
You need the same type on all four corners. The light front end of the car is going to struggle to find traction regardless of what's going on in the back if you go with all seasons in front only. That can be dangerous.

Changing tires is not as expensive as buying a whole new set of wheels/tires but it's still not cheap. Some discount places won't touch an expensive Porsche wheel for fear of scratching the paint with their low end machinery. And the places with the proper machinery can be expensive. A mid level place charged me $170 to mount my Summer tires. They see those 18" Porsche wheels and I see $$$ in their eyes.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

leave teh summer tires at home and just chalk up the snow tires to travel expenses. The winter tires run fine in warm climates and you'll be ready for any winter surprises.

Did I mention I will be touring the track......