All weather tires

I live in East TN and want to get some 17" "Almost" winter wheels and tires. I have 19" wheels and summer tires on it and would like to get some 17's for the winter with some all weather tires that will still give me some handling. Preferences?

Do you get snow? If so, the Conti DWS are great. Otherwise there are better handling A/S out there.

I have been using two sets of wheels and tires for winter and summer
for over 20 years now, most recently on three different VWs, mk4, mk5, & mk6.
In winter I have used Dunlop Wintersport, Dunlop Graspic, Michelin X-Ice, & Bridgestone Blizzak.
The most recent iteration of Bridgestone Blizzak, the WS-80, actually surprised me.
Very little tread squirm, the most all-season like feel of any winter tire I have tried
(much like the Dunlop Wintersport feel, with better ice and snow grip).
I know you are asking about all-season, but since you run a different set in summer,
you might want to consider the Blizzak WS-80.


2012 Golf R (front tire) - oe Classix 5x112 7Jx17 et54 - BlizzakWS80-225/45-17 91H

I'd never want to live for months on winter tires in a place that has average lows in the upper 20s. That sounds painful. I'd go for those new DWS06 if I were in your shoes.

--Matt

mattkosem said:

I'd never want to live for months on winter tires in a place that has average lows in the upper 20s. That sounds painful. I'd go for those new DWS06 if I were in your shoes.
--Matt

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I understand what you are saying.
Most of the winter tires over the years that I have used, I would agree.
The Bridgestone WS-80 is an exception to that experience.
This may be unique to the 17" variant, but they are superb in the dry.
With the advantage of winter formulated rubber that does better in ice, slush.
I don't know the averages, but lows in the upper 20s are common here, highs in the low 40s as well.
When we do get storms, most often winter front moves up and down above us.
Rain changing to ice changing to snow is common.

On dry pavement, the WS-80 is the most "all-season like" winter tire I have ever used.
The WS-80s held their own in the bad stuff without being annoying on the good days.
I carry speed and love Gs (my passengers learn to use grab handles),
the WS-80 are every bit as good as a set of oe grade all-seasons.

He already has a summer set, he is going 17s, so why compromise on the rubber?

Anyway, we get a fair amount of fun stuff like this.

I dunno. Tennessee is quite a bit further south than Ohio. I live in Ohio and, as much as I hate snows, live with them from November to March. Good snows are great for traction, even in the dry, as long as it is very very cold. They're crap and intolerable, in my opinion at least, when it is 40 or above though. I'd go as far as calling them downright dangerous and risky in the 60s or higher. I'm ALWAYS fed up and switching to my summer wheels and tires earlier than I'd like because of that.

OP: Do you get much snow? What are normal daytime temps like where you live in the winter? What's the warmest you usually see then?

Based on what the interwebs say for weather there, I'd still pick the DWS06 for a dedicated winter set and keep the summers for summer.

--Matt

Needmorspeed said:

I live in East TN...

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mattkosem said:

I dunno. Tennessee is quite a bit further south than Ohio. ...
OP: Do you get much snow? What are normal daytime temps like where you live in the winter? What's the warmest you usually see then? ...

Click to expand...

would be useful if OP would clarify.

My recollections of East Tennessee may be skewed,
Appalachian mountains around some of those parts

The newer Nokian WRG3 replaced the WRG2's I had, simply an amazing tire. I run the hakkapollita R2's in the winter and the Mich PSS in the summer but If I was looking for a tire for year round it would be the WRG series.

-R