Bill C.

I have an 08 TLS/AT with summer tires on it. I live in the Boston area and drive 250 miles a week. What tires do you guys recommend? The winters here get pretty intense. Thanks, B.C.

Big Green

Plenty of opinions on here. Some like the conti DWS for the price, but since your winters are harsh like mine you may want a more dedicated winter tire. That being said, Blizzak's are always good. In my opinion, Nokian tires can't be beat. I've got them on my TL-S and I ran them on my Audi a4.

Dedicated winter Nokian's would be the Hakkapelita RSi (non-studded) or a year round but winter rated (has the severe service emblem) is the WR G2. I run the WR's on mine.

Check out www.tiresbyweb.com, or their ebay site. Here are some links:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-New...s#ht_897wt_941

http://stores.ebay.com/TiresByWeb

BASISON

I have to agree with Big Green in that you can't go wrong with Blizzaks. Pirelli also has a great brand called Scorpion (I think) that gets pretty good reviews. Either way, winter tires are a much better choice for snow vs. All seasons.

Hooferaffa

1. Well worth it to get dedicated wheels and tires. Changing over is a pain otherwise.
2. Most any winter tire will be better than all-seasons.
3. Unless you spend a lot of time way up north (like NH/Maine, not north shore :-) ) be mindful of the dry-road performance too, that is what you'll have most of the time.

I had blizzaks on my passat and found them to be a bit squirmy, switched to gislaveds and liked them better in the dry (but not as good when things got ugly). Waiting for the snow to arrive to swap over to some michelins on the TL.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

I'll be running General Altimax arctic this season, I have heard good things about them so far

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Altimax+Arctic

Bill, do what I did, get yourself a dedicated winter tire/wheel set up through tirerack, shipped directly to you ready to mount.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

I run Michelin Pilot Alpins on my TL-S and are very happy with them They are a "performance winter" tire and as such are not as grippy in super heavy snow as say the X Ice 2 or other snow/ice tread, but still offer pretty good traction. However, they absolutely rock on dry/wet pavement for a winter tire.

NBP04TL4ME

Bill -

I agree with the other posters and have been running Dunlop SP WinterSport M3 Tires for the past three winters. I can't compare them to the Blizzaks or others mentioned as this is the only set of dedicated snows I've ever owned. However I can tell you that they were great in the MA winter snow. When the streets are cleared of the snow and ice, they handle very well. You may want to check out CL and see what is available. I bought the Dunlops on CL from someone who used them one year on an Audi A6. This is what is out there now -

http://boston.craigslist.org/search/...min&maxAsk=max

These should bolt right on -

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/pts/1470338238.html

Good Luck -

MVR 155

These are also what I run on my TL-S, last winter was my first season with them and WOW the car is amazing in the snow with these.

BigRy04TL

Bill, I run Hankook Ice Bears on my TL and they are sick. Look and perform awesome. Can't beat the price either, $125 apiece, mounted and balanced for 235/45/17.

Babnik

Another vote for the Michelin Pilot Alpin. They are snow tires intended for sports cars so they do not feel as squishy on dry roads as most other snow tires, also they will not wear out as fast on dry roads. Also they have a higher speed rating than most snow tires. They're a bit on the expensive side though but if you search you can probably find a good deal.

TLAwesome

I'm assuming your tire size is 235/45 R17. If not, please let us know.

In terms of a performance winter tire, there is nothing available in the USA that is better than the Dunlop SP Winter 3D. There are other performance winter tires that are equal or better than the 3D, (the Goodyear Eagle Performance 2, Nokian Hakka 7, Blizzak LM-30, and the Continental TS830P), but I can't locate them in the USA.

If you don't want a performance winter tire, then most all of the tires mentioned by others in this thread will give you very good to excellent winter traction and will not disappoint. However, you should avoid the Hankook Ice Bear (W300) as well as ANY Bridgestone LM-series tire, other than the LM-30 and LM-35 which, go figure, aren't available in the USA. The LM-25 and LM-60 cannot compete with the SP Winter Sport 3D, so they aren't worth it. The Ice Bear W300 did not do well in comparative reviews:

Acura604

i slapped on

General Altimax Arctics 205/60/16 on 16" steelies.

1st_Night

Hi Acura604,

I'm looking into getting snow tires for my 3G TL as well. I see you got smaller tires than what most of the members here have been using. My mechanic recommended to me to get 205/55/16's as well. I'm wondering what you think about your tires and if you would recommend them? Can 205's support the wait of a TL? I don't believe in going bigger for winters; they should be smaller to cut through the snow in my opinion. If anyone else has an opinion please repond. I'm planning to buy rims(steelies) and tires within a weeks time.

Thanks in advance,
1st_Night

MVR 155

The narrower tire can handle the weight of the TL just fine, the only negative will be reduced dry handling..... however it will be superior in the snow vs. the stock tire size. Everything is a compromise one way or another, in this situation I think the positives far out weigh the negatives.

Acura604

hey.. i slapped on the Generals last weekend and have rode 70km per day since.. no problems at all. As for how they perform, we haven't gotten any snow here..but a whole lot of rain.. and from what I can tell, it is for sure a whole lot grippier than stock michelins. The 205 width is fine for the TL.. i researched this to no end before finally buying this winter combo.

driving on dry roads is fine actually but i know the limits of a winter tire so i dont push the TL at all. the tire is pretty quiet too and does deliver a pretty smooth ride. I'm actually looking forward to some snow so I can test it.. after 20yrs of driving without winter tires, this will be my first time using them. The TL failed miserably in the snow last year (vancouver 2008) with the all-seasons so I knew i had to be ready this year just in case.

good luck on your winter rims/tires purchase!

1st_Night

Hello,

Thanks for the info. You guys answered my questions. I'm going to get the smaller wheel size. It's definitely needed for cutting through snow.

Thanks again,
1st_Night

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I, for one, am opposed to a smaller tire. I know, Tire Rack and most other authorities recommend a smaller size, but they keep talking about cutting through snow to get the traction on pavement, but where the snow is hard packed you’re certainly not going to cut through the snow, and as lateral traction is necessary, a smaller tire is not going to control the vehicle as well. As far as cutting through the slush/snow it all certainly depends on the tread design of the snow tires. No different than all season tires, as some are great in the wet, and some have a tendency to hydroplane, but most lower speed rated winter tires, with the heavy cleats, certainly do move the water/slush out from under the tread quickly. Also, some speak of more traction as the weight per square inch is improved with a narrower tire, but if that were the case it would hold true in dry conditions, and we all know that wider is better for traction. As far as cutting through snow, there will be more cleats on a wider tire contributing to more pulling power in a FWD car. Look at some of the snow rescue vehicles; think a narrower tire is used? Not at all, bigger is better. As I'm in the very, very, small percentile, just thought I'd throw it out. Have always used OE or larger tires. On the Grand Cherokee’s always had a wider tire in snow conditions and when compared to the small OE tires, no comparison, and we’re comparing all season tires on the Jeep, not comparing a snow tire to an all season. Many years ago, on the VW’s and also on the Ford Fiesta’s we purchased new, with wide tires, always wider than OE, the cars were tanks. Come to think of it, if I put tires that were narrower than the OE tires on these cars, I probably would have needed to purchase bicycle tires.
Just some food for thought.

duffduffxx

I am thinking of putting some 235/45/17 altimax tires on my car.... any insight on where to buy?

Also, I will be getting rims on my car this summer, so I wont be getting steeles for the snow tires, they will be going on the stock rims.....this should be ok, right?

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

^Perfectly fine...I run my Winters on my 17" TL-S wheels...no issues. Just be aware that salt will wreak havoc on the clearcoat finish of the wheels unless you clean them regularly.

blkaspec

I picked up the Xi2s last year and I thought they performed very well, and not bad on dry ground either. I have never owned anything else so I have nothing to compare to, but I have nothing bad to say about them.

Hondaforlife954

I have the yoks ice guards on my civic and they are the shit! i live in the center of Colorado and are well worth the money! i swear by them!! don't let anyone tell you different! i use to work at Discount tire and always thought it was a waste of money but when i moved up to the mountains and tried them i was impressed. I just got my tl 3months ago so i have not decided what tire i will go with for it. but i do like the yoks for the price!

thekirsh035

Just bought 06 TL wheels on ebay because I didn't want to run my TLS wheels in the winter. Is it worth buying the tire pressure sensors for this 2nd set of rims? I found them at the site below. Never experienced low tire pressure in this car yet, without the sensor will I be staring at a low tire pressure light all winter?? Thanks for the help.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...e&apwidNzQ4bhW

NBP04TL4ME

If you don't have the TPMS sensors, you will definitely have your dashboard lit up.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

I dont have tire pressure sensors in my winter steelies, you can have them installed but not having them wont really cause an issue. Once you start your car and start driving the "Check TPMS system" warning will come in the MID, press the "Select" or "Reset" button on the side of the dash and it will go away leaving the "TPMS" light on in the dash.

thekirsh035

Thanks for the help guys.

Irishboh

These fit? Well obviously...but will they fit my 2004 TL?

Irishboh

Sorry, referring to Acura604's post regarding General Altimax Arctics 205/60/16 on 16" steelies.

01clsstock

what do you guys think about just replacing my two drive tires with winter spec tires? Will this cause the tail to come around alot or any other issues?

NBP04TL4ME

Wouldn't recommend it. Check CL and I'm sure you will find a bargain.

Mr.Skytech

iTrader: (13)

Get yourself the Vredesteins Wintrac Xtreme!

boltzus

I've had both the Hankook Winter iPikes and the Bridgestone Blizzak. The iPikes seemed to get REALLY soft if the temp got above 40 any day, but I won't drive in winter with out a dedicated winter tire. If it saves me from one accident (and I've counted 7+ already) then they've paid for themselves.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

Yes, it will.

Get 4 Winter tires.