Best bang for the buck all season tires

rbogh901 · 04-09-2016, 04:14 PM

As winter fades I'm realizing that I don't need snow tires on the daily driver next year on account of the fact that the car doesn't see snow and only rarely sees rain. I have summer tires mounted and ready when the time comes but am looking for a decent all season option for cooler temperatures until then and next fall since I drive year round as weather permits. What's the tip?

OldSpool87 · 04-09-2016, 04:36 PM

What car and rim size? Continental DWS has been a great tire for my daily. 535xit 6MT. I run 255/40/18 square. Very sure footed.

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

I just put a set of Falken Ziex ZE950 All-Season Radials on my Carrera seem like a nice M/S tire, lot of choices out there.

BK911 · BK911's Garage

What I have learned over the years is that I can't really tell the difference between ANY tire for street use.
Get a set with decent wear ratings, then drive it like you stole it!

Tippy · 04-09-2016, 06:47 PM

Sumitumo.

Great grip and stupid cheap prices. I have 285's on 18's on back with 225's in front for just over $600.

The rears were just $150 a piece.

Almost paid that price each for my wife's commuter car with "pizza slicers"!!

darrin · 04-10-2016, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbogh901

As winter fades I'm realizing that I don't need snow tires on the daily driver next year on account of the fact that the car doesn't see snow and only rarely sees rain. I have summer tires mounted and ready when the time comes but am looking for a decent all season option for cooler temperatures until then and next fall since I drive year round as weather permits. What's the tip?

what are you running for winter tires? (Model/size) and what are you running for summer? I'm in the same boat here in Denver, currently running nokian wrg2 winter tires (205/55-16 on all 4 corners with 16x6 front and 16x7 rear fuchs) and continental extreme contact dw summer tires (205/55-16 front and 225/50-16 rear on 16x7 front and 16x8 rear fuchs).

While the nokians have performed admirably in nasty weather, my recent switch back to my summer contis reminded me of how much better my car feels on "good" tires. Accordingly, I'm considering going with Michelin pilots sport a/s3 tires as my year-round tires based upon some very favorable performance reviews on this forum (folks REALLY touted their handling traits/etc.), coupled with the fact that their tread compound also works well in cold weather. Sounds like they're pretty mediocre in actual snow, but this doesn't seem to be an issue for you and I now have a "real" snow car available for those days too.

Matt Monson · 04-10-2016, 10:04 AM

I run Michelin Pilot Exaltos here in Colorado.

rbogh901 · 04-18-2016, 07:15 PM

Thanks a bunch guys. This narrows things down quite a bit. In response to some of the questions I'm looking for 225/40/18 and 265/35/18 for my C2.

I need a cool and cold weather compatible compound not a snow tire. It's hard to want to drive on salted roads in actual snow. Since that's not happening it makes sense to get a high performance A/S to hold me over until the summer wheels go back on.

Tony V · 04-19-2016, 07:09 AM

Running the Michelin Pilots Sport a/s on my '74 Targa. Very impressive tires.

timmy2 · timmy2's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony v

running the michelin pilots sport a/s on my '74 targa. Very impressive tires.

+1

Matt Monson · 04-19-2016, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony V

Running the Michelin Pilots Sport a/s on my '74 Targa. Very impressive tires.

I've got those on the Boxster I just bought. It's a more performance version of the Exalto. The Exalto handles cold and slushy traction a little better. The Sport A/S will offer better summer performance.

dfhtrhjn · dfhtrhjn's Garage

I always stick with the highest performance category (Ultra High Performance All-Season). Beyond that reading reviews to find a quieter tire can be nice. It's amazing how much road noise tires make if you get loud ones.

I don't think most people drive hard enough in bad weather to really appreciate the other subtle differences.

TheSt|G · 04-19-2016, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony V

Running the Michelin Pilots Sport a/s on my '74 Targa. Very impressive tires.

A/S3 is a great tire, and really one of the best street tires for our car.

rbogh901 · 04-19-2016, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darrin

what are you running for winter tires? (Model/size) and what are you running for summer? I'm in the same boat here in Denver, currently running nokian wrg2 winter tires (205/55-16 on all 4 corners with 16x6 front and 16x7 rear fuchs) and continental extreme contact dw summer tires (205/55-16 front and 225/50-16 rear on 16x7 front and 16x8 rear fuchs).

While the nokians have performed admirably in nasty weather, my recent switch back to my summer contis reminded me of how much better my car feels on "good" tires. Accordingly, I'm considering going with Michelin pilots sport a/s3 tires as my year-round tires based upon some very favorable performance reviews on this forum (folks REALLY touted their handling traits/etc.), coupled with the fact that their tread compound also works well in cold weather. Sounds like they're pretty mediocre in actual snow, but this doesn't seem to be an issue for you and I now have a "real" snow car available for those days too.

Here's my current "winter" set up. As shown I do occasionally find myself on snow. This is how I like it, nice and dry...

tkmoore · tkmoore's Garage

Running Continental ControlContact Sport AS here in Denver and really like them. Priced well and quiet; with a decent 50,000 mile warranty. Tim

Craig_D · Craig_D's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkmoore

Running Continental ControlContact Sport AS here in Denver and really like them. Priced well and quiet; with a decent 50,000 mile warranty. Tim

Running the same tires on my wife's GTI and really like them so far (also Denver area...so we've seen some snow lately