All Season Tires

Well, just bought this car and blew one of the tires last week. I've got a 98 BMW 328i w/ 16" sport wheels.

I would love to grab a set of Hankook RS2's, but I think I need to get a set of good all seasons.

So....I'm looking for the grippiest (can we add this to the GRM vocabulary?) All Season Tires.

Thanks!

Dave

I haven't really evaluated any others (that were good) but I have been very happy with my Toyo Proxes TPT's in 225/60/16. They have good grip (better than Goodyear RS-A, Toyo Spectrum, and Hankook's all season), are very good in the rain (best heavy-rain/standing water wet tire I've had), and can handle light snow. As a bonus they seem to last quite a long time, though they are directional which limits rotation without dismount/remount.

Though I've found that all season tires generally suck year-round, I've always been happy with Yokohama Avids when I've gone that road.

I've also had decent results with the Avids. For the money anyway.. That's been a few years ago now.

I was happy with my Kumho ECSTA ASXs as an all season. They started to lose dry traction after 15k miles, but everything else was good right up to the point I moved off the mountain and they got replaced by RA1s

However, I've never had an issue with any all season-tire I've ever run, other than Falken Ziexs. Those things are utter and total crap. Maybe they were old when I got them (came on the Cobra when I bought it), but they had NO wet traction - ABS would kick on light braking, and the wheels would spin anytime I was over 4k rpm going uphill (read: onramps).

I've run all sorts of cheap crap allseasons, and never really had an issue outside of the above. I've always gone to the tire shop and picked my tires based on the tread pattern, not the name on the side. So far it's done me well.

Ecsta PLatinum LX. Love mine.

Another vote for the ASX. I've seen them do ridiculously well on the autox course.

My TPT's are up for replacement soon, I may have to look into the ASX's...

But will the ASXs handle an inch or two of snow?

I dunno? The TPT's can quite well (at least on a 4200+ Lb gorilla of a P71). I'm trying to save up the scratch to put 17 or 18's on the 'Vic with good summer stuff (RE: Azenis, RS2, etc) and put winter/snows on the steelies.

3rd for the ASX. I'm on my 2nd set on the daily driver Intrepid. It doesn't see much snow use, but they will go through some light snow. Excellent in the rain and dry.

-Rob

Duke wrote: But will the ASXs handle an inch or two of snow?

I see no reason why they wouldn't. However, I have to admit that I never had mine on snow, something about 245/45s + limited slip + 300 ft-lbs of torque + RWD + poor weight distribution not adding up to a good snow car, lol.

My brother has had two sets of Kumho ASXs on his '99 Civic Si. He liked them in Houston, and he likes them in Rochester, MN. I guess they really are pretty good in all seasons. They seem like a really good value--90% of the performance of the best tire in the segment, but only 60% of the cost.

I bought some a few years ago for my '91 Volvo 940T wagon, but I only put on two of them, then I sold the car.

I personally like to have summer tires and winter tires, I'm not much for compromises.

I drove the ASXs for years, GREAT tire. I had no problems in snow in them, including up to a foot+ of snow.

Hmm... I've been looking for decent tires to replace the worn out Hankooks and Dunlops on my 17" 5Zigens. I'm not a fan of all-seasons, but the ASX's price is right and everyone here seems to like them. I'll keep them in mind.

Another vote for the ASX, but they do get changed out for winter.

deadskunk, it really depends on location. I'm sure in Michigan, you get a lot more snow/ice than we get here in central Indiana. A set of true snow tires would be a huge waste of money for the 16-20 inches of total snow fall we might see an entire winter. Now if I lived an hour to hour nad a half north of here, yeah I'd likely buy some true winter tires. But not for what we get.

Bobzilla wrote: deadskunk, it really depends on location. I'm sure in Michigan, you get a lot more snow/ice than we get here in central Indiana. A set of true snow tires would be a huge waste of money for the 16-20 inches of total snow fall we might see an entire winter. Now if I lived an hour to hour nad a half north of here, yeah I'd likely buy some true winter tires. But not for what we get.

Truth.

I made it through winter in Indy this year on RS2s.

Bobzilla wrote: deadskunk, it really depends on location. I'm sure in Michigan, you get a lot more snow/ice than we get here in central Indiana. A set of true snow tires would be a huge waste of money for the 16-20 inches of total snow fall we might see an entire winter. Now if I lived an hour to hour nad a half north of here, yeah I'd likely buy some true winter tires. But not for what we get.

All I'll say is winter tires are pretty cheap insurance.

93celicaGT2 wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: deadskunk, it really depends on location. I'm sure in Michigan, you get a lot more snow/ice than we get here in central Indiana. A set of true snow tires would be a huge waste of money for the 16-20 inches of total snow fall we might see an entire winter. Now if I lived an hour to hour nad a half north of here, yeah I'd likely buy some true winter tires. But not for what we get.

Truth. I made it through winter in Indy this year on RS2s.

I did one year here on Nitto NT450's in a 215/45/17. Other than a little early dry rot that was my only problem... never once got stuck, had issues with traction.

I think I am going to go with the ASX! Sounds like a good compromise. After all, once I get my business running and build up the funds, i'll get some Kosei K1s and some RE11s or Azenis...

Thanks for the response!

I had forgotten how much good tires can transform a daily driver. On my WRX I went from 205/55/16 Kumho SPT's to 225/50/16 Bridgestone RE01R's when Tire Rack put them on clearance. Holy schnikey. The car no longer sucks.

I personally didn't like my Avid T4s, but in all fairness they were 185/65/14. But, for the lack of grip, I did expect a much longer life than they gave.

I was just about as pleased as possible with both my Michelin Pilot MX series in both H and V speed ratings, but I don't think they make them anymore. They make an MXM4, but not the MXV4 and MXH4 like they used to. Had those on an E30 and loved them, but never did any snow.

I now have a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4s on the wife's E300TD and couldn't be happier. They are certainly not peak grip type tires, but they provide more grip than the Merc's soft suspension needs, but they're whisper quiet, ride like a dream, hold on at some pretty hefty slip angles and then give up very progressively. The downside is that they are NOT cheap. Nothing with the Michelin name on it ever is.

But those are my recommendations if you're planning on dropping more coin. Honestly, I haven't had to buy 4-season tires for about 7 years having lived in CA and TX. The cars I have that DO have 4-season tires all came with good ones on them so I've not had to shop much.

If you call Tire Rack (shameless plug with a good reason) call x623 and talk to my uncle Lee. He honestly is one of us and he autocrosses weekly using Tire Racks test fleet as well as his own C5. Its rare that there is a tire he hasn't tested. So, yes, its a shameless plug, but he honestly knows his stuff. Tell him Curtis told you to call. :)

I have been using the BFG Gforce Supersport A/S tires on my 2006 Sonata. these tires worked very well during a HPDS at Portland International Raceway on the 2 mile road course. and recently autocrossing for 2 days on the airport course at Shelton, WA.

I had the Toyo Proxes 4. They were eh for all season. Eh in the snow. I had the Toyo FZ4s in 17s and they made it through 2 blizzards, but those were made 10 years ago. I had Falken Ziex 512s and the 912s. The 512s on my wife's van we plowed through 2-3 feet of snow with those tires. I have the 912s on my Civic and they were ok in the snow.

personally this year I am investing in snow tires for my car and the van. I have Hankook Snow Bears in the garage from Discount Tires's snow tire sale a year ago. Spent $100 for all 4.