Snow Tire Recommendation

[Larry C Leung]

195/65-15

Same size as A4's and T44's with stock brakes. I'm currently running
Kelly Pacemark
snows (same size as I still have G-60s) and have found them adequate in
the dry
and rain, which is what a majority of the winter weather brings in
suburban NYC.
The snow performance is really quite good, decent traction (yup,
quattro), decent
braking, and good stability and cornering grip in the snow and ice. Ice
braking is
just decent, but overall the advantage I see in them is controllability.
I have had
experience with Yokohama Blizzak equivalents and I have found that their
dry
capabilities are, as you describe, scary. Totally numb. Great snow and
particularly
ice and hard pack tire, however. As I was living in the snow belt in NY,
the dry
performance took a back seat. BTW, I also had pacemarks on my 4KQ whilst
in the
the snowbelt, and found them quite acceptable and inexpensive to boot.
So being it, since my Mom doesn't have any rims to use on the Passat, and
noting
that Tire Rack has good prices on steel rims that are actually Hub
Centric (Discount
Tire does NOT sell hub centric rims, just universal fit steels), I feel
that I'm limited
to what they have to offer. I am assuming that the you feel that the
Dunlops will have
that spongy feel that the Yoks and Blizzaks have, correct? Too bad no one
has experience
with the GY's, at least that's responded so far.

BTW, the Michelin Artic Alpins that are on the inherited Subie are pretty
darn good in
the dry and wet, admittedly on a 4KQ sized and weight car. I just found
that their
fresh snow (powder was downright scary compared to my Pacemarks, wet snow
was just simply weak compared to the same) performance weak. Good on
packed
(i.e. plowed or trampled) snow.

Just in case it helps.

LL - NY


On Sat, 14 Sep 2002 00:29:29 -0400 "ricematthews" <ricematthews at msn.com>
writes:
> Larry:
>
> As I made it through last winter without snows, I am at a similar
> crossroads
> for myself yet again.
>
> Also shopping at Tire Rack, my early favorite is the Good Year Ultra
> Grip
> Ice.  Very highly reviewed by the users on Tire Rack's site (albeit
> a
> relatively small number have reviewed them).  Other research I have
> been
> able to gather makes them look darn good too.  Where I live in
> southeastern
> PA, dry performance is a big necessity and the Dunlop Graspic's
> sound
> downright scary in the dry.  The Firestone Winterfires also sound
> decent for
> the price, but I think I may spring for the GY's.  What size tire is
> she
> looking for?
>
> -Mark
>
> *************************************
>
> Not to start a big thread here, but I'm trying to help my
> mother purchase a set of snows. Anyone have any
> experience with Dunlop Graspic DS-1's or Firestone
> Winterfires? My mom is driving a 2002 VW Passat
> GLX 4 Motion and she is not usually in a situation
> where she MUST be somewhere in the winter (she's
> retired). Her general winter situations are light snow
> and freezing rain, so I'm looking for good ice performance
> and packed snow rather than pure snow abilities.
>
> However, being that I have not been impressed with
> Michelin Artic Alpin snow performance on my late
> Dad's Subaru, (they stopped okay with non ABS
> brakes, and easily took off BUT, didn't turn worth
> a damn on fresh snow and felt unstable in the fresh
> stuff) I don't want to go that route.
>
> You may be able to tell that I'm shopping TireRack,
> (need snow rims) otherwise I'd actually just go get her
> Kelly Pacemarks. She is NOT a performance driver,
> and doesn't want to spend much, so don't even bother
> with Nokians and other Hi Perf snows.
>
> Thanks for any advice.
>
> LL - NY
>
>
>
>
>