winter tires

[Louis-Alain Richard]

> -----Message d'origine-----
> 
> The real question you need to ask... do you want studs for the ice
control
> on not?  Modern studs aren't as noisy or problematic as the older
studded
> tires, but you definately can hear them on dry pavement.  On ice,
nothing
> is better.

Mark is right about this. Studs are for ice, and only for very cold ice.
So for you USA guys, it means that the studs will be useful only a
couple days each winter. But for a "normal" driver, I wouldn't recommend
them as they are skittish on dry cold pavement. Actually, I have a set
of Pirelli winter Carving (studded) on my Quattro, but these are only
for the lapping sessions at www.Mecaglisse.com ice-racetrack. 


A bit of advice for you all regarding "optimal traction in winter": buy
the best tires you can afford, use them to half their wear limit, and
then sell them used for half the price. This way, you'll have always
fresh tires for exactly the same cost. And the key for winter traction
is wear, and only wear.

There is a HUGE market here for used winter tires, mainly because of the
3-4 years long leases. People use the 4 seasons for the first years,
then decide they need more traction but don't want to pay full price on
a new set because the lease will end soon, hence the used tires market.
If you have a brand-name winter tire set used for sale, it's an easy
sell; the bigger the name, the easier the sale. 

Conclusion ? Buy good un-studded real winter tires (in a popular size)
and change them each 2 years.

Louis-Alain
Montreal PQ