unA4dable

Yes, I know there's been lots of discussion on this!

For those of you who are using 16" wheels for winter tires and decided that going wider than 205 would be counterproductive for winter driving, it seems to me that this leaves only two or three viable tire choices: Dunlop Winter Sport M2, or Blizzak MZ-01. Looks to me like the tradeoff is: H vs. Q, better dry/high-speed performance vs. better deep snow/ice handling, and better wear likely with the Dunlops.

Can anyone steer me towards more qualitative comparisons? How many miles can one expect out of the MZ-01's multicell compound? Are they acceptable for dry-highway winter driving?

Thanks,

-dan

CC Rider

There are many choices. First you must decide whether you want a "snow" tire or a "winter" tire. Then take it from there.

Good snow tires are Nokian Hakkas, Blizzaks, and many others.

Good winter tires are Michelin Alpins, Vredestein Wintracs, Dunlop Winter Sport M2's, and many others.

Something that might help you decide is availability. Some of the most popular tires in the most popular sizes are already sold out for the season. Figure out what tires you are interested in, and see if your dealer can even get them. Then decide from what's available.

hamproof

said even Michelin don't have them in stock. Instead, they ordered 215/55/16 for me. I kinda believe them, coz' in both cases they have to order them anyway. So, why not sell me the 205 instead of 215, though the 215 was $4 more per tire. But I doubt it.

M.S.G.

Good listing!

unA4dable

I realize that the two tires that I listed fall on different sides of the fence. I also realize the availability problem, and that's why I said that for the size that I want (205/55R16), I've narrowed it down to these two, based on availability.

And now I'm trying to decide which side of the performance fence I want to land on, and I was hoping for a comparison of the two. Are there night/day differences in deep snow handling? Ice handling? Ride noise? Wet/dry highway handling? How long will a multicell compound like the MZ-01 last if driven highway speeds in a non-snowy winter?

I'm in NJ, in a mountainous area where we tend to receive more snow than the average NJer. My driveway's a good uphill battle, and the roads immediately around my house are fairly rural and aren't the first to be plowed by any means. But while part of my commute takes me on rural hilly roads (~10 miles), the other 10 miles is on a fast, well-maintained (for NJ) highway, and I do put a fair amount of longer travel on as well. So I'm trying to decide which 'class' of tire would serve me best, and once that's decided, availability and reviews have pretty much dictated the rest (M2 or MZ-01).

Thanks,

-dan