Gorobei

My winter driving habits are as follows:

Probably 10-15 trips up to fairly snowy places like Whistler, Steven's Pass, Leavenworth, etc. on roads that typically have compact snow and ice. Rest of the winter is spent in Seattle coping w/ 45* weather and rain. I want something that will inspire confidence during the trips to the mountains but not an absolutely dedicated snow tire. I.e. want to retain some good grip in the rain around town. I would also like something that works on an 18x8" wheel, but would go to a 17" if necessary. The car is an '07 A4 Avant w/ Quattro (obviously). Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S are on my current car and are decent in the rain but I have no experience w/ them in rough mountain-y conditions. Are there better options? Is the Blizzak LM-22 designed for this kind of use?

SouthboroAudiGuy

I don't care what you buy, putting a snow tire on an 8" rim will be on the wide side.

Winter performance (when in snow) depends on being able to get the tire in contact with the road -- this means cutting through the snow, not riding on it. A wider tire may be fine 95% of the time, but the reason you buy snow tires is for that 5% (or less) of the time when you may be driving with snow coming down or already on the road. In those circumstances, a narrower tire will give you a distinct performance (= safety) advantage.

Snow tires are different by virtue of two primary things: tread and rubber composition. The tread is very open to allow the tire to bite through the snow. This open pattern also makes it fine for driving in the rain because it will channel the water away. The softer rubber composition provides grip in the colder weather. In warmer weather, this softer composition will also provide excellent grip, but at the expense of rapid tire wear.

So... Go narrow and get a good snow and you'll be fine for what you're looking for. I have the Dunlop Wintersport M3 and love 'em. I'm in the snowbelt of New England so they're perfect for me.

Good luck with your purchase decision.

fairenough

I run 225/40 Blizzak LM-25's on 18x8 wheels here in NJ and they work great. For the majority of the winter when there are clear but maybe cold/icy roads, the extra width is great. And for the few big snows we get they do fine.

If someone lives in the mountains or the snow belt where they're getting pelted constantly with heavy snow, then narrow is definitely the way to go. But the advantage to narrow (so far as I understand it) is just for digging through that deep snow to get to the road. Narrower isn't really going to help on dry, wet, or icy roads.

The original poster is talking about driving primarily in cold rainy conditions with some occasional trips into the snowy mountains. For this I would think that as long as he chooses a good dedicated snow tire he'll be fine, regardless of the width.

Just my opinion though.

SouthboroAudiGuy

If you want to optimize performance and safety during what you are "primarily" driving on, I agree. If you want to make sure as hell that you'll not run into trouble when the snow does fly, the narrower tires will be better -- for somebody who lives in the snowbelt like I do, it's a no-brainer. Yes, you'll give up a bit of performance (mostly a bit slower turn-in if you're going with smaller wheels and a higher profile), but the added stickiness of the tires offsets a lot of this.

I switch between 215/55R16s and 235/45R17s and the biggest difference I notice is the turn-in response. Even though the tires are narrower, the softer winter composition does stick well.

Great thing about a forum like this is that you'll hear a variety of opinions. I just wanted to make sure OP "heard the word" on narrow tires being better for snow. We're all so fired up about putting a fat patch on the road, sometimes it's easy to forget that narrow tires do have their place.

fairenough

Like I always say..."fair enough".

jprice@CPS

Nokian WR or Dunlop Wintersport M3.

Bob Loblaw

It's typically well plowed and sanded.

The Dunlops are also a decent performing tire in rain and dry too. I would definitely recommend them for winter driving in the Pac NW.

EBG 18T [Eric]

I used it last winter here in Denver and in the Mtns with great results. They are also a few $$ cheaper, have a V-speed rating and wear very well.

Gorobei

Thanks to all for opinions/input.