What is the chance of Cincinnati getting much snow two years in a row after ALL the snow last year? All seasons should be fine.
All seasons are ok for very light stuff, even though some people insist on using them for the heavy stuff, too. However, even a cheap set of snows will be a heckuva lot safer if slush and ice are involved...and that is what Cincinnati seems to have to endure in the "good ole Wintertime".....
The way I see it is a set of snow tires costs less than my insurance deductible. For me it was money well spent. Just my .02 once again.
So... after reading here and there till my eyes were bloodshot, and asking dealers, etc. I'm thinking of getting some all seasons (Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus) for the winter and then swap back my Dunlops when it gets warm again and run them until they wear out (hopefully just before that). Then I can decide if the A/S are worth running year round or not. Also decided not to mess with extra rims right now. Anyone have any experience with the Michelins? Thanks for all the good advice and for jinxing the amount of snow we can expect!
I've never run Michelins. The all seasons I run are Kumho ASX, 215/50/16 and 205/50/16 [2 different sets of wheels]. They are ok and were certainly cheap enough, especially the 205s. For Winter, I have 15 inch Blizzaks.
Based on this- Consumer Survey Results By Category I'm goin with the Continental DSW's Can't say you can ever go wrong with Michelin's. You pay a price for em though
Conti DSW's installed yesterday. So far the verdict is pretty darn good for a all season Taken them in all dry dirving conditions except extreme twisty's Have a couple of nice on ramps and they handled themselves quite well Ride is very nice The only area in the Tire Rack poll that these were perceived to have any weakness was in steering response. I think they respond very quickly to driver inputs All in all a good call if your looking for a All Season if you live in a area where you don't need snow tires and can't run summer tires year round Looking forward to summer super ultra mega mondo stickies come March! These should keep me in good nick till then
A MINI on snow tires when it is messy = HUGE fun....after the SUV drivers have all spun into a ditch or hit other folks!! Having accelerated up an on ramp with a A-HOLE SUV trying to ride my bumper last season....I had the last laugh....he spun/slid into the side near the end!! I'm sure they weren't hurt, but man. it made me smile!! Just another SUV drive that thought 4x4 could do anything in the snow...and got showed up by my MINI!:cornut:
I ran the Pilots on a BMW M Roadster for years. Great tire for all purposes. The MINI has the Yoko AvidEnvigors on it now. They are a great all season tire and ride much nicer than the Pilots. My opinion is to go Yoko...
I'm highly considering grabbing a set of snows tomorrow. Spent 10 hours putting on and adjusting some BC coils only to find my winter wheels and Eagle GTs wouldn't clear them even with my spacers. Might as well go skinnier winters. Anyone need some newish 205/55/16 s.? Lol Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
Got the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus put on this weekend and took the mini out into the country for a little spin - very nice. Improves the ride over the runflats, and handled great. I'm willing to wait a while for the snow test, but I think I'm ready for most anything!
The best thing about 4x4's is they go way farther out in the ditch, keeping the road clear:devil: Mark
I have seen it at least 2 times....folks that just think "IF that car can do it, I can in my SUV/4x4....)" . What is scary these days, possibly due to the the economy, it seems like half of the SUV's/4x4's I see up close seem to have severely worn tires these days....I guess all the owners money went into the gas tank!! Once anybody has driven a MINI on snows, they will never go back to a white-knuckled winter again on a "high performance All-season" or "UHP All-season" tire again...they are in my opinion just good enough to get you where you are going if you leave them on too long or if it gets cold...... Anybody that reads this thread, if you drive your beloved MINI in the sloppy stuff, Get a set of winter tires, and IMO a cheap set of rims, new or used....it is cheaper than most folks insurance deductible, and will make driving soo much more fun. In more moderate climates, you might getaway with a UHP/HP all-seasons...but a set of pretty aggressive all-seasons might be great for winter, and save the nice rims/tires for summer duty!!
Good to hear, Tim! I've been looking at these for a while to replace my F1-A/S's that are pretty much toast now. I got a buddy to put the DSW's on his Avalon earlier this year and he loves 'em. But I had been waiting for a review from someone with these on a MINI, with similar proclivities as me... :cornut: