Footman

iTrader: (2)

It's been 4 years since I ran my Dunlop Wintersport M3's. They have ran its course and it's time for new winters...

I got a fantastic deal at Woodbine Toyota through 01racing on a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3s...

I got a better price there than Tirerack, GoForTires, Tires23, SimplyTire, and Speedstar. I was surprised that a dealership could get better pricing than small shops.

Anyways, if you're in the market for snows, check out Woodbine Toyota, talk to 01racing.

Here are some recommended tires for the newbies who plan to drive this car in the winter:
1) Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
2) Dunlop Wintersport M3
3) Hankook Icebear W300
4) Bridgestone Blizzak LM60
5) Continental TS810

Of if you wanna go for more value, pick up the non-performance winters like X-Ice2, WS70, Graspic DS-3

Mazda_RX804

+1 for Michellin X-Ice 2. Used it for 1 season when I drove it the first winter. Then i slammed my car and i dont do winters anymore with it.

Mazda_RX804

I also recommend picking them up from Tires23. Talk to Billy and tell them Mike with the red rx8 recommended you

Snrub

I think the type of tire choice depends a lot on the kind of snow you're going to receive in your area. Car and driver did an interesting review on winter tires (see below). Based on the results IMO there's not a huge adverse weather difference between a good all season and performance oriented winter tires. As much as I hate the hard core winter tires in non-snow/ice conditions I feel justified in using them for when it's bad out. Last year's record snowfall in my area meant I was able to go into work when others couldn't and I could literally drive around folks in vehicles clad with all seasons.

Car and Driver Michelin winter tire test:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features..._tested_page_6

Gerald Nunn

I'm a soon to be owner assuming the car I bought passes the mechanical inspection and compression test I booked for it on Monday. For those folks living in the Toronto area, are most people using a performance winter tire like the Michelin PA3 or a standard winter tire like the X-Ice2? While Toronto roads in winter are pavement the majority of the time, I'm thinking I should get the extra grip of the standard winter tire when I need it particularly since my house is on a hill.

My Celica with all-seasons had tons of problems getting up the hill with snow on the road but regular winter tires had no issue.

Dale8000

Here's a tip: don't buy new winter tires. Go look for lightly used ones for hundreds less. Since tires are not vehicle specific, you don't have to look for a set from an RX8. Mine are off a G35 coupe and they're great (205/55/R17 Blizzaks). Only a few thousand kms AND they only cost me $400 with a set of 17" alloy rims (though they are possibly the ugliest rims I have every seen...). Of my friends with RWD performance cars that are driven in the winter, X-Ice2s seem to be the consensus #1 and Toyo Garit-HTs also pretty highly recommended. And unless you commute on pavement 90% of the time during winter, go for non-performance winters. They'll give you better stopping distance and they last longer. Plus they're worth it just for that ONE huge storm every year.

Iluvrevs

I went with the LM60s. My BMWs were rock solid in snow with previous Blizzak's and they had less driver aids and less road height. They also get pretty good reviews from other RWDs on TireRack and Discount Tire reviews. Cost was 955 with tax mounting and balancing from CostCo.

SpeeD_TeaSe

I used my tires for one season
http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehic...AdIdZ316882676

NSrobbie

+1
I also recommend Tires23. They always provide competitive/hard to beat prices. Good ol Billy!

Footman

iTrader: (2)

Try woodbine Toyota. They beat tire23 price for me. Coming from a dealership I was surprised

Snrub

Agreed, used tires are a great way to go. I bought a set of X-Ice a couple of years ago with 1/3 season on them (knubby rubbery bits on, rubber clearly hardly used) for $300.

01Racing

A winter tire buying tips:
When you see the mass marketers (Costco, Canadian Tire) with really inexpensive tires check the production date before you "save money". I saw a great deal at Canadian Tire last night and the tires were produced 1306 which means 13th week of the year 2006. Not such a great deal anymore on an almost 6 year old tire. Rubber has a shelf life and just to give you an idea most race tires are recycled after sitting on a shelf for more than 6 months.

You truly get what you pay for in tires, the difference is measured in feet (meters for you younger guys) not what you spent when your trying to stop or turn in the winter.

spigot52

I always use Nokians.....pricey but at -10 and they are almost as soft as Hoosiers.

RC1998

I tried to buy Michellin X-Ice 2 225/50/17 and the salesperson told me they could not sell it to me since they were T rated and the RX8 needed v rated tires. They can only sell me v rated or h rated.
Said t rated would not be safe especially if had to suddenly stop. IS this true?
Recommend Michelin PA3.

Snrub

^ Tell him he's wrong, the RX-8 needs Z-rated tires. Speed rating means they're good for a top speed of X. T speed rating is good for 190km/h. Ask him to indicate on which road it would be legal to drive that speed.

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

^ The highlight of this thread so far.

If anyone needs winter tires: I am selling 215/55/17 toyo garrit ht, they worked great but since my car has been lowered they will not work for me anymore and need to go ($375).

Lit

Has anyone seriously looked at Nokian WRG2 or the Continental DWS "all-weather" tires.

I'm hearing good things about these in winter, and I'm getting tired of swapping out wheels.

Footman

iTrader: (2)

With all all season tires. They sacrifice some performance in both conditions. So if you don't mind then just roll all year round in all seasons

Lit

These tires have been specifically called "all weather" tires, not "all seasons". It's a new animal. I didn't believe it at first (ie: they are all seasons), but the comments I'm hearing are positive.

From what I can see, they are basically a snow tire that's a bit harder so that you can drive it in the summer without the severe wear of a real winter tire.

c_ls

iTrader: (3)

Too many compromises. It may be ok for an area which gets the occasional snow storm but in Canada since we have snow for up to 5 months of the year it makes sense to get dedicated snow tires.

Lit

The Nokian "all weather" tires were designed in Norway...

Footman

iTrader: (2)

Well you sound like you made your mind already. Good luck

01Racing

Wayyyyyyyyy back before most on this site knew about winter driving I did winter tire testing with the original Blizzak snow tire (yes I'm old lol) While in training a very naive person (me) asked in the class why not just use an all season tire. The entire room (about 300 people) went quiet and stared at me. a tire engineer stood up and stated "An all season tire is a tire that doesnt work in dry, rain or snow" and everyone laughed at me. He continued by stating that each specific condition requires a specific tread design. In the dry you dont want any tread for maximum rubber to road contact. For the wet you want a tire with large sipes that will direct the water out the sides of the tire. For the snow you want a tire that will through the snow out of the center of the tire. Blizzak was the 1st tire to allow the water to go into the tread blocks of the tire which still to this day (and all winter tires now) has openings in the block that expand when the tire is compressed on the road. If they didnt do that they would just hydroplane like most all seasons do. The only way those work is if the tire remains a very soft compound even on the coldest day. That is why snow tires are only recommended below a certain temperature or they literally melt.

scorcherjf

Been looking around for some used blizzak WS50/60/70's and even used people are asking $600. I could just order a set of WS70's from tirerack brand new for $500 something USD and just pick them up in Buffalo, NY at this point... ugh.

Neo

So you're expecting to find winter tires for $200-300????

A good set of winter tires is gonig to cost you anywhere between $700-850 depending on your size.

If you can go to the states and get away with putting them on there, then by all means do it!

We still get gauged up here in Canada for commodities like this.
Hunting around for deals becomes a huge ordeal.

Luckily I picked up my winter tires late Sept.
I've been running around with my winter set on my Miata for 2 weeks now. It gets flippen cold up here in Aurora.