Aeromotive

Blizzak WS70's are the absolute best in winter and ice traction. You can throw almost any conditions at it without problem (got them on my non-Lexus car). However they will feel wobbly at highway speeds and higher speed cornering (eg. highway exits, entrances...). The Xice3 is a good compromise between snow/ice and dry/cold pavement traction, while the Blizzak LM60's are performance tires, which means they're less oriented towards snow and ice driving, but they're the absolute best winter performance tires.
I got my wife the LM60's for her 335i Xdrive and they do a pretty decent job in snow (they still kick the butt of your summer tires and other cheap/chinese winter tires). However because her daily commute is all highways and those get cleared pretty quickly after a snowfall, LM60's were the best tires for her.

This is so wrong It's that thinking that gets people into accidents. Buying/leasing a 50K car and cheap out on a 600$ set of winter tires? I don't mean to offend but it's because of people like you that some states and provinces should make winter tires mandatory (they did it in Quebec).

Randre19

I have Blizzak LM-60's on mine with winter rims and my car has driven great. Not gotten stuck once nor slid anywhere. And we have gotten the same amount of snow as NY. I also have a RWD 350

GrandSedanFan

iTrader: (1)

My Mustang is also running LM60s. If you buy during the summer, you can get them for a pittance from Tire Rack.

CtSFox

This is a key point. If you live in a climate where the temperaure drops below forty degrees, driving on summer tires is dangerous because the tire will no longer grip the road properly . Folks can debate what kind/brand of alternative tire is better/best. However driving on summer tires in below freezing conditions is just irresponsible.

sveinongen

iTrader: (1)

I would never use summer tires in the Winter. get an extra set of winter wheels/tires, it will make a BIG difference

JGard18

I grew up in New England and have owned many a RWD car. Shoot, in high school I was rocking an RX-7 with all-season tires. No real issues. Once I grew up, I had money for a second set of tires and would always get snow tires for whatever car I had, whether AWD or RWD (I've never had a FWD car, nor will I ever). Drivetrain really doesn't matter THAT much, tires do...which is what everybody else in here has been saying

dbs600

Tire compound is the main factor, where summer tires are soft for superior grip in warm temperatures, but turn hard and slick like a hockey puck in cold temperatures. In fact, many European countries have laws disallowing summer tire use in winter months. Their soft makeup makes them more susceptible to wear as well.

calebc

Why is it so wrong? I didn't say go do donuts around the neighborhood kids with your performance tires and hope you don't hit one of them. I said on the days that it snows, don't go outside in your car that's not setup properly for it. I don't care if it's a $500K car, spending $800+ on a set of tires for two or three days of driving is a complete waste. It's not about being able to afford them, it's about not wasting your money. I agree, get the tire that's best for your vehicle and the conditions you'll be driving in...a couple days a year aren't the typical conditions you'll be driving in...the other 362 days are year are the typical conditions you'll be driving in.

dbs600

+1

BMW packages certain xDrive vehicles with summer tires, one of which I have, but have, unfortunately, driven in snow. :|

05RollaXRS

Seems like everyone on this thread lives in location where it snows "more than a couple of days". Original poster is from Virginia and it snows much more than a couple of days. A lot more. 12 inches (as the original poster mentioned) is A LOT of snow and driving on summer tires in such condition is not only putting your own safety at risk, but also other people as well.

So I am not sure what your point is since it is irrelevant to pretty much everyone commenting on here.

JDR76

It's not irrelevant to many of us. Lots of us here only have a few days, if any, of snow a year. I could not possibly justify spending money on snow tires. All seasons work fine. If we do get snow, my work usually directs me to work from home, but if I need to go out, I can do just fine with AWD and all seasons, provided I understand the limitations and drive appropriately.

But I love reading threads about the snow driving, as it gives me an idea of what I might be up against, and what the capabilities of the car are, when those few snow days do come.

CtSFox

AWD and all seasons work just fine. I have gone through 15 New England winters with sedans equiped this way and have always felt safe, secure, no problems. The only "danger" issue discussed on this thread, in my view, is driving on summer tires when the ambient temperature drops below 40 degrees.

corradoMR2

Summer tires on snow will do it.

With 2-3 weeks of snow a year in the DC-area, I definitely would not have bought AWD to sacrifice initial cost, fuel economy, weight, and overall performance. I would just buy a good set of winters at this point. So don't sweat it, you made the right choice in getting the RWD/8-speed.

343P005

I cant believe there are people out there that complain about traction when they are driving with dedicated summer tires! Amazing ignorance!

Its been said thousands of times that AWD or RWD, summer tires in the winter and in snow are useless. At least get a good set of All Season (Continental DWS) if you insist on not going with dedicated winters.

I put on Blizzak LM32 on my AWD and the car is a tank. Equally as important as getting moving is the ability to STOP the car. My All Seasons that came on teh car were not bad, but the Blizzaks are amazing, the car feels like it is on rails... It goes when you want it to and stops when you need it do.

I also have a BMW 328i RWD with Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D and although you need to be careful with the back end, the car still does really well in snow... and stops on a dime!

Dont cheap out people

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

Perhaps because your post implies that winter tires are for driving in snow, therefore if it doesn't snow much, you don't need them. Winter tires are for driving in winter temperatures, as well as wintery conditions, which includes ice and snow. Also, unpredictable weather happens.

If a person doesn't have the space to store them, that's understandable and good all-seasons are definitely an alternative option, but I'd hardly call dedicated tires a waste of money. Driving on summers in the winter in even the slightest of conditions can be far more costly.