The Best Snow Tire For The Ls?
- Thread starter dachamp
- Start date
It depends what your priorities are. The Blizzaks can be very good on ice, due to their very soft tread compound. However, that also makes them a little 'loose' in the handling, and they wear fast. I have read that the Blizzaks' sipes (the cuts in the tread blocks, which are critical to winter performance) go only halfway through the tread blocks. They could not go deeper because of the soft rubber. The soft rubber also only goes halfway down (5 to 6/32"). So when you wear them to halfway down, they lose their ice-gripping power, and you are supposed to then leave them on during the summer and continue to use them as basic all-season tires (Bridgestone actually recommends this). Then you buy a new set of Blizzaks the following winter. Sounds like a great money-making scheme for Bridgestone - running Blizzaks all year 'round!
I chose Pilot Alpin PS2 tires because I drive mostly on the highway and Blizzaks (or, Michellin X-ice, etc.) would burn away in no time. Pilot Alpins are a performance winter tire, not a severe condition winter tire like the Blizzaks. Performance winter tires handle better and stand up to high speeds and/or warm temperatures better. They often come rated in H or V speed rating, which severe condition tires do not (usually S rated). European performance sedans are often equipped with performance (aka European) winter tires. You need to determine which type is a better match to your driving habits. Better traction on sheer ice doesn't necessarily mean one tire is better than another.
Whatever you choose, I'd recommend considering going to 215/55R17 instead of 235/50R17. Narrower is better in winter (less floating on snow) plus they are usually cheaper. The 215/55R17 is a nearly perfect diameter match to the 235/50R17, and they fit fine on the 7.5" OEM rims.
I chose Pilot Alpin PS2 tires because I drive mostly on the highway and Blizzaks (or, Michellin X-ice, etc.) would burn away in no time. Pilot Alpins are a performance winter tire, not a severe condition winter tire like the Blizzaks. Performance winter tires handle better and stand up to high speeds and/or warm temperatures better. They often come rated in H or V speed rating, which severe condition tires do not (usually S rated). European performance sedans are often equipped with performance (aka European) winter tires. You need to determine which type is a better match to your driving habits. Better traction on sheer ice doesn't necessarily mean one tire is better than another.
Whatever you choose, I'd recommend considering going to 215/55R17 instead of 235/50R17. Narrower is better in winter (less floating on snow) plus they are usually cheaper. The 215/55R17 is a nearly perfect diameter match to the 235/50R17, and they fit fine on the 7.5" OEM rims.
Roadwarrior50
Active LVC Member
When i got my winter tired i did some shopping around. The guys at the local tire shop said the same thing about the blizzaks only having soft rubber part way. They showed me the Nokian hakkapaleti RSi (spelling is probably way off) and they said that the soft rubber goes all the way so i always get the same winter performance. I drove all last winter with these and they seemed to work really good, a little noisy because of the soft rubber and tread pattern, but im happy.
Jim Henderson
Dedicated LVC Member
From what I have read Blizzaks and similar soft tires are good for only about 5,000 miles of winter driving. Then like the other guy said, they are just plain tires after that with no advantage in road grip.
I owned a set of Blizzaks for a 96 Impala(beeg car) and they were OK, but you are not superman on ice, you still have to drive cautiously. Fort snow they work pretty well.
I have used Firestone Winterhawks with metal studs on a SHO fwd car, all 4 tires. Not all states allow studs. I think the winterhawks with studs worked better for me in Oregon winters where there is usually more ice than snow. They were good for about 5,000 miles before you start to get leaks from the studs punching thru, which is patchable. In ice these were much better than the Blizzaks. On snow/ice free pavement they stink. But if there was a lot of snow, nothing beats a good set of chains or cables.
I think the LS may need cables instead of chains since there is limited clearance.
In my opinion, unless you live where it always is snowy/icy, you should not drive if you need chains except in emergencies.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
I owned a set of Blizzaks for a 96 Impala(beeg car) and they were OK, but you are not superman on ice, you still have to drive cautiously. Fort snow they work pretty well.
I have used Firestone Winterhawks with metal studs on a SHO fwd car, all 4 tires. Not all states allow studs. I think the winterhawks with studs worked better for me in Oregon winters where there is usually more ice than snow. They were good for about 5,000 miles before you start to get leaks from the studs punching thru, which is patchable. In ice these were much better than the Blizzaks. On snow/ice free pavement they stink. But if there was a lot of snow, nothing beats a good set of chains or cables.
I think the LS may need cables instead of chains since there is limited clearance.
In my opinion, unless you live where it always is snowy/icy, you should not drive if you need chains except in emergencies.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson