Greetings all. It's been awhile.

(And, yes, I have been reading the F-Type Forum from time to time and nice to see things running smoothly).

Kindly note that I am seeking suggestions for winter tires (not dedicated snow tires) for my 2015 V6S F-Type.

I am about to purchase a set of new F-Type Propeller Wheels (and tires...to be determined) from Mike and Midwest Wheel & Tire (terrific guy and I believe thanks to Foosh for the recommendation) - and, yes, I am aware that our fellow Forum member, and my friend, Lance (Poor Lance! I'm sure that he'll get things straightened out; and I've already conversed with him privately, and we've both agreed, that there is no substitute for his F-Type...other than another F-Type. And that's assuming things don't go well with his) has a set of Propeller wheels for sale...just a hassle shipping them plus I need winter tires and not another set of P-Zeros [since I plan on switching to Michelin Pilot Super Sports when the time is right].

ANYWAY....I would like recommendations from you - assuming you have them - on a winter tire. Mike has suggested two tires for my needs (my needs do not really require something dedicated to snow since my winter driving will consist of not so much snow, or ice, but cold) the first one being Continental Extreme Contact DWS with his second recommendation being Michelin Pilot Sport AS3. Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

"Good to be Bad...eh....Back"

Best regards,
Jay

 

My own experience has been with snow/ice and this with my XKR as the F was stored last winter.

The XKR was good in the snow as long as it was just 5-6 inches or less .. otherwise you end up 'high centered'.

In my case the tires with the bits of walnut in them, I believe Toyo's, ended up best out of many I've tried over the years..certainly better than Pirelli or Michelin winter tires... they have good lugs for snow and the compound is soft enough for cold pavement as well. The walnut adds to the grip on ice. I also bought 19 inch wheels so that I had more sidewall for ruts and also used the same width tire on the back as the front.. mainly due to the heavy snow we get here, the narrower rear tire works better.

If you only get a bit of ice and virtually no snow, then I would go for an 'ice' tire as they are soft and have some tread depth... yet I liked the Toyo's as they seemed to work on any and all winter conditions.

Lawrence.

 

The two tires you've listed are ultra high performance all seasons. If you're going to go through the trouble of getting a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires(which I fully support and have done for over two decades) IMO you should really get proper winter tires.

That's not to say you need to get deep snow tires(studless ice and snow) but rather performance winter/snow tires. The only tire listed on Tirerack in the OEM size for the performance winter category is the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32. You might consider reducing the width by 20mm and adding 5 to the aspect ratio for less chance of aquaplanning, more comfort and slightly reduced possibility of bending a rim. Unfortunately that does nothing to expand tire choice in your case.

I'm dropping down to unstaggered 19x8.5 wheels and 245/40/19 Michelin XIce3 tires on my AWD R for our more robust winters. Unfortunately I have no experience to share with the Blizzaks.

Consider the Tire Test and Tire Rating sections on Tirerack for more info and tire comparisons.

 

Hi Jay,

Good to see you posting!

I agree with what others have said above, that what you're considering are just ultra-high performance all seasons. While they will certainly be better than PZeros, they won't be all that great in snow except perhaps on an AWD vehicle. All seasons are just a compromise tire. Having said that, the Conti Extreme Contact DWS is a very good tire and OEM on my wife's C300 4MATIC.

For a second set of tires on a RWD vehicle in your location, I'd go with a dedicated winter/snow tire. I haven't researched them since I left MN 16 years ago and used Bridgestone Blizzaks on an M3. They were fabulous, but I don't really need them in this climate.

 

Thank Foosh.

I checked and under Performance Winter, OEM 19-inch, only the Blizzaks show up. As I mentioned, and for the most part, my intention during winter is driving in cold weather but not with snow or ice NOTICEABLY on the ground. Having said that, and I also intend on swapping out - when it's time - my OEM P-Zeros to Michelin Super Sports, do you still feel that I would be sacrificing much by using the Continental Extreme Contact DWS (#1, by far, on TireRack for Ultra-High Performance All-Season)? Naturally there is always a compromise, but I would like to have one set for winter and one set for the other three seasons.

Best regards,
Jay

 

Jay,

Given what you just said about not driving on much, if any, snow or ice, I think you'd be very happy with the Conti EP DWS all seasons. As I said, it's arguably the best all-purpose tire on the market.

In fact, once the temp drops below 50ºF avg., they will be much better than the PZeros and better perhaps than the PSS. When the avg. temp rises above that you could switch back. I'd guess in your location the optimum would be running each set for about 6 months.

 

Personally I think the choice should be between running the high performance all seasons year round to replace the P Zeros or getting a dedicated set of winter wheels and performance winter tires.

 

That is a very good point!!!!

99% aren't ever going to extract the maximum amount of traction that extreme high-performance summer tires can deliver on public streets. That can only safely be done on a track.

 

That's exactly been my thinking. In fact, I have been running the Michelin PSS3 A/S tires on both of my other cars year round here in central Colorado, and have been satisfied with their overall performance. When it gets cold I do slow down and don't try to get through heavy snow. Even though I expect to be more aggressive with F-Type, I'd be more conservative with it in winter too. But I don't have to get out to a job every day, and have other cars I can drive when conditions are sketchy. I guess I am aligned with Ricky and Foosh. My car is being delivered with the Conti SC2's on the standard 18" Vela rims.

 

Thank you gentlemen.

You've made some excellent, salient, points. You now have me considering (leaning towards) a dedicated set of winter tires/wheels - the Blizzaks - and keeping the other set for the other 3 seasons (eventually switching to MSS) and driving throughout the winter, snow and ice be damned!*

*As many of you know, I drove much of last winter - sensibly - on the P-Zeros (not that anyone would recommend them in cold temperatures) but avoided snowy or icy days. Even with dedictaed winter tires I intend to drive with proper caution and attentiveness (to the conditions at hand). But I do except to have a bit more fun if I go with the Blizzaks.

It's good to be bad/back.

 

Jay, as you once wisely counseled me: "your first choice is usually the right choice". (the BRG was indeed the right choice for me).

 

There's no question that not only was/is BRG the right choice for you, but there is no doubt whatsoever that the only choice of car for you - other than your current stable - is...you guessed it...the [MT] F-Type!

My only question is what was my first choice?

 

I have some Michelin x ice tires from tire rack on my xfr. They seem to do the trick although I couldn't find them large enough for the back wheels so the rim edge is exposed a tiny bit.

 

That's a personal and perhaps age related problem I can't help you with. (lol)

 

Do I know you?

(Seriously, now that I'm leaning towards the Blizzaks...what was my first choice you refer to? The all-seasons?).

Oh...now I remember, you are the Forum member with practically unlimited patience. And the owner of a temporarily side-lined but stunning BRG MT 2016 Jaguar F-Type!

 

Based on the driving conditions you described to me, it will be a rare event that you will drive in anything that a good set of all-season tires can't readily handle . The all seasons will be far less a limiting factor than the ground clearance in the event of snow. The snow tires will wear extremely quickly if you drive primarily on dry pavement.

 

I used Blizzak snow tires in Minneapolis on my M3 for 3-4 months per year and got 4 (seasons) years out of them on mostly dry pavement because they cleared the roads so quickly. Probably 90% of my Blizzak mileage was on dry pavement. They also had great traction on very cold, dry pavement.

However, in climates with frequent snow, you never know when you're going to get caught unprepared. The issue for me was I'd often drive to work in deep snow, but by the time I was ready to head home, the roads would be cleared and pavement dry. Or, I'd head out on business or vacation on dry roads and come home to a blizzard.

If one is in position to always leave the car at home in the garage and never get caught in 4-6+ inches of snow on a RWD car, all seasons would be the obvious choice.

 

Agreed and then there is no need for a second set of wheels.

If Jay is happy with his current car usage(no snow, other cars available) then the AS will be an improvement in safety in cold weather. If OTOH he wants to use the car more often, the dedicated set of winter wheels and tires will allow him to enjoy it in all but the worst weather.

FWIW I used a set of performance winter tires(Dunlop Winter Sport) on my S5 for 6 low mileage winters(2500 mi) and they still have enough thread left for one more. I'm moving away from performance winters to studless ice and snow because I didn't like how they performed on ice and in deep snow but their dry cold performance was excellent.

 

Jay was extremely happy not keeping his F-Type hibernating during last winter, in spite of his F-Type being shod with the Pirelli P-Zeros. Last winter started out quite mild (into January as I recall) - and largely snowless - and while I didn't take to the roads during a snowstorm, between the roads getting cleared (read = quickly) and my inability to let the car sit in the garage...well...the rest as they say is history.

Life is short and winter is long (here) so my inclination is to go with the Blizzaks and have a bit more fun.

Part of the reason I even started this "quest" was Lance selling his Propeller wheels and I thought it might be nice to have an extra set around if and when I needed them or it. That got me thinking of having a dedicated set of tires specifically for the cold...and less so for snow.

This thread, and all of your excellent input (except for Lance's ) has steered me towards dedicated winter; i.e. Blizzaks. Haven't made a final decision yet but anticipate doing so soon.

Thank you all very much.

 

BTW the Michelin Pilot Alpin A4 would likely also fit the bill and the fronts are on closeout at Tirerack. The rears would be 255/40/19 instead of 275/35/19 which would help in infrequent snowy conditions. They are 1.7% larger than stock.

Just another option.