shammerman

Well -while the snow is not here yet (97 degrees today), the search for the winter tires has begun. I have used the Michelin Pilot Alpins in the past when I had a Boxster and have been quite happy with them. Tire Rack now has a more cost effective option with the Pirellis and I have a dilemma - which way to go?

Going with 235/40/18 and 265/40/18

What are your reasons and reasonings?

MessyMarvin

I was very happy with the Alpins on my Audi, to me you could not even tell you had Winter Tires on when the roads were dry, also they seemed to wear well. I used them 2 seasons and they seemed like they would go 2-3 more minimum.

I do not know anything about the Pirelli's, but I have never been a Pirelli fan.

JohnnyBahamas

Honestly, between those two excellent tires by excellent manufacturers, I would buy based on lowest price.

Rob Heath

So I too have started to look for winter tires and wheels, need to get the summers off sometime in October and that is not very far away.

Voted for the Pirelli above in the poles as I saw that Sun Coast was selling these tire and wheel sets.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...2swinterwheels

"...these sets are coming with Pirelli Sottozero tires, but brand/model is subject to change."

Want a 2nd wheel & tire set for winter, but have not priced components or yet to do any unline searches for reviews. I am sure that they are both nice tires.

I'm going to follow this thread.

mxp

265 on the 11" wheel is going to be a stretch i went that route last winter and regret it, stick to the 295 rear

jumper5836

They will stretch on it and 265's are way better then 295's which hydroplane on snow. I regret going with 295's after using 265's stretched out of 11" wheels for 8 winters. I'll be switching back as soon as the 295's are done.
The best thing to do would be to find a 10 or 10 1/2" wheel for the rear.

997_Toronto

Just bought a set of brand spankin new Michelin Alpin PA2s (235/40/18 & 265/40/18) for US$1100 taxes in from Discount Tire in Columbus, OH.

All my reviews and forum trolling has indicated that there isn't much difference between the top tire brands, the only characteristic I used to decide on the specific tire was how long they were going to last me. I wanted tires that will last atleast 3 if not 4 seasons so decided to go with a less sportier set with a much deeper tread.

In addition...I bought a set of stock 19" rims for the summer next year (off eBay) so the current 18" rims will be turned into permanent winter rims. You can get a decent set of used rims for $1000 to $1500 so buying used rims & tires separately is going to be way more cost effective than any dealer rim/tire packages in my opinion.

brad@tirerack.com

Don't put a 265 on an 11" wheel. It isn't designed for it, and it over-stresses the shoulder of the tire to do it. Go with a 295 unless you have a 10" wheel. The PA2 is a great pick. They handle about as well as you can expect for a snow tire in dry conditions - very much like an all season tire will. Snow traction rates pretty darn good among survey results also. Expect wear to be about 3 good seasons under average driving.

brad@tirerack.com

We are at $1118 for the same tire with a $70 rebate, no sales tax. Just staying honest

Jaws1

Not entirely honest. TR doesn't apply manufacturers' rebates to Canadian customers' orders, nor do you give us prepaid Visa cards or any other free promo stuff. Just a bit bitter....

997_Toronto

And that's why I picked up my tires in Columbus cause we get shafted on tires in Canada

brad@tirerack.com

We understand, really. We would love to extend more rebates to Canadian customers. Please remember the tire manufacturers stipulate the terms and conditions of the rebates, and most all consider Canada a different market than the US. As a result they usually offer rebates to Canadian customers through retailers there at different times than when they offer them in the US. If it was up to us we would offer them to everyone at the same time.

Chris from Cali

Agreed - either one is a good choice.

blake

I agree with Jumper & Damon above. Jumper is correct that a narrower tire will be better in deep snow, but I also agree with Damon that putting a 265 on an 11" wheel causes too much stretch...

BTW - the measurements you are quoting for tire sizes fit the C2S - not the C4S' wider stance.

My personal winter set-up on my C2S Cab is 255s rather than 265s (rear) and 225s rather than 235s (front). I chose this to get a narrower shoe for deep snow, and was also able to put Blizzaks on the car which have a better tread-pattern for my needs (350+ inched per winter).

My Cab IS my winter SUV - and it is damn fun to drive... I'd argue it has made me a better driver on the track with my GT3....

And both tire options that you have outlined above will be great for ice & a couple inches of snow. The grip will be fantastic.

My $0.02,
-B

rcg412

I have both. Prefer the michelin. They last longer and I think out handle... As much as a winter tire can