[1gkek]

I live low in the snowbelt and for my whole life, all season was always good enough. Until now, that is. I just took my first drive on about 2" of packed snow in my wife's 328d xDrive with fresh winter sottozero 3 tires and was staggered at how composed and connected the car was on the snow. I had to get seriously ignorant for the car to start losing composure. Some of it is xDrive I'm sure, but the grip and control from those tires was tremendous.

Not sure why I waited so long but I'm a winter tire convert now.

[Ali Shiralian]

Winter tires make all the difference in winter especially when it comes to stopping. Enjoy the new feeling...

[IllLojik]

Nice. AWD means nothing if you're still on crap tires. While it helps, nothing beats a great set of rubber.

[lens]

Originally Posted by 1gkek

I live low in the snowbelt and for my whole life, all season was always good enough. Until now, that is. I just took my first drive on about 2" of packed snow in my wife's 328d xDrive with fresh winter sottozero 3 tires and was staggered at how composed and connected the car was on the snow. I had to get seriously ignorant for the car to start losing composure. Some of it is xDrive I'm sure, but the grip and control from those tires was tremendous.

Not sure why I waited so long but I'm a winter tire convert now.

Yeah, most people think all seasons are enough when they obviously haven't seen the difference in grip, stopping distance between the two tires.

Winter tires for the winter seasons.

I have the sottozero 3 as well, all square, and the grip I get from holding drifts around corners is ridiculous.

[Bandini3]

You reached the right conclusion!

The upfront expense is a bit of an irritation, but keep in mind that there is a useful return on that investment:

* most importantly, you've reduced the risk of having an accident during treacherous winter driving conditions (improved braking and handling)
* that security and peace of mind is worth something every day
* even a relatively minor collision can involve a cost comparable to that of a set of winter tires
* your summer tires will remain in better condition and have less wear.

Overall, investing in quality winter tires makes more sense than many car owners realize.

[AudiA4]

If you live in the snow belt, winter tires absolutely since...well...it snows regularly.

All-seasons are great for us in the middle-zone, where we get the "periodic" snow (like the 6" we got last night). In the upper south, it only snows 2-3 times a year, and even then, most people don't get out, so buying dedicated snow tires would be cost prohibitive.