[328i2013]

It's almost time to order winter tires for my 328i. I'm in snowy upstate NY and Tire Rack recommended the Blizzak WS70 215/55 R17. They said it was rated very high in their recent comparison tests. Does anyone gave experience with these tires on their BMW in lots of snow? Also, what difference can I expect between 215/55 R17 & 225/50R17?

[bnekic]

Those Blizzaks worked great for my brothers RX-8. Also a skinnier tire will have better traction in the snow.

[rjc32000]

I'm having my WS70s installed next week. Folks here (Alaska) really, really like them, and we have snow and ice on the ground all winter long, so I'm expecting good things. Tough to beat Tirerack, but if you have a Costco membership, you might take a look there as well. My local Costco had the WS70s for the same price I paid on Tirereack (after shipping, which is likely much more expensive to AK than upstate NY) and Costco will install at no additional cost. (my Costco was already sold out, with no expected redelivery in near future, so I bought on Tirerack).

Originally Posted by bnekic

Those Blizzaks worked great for my brothers RX-8. Also a skinnier tire will have better traction in the snow.

[E36toF30]

Tirerack knows they're stuff. The WS70s are going to be the best choice if snow/ice traction is the main concern.

[ocso1606]

Blizzaks are the best choice. There are several other threads regarding this.

[ocso1606]

I ordered the non-runflat Blizzaks from Tirerack

[rjc32000]

If you are going for 17", you might also give some consideration to the Michelin Xice line. Top rated by Consumer Reports last month, and supposedly have better ice braking traction and dry performance than the Blizzak, at least according to CR. But they don't appear to be available in 18, which is one of the reasons I went with the WS70 Blizzak.

I haven't actually driven on either yet, so am just parroting the CR review. YMMV.

[ocso1606]

I think mine are the LM60. They are 18's. I have had Blizzaks before and they are amazing in the snow and on ice.

[boltjames]

Originally Posted by 328i2013

It's almost time to order winter tires for my 328i. I'm in snowy upstate NY and Tire Rack recommended the Blizzak WS70 215/55 R17. They said it was rated very high in their recent comparison tests. Does anyone gave experience with these tires on their BMW in lots of snow? Also, what difference can I expect between 215/55 R17 & 225/50R17?

You need to trust me on this one:

You want Nokian Hakkapeliitta R snow tires. Better traction, better durability, better handling, less resistance than the Blizzaks. A little bit more money ($210 per corner), but well worth it.

I had a set of Nokian's on my E93 RWD as well as my E90 M-Sport AWD in the tundra of New Hampshire for 13 winters and was extremely happy with them them.

BJ

[ocso1606]

Those are wonderful tires as well, so I've read...never owned a set though.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

If you are going for 17", you might also give some consideration to the Michelin Xice line. Top rated by Consumer Reports last month, and supposedly have better ice braking traction and dry performance than the Blizzak, at least according to CR. But they don't appear to be available in 18, which is one of the reasons I went with the WS70 Blizzak.

I haven't actually driven on either yet, so am just parroting the CR review. YMMV.

Consumer Reports is a horrible reference. A lot of their methods leave a lot to be desired. They also tend to bias the results based on odd subjective metrics that aren't particularly relevant.

Blizzaks are an incredible snow/ice tire.

[Goody4]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Consumer Reports is a horrible reference.

Right. Always trust anonymous message boards and a website that's trying to sell you something over any entity that uses scientific methodology in their testing.

CR as a "horrible reference". Good one.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by Goody4

Right. Always trust anonymous message boards and a website that's trying to sell you something over any entity that uses scientific methodology in their testing.

CR as a "horrible reference". Good one.

Everyone is responsible to vet out any information they're provided or fed. As an engineer, I'm trained to be skeptical of everything I see/read/hear. No one in their right mind should trust the findings of a single source without looking for supporting/contradictory claims. Unfortunately, biases are often so strong that this isn't always easy. Especially when opinion is presented as fact.

There have been numerous instances where CR's results were found to be atypical and their methodologies flawed. Several in recent years drew national attention leading to the retraction of their findings. Just because you use "scientific methods" doesn't mean that those methods or your hypotheses are scientifically valid. They may be "good enough" for Joe Public, but they don't always stand up to scientific scrutiny.

It doesn't take much effort to review their rationale behind the ratings they derive for a given product to determine that, in the end, their ratings can at times be irrelevant. Perhaps not always, but more often than they should be given their purpose.

As far as the Tire Rack is concerned, the objective ratings based on customer feedback are what makes the website such a useful tool. Certainly there may be clueless individuals who provide irrelevant feedback, but when you're looking at a tire with XX million reported miles you can be pretty certain that the numbers are fairly accurate. Those ratings are not the marketing propaganda of an entity plying a product.

Back to topic, I PERSONALLY have used Blizzaks on about 20 different cars/trucks/SUVs over the last 15+ years. I can attest that the WS series is a very good tire in snow and on ice. If I can drive a 400+ RWHP rear wheel drive Z/28 on mountain passes through 6"+ of snow without issue, then, I my opinion, it's a pretty damn good winter tire. But don't take MY word for it...do your own homework.

[shivaswrath]

I'm looking at LM60's by Bridgestone...the 70's are rated for a lower speed, which I know won't work for me :-P

[328i2013]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

I'm looking at LM60's by Bridgestone...the 70's are rated for a lower speed, which I know won't work for me :-P

How fast were you planning on driving in the snow

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by 328i2013

How fast were you planning on driving in the snow

as fast as I can see the road in front of me :-)

[rjc32000]

I'm not saying CR is the end all-be all authority on winter tires, or that the Blizzak isn't a wonderful tire. I'm merely suggesting the OP add the Xice to his/her consideration. My local tire service folks say that the Xice is extremely popular here in Alaska, and great for the typically icy roads we experience throughout the winter.

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Consumer Reports is a horrible reference. A lot of their methods leave a lot to be desired. They also tend to bias the results based on odd subjective metrics that aren't particularly relevant.

Blizzaks are an incredible snow/ice tire.

[fshubert]

My car almost never comes out in snow. Got my LM-25's and they're all I need to get around in an emergency. For the most part, my car doesn't leave the garage from December 1 thru Mar 1 except for a wash and wax.

[mobius80]

Are you all using non run-flat tires? Are WS70 available as run flat?