Captain Obvious just called, he said put the snow tires on early and take them off late. Yeah, you get some extra wear on the snow tires but they are less expensive than summer tires anyway.
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All season/all weather M+S tires for my 2018 VW Golf R
- Thread starter 4ster
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Captain Obvious just called, he said put the snow tires on early and take them off late. Yeah, you get some extra wear on the snow tires but they are less expensive than summer tires anyway.
I very much agree.
I would like to revise my testimony about the Michelin Premier A/S. I said above "they do well in the snow." I should have said "they do well in the snow for an all-season tire."
Yes, the Premier A/S suck in the snow compared to a winter tire. That's a given. They are an all-season tire. They all suck in winter conditions. You'll still be sliding around, just less than on an all-season tire with lesser winter performance.
All season tires have an enormous range of winter performance. Some, like the many all-season Michelin I've run, do OK (for all-season tires). Many are downright dangerous.
My RWD G35 came new with all-season Bridgestone Potenza's. Those tires were extremely dangerous in winter conditions even brand new. I was getting stuck on the smallest hills and sliding through intersections in an inch of snow. ABS and traction control would go completely nuts to almost no effect. Those tires were so scary the car sat in the garage the first couple winters after getting caught in a surprise storm.
Changing to all-season Michelin MXV4's made a huge improvement. With those tires on the same car I was able to drive I-70 across the Colorado Rockies in a major winter storm, just barely. My experience has been Michelin Premier A/S are even better in winter conditions. Again, they still suck compared to winter tires.
It's worth emphasizing there are huge variations of winter performance in the same categories of all-season tires. You can see my experience reflected in the Premier's vs. the Potenza's winter ratings here:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS
Winter tires change everything. The same RWD G35 is a beast in the snow with the Xice-3's I now run in the winter. A great example is a few winters back I ran brand new Michelin Premier LTX's on our AWD MDX and X-ice 3's on the RWD G. The Premier LTX is also a tire that does well in the snow for an all-season tire, but it still sucks compared to a winter tire. In the snow and ice, both my wife and I strongly preferred driving the RWD G35 with winter tires to the AWD MDX with top rated, brand new all-season tires. The MDX now also wears X-ice's in the winter.
It's really nice to be able to stop and to turn without sliding around. That's what winter tires do for you. Most folks worry about getting stuck, so they buy an AWD. Yes, you probably won't get stuck with all-season tires and AWD. If you also want to stop and turn, get a winter tire.
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I've been caught once or twice with all-season Michelin Pilot A/S 3. Yes, they do well FOR AN ALL SEASON TIRE.
Your post reminded me of a time back when I was a starving student. I bought a Chevy Chevette at a low advertised price; they expected to make money on extras. They didn't; I even got a radio credit for no radio. However, the car didn't come when promised; it came in January. So I thought I would tough it out with the brand new no-season tires (Goodyear Corsa GTs). Got to the top of the mountain just fine, with the rented (mandatory) chains providing extra weight for traction on the floor in front of the back seats. It snowed about a foot while I was skiing. I was too lazy to chain up before heading down - hey, I cleared the parking lot without any problem. I gave a hitch hiker a ride down too. I believe he was very glad to get out of the car in one piece. Every switchback was drifted, and the brakes were locked plowing furrows between them. Had it been a front wheel drive or an automatic, I would have been badly embarrassed (not hurt - I was still young and invincible ).
Lessons learned: chain up when it's called for; there's more to winter traction than not getting stuck; and, no-season tires don't cut it.
The consideration that isn't being fully addressed fully here is that we are talking about a Golf R. This is a high performance all wheel drive car that while all wheel drive, it is not for snow performance but ultimate traction therefore it has wiiiide tires with a lot of rubber and a big footprint, not a trait that is conducive to driving in the snow. @EBG18T suggests the Nokian WRG3... this tire is beign discontinued and being replaced by the WRG...wait for it...4. This new generation of All Weather (not All Season) tires are really good in the snow..like @tball said...compared to the traditional All Seasons but still pretty wide. What is @4ster willing to give up for summer performance if he goes this way?
Thread Starter
TS
To be honest, I never intended to get winter/snow tires for this car, so I guess I’m willing to give up some. The fact is that I don’t really drive much in the summer, my bike takes me most places except the grocery store and golf course. I only drove the car around 1000 miles between May and September, so switching to summer tires for a few months doesn’t make much sense.
I think @ScotsSkier ’s 1st post in this thread has become my bigger concern...
I am taking my 17” rim To Les Schwab today to see if they will work on my Golf. If the 17” rims work, can I get a high enough profile tire so I don’t lose any more of the little clearance that I have now?
If the 17 inch rims will not work, I will probably risk it with the 19 inch rims and whatever all season tire I can get on them.
What are the performance advantages of low profile rims? Are they just for show?
Back to one of my original questions, does anyone have any experience with the Toyo Proxes 4 plus tires???
Besides their own brand, these are the only tires that Les Schwab carries for my car. I did find out that Les Schwab does not price match. Am I better off ordering tires from a place like tire rack for less money & foregoing the Les Schwab guarantee & paying full price for mounting etc.?
I am pretty sure your Subaru wheels will not fit jim. Different PCD for starters...
IIRD, Subies are 5x100 and VW are 5x112. I could be wrong though.
I think the newer wrx/sti is 5*114.2
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I think you are right.
Have you looked at Discount Tire? They're in Utah and Carson City. I think they offer the same sort of guarantees and services as Les Schwab.
Thread Starter
TS
And the guys here in NW Reno are awesome.
Thread Starter
TS
OK, just left Les Schwab and the 17 inch rims will not work, as you guys suggested.
Leaning hard toward the Toyo Proxes 4+ All Season on my 19” rims. The guy here actually runs those tires on his WRX and says they are very quiet and actually OK in the snow.
Leaning hard toward the Toyo Proxes 4+ All Season on my 19” rims. The guy here actually runs those tires on his WRX and says they are very quiet and actually OK in the snow.
I had offered to pass on some info from a friend who owns an R, lives in Burlington VT, and is a real serious car guy. The other cars in the garage that get driven in the winter are a BMW MX5, and a Ford F250. in the summer, add in two Porsches, and his wife's AMG 63 wagon.
He runs the 19" summer rims, and a summer high performance tire from May though September. In October he swaps on Nokian WRG3's, in a 225/45/17, mounted on what he said was "a cheap 17" aftermarket rim." The reason that he runs the WRG3 is that he does a lot of driving on dry roads in the winter. More so than driving in deep snow, or snow storms. If the snow is deep, and stormy, he and his wife will drive the truck and the X5. If he were going to drive the R in any kind of bad winter weather, with no other options, he would go with a 17" Hakka R3. Either way, he would never run the 19" rim and short sidewalls.
He has had great experience with the wear on the WRG3's. That's been our experience as well. He does not worry about driving 300 miles in 60-70 degree weather, and driving on ice and snow the next day. BUT, the tire is NOT as good in deep snow as a dedicated top quality snow tire. Is it good? Yes, really good. We were chatting and agree that when new, they are really good. And they tend to be real good for a few seasons, and maybe 40K or so miles. Then, they lose something in snow. On ice, in slush and packed down snow, they are abut as good as the Hakka R3, in his opinion. Hie comment to me was that in year one, the WRG3 might 90% of the performance of the R3. Maybe 80% in year two or three.
And nowhere near as good as studded Hakkas, which he's had experience with on his former S4 Avant.
If I owned a R, I would NOT be wiling to give up the top end summer performance. I would have bought the car primarily for the summer driving {or late spring and fall.} And I would want to maximize my winter performance, reliability and safety. My issue has always been that where we live, and drive to ski, I can often see a 60 to 80 degree swing in temperature in a couple of days, at certain times of the year. I have almost felt many snow/winter tires melt away. And I've been caught in a fresh 18" of snow in April many times. If I lived in the mountains, I'd run studded winter tires, right through mud season. I'd mount them as soon a snow was likely. But I don't. I live next to the ocean, near Boston, and 225 miles north, our ski home is a completely different climate.
I think this choice depends on what your winter driving will look like, best guess. Having a son who lives in Truckee, no chance would I run summer tires there or an "all season" tire with a summer bias. He runs studded Hakka's on a Tacoma. Tank. Last summer he bought some WRG3's for his GF's Outback 3.0R. They were great , other than in the deepest snow, or steepest grades {like their driveway!}. And they were great for driving when it was dry, or warmer. Now, he also lives up on Donner Lake.
Probably confusing, but I would absolutely run two sets of wheels and tires on the car. Then again, I don't know what the motivation was on buying the R, which can impact your thinking. I have an 80 year old neighbor who rives an Audi RS4 cabrio, "because she loves the color." Not why a lot of people buy them, but it works for her.
I realize that a good set of tires and some rims might cost $1000-$1200. So maybe $250 or so a season? I think it's well worth it. Just my $.02.
He runs the 19" summer rims, and a summer high performance tire from May though September. In October he swaps on Nokian WRG3's, in a 225/45/17, mounted on what he said was "a cheap 17" aftermarket rim." The reason that he runs the WRG3 is that he does a lot of driving on dry roads in the winter. More so than driving in deep snow, or snow storms. If the snow is deep, and stormy, he and his wife will drive the truck and the X5. If he were going to drive the R in any kind of bad winter weather, with no other options, he would go with a 17" Hakka R3. Either way, he would never run the 19" rim and short sidewalls.
He has had great experience with the wear on the WRG3's. That's been our experience as well. He does not worry about driving 300 miles in 60-70 degree weather, and driving on ice and snow the next day. BUT, the tire is NOT as good in deep snow as a dedicated top quality snow tire. Is it good? Yes, really good. We were chatting and agree that when new, they are really good. And they tend to be real good for a few seasons, and maybe 40K or so miles. Then, they lose something in snow. On ice, in slush and packed down snow, they are abut as good as the Hakka R3, in his opinion. Hie comment to me was that in year one, the WRG3 might 90% of the performance of the R3. Maybe 80% in year two or three.
And nowhere near as good as studded Hakkas, which he's had experience with on his former S4 Avant.
If I owned a R, I would NOT be wiling to give up the top end summer performance. I would have bought the car primarily for the summer driving {or late spring and fall.} And I would want to maximize my winter performance, reliability and safety. My issue has always been that where we live, and drive to ski, I can often see a 60 to 80 degree swing in temperature in a couple of days, at certain times of the year. I have almost felt many snow/winter tires melt away. And I've been caught in a fresh 18" of snow in April many times. If I lived in the mountains, I'd run studded winter tires, right through mud season. I'd mount them as soon a snow was likely. But I don't. I live next to the ocean, near Boston, and 225 miles north, our ski home is a completely different climate.
I think this choice depends on what your winter driving will look like, best guess. Having a son who lives in Truckee, no chance would I run summer tires there or an "all season" tire with a summer bias. He runs studded Hakka's on a Tacoma. Tank. Last summer he bought some WRG3's for his GF's Outback 3.0R. They were great , other than in the deepest snow, or steepest grades {like their driveway!}. And they were great for driving when it was dry, or warmer. Now, he also lives up on Donner Lake.
Probably confusing, but I would absolutely run two sets of wheels and tires on the car. Then again, I don't know what the motivation was on buying the R, which can impact your thinking. I have an 80 year old neighbor who rives an Audi RS4 cabrio, "because she loves the color." Not why a lot of people buy them, but it works for her.
I realize that a good set of tires and some rims might cost $1000-$1200. So maybe $250 or so a season? I think it's well worth it. Just my $.02.
So are the ones in West Sac.
Thread Starter
TS
@Muleski , Thanks for speaking with your friend & passing on the information.
My motivation for owning this car is simply that it makes driving fun! If I have to drive I might as well feed my mental/physical disposition that many describe as "the need for speed", in my case it is more the "need for G's"!
Anyway, I think some performance All-season tires will fit my needs for now. I understand that it is not the perfect way to go but it will fit my situation best. I still have a few more weeks to figure it out. I appreciate everyone's help
Anyone have experience with Toyo Proxes 4+ All Season tires?
I spend the bulk of the winter in Eden, UT & drive to Snowbasin & for the most part conditions are pretty mild (yes there is some blizzard driving but nothing like Tahoe where I spent most of my life). If I were back in Tahoe full-time & driving the passes daily I would be inclined to have a second vehicle specifically for the big snow days & leave the VW in the garage.
My motivation for owning this car is simply that it makes driving fun! If I have to drive I might as well feed my mental/physical disposition that many describe as "the need for speed", in my case it is more the "need for G's"!
Anyway, I think some performance All-season tires will fit my needs for now. I understand that it is not the perfect way to go but it will fit my situation best. I still have a few more weeks to figure it out. I appreciate everyone's help
Anyone have experience with Toyo Proxes 4+ All Season tires?
The new Consumer Reports tire ratings are out, at least online. The magazine will be out shortly if it isn't already.
CR puts the Toyo Proxes into the "Ultra-High-Performance All-Season" category, and they don't do well. They are forth from the bottom out of 21 tires tested with an overall score of 62. The winter performance looks scary to me, as one would expect from the category, with "Good" snow traction and "Fair" ice braking.
The top tire in that category is the Michelin A/S 3+ with an overall score of 78 and "Good" snow traction and "Good" ice braking. It has better summer and wet performance than the Toyo and it lasts longer.
The new Michelin Cross Climate+ is top of CR's "High-Performance All-Season" category with an overall score of 75. It has remarkable test scores for an all-season tire stamped with a mountain snowflake. It tested "Very Good" on every test, including wet, dry and winter. The Cross Climate+ scores much better all around than the Michelin Premier A/S I have on my G35 that have dropped to 5th in the same category. I believe they were first last year.
The Michelin Cross Climate+ looks like a great option for those considering the WRG4. The Michelin has much better dry and wet performance, and only give up a little winter performance to the Nokian, with "Very Good" vs. "Excellent" Ice Braking respectively.
It's worth taking a look at the CR reviews. It's nice they test a bunch of tires in each category, while TireRack only tests a few tires with the rest of the ratings based on customer reviews.
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Thread Starter
TS
Thanks, I will check this out now!
The magazine (Consumer Reports) with the tire ratings is out. I picked it up because I'll be looking at tires for my CRV soon. Of note, the tires that I was told by a tire store n SLT would be good for snow and ice (Cooper Zeons), when I had to buy tires on an emergency basis, are rated poor for both snow and ice traction. I can confirm that they were indeed poor. I had a few scary drives with them the past couple of winters. Too bad I didn't have time to research. Just saying I wouldn't go by what the tire store tells you.
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