amanuel777

C, Blizzaks handle like crap and last for about 5,000 miles. The material is as soft as a pencil eraser. I had them on my Z car back in the day and I couldn't wait for the winter to be over to throw them out. They do grip well, but if you're not riding in snow and ice all winter, they are a shitty tire. The Dunlops are the best compromise between handling and grip in the snow... And I don't even know how one would justify using Blizzaks on an xi BMW. Seriously, Dunlop M3's (or whatever the current model is) is a far superior tire.

sdg1871

I agree. I have been using Dunlop WinterSport M3s for years.

They are a compromise snow tire that is perfect for the NYC area where I live. They do not have the killer snow grip of the Blizzaks. But their dry weather performance and tread life is superior to the Blizzaks. If I lived in Vermont, New Hampshire, western NY, or Maine, however, I would go for the Blizzaks.

romansg

I picked up a set of 225/50VR 17 Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance XL's on a spare set of Sport Edition A7's as my winter wheels, last winter was tough, extended periods of -20 C with snow cover all winter. Lots of real wet heavy dumps in November and throughout the spring. The tires are good overall, great on ice but are don't provide effective grip in > 6" deep "wet" snow.

tonymac

I went through a winter in Germany with Khumo's... Don't do it! This coming winter, I am going to come back to this thread and try some of the tires mentioned here.

Good luck

Tonymac

mandrsn1

The Dunlops work great for me too. Chicago winters can suck.

ADD

+1 on the Nokians

Check my sig. I had ZERO issues in the weather this past winter.

Although I missed the switch by one day. Man, that one day on RFT summers in the snow and slush was a bitch.

tiangco.a

Last winter i used Pirelli P6 (All season tires)
Our winters out here in calgary, alberta, canada are rough. The pirellis did ok, not the best. I would suggest the blizzaks.

Seipäänreikä

THIS IS THE TRUTH! heh
But there are a lot of differences within Nokian wintertires also. They make totally different tires for the central Europe, than they make for the Nordic countries.
Since I?m towing my sled every weekend on snowy/sometimes icy conditions, I prefer Nokian studded tires. They produce the best grip.

But if you?re driving mostly on dry tarmac then it?s totally different situation.

jhnnyfiv

Thanks again for all the replies! I think I've narrowed it down between Nokian and Blizzaks, but the Dunlop's sound interesting too. Some of you have said the Blizzaks do not get very much mileage. How about the Nokians? Or in this case, how about the Dunop's as well? I will be doing a lot of driving even during the winter. If there is a snow storm, more than likely I will not be on the road, but may occasionally get caught out there.

Krusty Clown

I'm late to this thread, but had the EXACT same experience except backwards.

I had the Pirelli's on my old G35 and absolutely hated them. When I got my e46 M3, I got Dunlop Winter Sport M3's and LOVED them. Now that I've got the 535xi, I'll be going with the Dunlops again. The M3's are no longer being made, so I'll likely go with the 3D's (they replaced the M3's).

They're not great for super deep snow, but for areas that are mostly plowed, they're excellent in the snow, and still pretty sporty when the roads are dry.

I should also add that if you're dealing with deep snow and hills, the Nokians rock. My dad had RSi's on his 540i, and they were outstanding. The problem; at least in Toronto, is that the Nokians are a lot of money. The other thing to keep in mind is that they're soft, so when the road is dry, the car doesn't feel sporty at all (very squishy in fact). Given that it's the middle of winter, you don't expect to be hustling, but it's nice to not feel like a land yacht.

That said, if I have to choose between winter safety (i.e. if I live in Tahoe), or non-squishiness, I'd go with winter safety.