My WRX wagon is moving to deep snow and hard ice (assuming a good winter) in the Sierras. Anyone have a qualified opinion on Blizzaks; TireRack recommends WR50s. I do a lot of up/down hill driving, so studs are out; also concerned about excessive road-noise. Thanks

I've heard good things about the LM-22's. They are a bit noisy and aren't great in the ice, but they'll do. I'd save some money and get Arctic Alpines though.

I have MZ 02's on my Subie

I've used Blizzaks for 3yrs in Northern Japan with no problems at all. Definately a great tire. Hell even the older Blizzak models were great tires.

My Nokian NRW are very quiet, but they aren't a full blown snow tire like the WS50, they are more akin to the LM-22. Sounds like you'd be better off with a real snow, not a good all-season (LM-22 or NRW/WR).

Blizzacks wear very quickly, I'd look into Arctic Alpines.

http://www.kelly-springfield.com/products/auto/srst2.html


Super knobby tread pattern almost like gravel rally tires! I havent gotten them in the snow yet, but I can tell you they rock in the mud and dirt... I bought them for $88 each and ordered them from a local goodyear tire center. They had some trouble at first, but when they found them they came fresh from the mold.


goodluck,

Ash

BTW... after tons of research, this is the most agressive tread pattern you can buy in a radial 205/55/16 and they come w/ goodyear warr. :)

Its true about the Blizzaks wearing faster but winter will be long gone before they wear out. I guess quicker tire wear is one thing you'll have to live with when your talking about a full blown snow tire and its super soft rubber.

I just had the LM-22's mountes last week. There is almost no road noise, and they handle pretty good in dry conditions. Now only if it would snow :)

The Blizzak WS50 reportedly offers just about the best snow traction available without going studded. They are not noisy on the road, but I have found they have very poor steering response and you can feel the sidewalls rolling over in high-G turns. Since this is a dedicated snow tire, this behavior is pretty much as I expected.

The LM22 is going to offer you much better dry-weather roadholding, but in theory it should not come close to the WS50 in snow capability. It will be a good compromise if you are only occasionally driving on snow covered highways and should still be much more capable in inclement weather than an all-season tire.

Read the reviews on tirerack.

-Pace

WS-50 are 100mph rated...
LM-22 are 120mph rated...

Say you'll never hit 100??? uh huh shure

It is way too easy to hit 100+ mph in a WRX...
I'd only recomend LM-22's
you're not driving a pinto...

I run the WS50's on my car and I simply love them. I ran all last winter with the RE92's and I didn't think that they were that bad, even in the deepest snow we had, but the WS50's are far superior in the snow. The WS50's do wallow around a lot, create some humming on dry pavement, and simply handle quite poorly in the dry, but hey, they are snow tires. I'm willing to live with the SUV like dry weather handling for the advantages that they offer in the snow.

I find that they also make spirited driving in the snow much more fun. Now the car has enough traction to get my heart rate up some while driving through the curves. :)

-Dave

Originally posted by OakosAutomotive
I run the WS50's on my car and I simply love them. I ran all last winter with the RE92's and I didn't think that they were that bad, even in the deepest snow we had, but the WS50's are far superior in the snow. The WS50's do wallow around a lot, create some humming on dry pavement, and simply handle quite poorly in the dry, but hey, they are snow tires. I'm willing to live with the SUV like dry weather handling for the advantages that they offer in the snow.

I find that they also make spirited driving in the snow much more fun. Now the car has enough traction to get my heart rate up some while driving through the curves. :)

-Dave

What Dave said. If you're going to get a snow tire, get a SNOW tire, and don't screw around. If you're in snow and ice, you want WS-series Blizzaks. Run about 35 psi in them, and they aren't as squirmy. As far as short tread life, I am into my third winter on the Blizzaks (putting them on in mid-November and removing them in mid-April). There's plenty of tread left, and plenty of grip to have as much fun as I want, snow or not.

This is fact, y'all, not speculation. As far as snow performance, in about 6" of snow, a friend with Pirelli snows couldn't keep up with me. No way. He had a WRX sedan.

Kevin

I second that.

Blizzak WS-50's are THE snow and ice tire. When you drive a WS-50 equipped car in ice racing, the Blizzaks grip so well, that they SQUEAL. Few other tires grip well enough to do that. They don't wear out as quickly as people tend to imply.