Thoughts on Blizzaks....

SWORN

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Apr 20, 2012
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Okay, I'm getting kind of tire of having two vehicles. Basically I have a newer Jeep and my 04 Mustang GT.

Getting pretty tired of: two plate stickers, two city stickers and two separate car insurances. I've paid down the Jeep enough to brake even IE NOT upside down. My Mustang is paid for so no worries there. I really would like to pick up an S197 Mustang or an 05-06 GTO.

My concern is of course the winters. Do any of you guys use Blizzaks and what are your thoughts. My main point being, a set of tires is sure a lot cheaper than two vehicles!

Thanks in advance!
 

gnxs

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Apr 26, 2004
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Okay, I'm getting kind of tire of having two vehicles. Basically I have a newer Jeep and my 04 Mustang GT.

Getting pretty tired of: two plate stickers, two city stickers and two separate car insurances. I've paid down the Jeep enough to brake even IE NOT upside down. My Mustang is paid for so no worries there. I really would like to pick up an S197 Mustang or an 05-06 GTO.

My concern is of course the winters. Do any of you guys use Blizzaks and what are your thoughts. My main point being, a set of tires is sure a lot cheaper than two vehicles!

Thanks in advance!
I have a set of Blizzaks I use on my CTS-V in the Winter. Since I put them on we haven't had a really bad snow, but they've gotten me through what we did get with no issues.

I think the low nose on the car will become an issue with the snow before traction with the blizzaks does.
 

SWORN

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Apr 20, 2012
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Chicago
Thanks for all the input so far guys!

I have a set of Blizzaks I use on my CTS-V in the Winter. Since I put them on we haven't had a really bad snow, but they've gotten me through what we did get with no issues.

So it sounds like you were pretty comfortable with using the blizzaks?

winter tire qualities vary but they certainly do work.

Any thing other than the Blizzaks you guys recommend? Or is it safe to assume they are one of the best?

Thanks!
 

Bob Kazamakis

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I'm not a fan of their dual compound personally; after they wear some the compound left is closer to an all season then a winter tire.

I use general arctic altimax tires which are actually rated for use in deep snow and were developed by the swedes.
 

sickmint79

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Mar 2, 2008
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Thanks for all the input so far guys!



So it sounds like you were pretty comfortable with using the blizzaks?



Any thing other than the Blizzaks you guys recommend? Or is it safe to assume they are one of the best?

Thanks!

blizzak marketing must be solid as it seems to be the go to name for winter tires. tirerack does tests each year comparing winter tires and they are worth checking out. i've only run blizzaks once. tirerack unfortunately doesn't carry nokian, made by the fins who apparently don't even bother to plow a lot of roads. a lot of ice racers use nokians. i got their 2nd from the top stuff and they worked well. i won't claim i'm a spectacular driver or car reviewer but a buddy who is great was very impressed by them. i really wish TR sold them so i could see some empirical comparisons too.

i've never bought the cheapest, although i bought wheels/tires for the 545 on craig's list for cheap from milwaukee and i think these ones are pretty entry level. forgot what they were but i am not impressed, feel like i've gone from top of the line winters to pretty weak ones for now. $400 wheels and one season used tires was tough to pass up though.
 

rocket5979

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Nov 15, 2005
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Deciding on what is the right vehicle to buy for use as a daily driver for both summer and winter, while keeping it fun, would be a tough decision. Mustangs or GTO's aren't really decent choices for winter driving. Sure you can sort of make it through winter on snow tires but it will still be a pain in the ass. If the decision were mine it would have to at least be AWD; but I would most likely pick a truck or SUV with AWD or 4x4 that I could mod to be fairly powerful with a bit of ground clearance for snow drifts. Even if the car has a nice set of snow tires it still just cannot handle snow and ice as well.
 

SWORN

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Apr 20, 2012
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Deciding on what is the right vehicle to buy for use as a daily driver for both summer and winter, while keeping it fun, would be a tough decision. Mustangs or GTO's aren't really decent choices for winter driving. Sure you can sort of make it through winter on snow tires but it will still be a pain in the ass. If the decision were mine it would have to at least be AWD; but I would most likely pick a truck or SUV with AWD or 4x4 that I could mod to be fairly powerful with a bit of ground clearance for snow drifts. Even if the car has a nice set of snow tires it still just cannot handle snow and ice as well.

I understand what you're saying, but I tried that.....Sold a really nice Mustang for a cool 4X4. I like the off road stuff, Nothing cooler than blasting through the snow with the four wheel drive on.

At the core of it all, I'm a hot rod guy. Gotta have my RWD V8. At this point, Im just tired of paying for everything that comes with owning two vehicles.....:(

I guess I need to move to a warmer climate! LOL!
 
I have a lot of experience with Blizzaks. I have been driving sports cars in the winter for many years. Part of the reason is related to what you said in you first post. However, there is another reason that people rarely point out. Driving a sports car in the winter with an excellent snow tire is very fun. When you talk about Blizzaks there are 2 different series, the LM which are performance winter and the WS which are a more serious studless ice/snow tire. I have preferred the WS series because they will give you a lot of confidence in the ice and snow. I had LM's on my previous car, a 350Z, for 2 years and WS's for about 7 years. I now have a boxster and it took some research on my own to figure out a winter set that would fit with WS series tires (I also bought a factory aluminum hardtop). LM series will work fine but WS series is what I used in these driving events below. These were regular blizzaks on pure ice:

One timed lap at my 1st ice driving event. Lake Sinissippi, Hustisford, WI 1/23/11 - YouTube

Drifting play at my 1st Ice driving event after all Timed Laps. Lake Sinissippi WI 1/23/11. - YouTube

I'm not the greatest driver but I feel like the winter driving practice makes me more comfortable and confident when I run into conditions like this when I drove at the Autobahn last year:

9/18/11 Autobahn South (rainy). Advanced group HPDE. National Auto Sport Assoc. event. - YouTube

Get some blizzak WS tires and have some fun when the snow falls and the ice lines the streets!
 

Pewter-Camaro

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May 28, 2011
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bahh... 3600 or 4000 stall A4 Ls1 driven in every winter since 2005 on General Arcticmax's plowing the roads with the car 3" off the ground all the way. No issues. Learn how to handle your car and you will be fine. I personally find it fun as hell.. lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k87SPQkkoNk

edit... Also Have to add before the current Ls1 Camaro I was driving either a v6 or Lt1 4th gen Camaro so nothing but 4th gen's as my only car since 1995.
 
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