bob m

Strongly considering getting a set of dedicated snow tires for my '14 Q5.
I live in NE NJ, so I'm looking more for traction on packed snow, ice, slush than on plowing through deeper snow.
I'm not looking to push the buttons and do 65 mph in a snow storm, but want as good a compromise of traction, noise and wear. Spoke with Tirerack and he recommended the Bridgestone Blizzacks over the Dunlop Winter Sport 3D.
Did a little looking at the reviews and some complain that the Bridgetones are "too gummy" - and have very limited tread life as well as don't handle wet roads well. The Dunlops got mixed reviews also.
BTW, Audi offers the Dunlops as their 'WINTER TIRE SET - for about a grand more than TireRack!

Was wondering what some of you guys think between these 2 tires?

Bob

acadianbob

I've had Bridgestone and Dunlop snows; not necessarily the exact variant that you may be looking at. I thought the Bridgestones provided better winter traction. But don't run them late in the season or they will disappear before your very eyes.

spijun

I have excellent experience with Dunlop Winter Sport 3D

MagnusW

Its not Dunlop or Bridgestone, but I just wrote about Nokian tyres in another thread. They are IMO the best tyres for snow and ice and in tests done here in Norway the Hakka R2 is the tyre with the least noise.
Here are some test results. Its worth mentioning that the winning tyre is studded, with the R2 coming in at number 2.

MP4.2+6.0

What is on the Q5 now. I have run this tires and its predecessors when ever I can get it in the given size, including multiple sets over the years on my similar weight 2000 Audi A6 4.2. Has the road type traction I need, including ice and especially stopping. More a performance and road tire, which I want since live in non-snow and freezing but drive up into the CA Sierra's a lot to a second home at 6700 feet. Also quiet--as they go--for dry roads, plus wear still reasonable.

Transfer

If you want performance on dry and wet, you want the Dunlops. The Blizzak LM60 has poor wet ratings in comparison to Dunlop 3D. If you care more about snow performance than dry/wet, the Blizzak is where it's at. The big problem though is that unless something changed since early December, there are no Dunlop 3D's available for the rest of this year ANYWHERE.

mrrun2fast

I have Bridgestone Blizzaks, which are awesome in snow. The ride is squishy when it's dry and at speeds greater than 65 mph. It's worth the trade off given the snow performance.

bob m

Now why wouldn't a dealer as big as TireRack offer Nokians?

I can see where the Blizzaks with their gummy/softer composition would be better than the Dunlops in the heavy snow, but for most of the winter/snow season here - mid December to mid March, the roads are dry.
Would that be a problem with the Blizzacks - excessive tread wear?

mrrun2fast

My total commute each day is 50 miles with most of it highway driving. I typically keep the tires on from Dec till March. After two winters, I still have a lot of tread left. I tend to drive around 65 to preserve the tread.

bpp

Nokian FTW! If you need a winter tire or an all-weather (some say all-season) tire with a severe winter rating, Nokian has them. Nokians work in any weather in any season. Many have tread wear ratings at 500+.
Why wouldn't Tire Rack offer the Nokian brand? Give them a call, see what they say. Maybe they can't build enough profit into the brand to sell. Maybe it's brand recognition. After all, ask your average driver about the Nokian brand and the first answer you get "you mean the cell phone company?". I've enjoyed many a set of tires available through TR over the years. I also recognize what I need to fulfill my driving habits and confidence level. I pay a premium for this brand, a premium brand fitted onto a premium vehicle.