stimm32

I also see the Michelin X-Ice Xi2's are pretty well-rated. Anybody had any experience with those?

NABS4

Had them on the S4, and they were very good. Better, I'm sure, than the Maxxis.

stimm32

Okay, well I think we have it narrowed down to the Blizzaks, the Michelin X-Ice, or Conti ExtremeWinterContact (such a German name for a tire). Thanks for all the help!

rdA4WtQ5

I have them in 17". They are quiet, ride well and appear to be wearing well. The tread does not look that aggressive but traction is very good. I have to drive pretty spirited to see the ABS or ESC lights.
Much smoother over winter potholes 17's versus 18's help that a lot. Handling is less crisp than my all season 18's so I take it easier and save wear.

MP4.2+6.0

I'm one of those whack guys planning to run 20's. Also happened to be the opportunistic <$2000 deal of the year on the never run- or even bolted up factory mounted wheel sets someone walked away from on an abandoned SQ5 purchase.

Starts with sunny CA though where the 90% case are dry roads well above freezing even in winter in the baseline Mediterranean climate, so it's more a highway set up with good snow traction when we head for the up to 200"+ per year Tahoe cabin destination over the winter months.

Also ran the 3D's and predecessors on my A6 4.2 for many years; couldn't get them for the A8 so ended up with Pirelli SottoZeros's that seem in the same performance snow league.

JHRIII

HA! Funny, I haven't been around in a while and I came looking for AS tires, and saw this. I used to work for Maxxis.... on the bike side as a product and brand manager, and am still one of their test riders. Yes, bike tire wise, they are by far the largest and most well known as that is where they got their start. They make every tire in the world including tires for fork lifts, wheelbarrows, motorcycles, and large earth movers. They are less known on the auto side since they are newer to that industry, however they are picking up steam fast. When I traveled to our factories in Taiwan, I was amazed with how forward thinking they were to inovate, how cutting corners was not allowed, (I had to halt some insane ideas they had), and exhausted staying in meetings till 9pm, (not unusual there). In short, they make good stuff, but lack the marketing power and being as seasoned as the main brands out there.

Redd

stemm, I've learned the hard way that premium tires pay for themselves. Personally I'm sold on Goodyear and Michelin after many years and many brands, they seem to be totally competitive on price (if you shop around) and tops at performance. As we were taught a long time ago, if one tire lets you stop in 180 feet, and another lets you stop in 179 feet, that twelve inch difference is the difference between stopping in front of someone--or going through them.

Check out the tire ratings on Tirerack. Check out their prices versus your local Sears (oddly enough!) and Costo, who offer some great services like lifetime flat fixes on tires bought from them. Premium tires will cost more, but generally last longer, grip better, and wind up being the bargain in the long run.

rez

We have Bridgestone DM-V1's on our Q5 and studded Nokian Hakka 7's on the Kia. I like both but the Nokian's are definitely grippier on ice - perhaps not a fair comparo as the Nokians are studded vs the Bridgestones which aren't.

Bought the Bridgestone's mounted on wheels through Tire Rack at what I considered to be a great price compared to what local dealers were charging. I couldn't find the Hakka 7's on-line so went with a local dealer - very pricey. Still, at the end of the day I will replace the Bridgestone's, when they wear out on the Q5, with studded Nokians (whatever model will be current at the time) - hard to put a price not only on performance but also safety.

Redd

Comparing the performance of studded versus unstudded snow tires is pretty like like comparing an Abrams tank to a Harley.

If you like, want, or need studs, anything else just doesn't matter.

stimm32

I just picked up some Blizzak WS-70's today for our other car, and driving there on hard-packed snow and patches of ice with all-seasons on was quite terrifying, and I am a very confident winter driver. However, once I had the Blizzaks on, it was a night-and-day difference. They were unbelievably good on any surface.

We will definitely be getting some Blizzaks for the Q5. I am completely sold on them. I had thought about the Nokian Hakkas because we ran them on our first-gen allroad every winter for the ten years we owned it and they never let us down. Only reason I didn't choose them again is that they are quite pricey and the Tire Factory has to special-order them.