what winter wheel/tire package will you run this winter?

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Korab

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Thought this would be a good idea for people to see what is out there and share their preferences and their stories

I am a big believer in dedicated snow tires, as is just about everyone who lives in snow country and has actually tried a dedicated snow tire.

I have tried all the big name brands at one time or another. Through my own unscientific seat of the pants testing, I have determined that the Nokian Hakkapaelliita studded series of tires is the greatest snow tire on the face of the planet.

For this winter, I will be running their newest, the Hakka 8 in 225/40/18 on the stock SEL wheels, and will buy a separate set of 19's to run in the summer.

I have run non-studded and studded tires in the past, and for me nothing beats the assurance and traction of a studded snow tire. The Hakkas are specially built to be quiet - there is faint tire hum at highway speeds, but not enough to to annoy. For me, it's a comforting sound that reminds me of my secret weapon against Mother Nature.

What will you be running this winter?
 
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hankster88

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Peoria Illinois
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2015 MK7 Golf TDI S 6M-Sold
Stock wheels and all season tires from my S. The only reason I don't run a winter tire setup is I find non studded winter tires only marginally better then a good set of A/S. This because I live in a state that does not allow studded tires
 
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njiska

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Waterloo, Ontario
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2015 MkVII Golf
Likely 17" Steelies and Michelin X-Ice 3's at the stock tire size. They served me well on my Mazda last winter and my roommate owes me a set. Though I might consider Hakka R2's if I can find them locally.

I'm not a firm believer in needing dedicated snow tires, but at this point as it’s a new car and last winter was terrible, so it's smart to get some.
 
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pillboxhat

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Good question

I have 18s on there now. What snow tires should/could I get in terms of size? Do I have to use the exact measurements of the original tires?
 
TDI smile

TDI smile

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Korab said:
Thought this would be a good idea for people to see what is out there and share their preferences and their stories

I am a big believer in dedicated snow tires, as is just about everyone who lives in snow country and has actually tried a dedicated snow tire.

I have tried all the big name brands at one time or another. Through my own unscientific seat of the pants testing, I have determined that the Nokian Hakkapaelliita studded series of tires is the greatest snow tire on the face of the planet.

For this winter, I will be running their newest, the Hakka 8 in 225/40/18 on the stock SEL wheels, and will buy a separate set of 19's to run in the summer.

I have run non-studded and studded tires in the past, and for me nothing beats the assurance and traction of a studded snow tire. The Hakkas are specially built to be quiet - there is faint tire hum at highway speeds, but not enough to to annoy. For me, it's a comforting sound that reminds me of my secret weapon against Mother Nature.

What will you be running this winter?
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In that country pretty well all Manufacturers test their Winter Tires and cars. They got plenty of snow up in Finland. But do you need studs in your neck of the woods? On my MB Stationwagon I used Snowtires...., but that was it in Alberta. The rest of my cars drove on 4 Season Tires.
 
K

Korab

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finger lakes
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TDI smile said:
In that country pretty well all Manufacturers test their Winter Tires and cars. They got plenty of snow up in Finland. But do you need studs in your neck of the woods? On my MB Stationwagon I used Snowtires...., but that was it in Alberta. The rest of my cars drove on 4 Season Tires.
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I live on the fringes of lake effect snow areas in upstate NY, and regularly travel into the heavy snow and ice areas. Studs are overkill 95% of the time, but they are sure nice to have when you need them.

Honestly, studs don't make that much of a difference in snow, but they are game changers on ice. I drive 50,000 miles a year, and can't just stay home when the weather gets bad.
 
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warbird24

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Rochester, NY
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2011 Golf TDI
My choice is a Minus One profile with steelies. Currently running Conti Extreme Contact Snows with great results.

The only time I have not made it home from work is the day the closed the NY State Thruway for sever snow. Just thought it was prudent to stay put so I stayed overnight. The the 6M and the traction control and diff lock this little car is an amazing winter car for a front driver.
 
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nkgagne

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Korab said:
I am a big believer in dedicated snow tires, as is just about everyone who lives in snow country and has actually tried a dedicated snow tire.

For this winter, I will be running the Hakka 8 in 225/40/18 on the stock SEL wheels, and will buy a separate set of 19's to run in the summer.
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You'd be better off with some 15" or 16" steel wheels. Tires will be way cheaper, and you won't cry if you scrape a snow-obscured curb. Not to mention, your alloys won't be bathed in corrosive road salt. You can also get narrower tires 195mm or 205mm section which are less likely to float on snow or slush. If you really hate your 18" alloys, sell them. They'll fund your winter tire purchase.

hankster88 said:
Stock wheels and all season tires from my S. The only reason I don't run a winter tire setup is I find non studded winter tires only marginally better then a good set of A/S. This because I live in a state that does not allow studded tires
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You've obviously not tried a modern set of studless-type winter tires lately. (i.e. Michelin x-ice, Bridgestone Blizzak, or Continental ExtremeWinterContact, to name a few. If it has stud holes, don't buy it unless you're actually running it studded). There's no comparison with all-season tires.

pillboxhat said:
I have 18s on there now. What snow tires should/could I get in terms of size? Do I have to use the exact measurements of the original tires?
Click to expand...
Rumour has it you can drop to 15" steel wheels and run 195-65R15 tires, which are reasonable. 16" are an option as well with 205-55R16 tires.
 
K

Korab

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nkgagne said:
You'd be better off with some 15" or 16" steel wheels. Tires will be way cheaper, and you won't cry if you scrape a snow-obscured curb. Not to mention, your alloys won't be bathed in corrosive road salt. You can also get narrower tires 195mm or 205mm section which are less likely to float on snow or slush. If you really hate your 18" alloys, sell them. They'll fund your winter tire purchase.
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No way in hell would I run steel wheels. I know its the norm in Canada, but no way can I have my car look like that 4 1/2 months of the year. Tires are a little more, but worth it, IMO. I'm not too worried about floating - I ran 275/40/20 Hakka 7's on my SUV last winter with no issues.
 
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Korab

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nkgagne

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Korab said:
No way in hell would I run steel wheels. I know its the norm in Canada, but no way can I have my car look like that 4 1/2 months of the year. Tires are a little more, but worth it, IMO. I'm not too worried about floating - I ran 275/40/20 Hakka 7's on my SUV last winter with no issues.
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Your SUV likely had a little more weight to help compact the snow. The Golf isn't as hefty. As for the steelies, they may not be fancy (fugly actually, now that they're rusting), but they're cheap and durable. I'm more of a "function over looks" kind of guy.

If you're dead-set on alloys, TireRack also has 15" & 16" alloys. A 15" tire & wheel package (depending on the brand of wheel) will probably be cheaper than just the 18" tires alone, and might yield better winter weather handling. The taller profile might not look as sleek, but when most of the profile is buried in winter ick anyway, what difference does it make?
 
20IndigoBlue02

20IndigoBlue02

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Korab said:
No way in hell would I run steel wheels. I know its the norm in Canada, but no way can I have my car look like that 4 1/2 months of the year. Tires are a little more, but worth it, IMO. I'm not too worried about floating - I ran 275/40/20 Hakka 7's on my SUV last winter with no issues.
Click to expand...

Someone a long time ago invented hubcaps.

 
20IndigoBlue02

20IndigoBlue02

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back in the day, before having aluminum alloy wheels became the norm....

having hubcaps was considered to be an upgrade over the regular stamped steel wheels.

having aluminum alloy wheels back then was considered to be a premium upgrade, for top end models/trims.

though... i don't know why VW can't design a nicer looking hubcap compared to the Japanese and american brands.
 
K

Korab

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DubFamily said:
And they should have been shot for it then and there... :D

I'll run steelies for the winter without any problem; but I'll run them as steelies; Hub caps look even worse than the steel face does. ;)
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yeah - can't see making my SEL look like a launch edition for over a third of the year.
 
T_D_I_geek

T_D_I_geek

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northeastern Connecticut, USA
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For anyone interested in the latest Consumer Reports tire review, I posted it here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39302373/Tire_Review - Consumer_ Reports_ Sept_ 2014.pdf

Unfortunately this doesn't work as a direct link, you'll have to post it into your browser.

Interestingly, CR categorizes Nokian Hakka R2's as performance winter tires.

For summer performance tires, if tread life is disregarded, the Nokian zLine's receive excellent ratings. I'm considering these as my summer tires come next spring.
 
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ssamalin

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Korab said:
yeah - can't see making my SEL look like a launch edition for over a third of the year.
Click to expand...

Ok, get expensive wheels. But if you want to get around in the snow and ice get 15" Blizzaks. Or if extreme steep mountain ice studded.
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

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South of Boston
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Same setups as last year. Conti Extreme Winter Contacts on the wagon:


Michelin X-Ice 3 on the Golf:


I didn't use the Golf much in the snow but I think the Contis are a better tire.
 
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Korab

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ssamalin said:
Ok, get expensive wheels. But if you want to get around in the snow and ice get 15" Blizzaks. Or if extreme steep mountain ice studded.
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I won't be buying wheels for winter at all as I will be using my stock wheels, and I am quite sure that my 18" Nokian Hakka 8 studded snows will get just as good traction as would the same tire in a 15" size. The idea that a 15" tire gets better traction than an 18" tire is ridiculous.
 
20IndigoBlue02

20IndigoBlue02

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Korab said:
I won't be buying wheels for winter at all as I will be using my stock wheels, and I am quite sure that my 18" Nokian Hakka 8 studded snows will get just as good traction as would the same tire in a 15" size. The idea that a 15" tire gets better traction than an 18" tire is ridiculous.
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in the snow... that ridiculous idea is true.

If you look at rally cars...in particular, look at WRC... when it comes to the snow stages.... they are using ridiculously narrow studded tires. (as narrow as 110mm!!!)


http://www.michelinmotorsport.com/Tyres/Rally/
 
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K

Korab

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Sidewall height is proportionate to width.
 
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ssamalin

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distinction without a difference since bigger wheels use low profile tires on a Golf.
 
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K

Korab

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2015 golf TDI SEL 6MT w/ lighting and driver assistance package
ssamalin said:
distinction without a difference since bigger wheels use low profile tires on a Golf.
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I still don't understand why you take the position that a 15" tire gives better traction than an 18" tire. Sidewall height doesn't have anything to do with traction either. I'm not trying to pick an Internet fight here, but I just don't understand your position. Yes, a narrower width is advantageous, but that doesn't have anything to do with height. All the mk7 wheels, whether 15, 16, 17, or 18 are all the same height.
 
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ssamalin

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I've heard that narrower snow tires are better in the snow. I assume because they have less resistance moving through. I just believed what I heard and I don't know why. My understanding is that usually the width is proportional to the size, a 15 is narrower than an 18.
 
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