Winter Tires - Need some help

[Namakan]

Looking to get the wifes JSW some dedicated winters this season mounted on some unused portos I picked up. The question I have deals with the speed rating. The current Continentals (225/45/17) that came with the car have a speed rating of (H) I believe and most winter tires seem to be of a much lower rating (Q - T) I believe.

I'm wondering if anyone has some experience with these lower rated winter tires and how the ride and handling is affected?

I've been pricing some H rated tires for this size which tend to range from $75.00-$150.00 more per tire in some situations. I'm really trying to figure out if it's necessary to stick with and pay for an H rating or better for the size of tires I'm dealing with.

 

[crashtested]

You won't be doing 130mph when it snows so obviously MOST tires are going to be of a lower speed rating unless you are buying a specific high performance snow.

Myself I swear by Blizzak's, others stand by Brand 'X'. At the end of the day it's what appeals to you and what your pocketbook can support.

 

[WVU TDI]

Winter tires aren't made to put up with the heat generated by high speed runs. Keep your speed in check and the speed rating won't matter. Even Qs are rated for 100mph (iirc).

 

[Arne in Oregon]

To answer the other question, M&S tires are going to ride softer and be less crisp handling due to the soft, deep tread, regardless what speed rating you get. Don't sweat the Q rating, the H won't handle noticeably different.

 

[Namakan]

To answer the other question, M&S tires are going to ride softer and be less crisp handling due to the soft, deep tread, regardless what speed rating you get. Don't sweat the Q rating, the H won't handle noticeably different.

I figured there would be some difference in handling mostly in cornering from a Q to H rating. Two tires I was considering was the General Altimax Arctic which has the Q rating and on the other end a Nokian WR G2 with an H rating.

Although we have pretty harsh winters I would guess the roads are pretty much clear 90% of the winter season which would put more wear on a Q rated tire.

Wondering if I might actually get more value out of a H rated tire that should actually last longer since it should hold up better over the long run. The difference in price between the two sets appears to be around $250-$300.

 

[740GLE]

I have 195-65-15 blizacz WS-60 and love how they ride on the highway, i almost perfer them to my 205-55-16 biloines due to the extra sidewall. They aren't squirly or mushy track great on pavement and snow, so far I have about 25K on them and hope to get another year

 

[Polak]

Can the 15s fit on the 2011 Golf TDI?

If you go to tire rack, you can only chose 16s or 17s for winter.

 

[Namakan]

Can the 15s fit on the 2011 Golf TDI?

If you go to tire rack, you can only chose 16s or 17s for winter.

If you choose tires by the year, make & model methon, tire rack typically only gives you sizes in comparison to what was offered on the car from VW. Since the Golf was not offered a 15" tire there would not be an option they recommend however I'm sure it can be done.

I believe the Blizzak WS-60 are or soon to be discontinued and being replaced by the WS-70. At least that's what one local guy told me who seemed to know way too much about winter tires!

 

[WVU TDI]

Can the 15s fit on the 2011 Golf TDI?

If you go to tire rack, you can only chose 16s or 17s for winter.

Your spare tire is mounted on a 15" rim, so I would sure hope 15"s will fit

 

[LandCruiser]

What you should really do the sell the Portos for 16s instead. The extra sidewall will not only help with pothole protection but also easier on the wallet when shopping for tires. There is a pretty vast winter tire selection with 205/55/16 sizing.

 

[Namakan]

What you should really do the sell the Portos for 16s instead. The extra sidewall will not only help with pothole protection but also easier on the wallet when shopping for tires. There is a pretty vast winter tire selection with 205/55/16 sizing.

Do you want to buy a set of brand new Portos?

 

[RomanL]

I figured there would be some difference in handling mostly in cornering from a Q to H rating. Two tires I was considering was the General Altimax Arctic which has the Q .

i have those tires on 15's steelies that i got from tirerack last winter. they only been used for 2 trips *(to CO for few weeks) and to Mammoth for few days. so only few thousand miles on them, so they should last few season.
yes 15's will fit on GOLF but not on JSW, you'll need 16's.
i didnt quite catch if you have both GOLF and JSW? in that case i would go with 16's so you can use it on both cars.
i have GOLF and '07 rabbit, so 15's work for me.
im very happy with tires, been in some deep fluffy stuff and in hard packed ice, for the first time used ebrake around corners , super fun,
while in really harsh condition you'll still feel slip here and there, overall they grip right up and work really really well.
o and since i drove from CA to CO i can tell you that 15 hr drive non stop at max speed of 85 (i might have hit 90 once) they did just fine. they are rated to 100mph so i wont go over 90, but overall i set my speed warning at 85. *(i figured 15% below rating should be the max i need to take them to) o and these were relatively cheap

 

[varianttdi]

Forget the WR G2 and actually consider one of their Real snow tires like the Hakka R or the Hakka 5. The WR G2 is a really capable all-season with the snowflake rating. Not a full blown snow tire. The G2 is considered an All Weather Plus, better than a conventional all season but not quite as good as a dedicated snow. On the other hand the General is a really good bang for the buck snow.

 

[frugality]

There are a lot of folks here who love their Nokian WRs. With the snowflake-on-mountain brand, it's a real snow tire. Sure, there are better dedicated snow tires. But the WRs are great for many folks.

 

[Rutch]

I loved the General Altimax Arctic on my R32 last winter, 205/50/17 Will be getting another set for my JSW this winter.

 

[terrapin]

I put Nokian WRG2 tires on last december at 30k and they were excellent all winter. I now have put almost 30k on them and from the wear so far I am hoping to get 50,000 miles out of them and this winter season.

For a solid all around tire that is snow rated these can't be beat. Dry weather, including summer driving, is good along with excellent performance in the rain.

 

[Bluerabbit0886]

I'm planning on getting some 16" steelies and a set of blizzak ws-70s. I had the ws-60s on my 20th and that car was unstoppable in snow.

Maybe I'll try painting them some ridiculous color haha :thumbup:

 

[geektoad]

Just to be clear, the OP is asking about snows for a JSW. The JSW has the same brakes as a GTI, therefor 15" rims will NOT fit over the brakes. Unlike the sedans, the JSW has a full size 16" spare.

 

[sgoldste01]

I loved the General Altimax Arctic on my R32 last winter, 205/50/17 Will be getting another set for my JSW this winter.

+1. I have the same tires, in the same size, on my Golf TDI. They were fantastic. I installed mine on a set of very nice VW Denver wheels that I found for a good price on Vortex. These are the wheels/tires shown in my Fuelly profile pic.