Non-directional performance winter tires 205/65-15

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I have experience with Hankook W300s and W310s on a 2003 Audi A6. I ran both models for approx 2 full winters and I bought the W300s used and the W310s new.

Both were vastly superior to the all season tires I used for spring thru fall, but I believe that quattro played a part in that. I chose the W310s because the price was right, and I subscribe to the "any winter tire is better" philosophy.

Have you checked out tires-easy.com? The have a National/Delta tire called the S210 that is non-directional and very price competitive. Don't know off hand if it's available in your size, though.

Correction: the tire brand and model is the Imperial S110 and it's an identical design to what National/Delta sells so they both must come from the same factory. $60 each plus shipping.
 
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Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I have experience with Hankook W300s and W310s on a 2003 Audi A6. I ran both models for approx 2 full winters and I bought the W300s used and the W310s new.

Both were vastly superior to the all season tires I used for spring thru fall, but I believe that quattro played a part in that. I chose the W310s because the price was right, and I subscribe to the "any winter tire is better" philosophy.

Have you checked out tires-easy.com? The have a National/Delta tire called the S210 that is non-directional and very price competitive. Don't know off hand if it's available in your size, though.

Correction: the tire brand and model is the Imperial S110 and it's an identical design to what National/Delta sells so they both must come from the same factory. $60 each plus shipping.


Yes, I've looked on tires-easy

But on another site, I found the W310 Hankooks for about $70 each, free shipping.

While I also subscribe to the "any winter tire is better" philosophy, Hankook is probably MUCH better than National/Delta/Imperial private label Chinese tires. I'd like at least a mid-tier name brand. I'd even rather have Nexen than the Imperial, and there's a set of the Snow'G on eBay for $60 each, free shipping. Korean-made.

Quattro AWD magnifies the benefit of winter tires over all-season.
 
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
They're not so good in the wet. The sidewalls are really stiff which makes for good turn in on dry roads but does the wet traction no favours I think. No issues at all with standing water or aquaplaning though.

I'd still consider trying them. Given that we almost never have any significant standing water, they might be worth a try. But, that's way down the road now, as it were.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
They're not so good in the wet. The sidewalls are really stiff which makes for good turn in on dry roads but does the wet traction no favours I think. No issues at all with standing water or aquaplaning though.

I'd still consider trying them. Given that we almost never have any significant standing water, they might be worth a try. But, that's way down the road now, as it were.


it's damp and wet roads that's the issue, not the standing wtaer so the thread seems very capable to move the water. And of course, I have OEM fitment tyres from a hyundai, aftermarket tyres could behave different. Different sizes aswell.
 
If you look at the thread, I doubt you'll make it up an incline on snow or ice... and the fact that on the one day of snow last year we didn't get any of the appointments in before the roads were cleared suggests the same. Ironically, most came to get theirr winter wheels...

115064-120724-full--1595.jpg
 
I hadn't actually taken a good look at the tread until you provided that picture. I'll have to see if it's got the M+S rating, out of curiosity, since that isn't worth much in the first place.
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Originally Posted By: Garak
I hadn't actually taken a good look at the tread until you provided that picture. I'll have to see if it's got the M+S rating, out of curiosity, since that isn't worth much in the first place.
wink.gif



I don't think it will, since the Ventus Prime2 is a summer tire. Not really sold here except in the sizes uses as OE on Mercedes cars originally equipped with them. A grand touring summer tire, made in Hungary.
 
I'm still stuck on this whole idea of non-directional winter tires. Do you even want that? Isn't the design of a good winter (snow) tire in conflict with being non-directional?
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
I'm still stuck on this whole idea of non-directional winter tires. Do you even want that? Isn't the design of a good winter (snow) tire in conflict with being non-directional?

I believe the ideal tire to just drive on snow wouldn't be designed to clear out snow out of the tread spaces, especially in squeeky snow conditions. The ideal tire to drive on clean smooth ice wouldn't have any large tread spaces at all either. All winter tires are a compromise, you just have to estimate what's your most common troublesome condition.
Personally I like to go narrow so the tire cuts deeper into snow/slush regardless of the tread pattern, and then I went with an ice tire on the Focus as most of the time its on bare pavement and ice tires tend to be more civilized.
On the CRV we have all weather all terrain tire that's non-directional and fairly narrow so I think it will excel in snow and slush, but not be all that great on ice.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
….Worst snow tire is better then best all season tire during winter. It is simple as that.


A good winter tire marketing slogan. But have you seen any test data to back it up?
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: edyvw
….Worst snow tire is better then best all season tire during winter. It is simple as that.


A good winter tire marketing slogan. But have you seen any test data to back it up?

Consumer reports are the only people that run the same ice tests on all season and winter tires, and if I recall the very best all seasons did best the worst snow tires on ice. But in deep snow those 3 seasons would not be a match for those snow tires.
 
Has anyone here used the Continental ContiWinterContact TS810? Another one I found available.

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Isn't the design of a good winter (snow) tire in conflict with being non-directional?


not necessarily

There are many good non-directional winter tires. I found several in the performance winter category, and a decent amount in the studless winter segment too (Dunlop WinterMaxx, Conti ExtremeWinterContact, Falken Espia EPZ, Hankook icept iZ, etc)

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Continental recommends using wider tires in winter, especially with performance winters:

http://www.continental-tires.com/car/technology/wide-tires


shocked2.gif


I'm surprised the Tire Rack and the automakers aren't in on this.

However, I am still going to stick with my stock size
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Re: directional vs non-directional. When Continental introduced the new WinterContact SI (in 2015), they had this to say:

"…………..Why directional? According to Continental Key Account Manager Ryan Bradshaw, the asymmetrical tread pattern proved superior in Continental’s testing for the Extreme Winter Contact, but consumer and dealer perception was that asymmetrical tires were associated with all-season tires, as opposed to winter tires. In short, explained Mr. Bradshaw, the tire was sometimes ignored in the marketplace simply due to the unfamiliar pattern of its tread. Continental thus engineered the more familiar directional design into the WinterContact Si in response………….."

http://www.autos.ca/winter-driving/winter-tire-review-continental-wintercontact-si/
 
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I used to have TS810 and they were very nice performance winter tires.
I used them for 3 winters on my 2005 Legacy GT, if my memory serves me well.

Krzys
 
Originally Posted By: krzyss
I used to have TS810 and they were very nice performance winter tires.
I used them for 3 winters on my 2005 Legacy GT, if my memory serves me well.

Krzys

Those were go to winter tires in Europe. TS830 and 850 are even better. I had them all on my cars in Europe. Too bad they are not widely available here.
 
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
If you look at the thread, I doubt you'll make it up an incline on snow or ice... and the fact that on the one day of snow last year we didn't get any of the appointments in before the roads were cleared suggests the same. Ironically, most came to get theirr winter wheels...

115064-120724-full--1595.jpg


With those tires in snow you could not get out of parking lot !
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Re: directional vs non-directional. When Continental introduced the new WinterContact SI (in 2015), they had this to say:

"…………..Why directional? According to Continental Key Account Manager Ryan Bradshaw, the asymmetrical tread pattern proved superior in Continental’s testing for the Extreme Winter Contact, but consumer and dealer perception was that asymmetrical tires were associated with all-season tires, as opposed to winter tires. In short, explained Mr. Bradshaw, the tire was sometimes ignored in the marketplace simply due to the unfamiliar pattern of its tread. Continental thus engineered the more familiar directional design into the WinterContact Si in response………….."

http://www.autos.ca/winter-driving/winter-tire-review-continental-wintercontact-si/


He sounds like a marketing person.

The consumer and dealer perception is that the legendary status of the ExtremeContact DWS, does not require consumers and dealers to push the EWS. Their perception is, DWS stands for Dry, wet, & SNOW, and thus an actual snow tire is not needed.

The North American general perception is all-season is more than sufficient for snow & ice, unless you're in the mountain states where Subaru's and Audi's are the norm (then more of them would be using snow tires in addition to having AWD).

look at the comments when Continental tries to inform the public.
https://youtu.be/clSC7APitaQ
 
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