Normally I'm a big fan of the Blizzaks (had them on my 350z and never had an issue in snow) but last year i put them on my ST and they just seemed too soft on wet and dry pavement. Completely changed the characteristics of my car. I'm thinking the X-ice this year for the GT.

 

It will depend on the tire model. The WS will be like you just said. The LMs are not.

 

Exactly. If you want something that doesn't feel like a sponge, then go with the LM series tires.

 

Good to know. Stupid Discount Tire salesman. Lol

 

Taking the retail price difference out of the equation, would you buy the X Ice i3 or Blizzak WS70?

Tire Buyers price on the Blizzak is within pennies of Tire Rack in my area due to tax and shipping and the current 70.00 rebate on the Michelin's erases the price difference at TR as well.

 

If you're looking at a Blizzak, I'd recommend the LM-32. As I said before, avoid the "studless ice and snow" and go with the "performance winter/snow" if you prefer a more responsive ride. I'd also look at the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 or PA3 or the Pirelli Sottozero. The Pirelli has been used by Ford on Mustang test cars throughout the MI area in winter time.

 

Both being good tires and all but Michelins are considered top tier tires whereas Bridgestone blizzaks are not. Blizzaks are great tires but part of that greatness is that they can usually be bought for about $200-$400 cheaper than top tier brands.

 

Thank you both for the feedback. I live in a snowbelt area and snow/ice traction are more important to me than dry performance on my DD.

I will definitely look into the other options.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "top tier"? Are you inferring that the Blizzak is an inferior tire because it cost less? I would certainly disagree with that statement based on performance of both.

 

I would only get the WS if there is snow on the road most of the time or it is always icey. And I mean packed snow. If you live in an area where they salt or sand the roads a lot, then you are actually driving most of the time in slush or wet roads. These are areas the WS are not that great in. Also, the LM have a longer tread life than WS. WS get their traction from being a sticky tire, and that is something that wears quickly.
When I was originally looking, I did consider a bunch of tires, include the X-Ice. Too many reviews about tires not doing well in the wet. And I saw too many posts from Mustang owners that like their Blizzaks.
I have had the LMs for multiple seasons now. All I can say is that they have performed great and wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.

 

I have a set of brand new X Ice 3's mounted on 17" stock Mustang rims ready to go on, possibly this weekend. We've been down to the high 20's overnight but no snow in the forecast yet, so I may hold off a bit. The Pilot's have been pretty good in the cold so far so I have a little time.

For the past 9 years I've been running multiple generations of Dunlop Winter Sport 3Ds on my front drive cars but opted for the X-Ice 3s based on the TR reviews for rear drive cars. The Dunlops handled pretty well, though. I considered the LMs but we get some deep snows and sometimes several days of hard packed ice from time to time in SE Wisconsin. I just hope the Michelins hold up well for the rest of the time when the roads are just wet or dry/salty cold.

We'll soon see if the X-Ice were the right decision

 

Me too. What are you basing that on XEDES?

 

No it's not based on cost or anything personal. I already mentioned that I have had several sets of the Blizzaks and that I thought they were good. My statement was based on several articles I read while researching tires. I believe it was based on general tread life of tires and the amount of money and time spent on R&D. Michelin, Goodyear and Continental (I might be forgetting 1 or 2) were all ranked as "top tier" tire manufactures. This isn't saying that there aren't any great tires being made by other brands, because there are. I love Nitto and Toyo tires and used them without issues.

 

Fair enough - I found this study of tire dealers' opinions and thought it was interesting: http://www.tirereview.com/Content/Si...0000056260.pdf. Personally, I have had great luck with Bridgestone products, for both winter and A/S, but just switched both my cars to Continentals for spring/summer/fall to see how I like a different brand.

 

The LM vs WS variable has been solved for me. I would need to move to a wider and lower profile tire on my 17" rims in order to get into the LM and that's the wrong direction for winter. I've got 225/60 skins on it now and I'm shopping for 215/65's for winter. If I had the performance or pony package wheels on my car, the LM would be the choice.

Thanks again for the tips and forcing me back to go back to my research.

 

While a narrower tire is preferred for winter, I can tell you from experience that going slightly wider isn't a noticeable difference in performance or capability. I'm running GT500 vert wheels (9.5" wide) for winter vs. 9" wide Brembo wheels in summer and have not had issues with traction or sliding.

 

What tire are you running on the 9.5's?

 

Blizzak LM-60 in a 255/45/18. Although they say you should run a narrower tire in winter, I've yet to have issues with my setup.

 

I run the same size Nokians on 2010 gt500 convertible wheels. They are pretty great in winter. I think the only place skinnier tires come into play is cutting through deep snow. I know I prefer a larger contact patch on cold pavement, ice and packed snow.

 

I'm going to run 275/40 19's on my stock wheels till I get some SVE wheels in 9.5. I am going with Pilot Sport A/S + since they are on sale on TireRack right now.