[Francescalovett]

Hello everyone
So my Giulia Q4 came with pirelli which of course are great however they wear so quickly so I replaced them with Michelin all season. I live in Toronto and we don’t get huge snow storms that often so I never bothered with winter tires and the 2 storms I had to drive in my pirelli were amazing however this year we are getting more snow then normal and my Michelin are terrible the back causes spin out constantly. I was going to get the nexen however they are now impossible to get a hold of sooooo my question is
Kumho, which are a much better price or
Michelin or pirelli?
TIA

 

[Alpha]

What kind of Michelin tires?

If snow is a concern and you don't want winter tires, I would recommend Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires.

 

[C.Q4]

Hello everyone
So my Giulia Q4 came with pirelli which of course are great however they wear so quickly so I replaced them with Michelin all season. I live in Toronto and we don’t get huge snow storms that often so I never bothered with winter tires and the 2 storms I had to drive in my pirelli were amazing however this year we are getting more snow then normal and my Michelin are terrible the back causes spin out constantly. I was going to get the nexen however they are now impossible to get a hold of sooooo my question is
Kumho, which are a much better price or
Michelin or pirelli?
TIA

I'd stay away from the Korean brands (Nexen, Kumho).

Get any of these winter tires (all great in snow, but ranked by dry day performance):

1. Pirelli Sottozero 3
2. Michelin X-ICE
3. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Remember, winter tires cannot be used in the spring/summer/fall (over 40degF/4degC), so if you don't want to change tires twice per year, then go with the above suggestion of CrossClimate 2.

 

[Buba1]

If you want a dedicated winter tire/rim setup, which I would recommend as I only live an hour west of you, go for the Bridgestone Blizzaks. I put these tires on all my vehicles that get winter driven and they really are awesome. You may find good deal on them at Costco or Canadian Tire, depending which one still has sales going on.

What size rim do you currently have on now? Pictures?

 

[Francescalovett]

If you want a dedicated winter tire/rim setup, which I would recommend as I only live an hour west of you, go for the Bridgestone Blizzaks. I put these tires on all my vehicles that get winter driven and they really are awesome. You may find good deal on them at Costco or Canadian Tire, depending which one still has sales going on.

What size rim do you currently have on now? Pictures?

 

[Francescalovett]

 

[Giuliano]

View attachment 121629

I recommend that you wash that car more frequently. Kidding !!!!. Nice Specs and evidently, beautiful.

 

[Francescalovett]

I recommend that you wash that car more frequently. Kidding !!!!. Nice Specs and evidently, beautiful.

🤣🤣🤣thanks

 

[Brabs]

I have two sets one winter Blizzaks, changing twice per year is a pain but worth it in Northeast Ohio.

I can get a lot of shine on my white, but that picture is amazing with the reflection.

 

[Buba1]

View attachment 121629

If I were you, I would for sure get a dedicated winter set, just to save those beautiful rims from all the road salt, etc. I have seen some for sale on the local kijiji, might want to check that out too, some good deals on there now.

 

[AbarthEsq]

Winter only tires: Nokian Hakkapellita R3 tires. Nothing handles snow like a set of those.

 

[Biscione]

I honestly don't understand the rationale of not getting winter tires. In winter temperature, they simply have better traction than all season tires, even on bone dry pavement.

And for heaven's sake, people need to realize that AWD is a performance feature, not a safety feature. The second your foot is off the gas pedal, a car goes into No-Wheel-Drive mode. AWD helps you get going but it doesn't help you stop. In fact, with the weight of the extra equipment it marginally increase stopping distance. And in winter, the dangerous part of driving is trying to stop in time, not getting going.

Even from a financial perspective, the extra set of tires means you don't wear out the all-season set as fast, and so one doesn't need to replace them as often. And in Toronto Ontario, most insurance companies provide a discount if you use winter tires, so the extra 1-time cost of the wheels and the semi-annual swapping cost is largely offset.

 

[Computerfixusa]

I have a separate set of rims and snow tires and honestly they last year after year so in reality the cost per year isn’t bad at all and I totally recommend it. Dedicated snow tires just transform the car in the winter.

 

[Francescalovett]

Yes I’m totally for getting snow tires from now on just wanted suggestions on best type
Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer

 

[Alpha]

Michelin Cross Climate tires are 90% as good as winter tires in the snow and 85% as good as summer tires in the dry.

Winter tires have become really an outdated need unless you are driving in snow pretty much every single day.

 

[Biscione]

Michelin Cross Climate tires are 90% as good as winter tires in the snow and 85% as good as summer tires in the dry.

Winter tires have become really an outdated need unless you are driving in snow pretty much every single day.

The way I see it, and the way the words literally mean, "90% as good" means "not as good".

If you live in the southern States, then sure, you may have a very valid point. But we are talking about Toronto Canada here. If you live in a climate cold enough, let alone snows enough, to use them, get them.

And I've already addressed the financial aspect of not going for dedicated winter tires.

 

[Alpha]

The way I see it, and the way the words literally mean, "90% as good" means "not as good".

If you live in the southern States, then sure, you may have a very valid point. But we are talking about Toronto Canada here. If you live in a climate cold enough, let alone snows enough, to use them, get them.

And I've already addressed the financial aspect of not going for dedicated winter tires.

Ok, they are only 90% as good in the snow as a snow tire.

However, they are absolutely better in the dry or wet than a winter tire. How many days do you drive on snow covered roads vs dry or wet roads while you have winter tires on? If it's less than 90% of the time (like I mentioned) it's not worth it.

 

[hownowcb]

I agree with C.Q4, that winter tires are far superior to all season tires because their rubber compounds remain flexible at low temperatures, ensuring better grip on wet, dry, snowy or icy pavement.

I also endorse the Pirelli Sottozero 3s (on my current AWD Giulia Q4 Ti) and the Michelin X-ICE 2s, which I had on my Fiat 500 Abarth for five(!) winters without losing their advantage, in spite of obvious tread wear.

Both these tire models are targeted more for icy than snowy conditions. They both have huge amounts of siping (tiny grooves) in the tread pattern which vastly improves grip on ice, especially in cold temperatures.

Other winter tire models are aimed for more deep snow conditions, and are really more logical for someone who lives in a more rural setting, where roads may not be as well or as frequently plowed. I've had great performance with General Altimax Arctic winter tires in deep snow conditions, but prefer tires directed more for ice traction since we lived where snow plowing is prompt and widespread.

My summer wheels and tires are likely the same as yours. I wanted to maintain the same look for my winter setup, so I got a set of Centerline wheels in 18" for my winter tires. They're not cheap, but seem to be holding up fine against the harsh winter elements.

 

[MGD]

I ran Blizzak WS70 on my CLK and they were fantastic. The one part that sucked was it took between 1000-2000km to really break them in (I attribute that to the walnut shell impregnation and getting enough initial wear to expose them). I went narrow and tall which makes a huge difference in getting the tire to sink properly and get good grip. Too wide and short causes the tire to float on snow/slush (another reason not to run AS as they need to perform well in the other three seasons also). AS tires give up great performance in any given season in order to offer ok performance in all the seasons. Where winters ultimately shine is with braking which is the most important in my opinion. Plus the insurance discount of running winters is a bonus.

All in all, like in aviation where the saying goes “Takeoffs are optional, landings are mandatory”, same can be said for winter driving 😊

 

[RealAlfista]

Hello everyone
So my Giulia Q4 came with pirelli which of course are great however they wear so quickly so I replaced them with Michelin all season. I live in Toronto and we don’t get huge snow storms that often so I never bothered with winter tires and the 2 storms I had to drive in my pirelli were amazing however this year we are getting more snow then normal and my Michelin are terrible the back causes spin out constantly. I was going to get the nexen however they are now impossible to get a hold of sooooo my question is
Kumho, which are a much better price or
Michelin or pirelli?
TIA

Ciao Francesca...mia cara Alfista...My suggestion is you go see Brent at Factory Tire... speak to him and he will give you 3 options....GOOD/BETTER/BEST you cannot go wrong...my friend just bought a STELVIO and shes getting 4 winters with aluminum rims installed this week for under $2000
call Brent 647-287-9054 tell him PIZZA guy send you go