I am looking to get winter tires for my maxima and accord. I'm interested in bridgestone blizzaks because of many good recommendations, but there are so many types of blizzaks (ex. lm, mz, ws series). Which ones are the best, or what is the difference between them? I plan to keep the tire on all winter long so i have to drive on dry roads occasionally. But the tire has to bite well in snow/ice - i can't even get my honduh out of my apartment complex without sledding it down and coming dangerously close to hitting other cars, etc. because of the steep hill at the exit! Please help.

 

What wheels do you have? I believe the WS series are for passenger cars, meaning higher profile. Check www.tirerack.com for customer reviews. For my 17" stock wheels I could have went with the MZ01, or the LM22. The LM22 was 235 45 17.

Also check out the Dunlops like some of the folks here mentioned.

 

i was thinking of getting separate steel rims but don't know if they are expensive, or where to get them. if i do get separate rims, what size wheel-tire combo is ideal for snow tires?

 

Get Nokian Hak1s!!! They are much better than Blizzaks and they are about the same price too. The Nokian's actually last much much longer than Blizzaks.

TireRack.com doesn't sell Nokians but I'm sure you can find it at your local tireshops!

 

Although I don't have to worry about snow anymore here in Florida, when I was up in New York, the general rule of thumb with winter snow tires is get it as narrow as possible. I know it sucks for handling, but you want the narrow tire to grip deep, not a wide tire that rides on top.

I also had this product called cable chains for my BMW for the winter. They were like tire chains, but made from a cable, so it didn't damage the tire. I don't know if they still make it, but it was the bomb when the roads were icy. Easy to put on and off too.

 

cool, thanks for the help guys. i was just wondering, is it worth getting separate rims for the winter tires, or should i just switch the tires on the stock rims between winter and summer? is it bad for the rim/tire? otherwise, where can i get CHEAP steel rims from? (i don't care how they look)

 

If you can flip the added cost, better to get separate steel rims. although they don't look as good, u don't want salt to ruin a good set of rims, plus if you wipe out on a patch of ice and hit a curb, the steel rim is cheaper to replace. Just get yourself a cheezy set of chrome wheel covers with the fake drilled rotors. Really, do get extra set. Less wear and tear on your tires and rims.

 

Anthony (MaineI30) doesnt like his Blizzacks... hehee. Read his post above.

 

I've got blizzaks on in the winter.. a complete set mounted on steel wheels purchased as a combo from the TireRack. I stuck with the stock size tire. Now only if we could get some snow! I live in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan and it was 51 degrees today!

 

why are you talking about snow tires? It's not going to snow this year.

 

No snow this winter where we are