needles

My '11 previously enjoyed a winter-free lifestyle. Now that it's in the midwest, I fear these Pirelli P-Zero Max Summer tires are not going to cut it.

20-inch wheels. I've found used (8/32) Dunlop Winter tires in that size to be quite affordable.

What are some other options?

SamLV

I'm considering a full set of all seasons on 18" wheels for winter only. The reason is that the 20's will bend if I hit a big pothole.

uberwgn

Winter tires + smallest diameter used wheels are the way to fly. Look for used OE wheels on CL or in Classifieds on this forum. Gary at Tire Rack is likely to have some inexpensive wheel options, too.

needles

Ahhh yes, I forgot about the wheel matter...

I had 21's on my Infiniti and went through two wheels in one winter after moving from California to Nebraska.

Grumble grumble grumble...

needles

Hmmm... 19s or 18s? Will 18s fit with the large brakes?

Baloo588

I had bad experience with the Dunlop Wintersport 3D tires on my 2012 Audi A8L this recent winter. They are such lousy tires and have barely any advantage over the best all season michelins in the snow. I was sliding more and the ABS was activated easily with the wintersport. So I got rid of the Audi OEM winter tire/wheel package.

Instead, I got separate winter wheels from Forgestar. They are the Forgestar F14 19 inch rims. I will get the Blizzaks or the Xice3 tires this time. I would not recommend any Dunlop winter tires. My Blizzaks on the Lexus GS350 F-Sport are fantastic and I also had Blizzak Lm-60 on my D3 2007 Audi A8L which were far better.

Forgestar Wheels Custom Rotary Forged Flow Formed Concave Performance Wheels - Forgestar F14

A 8

I've just ordered 18s RS6 replica with Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 235/55/18. The 18s will fit with the large brakes but make sure you get the offset right.
I have not tested them yet but my expectations on wet and dry roads are high, these type tyres are never any good on ice and snow.
Pilot Alpin PA4 | Michelin Tires

Seaclav

Bear in mind that the type and amount of winter weather that you're going to drive in will make a massive difference to which 'winter' tires are right for you.

I'm in the Pacific NW where we get relatively warm wet snow, usually just in the mountain passes with maybe a 3-4 day lowland snow event every other year. Roads are damp-wet for most of the 3-4 months of winter.

In my case, Conti's ExtremeContact DWS were excellent for combining wet weather driving and getting me in and out of ski resorts ('though beware that they lose their 'S' rating fairly early in the wear cycle). Full snow tires are a liability for routine city driving as the roads here just aren't cold enough.

If you're located someplace where you know you're going to get several months of temps around or below freezing, or with certain enough deep snow that you have to get around in, then it's worth going for winters - Blizzaks or Nokians are great, but only if you need them. If you end up driving on a dry warm (<40F) day, full winter tires are as compromised as using summer rubber in the snow.

I'd encourage everyone to think carefully about the conditions you're most likely to face, and put appropriate rubber on the car. It is the single most important safety feature!