frybear

I've seen the threads and it seems going to a 275 will give me more choices. And I have always like Michelins which I could get in a 275. The issue for me is that I live in Chicago, lots of snow...am I going to notice a big difference in snow driving on 275 all seasons with quattro or is it going to be negligible? Thanks

Jack88

I used the same tire size in all seasons and it got around fine. Quattro doesn't help you stop, so the usual considerations apply. If you get a really deep snow, though, you will miss not having proper winter tires. That's when the combination of that and quattro really comes alive.

frybear

that's what's funny, people never remember that AWD is for GO, not STOP. you're gonna slide on ice just a well with AWD as RWD...thanks for the input.

KnappAttack

About 10 mm wider so they like to float a bit more in the loose snow. I put thousands of miles on my GoodYear A/S Sports in some severe winter weather on a trip out west and back a couple years ago and was far more impressed with them than I have been with the Conti DWS06's I have on there now, which surprises me as the Conti is rated real high for snow use on Tire Rack.

I'll go back to the GoodYears again for the next set, which won't be to long as the DWS06's are wearing much faster than I thought they should be. No way I'll get 50,000 miles from them. I'll be lucky to get 35 from them, maybe 36,000 miles if I'm lucky.

What Michelins are you looking at?

MP4.2+6.0

I drove the D3 repeatedly with true winters in 275's around Tahoe in winter months. On hard pack snow or ice, my instinct is you actually get an advantage since more sipes cut into the tread are grabbing at the surface--counterintuitive to the normal advice of go narrower in winter. Where you do feel it is in slush and crud. There a wide tire feels floatier since weight of car isn't concentrated in a narrower width tread area to push it down through the crap on road. But from on road experience in many a storm and aftermath, only as speed rises to expressway level or above--where you should be careful in first place.

But let's be real too. Even at a 255 if you backed down to that, these are mega wide tread sizes way beyond most sedan widths until just very recent years. I drove a 255 for years on the A6 4.2 in a winter tire in same environment, and same sort of thing--either comparatively good on icy surface or a little floaty feeling on crud as speed rose. Q5 runs 255 and same general feel too. It probably takes backing way off--at least to a 245, but really more like a 235 or 225 to get somewhere width wise. Those would be the hard core sort of Euro tough winter widths. Back in D2 era pre mega wheel and width designs and styling, around 225 IIRC was the standard width even for the good weather months.

the_duke

We received a nice 8" of snow this weekend and I can report to the Pzero nero's are just fine in the snow. Major highway is salted/sanded but the side roads are not. In fact they don't even bother plowing the side roads with so little snow. Even on the packed snow/ice they are doing just fine. Better than I expected actually.

triniexr

I'm running 275's but the skinner a tire the better it is for snow.

Baloo588

I am running 245/45R19 Michelin XICE XI3 and they are phenomenal in deep snow and ice. The narrow width helps alot. 275 mm is TOO Wide and will float and hydroplane in slushy snow.

luxury1

I have the 265 set up for winter and they are great. Snow/winter tires are key in cold temperatures despite snow as they are more pliable. My range rover has 255 and does well throughout the northeast. Tire rack actually recommends a modestly thinner tread as it is easier to plow through deeper snow. With that said, I think the 265's are great. One other consideration is how much sidewall you have. I seem to get a flat or two every year on 20's so if I re-bought a set, I would go 19" or maybe even 18" for the winter to give me a little more of a battle against the potholes...

Also, when your winter tires are at half, they are ready to be replaced because they have lost most of their effectiveness. In Chi-Town you probably will run them more than in PGH

frybear

Thanks all. Trying to avoid getting a set of dedicated snows honestly. I had them on my BMW and even though it's only twice a year, I hate changing them out and then storing them in the garage. I want a set of great all seasons. so far weather has been cold but not much snow driving. last year was an easy winter so the car ran great. we'll see how this year is!