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[Roxy]

I live in a part of Albuquerque, NM where the OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT tires will likely get me from A-B safely 360 days of the year. It gets chilly and we see a light snow or two, but I live downtown rather than in the foothills and it should be manageable.

Bottom line: I do not believe I need a dedicated snow tire setup. However, I would like to travel to Santa Fe on occasion during the winter months and up there something other than the not-below-37 degrees OEM tires will be important.

Dedicated snow tires certainly aren’t necessary for a trip to the city and if you check the weather you could probably get by with anything that as just a little snow traction. Given that I can’t get used to the steering feel feedback/ride of the RFTs on our miserable roads, I’d like to replace them with OEM fitment non-RFT high performance tires that have just a little bit of snow traction for the very occasional time that I’m caught in an inch or two of slush, or there are a couple of icy patches on the way to dinner.
Alas the non-RFT tires available in the 2012 M Sport Package fitment are max performance summer tires which are not rated for snow. The anecdotal user reviews are conflicting. Again, all I want is just a little assurance that I can travel safely in colder weather just a few times a year.

I have searched and searched and the answer seems to be: purchase a non-OEM fitment tire with more balance, get dedicated snows and wheels and swap when necessary, take the bus or train or live with the Bridgestone RFTs which are as good as it gets for occasional cold weather.

The threads I found about snow and/or RFTs provided great information, but were focused on more generalized winter driving, not very occasional driving AND solving for the RFT issue.

I suppose my more focused question is; of the following OEM fitment non-RFT tires which would you recommend for the circumstances I describe?

- Continental ExtremeContact DW (I wish they were DWS)
- Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110
- BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW 2
- Yokohama S.drive
- Falken FK 452
- None (deal with the RE050A – they’re all terrible in snow and solve for the RFT issue separately)

I’m hopeful that there is expertise and experience on this board that may help me make the right decision. In advance, thank you for considering these circumstances and offering an opinion.

[Tom K.]

Personally, I would mount a winter performance tire such as the Dunlop wintersport M3 (RFT) or D3 (non RFT) on 17" wheels. Otherwise, perhaps a performance A/S such as the Micheling PS2 A/S or Conti DWS. I would definitely not risk driving to Santa Fe during the winter on any of the summer performance tires you have mentioned - they are not acceptable for ice, snow and freezing temperatures..

Tom

[Roxy]

Thank you Tom K.

Increasingly I'm leaning toward the winter solution you suggest. I would likely choose OEM 17s with Conti DWS tires to keep costs down and still have sparkling performance on the non-snow everyday.

Like a gym membership I need to do a cost/benefit analysis based on how often I will actually go to SF and other colder destinations rather than the number of times I think I would like to go. I simply hoped that one of the tires I mentioned would have a secret very light snow/cold capability so that I had a true all-in-one solution.

I had to ask, even in the face of the obvious. Thanks again for your reply.

[Dackelone]

Ditto on Tom K's advice. When the temps fall bellow 7'C summer tires are useless! Over here in Germany the Polizei will find you at fault IF you are involved in an accident - EVEN - when it wasn't your own fault. Just because you SHOULD have had winter (M&S) snow tires installed. Having snow tires over here is optional... but everyone does it because of the way the law is written. Get snow tires.

The Dunlap M3's are great high speed tires with little squirm like some "other" winter tires out there. They handle good and have a lot of cold traction even in snow and ice. I think you will really like them. When the temps get about 14'C I would switch back to summers.

Dackel