Best Winter tire for FWD with a bit too much power....

[Delta1]

I have a Saturn Ion Redline that I'm guessing makes a bit north of 200 whp, LSD and 0 traction control. It's a light car too, just 2900 lbs.

I bought a new set of Continental Winter Contact SI Plus tires last year, and wow these tires spin like crazy off the line if I'm not careful!
Especially if its wet out, if I am anywhere past 1/4 throttle, it's just spin city when the light turns green.
They are 'ok' in the snow slush and ice, but I have to be really easy on the gas of course.

For the other 3 seasons I run Michelin Pilot 4S tires, and they hook up better in the wet by far than the Conti winter tires.....

Recommendations for a winter tire for my Saturn?

 

[IndyIan]

If you've got the space around the wheel wells and suspension, go to a bigger diameter tire, higher profile, and narrower with any tire you get.
On the Focus I got a set of Motomaster winter Edge tires made by Cooper and they have surprisingly good wet grip, much more than my all-seasons, much better than the yokohama ig52c's and maybe equal or a bit better than the blizzak WS-80.
So I'd research the Cooper Evolution as its a studdable winter tire which means they aren't chasing ice grip with the compound as much, and can make it perform better in the wet.
Usually the Michelin X-ice do well in the wet too, we have some X-ice 2's on the Outback, which aren't great in deep slush or snow but grip wet pavement pretty well!

 

[vwmaniaman]

We love the Falkens on our Mazda5. can;t tell the road is even wet.

 

[totegoat]

Possible to buy the wrong vehicle for ice and snow but no such thing as too much horsepower.

 

[Jmlo96]

I used to have this problem when I had my Chevy Cruze and ran winter tires. I haven't had the car in 4 years, but I tried Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental winter tires and they all spun in the wet.

 

[Jetronic]

I have a Saturn Ion Redline that I'm guessing makes a bit north of 200 whp, LSD and 0 traction control. It's a light car too, just 2900 lbs.

I bought a new set of Continental Winter Contact SI Plus tires last year, and wow these tires spin like crazy off the line if I'm not careful!
Especially if its wet out, if I am anywhere past 1/4 throttle, it's just spin city when the light turns green.
They are 'ok' in the snow slush and ice, but I have to be really easy on the gas of course.

For the other 3 seasons I run Michelin Pilot 4S tires, and they hook up better in the wet by far than the Conti winter tires.....

Recommendations for a winter tire for my Saturn?

It's the name of the game for winter tyres I'm affraid... Better option would be to get a slightly less agressive tune (same power and torque, just less agressive on throttle) for winter use.

If you want significantly more wet traction, you have to give up snow/ice traction, something like crossclimate or hankook kinergy 4s. But the Pilot 4s will alwxays be better in the wet

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are going to be the best ...

 

[Vercingetorix]

LM005 are the best wet weather snow tire. You will still spin and destroy them though.

 

[Egg_Head]

Start in 2nd gear?

 

[Delta1]

Start in 2nd gear

 

[Delta1]

Ya sometimes I have to start in second gear, or no go in the snow

 

[skyactiv]

Those Saturn Ion Redlines were rare new and few of them are still on the road.


New production numbers:

Color	2004	2005	2006	2007	Totals
Silver	831	353	274	131	1589
Red	1	286	260	116	662
Blue	783	478	189	134	1584
Black	1012	395	406	173	1986
Total	2626	1512	1135	554	5827
Comp. Pkg.	0	118	641	337	1096

 

[krzyss]

I have a Saturn Ion Redline that I'm guessing makes a bit north of 200 whp, LSD and 0 traction control. It's a light car too, just 2900 lbs.

I bought a new set of Continental Winter Contact SI Plus tires last year, and wow these tires spin like crazy off the line if I'm not careful!
Especially if its wet out, if I am anywhere past 1/4 throttle, it's just spin city when the light turns green.
They are 'ok' in the snow slush and ice, but I have to be really easy on the gas of course.

For the other 3 seasons I run Michelin Pilot 4S tires, and they hook up better in the wet by far than the Conti winter tires.....

Recommendations for a winter tire for my Saturn?

How old are these Continentals? I think they were replaced with Viking Contact 7 a few years back.

But...

Studless winter tires like X Ice, X Snow (both Michelin), or both Contis or Bridgestone Blizzak WS or Nokian R are by trade off weak in the wet. To get impressive snow and ice traction they sacrifice wet traction.

The winter tires that trade ice and some snow traction for better dry and wet performance are called "performance winter" but they are not that popular in the USA. Try to find Bridgestone Blizzak LM , Pilot Alpin , VREDESTEIN WINTRAC PRO.

Krzyś

​

 

[Delta1]

How old are these Continentals? I think they were replaced with Viking Contact 7 a few years back.

But...

Studless winter tires like X Ice, X Snow (both Michelin), or both Contis or Bridgestone Blizzak WS or Nokian R are by trade off weak in the wet. To get impressive snow and ice traction they sacrifice wet traction.

The winter tires that trade ice and some snow traction for better dry and wet performance are called "performance winter" but they are not that popular in the USA. Try to find Bridgestone Blizzak LM , Pilot Alpin , VREDESTEIN WINTRAC PRO.

Krzyś

​

The tires were made in 2021, so not too old. Thanks for clarifying, I think on that note I'll just live with them and maybe get a pedal commander or some other way to de tune the throttle response....

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Nokian R5 or Conti VikingContact 7

Also, you can start in second or third gear in those situations

 

[edyvw]

The best wet performance now has Blizzak WS90. I have them on Tiguan and BMW and I can say in wet they are exceptional for snow tires, even better than VC7, which I thought were exceptional in wet already.

 

[turboseize]

I had Michelin Alpin A6 on the not-so-powerful, but torquey Alfa 156 last year and could not complain.

 

[edyvw]

I had Michelin Alpin A6 on the not-so-powerful, but torquey Alfa 156 last year and could not complain.

That tire is not available in the US.

 

[Spedestrian]

The best wet performance now has Blizzak WS90. I have them on Tiguan and BMW and I can say in wet they are exceptional for snow tires, even better than VC7, which I thought were exceptional in wet already.

I had the WS80s on my 18 Elantra last year. I just put on WS90s on my e90 xDrive last weekend. This will be my first winter with xDrive so I'm excited to see how it will do in MinneSnowta.

 

[edyvw]

I had the WS80s on my 18 Elantra last year. I just put on WS90s on my e90 xDrive last weekend. This will be my first winter with xDrive so I'm excited to see how it will do in MinneSnowta.

They are a huge step up from WS80 compound. DM-V2 is the same generation as WS80 and while very good tires in snow, ice performance, more specifically, lateral handling, can be scary.