need tire advice!

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Robertslowpoke

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good morning!!

I have a 2017 Infiniti Q 50. i may buy it when the lease is up next summer.

OK, it came with the run flat tires. It says N2 on the valve cap. did they come with nitrogen? i use regular air to fill them. they are VERY good at holding air. They are noisy and ride rough.

please suggest a couple of SUMMER tires and WINTER tires.

I once had four snow tires on my front wheel drive Cadillac DTS, and they really worked.

I would like a high quality summer tire that rides quiet and smooth. i do not go above 70 mph.

i would like a high quality winter tire. live in Massachusetts, we do get snow and ice.

my tires say Bridgestone run flat.

P225/55 17 95V

i am willing to pay for high quality tires. i would likely buy 4 wheels, so the summer tires stay on the wheels, and the winter tires stay on their wheels.

i drive just 10,000 miles//year.

thanks for any advice!

Bob
 
Quiet and smooth tend to have more choices in the all-season realm. Then you have plenty of choices. You can probably get some Michelin Premier A/S and it would probably dry-rot before you wear them out.

Likewise, for winter tires, you can get the popular choices: Michelin Xice Xi3 (it's a pretty old tire), Bridgestone Blizzak WS-90 (when it comes out), Continental VikingContact (when it comes out), Nokian Hakka R3 (fairly new)
 
I would check tire rack and go by the customer reviews. They offer winter tire/wheel packages.

BTW, many local tire stores will match their price. Just get a quote from tire rack for shipping and local mounting.
 
We tried most of the new winter tires on our work fleet. We stopped and just bought Nokians because they always won. They are as expensive as the X-Ice But perform better and last longer.

We have started using Nokian enTyre 2 as summer tires as we were so impressed with the Hakkapeliitas*. They cost less than the best Michelins, have excellent rain performance and are quiet.

* Nokian USA says Hakkapeliita means "Charge!" It was the motto of a famous light Cavalry Squadron and more likely means "Hack them to death!"
 
I have never heard about Nokians wearing better than Xice, especially Xi3.
My Xi3 just do not want to die.

If you want a little more sporty behavior in winter look at performance winter tires like Pilot Alpin or Dunlop Winter Sport 4D. If you do not have to drive in the worst stuff then performance winters are much better choice than studless as they wet and dry performance is better.

KrzyÅ›
 
I will chime in on the Michelin Xice Xi3 tires. I have them on my Cruze right now. They are on a dedicated set of rims and I run them in the snowy months only. They wear extremely well, I have about 58,000 miles on them. Bought them in the fall of 2014 new. I only rotate them each time I put them on in the fall so they go on average about 12,000 miles per rotation. The ones on the front are 50% worn at most and the ones on the rear are a little deeper. Based on tread depth only I'd run them one more winter as the rears get almost no wear. However, I really don't like them. I always rated them tops on ice but this winter I was not very happy with them. In deep snow they were always fine and still are, packed snow they continue to work great. Slush and sloppy snow, they might have been good the first winter but I've hated them for their slush evacuation abilities for a long time. I've had a lot of Blizzak's in the past (more different models than I can remember) and they usually lasted about 45k miles for me but I can tell this Cruze is easy on tires so I think they would probably last 50k at least. The Blizzak's were always very consistent through the life of the tire and I don't ever remember hating anything about them when the weather was bad. I had a pair of WS-50's that were 10 years old and were about 50% worn and much of the tread had lost it's spongy look (multicell compound) and the shinier compound underneath was showing in a lot of places and they still worked quite well.

I won't be buying Xi3's again. I have a free set of used Goodyear winter tires I'll be trying next. They came off my dad's car and have a ton of tread left. They look like a much better tire in the slush even if the ice performance isn't up to the best in the class. Might as well try them for free. If I was paying, I might try them anyways or go with Blizzak's again.

Do you want run-flat tires? I assume you don't have a spare. If you want run-flat tires you'll be much more limited in selection.
 
Originally Posted by Robertslowpoke
good morning!!

I have a 2017 Infiniti Q 50. i may buy it when the lease is up next summer.

OK, it came with the run flat tires. It says N2 on the valve cap. did they come with nitrogen? i use regular air to fill them. they are VERY good at holding air. They are noisy and ride rough.

please suggest a couple of SUMMER tires and WINTER tires.

I once had four snow tires on my front wheel drive Cadillac DTS, and they really worked.

I would like a high quality summer tire that rides quiet and smooth. i do not go above 70 mph.

i would like a high quality winter tire. live in Massachusetts, we do get snow and ice.

my tires say Bridgestone run flat.

P225/55 17 95V

i am willing to pay for high quality tires. i would likely buy 4 wheels, so the summer tires stay on the wheels, and the winter tires stay on their wheels.

i drive just 10,000 miles//year.

thanks for any advice!

Bob




In a summer/all season I think one of the best tires out there is the Continental Purecontact LS. Available in your OE size. I just purchased a set of these for 3 season use for my mother's Lexus GS after much deliberation, elected not to buy the Michelin Premier A/S after multiple reports of them wearing fast, also I found the A/S to be objectionable from a noise standpoint on my now sold Lexus ES.

Winter, I've been exceptionally pleased with the set of Bridgestone Blizak WS80 as installed on dedicated wheels for my mother's GS, they're finishing their 4th season now and still have better than 80%. Absolutely incredible tires. Also available in your size.
 
Originally Posted by krzyss
I have never heard about Nokians wearing better than Xice, especially Xi3.
My Xi3 just do not want to die.

Starting tread depth of X-Ice in our sizes was 10-1/2 32nds. Starting tread depth of the Blizzak WS80 and Nokian R2's was 12/32nd. As winter performance sharply degrades with tread wear, we were replacing the Michelins a season sooner. These were company cars driven 30-40,000 miles a year so we went through s lot of tires.

We stopped testing and just went to Nokian because they always won anyway. A lot of people look at TireRack tests and since they aren't allowed to sell them, they aren't included. Nokians win just about every independent evaluation, not surprising for a Finnish company that invented the winter tire. Bridgestone invested in the company and the Blozzaks seem to have benefitted.

Here's one, there are many tests. The Norwegian magazine Motor is usually the first to publish winter tire tests each season, if you are looking for evals of new tires.


https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15102773/best-snow-tires-for-winter/
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Ranger83
Originally Posted by krzyss
I have never heard about Nokians wearing better than Xice, especially Xi3.
My Xi3 just do not want to die.

Starting tread depth of X-Ice in our sizes was 10-1/2 32nds. Starting tread depth of the Blizzak WS80 and Nokian R2's was 12/32nd. As winter performance sharply degrades with tread wear, we were replacing the Michelins a season sooner. These were company cars driven 30-40,000 miles a year so we went through s lot of tires.

We stopped testing and just went to Nokian because they always won anyway. A lot of people look at TireRack tests and since they aren't allowed to sell them, they aren't included. Nokians win just about every independent evaluation, not surprising for a Finnish company that invented the winter tire. Bridgestone invested in the company and the Blozzaks seem to have benefitted.

Here's one, there are many tests. The Norwegian magazine Motor is usually the first to publish winter tire tests each season, if you are looking for evals of new tires.


https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15102773/best-snow-tires-for-winter/


Not surprising, that review ranks the X-Ice XI3 in 2nd place behind the Nokian.

To quote the article:
Quote
The XI3 scored evenly with the Nokian in three objective tests: snow acceleration, snow braking, and ice braking, while taking a one-point hit on ice acceleration. In terms of objective results, the first- and second-place tires are essentially the same.


Doesn't seem like there's really any difference
21.gif
 
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Ranger83
Originally Posted by krzyss
I have never heard about Nokians wearing better than Xice, especially Xi3.
My Xi3 just do not want to die.

Starting tread depth of X-Ice in our sizes was 10-1/2 32nds. Starting tread depth of the Blizzak WS80 and Nokian R2's was 12/32nd. As winter performance sharply degrades with tread wear, we were replacing the Michelins a season sooner. These were company cars driven 30-40,000 miles a year so we went through s lot of tires.

We stopped testing and just went to Nokian because they always won anyway. A lot of people look at TireRack tests and since they aren't allowed to sell them, they aren't included. Nokians win just about every independent evaluation, not surprising for a Finnish company that invented the winter tire. Bridgestone invested in the company and the Blozzaks seem to have benefitted.

Here's one, there are many tests. The Norwegian magazine Motor is usually the first to publish winter tire tests each season, if you are looking for evals of new tires.


https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15102773/best-snow-tires-for-winter/



Not surprising, that review ranks the X-Ice XI3 in 2nd place behind the Nokian.

To quote the article:
Quote
The XI3 scored evenly with the Nokian in three objective tests: snow acceleration, snow braking, and ice braking, while taking a one-point hit on ice acceleration. In terms of objective results, the first- and second-place tires are essentially the same.


Doesn't seem like there's really any difference
21.gif



The paragraph before tells the story better.

Originally Posted by C&D
Subjectively speaking, the XI3 finishes second only to the Nokian. A slight reduction in control versus the Hakkapeliitta in sharper corners indicates that the XI3's square edges, which all the winter tires in our test have, don't work quite as well as the Nokian's. Laps feel quick but also quite a bit looser, requiring a lot more driver effort to keep the car under control. Also, on-throttle understeer—most apparent when attempting to power out of a corner—is ever so slightly more pronounced here than with the Nokians. Despite these minor complaints, noticeable mostly in this controlled comparison setting, the XI3 remains a very well-balanced tire on snow and ice.


Nokian prides itself in promoting the importance of lateral stability, since driving in the snow is more than just driving in a straight line.
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by OVERKILL

To quote the article:
Quote
The XI3 scored evenly with the Nokian in three objective tests: snow acceleration, snow braking, and ice braking, while taking a one-point hit on ice acceleration. In terms of objective results, the first- and second-place tires are essentially the same.


Doesn't seem like there's really any difference
21.gif



The paragraph before tells the story better.

Originally Posted by C&D
Subjectively speaking, the XI3 finishes second only to the Nokian. A slight reduction in control versus the Hakkapeliitta in sharper corners indicates that the XI3's square edges, which all the winter tires in our test have, don't work quite as well as the Nokian's. Laps feel quick but also quite a bit looser, requiring a lot more driver effort to keep the car under control. Also, on-throttle understeer—most apparent when attempting to power out of a corner—is ever so slightly more pronounced here than with the Nokians. Despite these minor complaints, noticeable mostly in this controlled comparison setting, the XI3 remains a very well-balanced tire on snow and ice.


Nokian prides itself in promoting the importance of lateral stability, since driving in the snow is more than just driving in a straight line.


I've highlighted the parts I think we need to focus on to keep this in perspective though. So yeah, if you are tracking snow tires, you'll perhaps notice the difference. Since I'm not, nor are most people, they presumably won't, based on this review. Hence the statement they made that I quoted, the tires are, for everything outside a snow-covered race track, equals.
 
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by OVERKILL

To quote the article:
Quote
The XI3 scored evenly with the Nokian in three objective tests: snow acceleration, snow braking, and ice braking, while taking a one-point hit on ice acceleration. In terms of objective results, the first- and second-place tires are essentially the same.


Doesn't seem like there's really any difference
21.gif



The paragraph before tells the story better.

Originally Posted by C&D
Subjectively speaking, the XI3 finishes second only to the Nokian. A slight reduction in control versus the Hakkapeliitta in sharper corners indicates that the XI3's square edges, which all the winter tires in our test have, don't work quite as well as the Nokian's. Laps feel quick but also quite a bit looser, requiring a lot more driver effort to keep the car under control. Also, on-throttle understeer—most apparent when attempting to power out of a corner—is ever so slightly more pronounced here than with the Nokians. Despite these minor complaints, noticeable mostly in this controlled comparison setting, the XI3 remains a very well-balanced tire on snow and ice.



Nokian prides itself in promoting the importance of lateral stability, since driving in the snow is more than just driving in a straight line.


I've highlighted the parts I think we need to focus on to keep this in perspective though. So yeah, if you are tracking snow tires, you'll perhaps notice the difference. Since I'm not, nor are most people, they presumably won't, based on this review. Hence the statement they made that I quoted, the tires are, for everything outside a snow-covered race track, equals.


You don't have to be on a snow autocross course to appreciate better cornering of a snow tire. You can just make a simple turn, and if you don't have the lateral grip, in most cases, you'll be understeering the turn you just attempted, or if you need to dodge an idiot that is still on their all-season tires, that is another area where you can appreciate a tire that responds better to steering, braking and acceleration inputs.

Yes, TireRack when they did their test, try to push it to the tire's limits, and in the packed snow, it's not that fast to begin with.
 
I see two reasons the R2 is not essentially the same as the other tires in that test. First, the ability to recover control after losing it is priceless, and here the R2 excelled. Second, it won every category, making it top dog.

Not an academic exercise for me. I'm picking up rims soon for my new-to-me Camry, and new winter tires are next. I'm looking at bargains on the R2, the R3 of course, and everything else competitive.
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat


You don't have to be on a snow autocross course to appreciate better cornering of a snow tire. You can just make a simple turn, and if you don't have the lateral grip, in most cases, you'll be understeering the turn you just attempted, or if you need to dodge an idiot that is still on their all-season tires, that is another area where you can appreciate a tire that responds better to steering, braking and acceleration inputs.

Yes, TireRack when they did their test, try to push it to the tire's limits, and in the packed snow, it's not that fast to begin with.


Context is key here, which I keep trying to drive home and yet seems to continue to be missed
21.gif


The point was, as evidenced by the quotes from the Car and Driver article cited, is that the tiny differences between these two tires would only be noticeable when driving in a competitive (read: track) manner. You are making it sound like Betty taking a turn onto Queen St. in the snow is going to notice the difference because Car and Driver, accelerating out of a turn, noticed "ever so slightly" (their words) more understeer in a controlled test environment, pushing the tires to the limit. That's pure folly, which they further negate with their statement concluding that the first and 2nd place tires here are essentially the same.

Do I notice the difference between my iPike's and the Latitude X-Ice XI2's? Yes! But those are not tires that are essentially tied for performance. The X-Ice is a markedly better ranked tire and that translates to observable differences in performance in my experience on two nary identical vehicles (Durango and JGC).

EDIT: To add, I think both tires being discussed here are top-shelf and we are needlessly splitting hairs at this juncture. If the Nokian lasts longer, then it is probably the better choice for somebody who is going to wear them out. I'd buy whichever I could get the better deal on, assuming both are easily procurable.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by UG_Passat


You don't have to be on a snow autocross course to appreciate better cornering of a snow tire. You can just make a simple turn, and if you don't have the lateral grip, in most cases, you'll be understeering the turn you just attempted, or if you need to dodge an idiot that is still on their all-season tires, that is another area where you can appreciate a tire that responds better to steering, braking and acceleration inputs.

Yes, TireRack when they did their test, try to push it to the tire's limits, and in the packed snow, it's not that fast to begin with.


Context is key here, which I keep trying to drive home and yet seems to continue to be missed
21.gif


The point was, as evidenced by the quotes from the Car and Driver article cited, is that the tiny differences between these two tires would only be noticeable when driving in a competitive (read: track) manner. You are making it sound like Betty taking a turn onto Queen St. in the snow is going to notice the difference because Car and Driver, accelerating out of a turn, noticed "ever so slightly" (their words) more understeer in a controlled test environment, pushing the tires to the limit. That's pure folly, which they further negate with their statement concluding that the first and 2nd place tires here are essentially the same.

Do I notice the difference between my iPike's and the Latitude X-Ice XI2's? Yes! But those are not tires that are essentially tied for performance. The X-Ice is a markedly better ranked tire and that translates to observable differences in performance in my experience on two nary identical vehicles (Durango and JGC).

EDIT: To add, I think both tires being discussed here are top-shelf and we are needlessly splitting hairs at this juncture. If the Nokian lasts longer, then it is probably the better choice for somebody who is going to wear them out. I'd buy whichever I could get the better deal on, assuming both are easily procurable.


Have you thought of "emergency" situations? Dodging that idiot on all-seasons depending on the scenario (such as spinning out just in front of you) can be an emergency situation where every little lateral grip counts. It doesn't have to be a "race conditions" to push your tires to the limit.

An old video, but still good.
https://youtu.be/e1i9AJyMOEk?t=7m16s
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by UG_Passat


You don't have to be on a snow autocross course to appreciate better cornering of a snow tire. You can just make a simple turn, and if you don't have the lateral grip, in most cases, you'll be understeering the turn you just attempted, or if you need to dodge an idiot that is still on their all-season tires, that is another area where you can appreciate a tire that responds better to steering, braking and acceleration inputs.

Yes, TireRack when they did their test, try to push it to the tire's limits, and in the packed snow, it's not that fast to begin with.


Context is key here, which I keep trying to drive home and yet seems to continue to be missed
21.gif


The point was, as evidenced by the quotes from the Car and Driver article cited, is that the tiny differences between these two tires would only be noticeable when driving in a competitive (read: track) manner. You are making it sound like Betty taking a turn onto Queen St. in the snow is going to notice the difference because Car and Driver, accelerating out of a turn, noticed "ever so slightly" (their words) more understeer in a controlled test environment, pushing the tires to the limit. That's pure folly, which they further negate with their statement concluding that the first and 2nd place tires here are essentially the same.

Do I notice the difference between my iPike's and the Latitude X-Ice XI2's? Yes! But those are not tires that are essentially tied for performance. The X-Ice is a markedly better ranked tire and that translates to observable differences in performance in my experience on two nary identical vehicles (Durango and JGC).

EDIT: To add, I think both tires being discussed here are top-shelf and we are needlessly splitting hairs at this juncture. If the Nokian lasts longer, then it is probably the better choice for somebody who is going to wear them out. I'd buy whichever I could get the better deal on, assuming both are easily procurable.


Have you thought of "emergency" situations? Dodging that idiot on all-seasons depending on the scenario (such as spinning out just in front of you) can be an emergency situation where every little lateral grip counts. It doesn't have to be a "race conditions" to push your tires to the limit.

An old video, but still good.
https://youtu.be/e1i9AJyMOEk?t=7m16s


I think you are still endeavouring to split hairs, regardless of the conclusion noted by Car and Driver, which I've cited several times now. There are 8 other tires in that test, all of which didn't perform as well as either of the two we are discussing, which they indicated that, for all intents and purposes were "the same". The tires I have on my Jeep RIGHT NOW, aren't as good as either of these tires, but they were basically all that was available in the size I was shopping
21.gif
I don't think the OP can go wrong with either tire and should choose based on availability and price. He could do far, FAR worse than these two options.

What's your summer rubber BTW? I'd be running the Pilot Sport 4S if they were available in my size, which currently are THE standard for MPS tire performance, a position previously held by their predecessor, the PSS. Unfortunately, they aren't, so I'll be going with the A/S3+, which is probably the best tire available in my size. I mean, we could delve into what we are running for brakes, suspension components....etc but at some point this hits ridiculous and I think we are already there.
 
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