So after reading the numerous posts on how poorly the Z handles in rain and snow, I decided it would probably be best to upgrade to a set of all-season tires since I will be doing at least some driving in the snow and don't want to worry about spinning out in the rain.

Some members on the board recommended some great tires, but the problem I'm having is finding tires that fit the staggered set of OEM 18" wheels on the '06 Z. The size of the wheels are:

front - P225/45WR18
rear - P245/45WR18

The only tires I've found that fit this configuration are the Avon Tech M550 A/S:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....lace=0&index=0

Does anyone know anything about these tires or have any recommendations for other tires that fit and are better? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Hey buddy, looks like you live in chicago, snows going to get pretty rough. Look in my signature. I just recently purchased those wheels/tires from tirerack.com at $1000 shipped. They come mounted and aligned. They are snow tires (bridgestone blizzaks ws-50). Let me tell you, I was a little skeptical about spending 1000 dollars on snow tires/wheels. But trust me, it's more than worth it, they GRIP. I didn't really feel like using the stock wheels and mounting snow tires on them. Since they are 18 inch, they would cost a lot more. Although they are great tires, you do lose a lot of handling. You can't turn nearly as sharp as with the stock tires/wheels. But then again who's going to drive crazy in the snow anyway?

 

Check the sizes for the Falken Ziex ZE 512.

 

haha, yeah, i'm definitely going to try and keep snow driving to an absolute minimum, but i was thinking of all-season, not just winter, tires so i don't have to worry about the rain either. all these stories about people doing 360's have me paranoid, and i don't even have my Z yet!

 

They only have 40ZR available for 18", no 45... I'm no expert on wheels, do you have any lee-way with this number, or does it have to be exact? It is basically the thickness/height of the tire from the rim, correct?

 

"ALL Season" tire is just a marketing name. It is only good for 4 seasons if there is no ice or snow, like in SoCal. They really should be called "3 season" tires. If you plan to drive in snow, do yourself and the Z a favor, get real snow tires. BTW, "all" season tires are not gonna help you much in the rain either compare to the stock Z tires. If you want to have more grip in the rain (relatively speaking), put on some high performance rain tires, they typically have deeper and funny looking treads to channel the water properly.

 

Just for the record, I live in Northern Calif and it rains much of the winter. I've never experienced the dramatic loss of handling in the rain that others have described. I do slow down in heavy rain when water is pooling on the road but no serious issues. I used to live in Michigan, and I would go for the snow tires.

 

ohw: is your avitar for real? lol

 

Don't know, found it on the net and "borrowed" it. I thought it's funny.

 

I've got some Kumho Ecsta ASXs on my 18" wheels on my track model, but since there wasn't an exact size match, I went with what most people use: 245/40R18 Front, 275/40R18 Rear.

So far I love these tires -- significantly quieter than the Potenzas, and really good wet grip (really decent dry grip as well). I haven't run them on snow yet, but given the tread pattern I expect them to be fairly decent, although I'll probably be getting in to the VDC/TDC in the snow.

 

Not exactly. “45” is the ratio between the height of the sidewall and tread width. The sidewall height is 45 percent of the tire width. To avoid headaches with VDC, I recommend staying with the OEM sizes

 

Thanks for all the replies, guys. There is another thread on the Avon's and they seem to be getting nothing but good reviews, so I'm leaning towards those.

 

Tirerack site says Avons are NOT intended for use in snow.

Everything I've read says you need snow tires for Z in snow country. Blazzacks are mentioned most often.

 

Hmm, they got a 7.8 out of 10 rating on the tirerack website, and I'm not planning on driving the Z in snow all the time (only when I absolutely need to). I'm planning on borrowing my brother's car whenever possible; but the Z is going to be my first nice car, and I'm extra paranoid about it when I would have to drive in the snow which is why I'd rather have a better tire than the stock to be safe than sorry.

 

My error; I was looking at M500 which is "summer" tire.

Still, most guys I've seen here in snow country say snow tires is only solution if you drive in snow.

 

Here is an interesting article from Road & Track comparing Summer, M/S and Snow tires.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....0&print_page=y

Unfortunatly it does not have the graphs that are in the mag, the traction circle tels quite a story for the different types of conditions but it is an interesting read none the less.

Chris

 

Hi guys I'm new to the site. Have been going back and fourth between a S2000 and a Z. I've test driven both, however, I'm from Chicago and as you all know we see alot of snow. How is the handling in the snow with stock? and snow tires? I know I'll definetly have to buy a set of snow tires, but how is the handling then. I take the train to work so my commute isn't too long, but the Z would be my only car. I'm a bit skeptical about purchasing a car and being stuck in a snow bank all winter long. Let me know what you guys think or any experience you've had in the snow. I'd appreciate any replies. Thanks

 

51, I'd suggest you post a new thread; not enough people are going to see your questions buried inside a tire thread.

 

Hey barefutr, I'm from Chicago as well, and although I don't have a Z yet, I should be receiving it a couple of days before Christmas. If you do a search on this site, you'll find countless posts about how the stock tires are HORRIBLE not only in the snow, but in very cold weather in general. From what I've read here, the consensus is that the Z handles very well in the snow with snow tires, so if that's what you'd be getting, you should have no worries. You can also check out www.chicagoz.com; they had a lot of useful posts on driving the Z in the snow.