Time to start picking up some snow tires. I will be placing my order for the Z in two days! Wohoo!

Anyway, I called tirerack.com and the guy there told me that Blizzak WS-50 outperform the LM-22s by 15% in the snow. He also said LM-22 outperform the WS-50 by the same 15% in the dry.

My thinking would be I'd rather be safer in the snow when it could be very serious to crash.

Most of you all got the LM-22s. What was your thinking? Did anyone pick the WS-50 tires?

Thanks in advance.

BTW - I'm going for the Touring Redline with all options...just ordered my Valentine today and will be getting Sirius Radio....can't wait to join the club.

 

Note: A mod should move this to the tires and wheels forum...

Thank you, thank you for asking this.

I thought that I was the only one who was crazy enough to contemplate the problem marketing two different Blizzaks. I actually was about to start writing letters to Bridgestone N.A. Sales and Bridgestone Product Development stating that they shouldn't try and compromise on their snow tires.

I have had Blizzaks since 1996 (on my PGT), and I switched from their original tires (I think WS-5) to the MZ-01's. While the MZ-01's were narrower (205/55/16 vs 225/50/16), the winter traction seemed worse since they were designed for "sports cars".

I want the loudest, stickiest Blizzaks optimized for the cold that I can get. Give me big block spaces so I can get out of packed snow and super-soft compounts so I do not slide in icy conditions. I will sacrifice ride comfort and road noise so that I don't crash into the SUV/Truck going sideways on the highway. The old, soft snow tires were pretty darn soft and squishy, but I always had confidence even in icy slush. That's what I want for the Z.

 

I've used both LM-22 and WS-50. If I lived in northern New Hampshire where there was packed snow on the twisty, windy back-roads almost all the time, I would get the WS-50. If I lived further south and had a long commute that took me on dry highways for the majority of my driving, I would get the LM-22.

The WS-50 tires have the soft microcell compund that wears out very quickly when driven on dry roads. The handling goes to mush in the dry, but in the snow and on the ice, it will turn your 350Z into a Range Rover.

The LM-22 tires will preserve some of the handling that you love, yet will not leave you stranded if you get caught out in a blizzard. You'll just have to dial back on the speeds and you may have more trouble getting up steep, unplowed hills.

The decision between the two tires really depends on your climate and on the mix of driving that you anticipate. If you have the luxury of a heated garage and a second set of wheels, then you might consider the WS-50 and simply swap back to your summer wheels whenever there's a stretch of dry, warm weather. But if you are stuck with the winter wheels from late November to early April, then it's more important to pick the appropriate model.

Here in northern NJ, I've shifted away from the WS-50 and started using the LM-22 on both my cars.

 

I have a further question then when looking at winter options. What are some of the All Season tires like in comparison to the Blizzak tires in snow. I have read good things about the Michelin Alpine Sport A/S for example, but am not sure whether those tires will be good enough for me here in Iowa. I would like to get new wheels and tires, but have thought about keeping my 17" rims for a set of blizzaks for the winter and some Toyos for the summer. That option gets pricey but may be a life saver. As for the blizzaks, I would have to agree with DZ. My understanding is that the WS-50 is more of a true snow tire, while the LM-22 is still a snow tire but has more of a performance edge to it making it better in dry conditions.

 

Keep in mind that the LM-22 does not use the softer multi-cell layer that gives the WS-50 it's advantage in snow and ice. It uses a more traditional snow tread pattern and won't wear out nearly as quickly as the WS-50.

Keep in mind, that a powerful, RWD car like the 350Z may run the top layer off the tire in short order!

 

My $.02.

I used the LM-22 last winter, and loved them. They got me through all the snow we got here in Chicago........OK, we didn't get that much They didn't turn to "Hockey Pucks" below 40 degrees like the 040's.

The WS-50's were not available in OEM 17 inch sizes last November, and I just checked the Tirerack web site, and they still do not list a 235/50 17. I feel it's smart to stick to stock sizes to maximize the TCS & ABS systems in inclement weather.

 

I too used the LM-22's last season and loved them. Also, keep in mind that this is the only snow tire available in the stock 18" sizes. So if you want to keep your stock wheels in the winter, its really your only choice unless you go slightly off size with Pirellis or Dunlops.