Ok, my first Rex was a WRB 02 wagon with no suspension mods and Haakas on my OE rims. My current Rex is a 07 wagon with no suspension mods and Blizzak WS-50s on the OE rims. I'm just not getting the same performance out of the Blizzaks. Maybe it's just fond memories, but the Blizzaks feel "greasy" for lack of a better description. Excessive front end push and understeer relative to my Haakas which were like Samurai swords in the nastiest of conditions. Anyone else with experience on both tires care to chime in? Thanks in advance, Sean PS - the WS-50s are looking awfully expensive even at $105 each in light of the RSi group buy...f00k me.
The Blizzak and Hakka just take two different approaches to winter driving. The Blizzak has a super soft sidewall, and thus, even when it's gripping decently, it feels loose. The Revo is different, I hear (from Zak, mostly). The Hakka has more of a traditional sidewall and thus feels a lot crisper.
Thanks - I'm struggling to enjoy the Blizzaks. I thought maybe it was a material difference in the rubber compounds or siping. I've had a couple unexpected AWDrifts (no snowbank stuffage...yet) where the Blizzaks just let loose with no warning whereas the Hakkas seemed to give a lot more feedback as to when they were going to break free.
Have you ever driven the Hakka RSi? I have no doubt the WS-50 feels great compared to most other tires. I have driven both and for what I want the RSi is far superior. What you felt is due to how soft the surface compound is on the Blizzak. Once they break loose, they break big. Don't get me wrong, the Blizzak is an awesome tire. However with the additional sidewall strength and better deep snow handling, I prefer the RSi. Mark Utecht
Good info Mark, thanks. I'll give the WS-50s a go this winter but I project RSi's on the RexNEfx next season.
Hankook Ipike 409's FTW, I've driven on blizzaks, winter force, nokians and the hankooks and they are by far the best winter tire for the money! They are based off the nokians, also, if you look at the tread patteren they are very similar.
I have driven on Hankooks, Blizzaks and Kumo's winter tires. I have the WS-50 on my wagon and they are definately softer and easier to break loose, but my wife drives this car and for her its great and it does the job well. Somethings to consider is my wagon has 205/60-16 WS-50, yours might be shorter, but you may want to increase the tire pressure. I read somewhere that in the winter going 2-4lbs psi over max will help winter traction.
Yep. The Blizzak's feel *ok* in straightline acceleration and braking but fail (me) in cornering. I'm not saying the Blizzaks are "bad", but I will be replacing them with Hakkas once they're due for replacement. The Blizzaks just don't jive with my incessant snow-driving asshattery... Different strokes for different asshats!
I thought about Blizzak's but then went with the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's, I love them! When I drive "safely" they work awesome and when I push the car it's very easy to control. This is my first AWD car and first set of winters though.
I've had Blizzaks (WS-50) and I'm on my 3rd set of Dunlops now (M3s) and the difference was night and day between the two. I've mentioned it before but I ran the BMWCCA winter event last year on M3s and never felt like that car wasn't predictable when close to the edge. They've got a pretty stiff sidewall and corner well but don't seem to do as well as the studless snow and ice tire in the deep stuff. Then again the car is AWD so I've never had an issue with getting even close to stuck. They do handle slush and water with ease which is something a lot of the tires out there seem to forget. My plan for next year is to try the RSi and see how it stacks up. They're quite a bit more expensive then the M3s and I'm not sure if there is a benefit to justify the difference but I need to know what all the hype is about for myself.
Hey Spidy I'd like to try those M3's you have been rav'n about at our next Winter event, they sound very promising. I didn't realize you were such a big BMW fan! LOL
