My 97 E420 with 16" yokohama allseason tires are absolutely HORRIBLE on snow. I am definitely considering buying some snow tires for my OEM wheels, and then I can buy some nice 17" wheels with summer tires next spring.

Research tells me there are 2 kinds of snow tires; Q rated ones like Blizzak WS50, or H or even V-rated "performance" snow tires. "performance snow" sounds like an oxymoron to me, considering if I'm spending $$ for snow tires I want the best snow traction. But I've also read that the Q-rated tires are outright dangerous to drive on dry highways.

I'm in Ann Arbor MI and it doesn't snow much here, which would be a better tire for me?

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Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

Many of us on these forums are fans of Nokian tires, specifically their "all-season" WR model. The tire is, I think, the only all season that meets the criteria for extreme weather conditions (snowflake/mountain designation).

While the Nokian WR does not have the best of all snow traction, they are usually more than adequate in snow conditions. The main advantage is that they also drive quite well in the dry, and they last a long time.

They are really the ideal tire for cerrtain applications, where some significant snow is encountered, but not every day. For me, 90% dry/wet use; 10% snow (for trips from the bay area to Tahoe), these tires are perfect.

Regards,
Bob

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'94 E500 Anthracite
'92 300E 4Matic (donated to charity)
'90 300TE 4Matic

Yup.....I second the Nokian WR. I echo Bob's comments exactly. They are one of the only all-season tires you can get that is really quite decent in snow and you're not worried about highway speed or longevity problems. They're not going to perform like dedicated snows, but they are a very good compromise.
Brian

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Brian
1995 E320 wagon