ordered set of 4.

 

In my case I am not planning on driving in snow. However, I would like the security of being able to get home safely should I get caught in an unexpected light snow or flurry. I would also be looking for good handling in icy rain; again I try to avoid driving in sch conditions, but it's always nice to know you could if you had to. I'd like to keep my 19" wheels for summer and winter use. I don't track my car, so the summer tires I have now may not be necessary in my case. Could 19" Continentals serve me reasonably well for *both* summer and winter, considering my usage requirements?

 

NO.


Will they get you through a little bit of snow? Yes. Will they grip better below 45 degrees than the sport tires that come on the car? Yes. Will they do it like a dedicated snow tire will?

Not even close.

Even the best all-season isn't like a snow tire for bad conditions. The tires are one of our best rated all seasons, but they are not really a substitute for an ice tire in really bad conditions. You'll get home on them in bad conditions, but you'll need a drink when you do.

One thing to keep in mind as well is that some OE Porsche wheels are 11.5" wide. If yours is, the 295 tire isn't rated for your wheel. 11" wheels are OK.

 

Damon is right on the money.
Too many people think that snow tires are just for snow. 45 degrees is one thing, single digits are something else. I personally wouldn't be caught dead with all season tires in any part of the country that not only has snow but is cold on a regular basis. In Georgia you'll be ok. NY/NJ/New England...i personally wouldn't take that risk.

Winter tires are like window tint. Once you have a car with them, you'll never go without them again. Even my wife agrees now that she has dedicated winters..and she runs the continental DWS in the summer.

 

thanks for the response. how to check if i have 11" or 11.5", anywhere in tire says that? somewhere in rennlist forum they are saying "rear 18x11 with a 51 offset. Fronts are 18x8 with a 57 offset".

i ordered below
Front - 2 Qty. 295/35ZR -18 CONTINENTAL EXTREMECONTACT DWS
Rear - 2 Qty. 235/40ZR -18 CONTINENTAL EXTREMECONTACT DWS

and i have 18" OEM Carrera III wheels

 

For those interested, TireRack has a great video with some real world comparisons on the same car (BMW) between all seasons and dedicated winter tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/videos/index...=23&tab=winter

 

Totally agree with you. I have always had dedicated winter tires living in Madison, WI and Boston, but having been through 2 winters in Seattle, for which we'll only see 1-2 days of snow a year and a couple days of sub-32F weather, I don't see the need for dedicated winter tires.

 

I wouldn't either in Seattle. Northeast is a different situation though.
Boy do i not miss those winters. Born and raised Vermonter here.

 

mild and non snowy winters here in the DC area is a reason that I ended up shying away from dedicated winters. We do get extended periods of cold weather, and lots of rain. I went with a 2nd set of wheels (Got them for a deal I could not pass up) and put some tires that are rated to handle the cold weather. My summer tires really get slick when the temps go below 45 degrees, especially if there is any water on the ground.

I like the DWS so far, only used them for a few hundred miles. The ride (on 18inch rims) is much softer than my summer Hankook tires on 19 inch rims. Grip is good on dry pavement and predictable so far for spirited driving. We'll see how things go through the colder months. So far I'm not disappointed with the purchase.

I'm sure there are purists who will flame me mercilessly for compromising with all season tires. But it is my wallet and for my situation (daily driving commute) in this car it made sense.

 

Yep, it's pretty hard to go over the handling limit of these UHP A/S tires on regular roads with spirited driving. If you're pushing the limit of the streets, you're doing it wrong

 

got the DWS on my sisters TSX no problem last year and my moms got another set of Continentals on her 4matic benz ... 34k miles on them and still tread left and awesome in the snow

 

THIS ONE is a fun one also. We had a chance to play with some Maseratis here in the snow. In our 328's the difference was quite noticeable, on a true sports car it's staggering what snows can do for your performance.

 

OK, so what snow tires do you recommend for the 11.5 " wheels ?

 

The only thing i'll add is last year i had dedicated snow tires(Micheline) and 18's wheels for my 08 750il. I used them twice maybe three times in light snow. Which word very well. In bigger/heaver snow i would not trust ANY car. I also found the snow tires were very lound and harsh on dry roads. If your not planning on using your Porsche in snow and only during cold weather use all seasons.

 

make sense.