For winter here in the Great White North I just picked up a set of FRD Racing 16" rims for my G35 sedan for a great price- $150 CDN each. Made by Mille Miglia in Italy.
I'm trying to decide between Blizzak MZ-01/02 in 215/60-16 and the Blizzak LM-18/22 225/60-16. Does anyone else living in the snow belt have any experience with these?
Tire Rack's site on suggestions for the G35:
"Due to the unique technical aspects of this application, we are currently not accepting online orders for snow-tire and wheel packages for your 2003 Infiniti G35. Please call (888) 541-1777 to speak with one of our specialists about available products."
The number doesn't work from Canada, so I'd appreciate any help from my southern G35 friends in seeing what Tire Rack suggests. Searching the European review sites puts the LM-18 as one of the top 5 picks, sold also in Canada, but not listed by Bridgestone US.

 

I have had Blizzaks on three cars (Volvo and MPVs) - they are great in Toronto. However, I prefer Michelin Alpins which I have had on one car (Jetta VR6). They run a little smoother and perhaps have a little better grip on icy roads. The Blizzaks seemed better when there is more snow - but these are subjective assessments.

I was at my local tire dealer today and he recommended 215 60R16 Alpins for the G - the book shows an exact correspondence to the OEM Bridgestones.

 

I also considered the Pilot Alpins which are H rated and heard good things about the wear and dry handling characteristics. Some reviewed negatives about actual snow and ice traction though which is a concern for me. That's why I reviewed the European sites (poorly translated German LOL) where they deal with snow/ice regularly.
Tire Rack does extensive Ice testing and so I'm very interested in their opinions. I'm wondering what they mean by "unique technical aspects of this application" (for the G35). They have a ready listing for most other vehicles!

 

This will be my first Rear Wheel drive car and I am most concerned about Winter performance on Ice and packed snow... Here in Montreal we get lots of icy conditions and packed snow highways/streets....

My Yokohoma Fseries winters did not meet my expectations on my Max SE2000 and I am now looking at Michelin Alpins or Studded tires ...

Blizzak's have been good to me for the first winter and then they loose TONS of grip on ICE......

Wonder what studded tires would be like on the G ?

 

I drove my Supra with RWD on Dunlop Graspics for years with no problems. Needs a couple of sand bags (100-150 lbs) in the trunk though. The G since it has VDC should be a bit better. This past May, the Infiniti Finance Manager had the G35 home during the surprise 8-12" dump of spring snow. She said she passed many FWD cars in the ditch and noticed the VDC kicking in a lot. She only got stuck getting into a parking stall that had snow piled up in it. Rocked herself free once she figured out how to turn off the VDC.
As for studs, remember that they work great ONLY on ice. They're bad on anything else and loud. Some swear by them, others at them.
The H-rated Blizzaks, ie LM-18/22, use a winter tire compound throughout the tread like most all other tire companies as opposed to the Qs which have the special ice compound. They should be more consistent throughout the tread life.
A Canadian reviewed the Pilot Alpins on Epinions;
http://www.epinions.com/auto-review-...3A38BF0D-prod1
I'm hoping the Blizzaks will be better. Anyone had a chance to call Tire Rack yet? Or are they closed on W/Es?

 

Where did you manage to find the rims in Edmonton? The tire dealer I spoke to suggested Blizzak WS-50 in the original 215/55R17 size for the G35.

 

I think we may try one winter with the stock all-seasons. We have 5 tires to rotate, traction and vehicle stability control so we'll see what happens. We went through one winter on stock all seasons on our '92 E-Class without traction control and the rest with winter tires. I definitely think its a much better idea to invest in some tho. =) We'll see...

 

hecobb;

Talk to my buddies over at Tire Warehouse. They also have some FRD 6 five spoke mags that you can probably snag in a 16" with the proper offset for about $175. BTW, what colour is your ride and what part of town are you in? I can show you my dead pedal mods, etc. and we can compare rides or something. Send me a private mail if you don't want to communicate on posts.

Gord

 

Hey gordgee,

Can you tell me the exact model and spec of that set of wheels you pick up for $150/each at Tire Warehouse? I am trying to get a picture from Tire Rack. Is it 16x7 or 16x7.5?

Thanks.

G35: Black with Willow/Canadian Premium Package.
Z3: Silver with Red leather interior.

 

What about the Firestone WinterFire? From all aspect, handling, snow/wet traction, tread life, and price wise, this seems to be the best choice? No? The only thing that it is T rated, which is a faster speed rating then Q, and, the overall daimeter of the tire is 26.1"( in 215/60/R16 config), which is 0.1-0.2 inch smaller then the RSA or Turanza EL-42.

 

I got the 16x7 FRD 60, the offset is 45mm. I know the guys there well, so I'm not sure what sort of better deal I got. The 5 spoke FRD 6 was less than $180, but I liked looks of the 10 spoke better after I did a Photoshop comparison on my Ivory G.
I just found out today that the MZ-02s are discontinued, so I think I'm going to go with the H-rated LM-18s which are one of the top rated winter tires in European testing (as far as I could tell from the German translations). Hopefully the traction of 225s will be okay on snow/ice. I'm planning to do a test fit and drive this W/E on dry roads.

 

IMO Dunlop winter sport are the best winter tires for rear wheel drive cars. They are recommended by porsche for all their cars. I tried blizzaks, they offer good grip but kinda noisy. I think winter sports would be the ideal tire for G35 though they are a little expensive...I got mine.

 

IMO Dunlop winter sport are the best winter tires for rear wheel drive cars. They are recommended by porsche for all their cars. I tried blizzaks, they offer good grip but kinda noisy. I think winter sports would be the ideal tire for G35 though they are a little expensive...I got mine.

 

I've also heard good things about the Dunlops, but my regular tire dealer no longer carries them. Tire Rack still rates the LM-22s slightly higher and the LM-18 supposed to be a little better yet. They're actually more expensive than the Dunlop WinterSports. Which Blizzaks did you try?