snow tire size question

[Average Jae]

i'm all set to pick up my set of snows from tirerack.com: AT Italia type 5 rims, along w/ dunlop wintersport M3 tires, except limited options are making my decision tougher..
as seen in the poll, the choices are this:

205/55-16 $105 each, but is a V-rated tire
215/55-16 $113 each (H-rated)
225/55-16 $107 each (H-rated)

i would probably get better traction w/ skinner tires (205) but i'm not sure how much traction the V rating would take away, to offset the benefits of the skinner tires. since i dun plan on hitting anywhere near 150mph in skinny ass snows the V-rating does not appeal to me. even an H rating for that matter, but you never really know right?

215s seems like an odd tweener number, and also will end up costing the most. (not the biggest deal) but will that make that much difference vs the 225s?

and the 225s, while in dry conditions would be much nicer to have than the 205s, i'm buying the snows to get the best snow/ice traction possible, even if a little bit..

i don't think i'll be driving the car all that much in the winter, (since i walk to work and all) but i sure as hell ain't gonna be rolling around in my summer tires, w/ snow on the ground or no snow, once the temp hits 40. i figure all three are viable choices, and pros and cons of each are small at best, but i figure i should make sure before dropping a grand on it.

 

[frolf]

i have 225/55-16 blizzak WS50's, they absolutely rock. there won't be much difference betgween 225 and 215's, though i voted for the 215's for almost no reason

 

[MrElussive]

I think you should go with the 225's and here is my reasoning:
First off, 205's are such skinny bitches that the tires would be an insult to the car....it will give the car such a less aggressive stance. Second, they say that you should go with skinnier tires for two reasons: First off, because thinner tires will "cut through" the snow better, such as in powdery situations. But your car is a 330i ZHP, so it's not like you're looking around for the powdery stuff and the roads are usally decently well plowed during snow storms, or at least all the other cars make tracks for you to follow. As for the second reason for going with thin tires, the reason is because when you have less width, more of the vehicle's weight is applied onto the tires, onto the road. I agree with this, although I feel that more tire width offers more surface area for better traction AND if you go with 225's, you'll have the thickest profile which will enable you to ride on top of the snow better anyways.
If I were you, I'd go with a set of 225/45-17's all around because 16" wheels on a 330i ZHP would just look shitty and on MOST days of the winter it is NOT snowing. And I guarantee you the cold weather isn't going to stop you from enjoying the beautiful handling of your Bimmer, but 16" wheels will!

 

[MrElussive]

i have 225/55-16 blizzak WS50's, they absolutely rock. there won't be much difference betgween 225 and 215's, though i voted for the 215's for almost no reason

Actually, I just read frolf's post. Damn, that is a convincing argument...it almost makes me wanna delete my previous post. God damn frolf, just exactly HOW do you do it????

 

[wood_e]

I say 205s.... flame me all you want but a skinny tire will get more traction in snow than a fat one...

 

[Average Jae]

Emile, i knew you were gonna object to 205s ^^;; (i remember your posts on it last year.)
the question is more of, do i wanna look better, or do i want the car to stick to the road a bit better w/ the.. how you say "skinny bitches"

given the choice, i'd love to go w/ 17s, but that does cost a bit more.. as if my car needs to suck down more money........ then again, i suppose you can't deck your self out w/a nice suit, w/ flip flops..

well search continues, hopefully i could order by first week of oct..

btw, anyone know how much the V-rating hurts the winter traction?