Topic: Hankook W300 IceBear Winter Tires on a Miata

[99 Silver]

Does anybody have any experience with Hankook W300 IceBears on a Miata?

I had blizzak w50's on my 99 miata and loved the traction but disliked the handling.  The car was very loose and sensitive to cross winds.

I sold my 99 miata and bought a 2004 Mazda Speed miata but i need new wheels and tires becauseit has bigger brakes.  I picked up a set of used 15' alloys which fit and now need to get the tires.

Thanks,

Jerry
Kitchener
04 Miata MSM
05 Infinity G35x

[ovr50]

I have no experience with winter tires for a Miata, but am interested in the winter driving characteristics of the Miata. Do you blame the "loose" handling on the tires or on the car? I think you're saying the tires, right? How does the Miata handle in the snow? Typical RWD characteristics I assume? Thanks.

[morty]

The W300 will definitely help with improve your handling. The WS50 is a much softer tire and does exhibit more tread squirm, which is the loose feeling you experienced with the Miata. The WS50 does offer better ice and deep snow performance, but the W300 is still a very capable tire. It is a nice compromise that will give you winter performance with a little better handling.

[99 Silver]

ovr50:

The Miata handles snow surprisingly well with good snows on all four wheels.  With my summer tires I couldn't climb my driveway which has a steep 8% grade with 2" of snow.  With the blizzaks I could stop partway up and start up again without any wheel spin.

Miatas are not like most rwd cars in that they have an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution compared to Mustangs which are getting close to 60% front loading.  The combination of good balance and very precise controls makes it easy (actually fun) to drive in snow.  It will drive through snow and actually push it with the front bumper.  You have to be careful not to get stuck on top of the snow.  I drove my 99 for 5 years in the snowbelt (Kitchener) without ever getting stuck.

My complaint with the W50's is on dry roads.  A miata is an incredibly agile handling car and this is lost with the w50's.  The car tends to wander somewhat and is sensitive to crosswinds on the highway.

Jerry

[ovr50]

99 Silver - thanks, that's the story I am hearing here from ppl who do winter drive them. I suspect you get more snow and colder than we do here.

Are you going with the Hankook 300s?

[99 Silver]

I'll probably go with the Hankook W300 because it has generally good revirews and offeres very good value.

Jerry

[99 Silver]

I would like to order these from you but have the following questions:

1)  I have a set of used alloys I am going to use and need to get local installation & balance.  Who do you recommend I use?  I am concerned that they may be p*ssed because I didn't buy the tires from them.

2)  What is a fair price for install & balance and disposal of a scrap tire per wheel?

Thanks,

Jerry
Kitchener, ON
04 Miata MS
05 G35x

[morty]

Not every dealer might be willing, but I am sure that you can get someone to install for approximately $15/tire. We dont have a referral network for installation, but it is something we are working on.

[99 Silver]

Thanks Morty.

Which is the better tire - the W300 IceBear or the Kumho KW17?

Jerry

[jerry]

Put my 4 Blizzaks 50,s on today(in Kelowna)--this is the third year for my  99 (Silver also) and I had a 90 that I ran Blizzaks on for 6 years(in Cranbrook,B.C. which gets quite a bit of snow).
The car definitely is a way more "squirmy" and drives as 99 said above.
The car is not that difficult to drive in the winter--much the same I would guess as any other car that is as "light", which I think is the biggest problem.
It can get hung up in very deep snow and one problem I had in Cranbrook was they would plow wind-rows in the middle of the streets and with the top of the car is so low it was hard to see and be seen.
Haven't heard what other owners do but I think most put their cars away for the winter or here in Kelowna you can drive most of the time around town with regular tires but if you want to go out of the city, which I do, you are going to need winter tires.
It would be interesting to see how the Hankooks  perform in the snow. I am sure they would handle better than the Blizzaks. 

[ovr50]

Jerry - good to hear from you again (and I won't hijack this thread for long, 99 silver). I kind of forgot you have the Miata - in the back of my mind, I am toying with the thought of trading/selling the Bullitt for a new '06 Miata but won't be until March 06 or so. I was concerned over winter drivability, but I think most of my concerns have been answered. Is your PM alive on here, so that later this winter, I could PM you to pick your brain a bit on Miatas? Or use my PM to send me your home email so I can reach you later? I'd appreciate it, thanks. 

[jerry]

Ovr -sent you a pm -