What tires for wet winters?

[Sock Monkey]

I live on Vancouver Island and we get it wet out here for about 4 months. The potential for hydroplaning is always there as water runs across the roads in buckets sometimes. Off ramps seem to be the worst as they don't benefit from some of the engineering that the actual roadway surfaces do.

Anyway, we get snow sometimes but it never lasts more than 5 days. When we still lived on the prairies I got a set of Hankook IPike 409 and we really liked them. I could go with that again. I really liked them because for a winter tire they are really quiet and quiet is important to me.

One thing, we have tire restrictions in the winter here and some roads you can't use unless your tires have the snowflake AND the mountain logos on them so, true winter tires.

I've been looking at some online reviews and some tires I found interesting were :
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
Conti Winter Contact TS 850P
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Fulda Kristall Control HP2

These all scored high on reviews and that's the only reason I took note of them. I think some of them may be just European tires though as they don't seem to be turning up on NA websites.

I have 16" steelies for my '06 Sport 3. I've also read on TM3 that I might have a choice of sizes like:

205/55/16
205/60/16
215/55/16

So, throw some ideas at me. I'm all ears. I have a local garage that will install for me and I could order online, have them shipped if the price was right or I could simply go to Crappy Tire, Kal Tire, Fountain Tire and any number of smaller shops.

Thanks,

Monkey

[Captain Mazda]

I'm all about Michelin and for winter my favourite is the X-Ice Xi3. Handle anything from icy roads to wet slush really well. I love to throw my car around turns and never experienced any loss of traction.

[Sock Monkey]

I'm all about Michelin and for winter my favourite is the X-Ice Xi3. Handle anything from icy roads to wet slush really well. I love to throw my car around turns and never experienced any loss of traction.

I'll look into those. We have Michelins on the pickup and really like them. Thanks.

[Daileydose]

Pirelle Ice Zero FR
- loved them on my 2.5L and there very quiet.

[G ~ MINI]

I was on Bridgestone LM001
they look similar to the LM005
They were amazing in the wet , highway speed 100-120 kmph
on ice ..meeeeh .. same as the rest (ice ..studs the best)
on snow / slushy pretty good
Deep snow ... bring a shovel