tires for the X1?

[Mr Kleen]

I'm getting ready to buy new wheels and tires for the wife's X1. She has picked out a nice set of wheels (she was pretty hyped about picking out wheels, I'm a very lucky guy ) now it's up to me to find tires.

I'm a bit torn on whether to get RFTs and the summer vs all-season choice. On one hand it's nice knowing that we'll never have a flat but RFTs are heavy and expensive. I talk myself into and out of RFTs every time I browse Tire Rack for tires...

Then there's the question of all-seasons or summer only tires. I plan on getting winter tires for the stock rims but it would be nice to be able to keep the "good" wheels on until I feel like swapping them (last winter it didn't snow even one time). It's not like the X1 needs Michelin Super Sport Pilot Cups.

Anyone have a recommendation for an all-season, semi-performance semi-comfort tire?

[drwrx]

All season tires are more about traction in cold weather than they are about snow, despite the M&S on the sidewall.
That said, if you don't plan to really push the car they are a good all-around choice as manufacturers have really been pushing the envelope on these. The newest crop can complete with summer tires in the dry and wet.

Here are my low cost All-Season recommendations:
General G-MAX AS-03: I know a number of folks who run on these and LOVE them. Very good dry, good wet, and OK in snow.
Kumho Ecsta 4X My brother recently put these on his E55. Fantastic dry, decent wet, and work OK in snow.
Goodyear Eagle GT I drove on these for a year and a half and found them to be very competent in every condition. Though I suspect they would not match the performance of the tires above and am not certain they will come in your size.

The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 is currently Tire rack's highest rated all-season tire.
And while I would likely agree, at $50-$60 more per tire, they damn well better be!

Tire rack has done a couple of tests of All Season Tire tests in snow:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/tes ... p?ttid=173
(Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS, General G-MAX AS-03, Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season, Hankook Ventus S1 noble)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/tes ... p?ttid=177
(Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS, Continental ExtremeContact DWS, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3)

[Sabre]

I'm running ContiPureContact's on the rally car and Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT XL's on the STI. Both seem to be doing good in dirt and snow!

[Mr Kleen]

I would get dedicated snow tires for the serious weather (the X1 is RWD). I just want tires that don't turn to stone when it gets cold. We don't get much snow here but it can get fairly cold.

I've had good experience with Kumho summer tires, so I'm leaning towards those. That they're a Korean company is a bonus.