Love-hate relationship with putting snows on

[TowX]

I'm always amazed when I put on my 18" snows in place of the 19" Diamaris summer tires. The ride quality is so vastly superior that I'm tempted to keep them on all year. Then I lay the X5 into an entrance ramp and remember why I run the 19's in the summer.

I usually swap the Michelins off at Thanksgiving time but procrastinated this year, though I did put the snows on the 528. Had an inch of snow a week ago and slid through every intersection, the Michelins are downright dangerous in even a marginal dusting of snow. My 18" Hankook IceBears on TSW wheels transform the X5 in all kinds of snow storms. And no tramlining on the slightest road crown like the crappy Michelins.

Wish Toyo made the Proxes ST or STII in the correct 19" size but no 285/45 for the rear. And these darn Michelins just won't wear out either. I've got more than 30,000 miles on them and there's still 4/32-5/32 of tread in them. Oh well, I've got a few months of winter to decide what I'll put on in the spring... if I don't trade for a new X5 TD.