Originally Posted by andrew
~ i will be replacing the oem run flats on my '09 3 series sport... on my prior '06 330i sport i went from run flats to the yokohama avid h4s and there was a world of diference over the hard run flats. felt like a new car all over again! looking for some added winter traction in ohio.
The one thing that I don't like about them compared to run-flats is that I have 16" rims on the MINI, and the difference in sidewall flex between the run flats and the DWS is enormous. But I have tall sidewalls on those (205/50R16). The first hard corner I hit at speed I thought I was going to lose traction. It's definitely a different feel - kinda wobbly. Scared the crap outta me for a minute.
If you're going from run-flats to these, I would recommend a low profile - maybe upsize your rims, if you're in the market for rims.
As for winter traction for Ohio winters: I give them two thumbs up. I drive 27 miles each way to work (Youngstown, OH), and I never let the weather stop me. The DWS only ever let me down in my home town, where they don't plow the side streets. Last winter we had a ton of snow, and their deep snow traction wasn't great. But for an all-season tire, I think it's about as good as you can get without getting knobby pure snow and ice tires.