Which All-Season Tire For Seattle Area?

I'd like to find one tire that can work the whole year round. mostly we just get wet here in the winter, not much snow, so it feels like snow tires are unnecessary, burn through quick and swapping tires out twice a year is a drag. On occasion we do get ice and nothing short of putting chains on works for that regardless of the tire. If I go up the pass for skiing, it will be chains. So I've decided to order 19" wheels and am looking for a good all-season tire. It's a little tricky figuring out the best tire option for this climate.

Like a lot of folks I'm looking at the Lugano turbine wheels, I like the more even pattern vs the Cyclones. I like what I've read about the Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season(Ultra High Performance All-Season), but descriptions from the manufacturer can never be trusted.

I realize taste in tires is a very personal thing but if anyone has recommendations or experience to share specific to this climate, it would be much appreciated.

captain_zap said:

I went with the Michelin Primacy tires on the Rial Luganos for my winter setup. Just received them today, in fact. The Luganos are beautiful rims and I'm very happy. The reason I went with the Primacies is because they are one of Tesla's OEM tires (so I know they are rated for the car's substantial weight), they are supposed to have lower rolling resistance than the previous 19" tire, and they have good reviews. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/TireTestServlet?tireMakeModel=Michelin_Primacy+MXM4_1

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thanks for that, still getting to know Tire rack. it was very helpful to see the video comparisons, it clinched it for me, the Pirelli's were not found to be so good in wet conditions while the Michelin's were. Nice that they are OEM's. Also nice that they use the same TPMS as Tesla, just a different part number, according to a rep.

Tire Rack is really making an effort to be Tesla S friendly, takes a lot of the jitters out of the process!!

Seattle said:

I've thought about this issue, going skiing and whether to use different tires. The problem you run into is if the road is really slick and or snow covered, they make it chains required, or awd. So even with winter tires, you end up having to stop and put on/take off the chains. The only thing the winter tires help you with is driving around the ski area parking lot when it wasn't bad enough to require chains on the road. Perhaps there is a middle ground of bad roads that aren't quite bad enough to need chains, but Seattle area pass snow has been noticeably missing this year.
-Nick

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The MXM4's have been great for this area! they are quiet and surprisingly good traction in this permawet... and I got a set of chains for the ice. As you've noted, snow tires don't really help around here so much, we get rain and ice and that's about it. chains can handle the occasional jaunt upwards in elevation.

super happy I went to 19" wheels, the Rials look almost as good and are so much less finicky!