warm weather tires for 2002 v70 xc

[randyman]

I would not reccomend any of the above due to poor tread wear and spotty traction. Take a look at the Kelly Navigator Gold tire. I currently have it on my BMW 530xi and Audi A6. It is excellent. Very aggressive traction and wears well. No flatspot shimmy after sitting overnight like several of the brands listed. I have a long graded gravel driveway in a rural town near Buffalo, NY so i see fowl weather often. Trust me this is a winner! Firm cornering sidewalls as well. I have seen nothing good from those cheap korean tires.

[IdahoBob]

We have two XC70's, an '02 and an '04. Over the past 4 years, we've run the Yokohama YK520, Pirelli Scorpions, Michelin X-Ice, Pirelli P4 & Pirelli P5. All three types of Pirellis were on cars when bought used (one had Scorpions all-around, one had P4s on one end and P5's onthe other), The Yokos and X-Ice were attempt to improve over the Pirellis. Easy answer: the Michelin X-Ice, even though they are supposed to be a serious winter tire, they are the best year-round tire I've found. They are quiet, last a long time, and have great year-round traction (have driven in North Idaho -20 winters on packed ice, and Denver/Wyoming/Nebraska at 100+). You see a lot of Pirelli Scorpions because they're cheap to buy & one of the few tires with the proper speed rating, but they are LOUD, you will swear you are dragging a box of rocks. Also, the Scorpions seemed to have no winter traction when about half the tread was gone. Very strange to be sliding around on loose snow, for no good reason. The Yokos were one step short of the proper speed rating, and lasted just OK, but nothing special. Defintiely quieter than the Scorpions. The P4 & P5 are noisy, with a constant sanding-grinding road noise as they roll. Traction and wear is OK...just noisy. The X-Ice, the P4 & P5 are rated "V" (I think) for speed rating, which the norm for US-local econoboxes. I've had no trouble, and I see that most people are driving on V rated tires. The only other tire I've seen in the US with the proper speed rating is a Continental that's on the new XC70's.
Conclusion: get the X-Ice if you can. The YK520 is my next choice. Stay away form the Pirellis, especially the Scorpions.