Tires BRIDGESTONE or Laufenn

Bridgestone A005 is exceptional in non-snowy conditions and definitely weaker in snow (but still miles ahead of any summer tyre). It is just tuned more towards mild climate and will get you home safely when you come across snow.

I can, however, recommend some tires that I trust wholeheartedly, and I don't take it easy on my tires. (Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22) Fantastic grip in rain, dry, hot, or cold.

I just checked Tire Rack for the 17in size tires and they're in stock. There's also a Bridgestone version.

In winter I run a set of Blizzaks in 225/40/18 on the factory wheels. Car is excellent in snow

All 4 wheels are in perfect condition. No scratches, bends or dents. They were installed on my 2024 Golf R for 3k miles Tires are in perfect condition with only 3k miles. Bridgestone Potenza S005 235/35/19 8.5x19 rim size ET45 offset

For my winter set I'm using the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 (205/55/r16) and while not as good in the snow as the Conti WinterContact, they handle amazingly in wet conditions (we get quite a bit of rain) and are relatively silent and good on fuel.

The Bridgestone is going to be faster. The nankang would probably wear a little bit better call and is more heat tolerant. But not as fast when cold, and also heavier. If you were happy with the Bridgestone I would have to say probably stay there

I’ve driven a wide variety of winter tires. Bridgestone, GoodYear, Firestone, Cooper, Michelin, Continental, and one or two others. Some were quieter, some were better on ice, some were better in deep snow. None were terrible. If you go with major brand names, that are not much over 5 years old, you should be ok.

I checked my car tires and they are Laufenn. My ride quality is quite bumpy and shaky.

The factory Bridgestone Ecopia tires were trash. They were useless in any wet conditions at 30k miles. It’s rocking some Generals now.