Snow/Ice winter tires

leogenghis

I recently bought a set of these for my Alfa 164. Haven't had a chance to test them yet (snow seems late in coming this winter), but I've heard very good things about it. It is also priced very competitively at TireRack.

Leo

ginto

Well it finally snowed! I can't remember as late a date for a "real" snowfall in the Toronto area, which is why my Toyo Observes were put on in late October. Just like washing your car (it's sure to rain), putting on snow tires means a late snow.

Anyways about 2" of very wet snow came down Friday afternoon. This must have caught the salting and plowing crews by surprise, because most of the roads I travelled were still very slippery and snow-covered. Other than one serious accident - a truck rammed a car north of us - most handled the white stuff pretty well. There were the usual people in ditches, etc., but this always happens with the first snow.

Our Honda Odyssey with the Toyo Observe GP-4's performed very well in these conditions. There was a little wheelspin on takeoff, since the traction control came on, but the van tracked very straight and true. I piloted the van through one turn which a car had missed, the latter hitting a curb at about 10kph and rebounding. ABS came on only once, when stopping at an intersection. No problems there.

Tire noise levels were hard to determine, due to the spray of snow hitting the underside of the van, and the fact that we were all going slowly. I felt safe going about 50kph in a posted 80kph country road, but most people were going slower. In my other car, that speed made for a white-knuckle drive on the exact same route.

So I can recommend the Toyo's. I'll reserve the wholehearted recommendation until we see how well the tread lasts.

raudi4

I had a great experience with Dunlop Winter Sport tires with my Audi S4. They are decent in the snow, while they perform great in dry conditions as well. Ideal for places where snow cover is not constant.

brick22

After researching Tirerack.com for recommended tires for over a week, I've narrowed the choices down to Yokohama Avid T4, BF Goodrich Control T/A M65, Goodyear Aquatred 3, Michelin RainForce MX4,and Yokohama Aegis LS4. I need an all season tire that will get me through heavy snow, but I also need a long distance highway traveler the rest of the year.

I also read two reviews there by Forester owners and was interested in what they had to say about the Bridgestone Blizzack WS-50 and the Michelin Arctic Alpin. Will those two be okay year round, or are they winter only?

Any experience with any of these? Any other recommendations. The consensus on Tirerack seems to be (and I agree) that the Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 need replacing too soon. Ours has less than 30,000 miles.

Thanks!

protege_fan

Are strictly winter only tires. Using them on dry pavement will significantly reduce their life. Also, they will be really noisy if used on dry pavement compared to an all-season or touring tire.

My dad has had really good experiences with his Blizzaks on his '90 MPV. He said he's gotten 4 seasons out of them, but now they are about done.

dudleyr

If you want a tire for heavy snow, get snow tires on seperate rims and swap out when the seasons change. You will have the best of both worlds.

Remember all- season tires are a compromise 100% of the time. They are not as good in the dry or rain as summer tires, and they are not as good in the snow as winter tires.

heng

here's another suggestion:

You want deep snow performance but want to keep the tires on all year for highway trips

How about an aggressive tread type tire (ie Michelin LTX M/S)? With the 4WD of your Sub this should do OK in deep snow while being acceptable on dry highways. This is a step back from an off-road tread so it might be OK on the highway.

As stated by others tire selection is always a compromise but this is shifted to the snow side and might suit your needs.

brick22

I'm still shopping. The TireRack service person recommended Yokohama Avid T4s, but I'm also now considering the Michelin X-ones.

stever

"A sandbag catapulted from the trunk, breaking his seat loose and fatally forcing him into the dashboard. Another was a young guy who fell asleep in the back seat. His friend thought he'd go to sleep, too, but keep on driving. They hit an approach; a sandbag acting like a projectile forced its way through the back seat, breaking the passenger's back and killing him. People don't realize that, at 100 kilometres per hour, a 40- pound sandbag doesn't know it should stop when you stop."

Sand-bagged

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pemarsh

why not consider michelin cross terrains...or its real snow tire, the alpin??? I have heard these are good tires for snow!

kullenberg

Does anyone have any experience with the Nokian WR, all season tire? They claim it also has a winter rating and a 50,000 mi. tread life. I'm thinking about putting them on my 99 MB ML430, and leaving them on all year. I need good snow and ice traction in the winter. It comes in a 275/60/17, and the oem size for the ML430 is 275/55/17, so there is less than a 4% diff. Any comments appreciated.
Cheers
Pat

hpulley4

It seems like the stickiest winter tires are just Q rated for speed and usually have handling to match. My car (FWD MINI Cooper) came with H rated tires so to keep the handling up I'm wondering if I should go with some H rated winter tires, or if I should get the better snow/ice traction Q rated tires or a compromise T rated tire that might give me better handling than Q and better traction the H rated? It didn't snow many times last winter so I don't want poor handling for the entire season but when there are really bad storms I wonder if I'll wish I'd gotten the Q rated studdless?

dudleyr

If you are still looking for snow tires, Consumer reports is going to test them in the November issue - should be out in early October. In their last test some Q rated tires did very well in dry handling (Michelin Artic Alpin) and were still very good on snow and ice. We have Yokahama 720's on our minivan, and they do very well in the snow and don't seem to effect handling too much. I have also used Blizzaks and Arctic Alpins. The Blizzaks are a little squirly, when they are brand new, but settle down some as they wear. The way I figure it if you are getting tires for the snow you may as well get tires that do the job well. I wait until the last minute to put them on (when I actually see the flakes, or there is a storm warning) and take them off as soon as possible (I get burned every now and then by a late storm and have to remount them - drag)

I also have a small FWD car (integra), and I have 4 Q rated snows. The handling is not as sharp in dry conditions, but is still fun, and boy can I zip around in the snow - what a hoot! It is like driving a snowmobile. I actually drive down alleys that never get plowed just so I can plow through the deepest drifts.

hpulley4

It is still pretty warm here so I'm not sure when we'll need snow tires this year.

I am waiting to see what packages my dealer puts together to compare to what I can get myself elsewhere. My MINI has runflat tires and no spare so I'm going to see how much the runflat winter tires will be before deciding on that or regular winter tires and a can of fix-a-flat (already have a compressor back there).

Thanks for the advice though. A friend had Arctic Alpins last year and said they handled alright and were quite good in the snow.

dudleyr

The Consumer Reports just came out, and the Dunlop snow tire was rated best on snow and ice. Two other tires were above it that handled better on dry roads.

If you are interested in snow tires, you should look at the article.

kominsky

Anyone have experience with Semperit winter tires? I have a coworker who has the Sport Grips on his A4 and considers them excellent. He is, however, the only person I've talked to who has any experience with them. Any opinions/experiences would be welcome. This is for a BMW 330Ci and I'm in S.E. PA where we don't get a whole lot of snow (more ice and slush), but I live in farm country where snow removal doesn't always happen very rapidly. Thanks!

cowboy019

I'm doing some resesarch on my winter tire options, and am interested in buying a more "performance" type tire for my Prelude this winter. However, I can't really afford to give up too much in the way of snow/ice traction, as I'm in an area that gets hit pretty hard by winter.

So I'm wondering if the Pilot Alpin would be a good compromise relative to the Arctic Alpin. Does anyone have any experience with these? I know that the Arctic Alpin is very popular in these parts and performs admirably. I am more interested in any experiences people have had with the Pilot.

thanks

dudleyr

Look at the November Consumer reports. The high performance Dunlop is better in the snow than the Artic Alpin and better in dry conditions than the Pilot Alpin. Nokian and others are also rated well.

anonymous02

http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/

and

http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/diamond.html

testimonials:

http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/testimonials.html

sizes and prices:

http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/sizes.html

TRAIL MASTER A/T

The Trail MAster A/T provides excellent rideability. This tire is a perfect blend of ice biting traction and quiet comfortable performance. For front and rear axle applications.

http://www.greendiamondna.com/products2.HTML#

hpulley4

Anyone heard of the Continental Tire ContiWinterContract TS790 tire? There don't seem to be many web pages for them and many are in german and other european languages. The official web page is www.conti-online.com/generator/www/us/en/continental/automobile/themes/pc_tyres/winter/ts_790/benefit_en.html but I'm looking for reviews and testimonials.

cowboy019

Is that the Dunlop SP Winter Sport? I just checked their website, and it doesn't look like it comes in the size I'm looking for. How did the Alpin compare to the Pilot in the CR test? How about the Toyo Observe (I've heard conflicting things about this tire as well).

hpulley4

Try tirerack for sizes. My car uses a 195/55R16 for 16s and the Dunlop SP WinterSport M3s come in that size even though you can't even find the M3 model on the DunlopTire website! Tirerack does list the size and my local dealer has one sitting in the parts department showroom so I know it actually exists.

protege_fan

Use Nokian NRW's? I looked on the net and they seem to be pretty good. They are "all-weather" and meet the standards for Severe Winter Weather Driving (Mountain Snowflake symbol).

I just piked up a set and they seem quieter than my stock tires (Potenza P195/55R15)! So far, I'm really happy with them.

Anybody have winter weather driving experience w/ the NRW's?

hpulley4

I haven't used NRWs but I emailed Nokian about tires for my area and they suggested the NRWs only if I'm not going to change to a winter tire. For winter use only they suggest Hakka 1s, their real winter tires. Since I am swapping between summer and winter tires I'll get Hakka 1s if I end up going with Nokians.

protege_fan

We occassionaly get a lot of snow and ice in Calgary, but the roads are mostly dry. That's why I went with the NRW's.

The Hakka Q's were the winters the guys at KalTire recommended if I wanted a full on winter tire.

lovable90

I purchased Nokian NRWs a year ago and I love 'em. We didn't get much snow last year, but what we did get was the heavy mushy stuff (March). NRWs did just fine and they are great on dry roads. Was surprised to find out they didn't do very well in rain on the Consumer Reports testing. I haven't had any problems.

Noelle

widriver2

The new Winter tire review came out this month. Top rated Q-rated tires were the Kumho I'zen Stud $50 and the Michellin Artic Alpin$85. The Kuhmo tire was called an excellent choice where snow is less severe. Best dry and wet braking among this group. Studdable. T-rated in size tested. The Artic Alpen's was described as an excellent choice where snow is less severe. Excellent cornering.

Other good choices were the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Q $85 which they called a very good all-around tire and BFGoodrich Winter Slalom $60 A very good all-around tire, though slightly less capable than the Nokian in winter driving. Studdable.

For H-rated, they liked the Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-2 ($132)--with Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 ($126) and Pirelli Winter 210 Snow Sport ($155) very close behind.

anonymous02

http://www.snowtire.info/

and

http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/faq/stires.html

pluto5

Tirerack has good pricing on these top rated tires and you can get them mounted cheap at wally mart or costco so there's no good excuse to slide around on your worn all-seasons...........

dudleyr

Remember that the Kuhmo and the Michlin Artic Alpin were only rated good in winter conditions the third rated Dunlop DS-1 was rated excellent in winter conditions, which to me is the point of a snow tire. The Michlin and Kuhmo were better at dry performance, and that is why they were rated higher overall. If you live where it snows a lot (or like in my case the snow sticks around once it falls) you may want to go with the Dunlops.

anonymous02

Go with the Green Diamonds tires, just get one with an aggressive tread.

Looks like the best bang for the buck!

widriver2

Hi,

I just ordered a set of 4 Arctic Alpins for my wife's Dodge Stratus from the Tire rack. Great deal only $66 per tire. However, I surprised how much local dealers want to charge to mount balance and new stems. I'm sure they are unhappy about losing business to internet companies. Many are around $60 dollars although I may have found a couple of service stations for under $40. If I purchase a wheel and tire package they still want to charge $25.

Hope the Alpins work well. I've never had winter tires before. Its cold more than it snows here and plowing is good in Wisconsin, so I'll do alot of driving on dry pavement.

Finally, when did you put your winter tires on? I'm thinking Thanksgiving.

cowboy019

if you purchase a wheel and tire package, you should be able to change the tires in your own driveway in about 45 minutes, max. Nothing to it.

robr2

Here in MA, the going rate is about $15/tire for mount, balance, stem and install.

anonymous02

I usually go from Thanksgiving weekend through mid April. I live in central Taxachusetts (Worcester area).

You could get the green diamond ones, which don't deteriorate in snow/ice capability as they wear. I REALLY want to get these next time around.

If I were you, I'd tell the local place what kind of a deal you can get, and see if they'll match it. You might be surprised. Look at Coopers.

hpulley4

I just got four Dunlop SP WinterSport M3 DSST (runflat) tires for $125 each (tirerack price was $170 each!) on take-off wheels in excellent condition for a good price. No extra charge for installation, balancing or to put them on my car and take off and put my summer wheels&tires in bags in the back seat. Not sure if this is the usual deal or if the used wheels gives them some leeway.

As for when to put them on, it depends. With winter tires that aren't special ice compounds that wear quickly on dry pavement, you can put them on earlier but with special soft compounds (Blizzaks, etc.) you probably want to wait. My summer performance tires weren't doing the best in these wet, near or below freezing mornings so I decided I might as well switch now. If you have all seasons you can probably wait longer but summer tires designed for July drought conditions don't do well around freezing.

artdecho

It's been a crazy year, weather-wise, so who knows what to expect this winter...however, I guess it is inevitable at some point. Anybody planning on putting winter tires on their Aerio?
I've been looking into it and will probably go with Nokians.....they seem to be about the best around and are no more expensive than Arctic Alpins, Blizzaks, etc. My tire dealer recommended the Nokian NRW's (which Nokian actually classifies as an All-Weather-Plus tire rather than a winter tire, although it does meet the severe snow conditions criteria) over the Hakka....1's and Hakka...Q's. Anybody have experience with any of these? I guess this will be the first winter for all of us Aerio owners, as it wasn't available until last spring!

artdecho

for the http://www.snowtire.info/ link. A lot of good info and it answered some of my questions regarding the Nokian NRW's. As winters around here (Toronto) aren't what they used to be, I think the NRW's will be more than adequate, although I'm still not going to leave them on year round. Excellent snow traction, good ice traction and great dry performance as well, according to the review.

anonymous02

For $125 per tire, they should wash and wax my car, change the oil, then take me out to dinner!

"With winter tires that aren't special ice compounds that wear quickly on dry pavement, you can put them on earlier but with special soft compounds (Blizzaks, etc.) you probably want to wait."

With the green diamonds, they don't wear quickly. In fact, as they wear, the gripping surface remains the same. They also provide better grip than the Blizzaks, and are FAR FAR less expensive!

anonymous02

What is this? Or was it supposed to be Alero? I have never heard of it.

anonymous02

Just beware the material there MIGHT be slightly dated. You could send an email to the page's author and ask. I doubt it will steer you wrong, but it might just not have the absolute latest on there.

hpulley4

Too bad Green Diamonds are tough to find. I couldn't seem to find any local retailers and don't want to ship tires from the states -- the possible hassles of returns turned me off that and tirerack as well. For something they make in Canada, among other places, you'd think there would be a Canadian distributor!

Also, I wanted runflat tires. My MINI Cooper doesn't have a spare tire (came with summer runflats) and I don't want to rely on roadside assistance in the case of a puncture.

IMO $125/tire isn't too much for H-rated 195/55R16 runflat snow tires.

protege_fan

Suzuki Aerio

anonymous02

You should email the company.

I bet they could point you in the right direction. Perhaps a local dealer could get them for you. They are a new product, and I bet a good deal could be worked out. (Can you say "trial basis"? I knew you could....meaning between producer/dealer/customer... maybe get a free evaluation set?...)

anonymous02

Never heard of it. Is it a car, van, suv?

hpulley4

I just bought my snows as you may have read above so no Green Diamonds for me.

BTW, have you even used these tires? You seem really hot on them but I don't see ANY reviews around, just stuff on their own website. Not sure I want to be a guinea pig with their retreaded tires anyways.

anonymous02

I guess I missed that you bought some.

No, I haven't tried them yet. I will most likely buy them next time I need snows, however. I have heard good things about Blizzaks, and if these are better, then ... well... that's even better!

I have new (last year) Dunlop snow tires on the jetta, and am considering some for the wrangler. I want to see how the BFG AT's work, first.

I think they seem like a great idea. The reason for no reviews is because they are a new product. I would LOVE to be a guinea pig for these tires.

protege_fan

Aerio=Sedan or 5-door wagon.

artdecho

I posted my original query in the Suzuki Aerio forum and then dumped it in here as well, hoping to get some feedback on the Nokians. Thanks, protegefan, for setting "anon" straight. It's a decent little wagon/5 door hatch, like a protege5 but taller, kind of like a Matrix or Vibe, and is now available with AWD (although ours is FWD. I know hpulley was looking at Aerios awhile back but went with the Mini.....great choice and one I may have made too, but we needed a vehicle with a bit more utility/room, hence the Aerio. Anyway, back to snow tires, guys! I think I'm going with the Nokian NRW's, as we will be driving mostly in the Toronto area with only the occasional trip up north. When I get them and we get some snow, I'll let you all know how they worked out. BTW, hpulley, I think you got a great price on your tires, and run-flat to boot! Let us know how they perform!

perthos

G'day from Perth, Ontario. I'm looking to install snow tires on my Focus ZX3. Any recommendations, reviews, or experiences by Focus owners? I've read the forum and there are lots of good suggestions. I just want to know if there are Focus specific issues I should be aware of i.e. tire sizes, clearance, etc. Thanks, and safe driving.