Are winter tires "worth it"?

[Ws6]

I have just been using good all weather and all season tires (CC2's, PSAS4's, etc) in the past. They have worked amazingly well. I have been able to climb my 27% incline drive covered in snow, and even navigated rural mountainous roads during ice storms. That said, I have had vehicles with amazing AWD systems, my EV6 GT, my Acura RDX, etc. This is the first winter I will be driving a FWD vehicle. I have Firestone all weather tires on it now, but am contemplating Blizzack WS90's for the winter. Everyone always says "AWD with an all weather < Snow tires" but I dunno how you compete with an AWD system like my GT has when you put CC2's on it or something. Am I going to make it up my 27% incline in this FWD car with WS90's like my GT does on CC2's? Or is this going to be a case of "I knew better and wasted money being an idiot buying snow tires for a FWD"?

*FWD vehicle is my Mother's. It is a 2005 Buick LeSabre Limited, and appears to have some sort of locking diff up front, it spins both tires on gravel, etc.

 

[methusaleh]

Depends on many factors. To begin with:

How are the roads treated where you live? Can you get the basics (groceries, etc) without leaving well-treated roads?

Are you required to be at work or at medical appointments no matter what the weather?

How good are the all season tires you have in terms of tread depth, traction and temperature ratings, and M+S rating? Granted, as far as I know mud plus snow is a rating created by the manufacturer in good faith. It is not the same as the NHTSA “mountain and snowflake” legal designation.

For what it’s worth, I’m a full-time cop and call firefighter in the mountains of Vermont. I can attest to the “mountain and snowflake” rating to be the mark of a vastly-superior tire for winter conditions. Speaking from my personal driving choices, those of my agency, and those of the hundreds of vehicles I’ve seen slide off the road.

 

[eljefino]

There are spots where it only snows or ices a couple of times a year so there are shades of grey.

What I like about my snow tires is the difference between static and sliding friction. If my car starts breaking loose, going sideways, I can recover on snow tires. On all seasons, I start spinning then have no control. Anyone can say "I'm a good driver" and hope that standard skid recovery techniques will get them out of a jam.

But if you're driving in the snow, going 30 MPH, and it's going well you're going to start creeping towards 35, until you get a scare, and recover. That's just human nature. Winter tires help with that scare.

 

[Shel_B]

*FWD vehicle is my Mother's. It is a 2006 Buick LeSabre Limited, and appears to have some sort of locking diff up front, it spins both tires on gravel, etc.

2005 was the last year for the LeSabre. It was replaced with the Lucerne.

 

[Ws6]

2005 was the last year for the LeSabre. It was replaced with the Lucerne.

You're right. Corrected.

 

[Ws6]

Depends on many factors. To begin with:

How are the roads treated where you live? Can you get the basics (groceries, etc) without leaving well-treated roads?

Are you required to be at work or at medical appointments no matter what the weather?

How good are the all season tires you have in terms of tread depth, traction and temperature ratings, and M+S rating? Granted, as far as I know mud plus snow is a rating created by the manufacturer in good faith. It is not the same as the NHTSA “mountain and snowflake” legal designation.

For what it’s worth, I’m a full-time cop and call firefighter in the mountains of Vermont. I can attest to the “mountain and snowflake” rating to be the mark of a vastly-superior tire for winter conditions. Speaking from my personal driving choices, those of my agency, and those of the hundreds of vehicles I’ve seen slide off the road.

I limit snow and ice use to 6/32 or greater.

I only buy 3 peak rated tires.

My vehicles need to get me where I need to go regardless of weather. So far my GT on all weathers has done so.

 

[Ws6]

There are spots where it only snows or ices a couple of times a year so there are shades of grey.

What I like about my snow tires is the difference between static and sliding friction. If my car starts breaking loose, going sideways, I can recover on snow tires. On all seasons, I start spinning then have no control. Anyone can say "I'm a good driver" and hope that standard skid recovery techniques will get them out of a jam.

But if you're driving in the snow, going 30 MPH, and it's going well you're going to start creeping towards 35, until you get a scare, and recover. That's just human nature. Winter tires help with that scare.

I can steer my GT on glare ice going up hill, reverse bank, with precision. So slick if I stop the car would slide right off the road. Why? Technology. This Buick is...very limited here. I question if a basic fwd vehicle on snows can compare with my GT on all weathers.

 

[John105]

20 years ago for Phila., I would say no question it's the right thing and necessary. But isn't it strange to put 4 snows on the car, and to have no snow at all, for consecutive years? Now, how is it justified anymore? Grinding expensive tires into the pavement, while having poor cornering and wet and dry performance? Superior performance in snow and ice, which there isn't any of

Net net if there is snow, yes. But it would seem many places that normally got snow growing up, do not, any longer.

Even 20 years ago, people with full summer tires, car owners would put A/S on in the winter, due to a lack of snow. And we snow tire advocates would say that's just wrong. But in 2024, is it?

 

[97prizm]

I have just been using good all weather and all season tires (CC2's, PSAS4's, etc) in the past. They have worked amazingly well. I have been able to climb my 27% incline drive covered in snow, and even navigated rural mountainous roads during ice storms. That said, I have had vehicles with amazing AWD systems, my EV6 GT, my Acura RDX, etc. This is the first winter I will be driving a FWD vehicle. I have Firestone all weather tires on it now, but am contemplating Blizzack WS90's for the winter. Everyone always says "AWD with an all weather < Snow tires" but I dunno how you compete with an AWD system like my GT has when you put CC2's on it or something. Am I going to make it up my 27% incline in this FWD car with WS90's like my GT does on CC2's? Or is this going to be a case of "I knew better and wasted money being an idiot buying snow tires for a FWD"?

*FWD vehicle is my Mother's. It is a 2005 Buick LeSabre Limited, and appears to have some sort of locking diff up front, it spins both tires on gravel, etc.

Depends on how much you drive or if your job is a have to" ie rescue, medical etc. If I get a new job 45 minutes away I'm definitely going that route. Where do you live that has a 27% grade driveway, as that is incredibly steep? If it's only fwd with a snowy driveway then snows with studs seem like even better insurance.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Absolutely worth it, but get a spare set of wheels. I have gone through hell and back in snow storms with just snow tires on the front of two different Honda Accords, year after year, since 2004. I would take a new PAIR of snow tires on a FWD car over a AWD or 4WD drive vehicle with new all seasons. The stopping power alone is worth it.

I once worked second shift at a hospital through a blizzard when I was in college. This storm dropped 30" of snow overall. On my way out of Philadelphia, I went through a closed section of I-95 around this big bus crash blocking the whole highway. I plowed through on the shoulder and traveled about 20 miles down an unplowed section of semi-highway. 10-12" deep, all on a fresh set of Hankook i-pikes. Just me and the road. I made my way all over, hours of driving. Picked up my girlfriend who had no power, and then continued on as the snow piled up. My last 5 miles of driving, on that 65-mile drive, I had snow coming up onto my hood in the areas where it drifted from the farm fields. At one point I came up on a pine tree limb that fell onto the snow drift in the road. The snow was high enough that the tree limb went up my hood and over the car when I hit it, WOT, because no way I was stopping. I consider it to be one of the riskiest, most fun, and impressive drives that I've ever done. The whole engine bay was packed with snow. My transmission was HOT. My dad got his camera out and took pictures of the car in the driveway because it had so much ice and snow stuck on it, there was no wheel well space, the headlights had little circles where the ice melted. The next day my brother couldn't get out of the driveway in his new 09 Dodge Dually.

I will say that I have never owned a pair of ice-focused tires that I liked. I had a set of Yokohama iceguards, huge disappointment. On my old CTS-V I had a set a Michelin x-ice that I rocked around New Hampshire for work one winter. It got me around, but I was disappointed.

My other wow experience was a brand-new set of Cooper AT/3s on my Yukon XL in deep snow. With the locking front and rear diffs, it was capable but clunky.

I always pull my ABS relay or fuse in snow btw.

 

[camrydriver111]

If your roads and plowed and salted, all-weather will be better-suited since you get better dry and wet grip.

If they are untreated and you have snow and ice obviously winter will be better.

 

[PWMDMD]

It depended. On my FWD vehicles with touring tires? Snow tires are absolutely a game-changer! On my 4WD Tundra with Cooper Discoverer AT3s? I haven't had any issues with snow with these tires.

 

[Pew]

A good AWD system with really good all seasons (like the conti dws > fwd with bad winter tires.

That said, in your case I'd opt for snow tires.

 

[JoelB]

I am a snow tire convert. I've driven many winters in my life without them, for most of us they aren't a necessity. But they do give a level of control you wont get out of any other tire. You can still slide and skid but its so much more predictable.

I have WS90's on my wife's car and we've been very happy with them. Fairly loud in the dry when it's warmer than like 45 degrees but I can live with that for the snow grip.

 

[brandon9715]

Snow tires are superior, but I do not believe they are worth the cost in most cases. I live in Michigan. We can get a fair amount of snow and ice some winters. Back when I drove a Ford Fusion (FWD obviously) I had no lack of grip with 3 peak rated all weather tires. Snow tires would have been even better yet, but not worth the cost and hassle imo.

 

[BobsArmory]

Definitely region specific. In Michigan if I lived near the coast of Lake Michigan in areas that get a lot of lake effect snow like Grand Rapids, Ludington, Traverse City or Charlevoix I would think about getting a set. Central Michigan where I am, not so much since lake effect snow often peeters out before it reaches me . Plus I can wait a few hours in the morning till after the plows start cleanup then do what I need to do.

 

[Geekhead]

I have just been using good all weather and all season tires (CC2's, PSAS4's, etc) in the past. They have worked amazingly well. I have been able to climb my 27% incline drive covered in snow, and even navigated rural mountainous roads during ice storms. That said, I have had vehicles with amazing AWD systems, my EV6 GT, my Acura RDX, etc. This is the first winter I will be driving a FWD vehicle. I have Firestone all weather tires on it now, but am contemplating Blizzack WS90's for the winter. Everyone always says "AWD with an all weather < Snow tires" but I dunno how you compete with an AWD system like my GT has when you put CC2's on it or something. Am I going to make it up my 27% incline in this FWD car with WS90's like my GT does on CC2's? Or is this going to be a case of "I knew better and wasted money being an idiot buying snow tires for a FWD"?

*FWD vehicle is my Mother's. It is a 2005 Buick LeSabre Limited, and appears to have some sort of locking diff up front, it spins both tires on gravel, etc.

I trick I have used is if traction is nor good enough to go up normally go up backwards and put all car weight on your drive tires. Did this on a ski trip in Vermont to get up a hill that we could not get up. I have rarely had winter tires and the CC2 for my Kia a re great in deep and also mushy snow.

 

[skyactiv]

I’ve had to use a few sick days at work not being able to leave home. This pic is when I lived in a residential neighborhood during a Feb 2014 snowstorm. It’s worse where I live now on a country road https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/p1000218-webp.82214/

 

[Patman]

All weather tires have been a game changer for me! I have been using them on a few of my cars for about ten years now. They are probably 90% as good as a dedicated winter tire, but considerably better than all seasons.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

For me , yes.