Are winter tires "worth it"?

My Blizzaks on my Camry have been awesome, too bad that I'll have to skip this upcoming ski season due to ACL recovery. Either way, Blizzaks in this PNW rainy weather have been great with lack of hydroplaning. Even around the pass, Blizzaks didn't fail me.

I run 3 sets of wheels, 15 Inch Michelin Defender 1 for Long Road Trips, 17 Inch Michelin Defender 2 for Performance/Daily Commuter, 15 Inch Blizzaks for Winters.

The annoying part is WSDOT/WSP chain enforcement, since AWD w/All-Seasons don't need chains but FWD w/Winter Tires need chains when the sign says "Tire Chains Required". FWD w/Winters would have better traction than AWD w/All-Seasons
 
If you get a real winter/see snow of course. Otherwise here's some Michelin PSAS4s in the rare snow we had a few years back with slow-motion launch control hahaha

 
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
 
Badgerstate said:
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
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IMG_0806.webp
 
Badgerstate said:
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
Click to expand...

This is a joke right?
 
Badgerstate said:
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
Click to expand...
Siri, describe to me a typical accident on I70 going downhill during a snowstorm.
 
Badgerstate said:
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
Click to expand...
I think you are greatly mistaken in case of ice.

Depth of snow - that depends a lot on snow consistency. But you are correct there is no replacement for ground clearance.

Krzyś

PS Truck with winter tires (please note that all terrain with 3MPSF does not count on ice) is even better.
 
mightymousetech said:
This is a joke right?
Click to expand...
If I could have only dry fluffy snow and flat praries I could pull it off, too. Conditions are different the world over. My Maine winters are a bunch of melt & refreeze cycles so I suppose I'm looking forward to that ice certification rating they're talking about.
 
Badgerstate said:
IMO, no. I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and IMO if you need snow tires, you should probably just get a truck. I drove my Camry until the front bumper would start to push snow and never had an issue, all with all season tires.
Snow tires wont do a thing on ice and anything deeper than 6" you probably need a truck anyways, so snow tires are pointless then too.
Click to expand...
Never heard of studded tires? Made just for ice
 
Do studs still hold their own for ice? I thought the newer studless snows were starting to hold their own. And that studs on otherwise bare pavement was a "big loss" in traction. Everything is a compromise and all.

I've avoided studs all these years, as much as I fear ice, it doesn't happen that often around here, and I can usually avoid driving in it. And when it's really bad, I suspect chains are where it is at (think sheets of ice)--or really just staying home.
 
supton said:
Do studs still hold their own for ice? I thought the newer studless snows were starting to hold their own. And that studs on otherwise bare pavement was a "big loss" in traction. Everything is a compromise and all.

I've avoided studs all these years, as much as I fear ice, it doesn't happen that often around here, and I can usually avoid driving in it. And when it's really bad, I suspect chains are where it is at (think sheets of ice)--or really just staying home.
Click to expand...

Dedicated winters or specialist snow tyres are a big loss on dry pavement too.

It all depends on the conditions and topography you're foinf to facz, but in doubt fo with the more winter dedicated option.
 
Jetronic said:
Dedicated winters or specialist snow tyres are a big loss on dry pavement too.

It all depends on the xonditions and topography you're foinf to facz, but in doubt fo with the more winter dedicated option.
Click to expand...
Not too worried, one can only drive a Toyota just so hard. :)

But hard enough to launch into the woods on a snowy day for sure.
 
supton said:
Do studs still hold their own for ice? I thought the newer studless snows were starting to hold their own. And that studs on otherwise bare pavement was a "big loss" in traction. Everything is a compromise and all.

I've avoided studs all these years, as much as I fear ice, it doesn't happen that often around here, and I can usually avoid driving in it. And when it's really bad, I suspect chains are where it is at (think sheets of ice)--or really just staying home.
Click to expand...

I have a set of studded Hakka 10’s. Glare ice is like driving on bare pavement. Can’t even remotely compare them to a stud less winter tire. Some of us don’t have the luxury of just staying home when our vehicle can’t handle the weather.

Look up Nokian “eco studs” that retract into the tire slightly when driving on pavement. They are still quite good on dry roads. They are loud as hell though.
 
mightymousetech said:
Probably drove their truck into the ditch at the first hint of ice/snow. 😂
Click to expand...
Most people who come to ski here fly into Denver airport and rent a 6,000lbs full-size SUVs with dynamics like an 18-wheeler and all-season or all-terrain tires. Then they get a crash course in momentum and gravity once they have to go from some 11,900ft altitude to 8,000 in a few miles, and quickly realize moving forward is actually not a priority.
 
edyvw said:
Most people who come to ski here fly into Denver airport and rent a 6,000lbs full-size SUVs with dynamics like an 18-wheeler and all-season or all-terrain tires. Then they get a crash course in momentum and gravity once they have to go from some 11,900ft altitude to 8,000 in a few miles, and quickly realize moving forward is actually not a priority.
Click to expand...

Yup, AWD just puts you further into the ditch.
 
mightymousetech said:
Yup, AWD just puts you further into the ditch.
Click to expand...
Indeed. I always kinda liked to drive my truck in RWD until I absolutely needed it. I could always test the road conditions by goosing it a bit--and reminding myself just how bad it was. Lose that connection with all the nannies today--well, right until you go past what the tires can handle.
 
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