Consumer Reports: 2012 Winter Tire test results

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CR has provided us, with the first time I can remember, a clue about the numerical difference between excellent and poor.

"Perhaps the best way to explain stopping distance is the difference in range between best and worst. On dry pavement the range is 116 feet to 175 feet. On wet pavement the range is 123 feet to 185 feet. In general the Performance all season tires stop the shortest (best) and the Winter tires the longest (worst)."

http://forums.consumerreports.org/n/pfx/...lk&tid=3688
 
I look at CR's test results, and pick the categories most important to me. Often, their #1 All Season tire is poor in snow/ice.

Perfect example posted above: the Hankook looks like the clear winner to me. How can a tire that's rated worst (Poor) in 2 categories, and Fair in 2 others, be rated #1? Because CR picks their ratings based on a few categories they think are important.
 
In a little preview of TireRack's 2012 winter testing, one of their reps had this to say:

"The tires in the test were
Blizzak WS70
Extreme Winter Contact
Ultra-Grip ICE
X-Ice XI3

while both Continental and Michelin offerings are getting closer to the ice traction of the Bridgestone WS70 they still haven't caught up. The Michelin is closer than the Conti and the Goodyear is solidly in fourth among the tires tested. ......"

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1608459&page=109

Is this in agreement with the test from Consumer Reports? Someone already posted here that CR gave the Xi3 a score of excellent for ice braking. What score did they give the WS70 for ice braking?

Incidentally, in the 2011 NAF test, the older Xi2 out braked the WS70 on ice by 16 feet
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when braking from a speed of 31 mph.
 
Quote:
The Firestone Winterforce are good winter tires, I have a studded set for my Focus and it's great in the snow!
Good, not great. Any winter tire is far better in the snow than the best so-called All-Season tire.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Any winter tire is far better in the snow than the best so-called All-Season tire.

My all-season Nokian WR was better in the snow than my winter Michelin Pilot Alpin.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Any winter tire is far better in the snow than the best so-called All-Season tire.

My all-season Nokian WR was better in the snow than my winter Michelin Pilot Alpin.


the michelin pilot alpin wasnt a snow tire.

it was a wannabe performance tire abortion that failed at everything.

also isnt that nokian an all-season winter tire?
 
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Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
The Firestone Winterforce are good winter tires, I have a studded set for my Focus and it's great in the snow!
Good, not great. Any winter tire is far better in the snow than the best so-called All-Season tire.


I won't drive one of my vehicles unless it has dedicated snows in the winter. My FWD focus with studded snow tires is much better in the snow (deep, heavy, hard packed, ice) than my 4wd Jeep with all terrain tires.

I think the grip of the firestones was great ... I'm sure there's better out there, but at $70 a tire ...
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
the michelin pilot alpin wasnt a snow tire.

it was a wannabe performance tire abortion that failed at everything.

According to Michelin, it was a winter tire.

Quote:

also isnt that nokian an all-season winter tire?

It was marketed as a four-season tire. I'm not aware of a tire category called "all-season winter", but it is true that WR was more geared toward winter traction.
 
What is interesting about the tires involved is that some like the General Altimax Artic haven't changed design in a few years, yet still come in competitively in the performance arena and excel in affordability. Makes me happy I went with them a couple of years ago that they still have what it takes even amongst the latest and greatest.
 
We have five company cars and two pov's. we put snows on most of them. The ones we don't we use Nokian WRG2 year-round, an all-season with the Mountain/Snowflake (severe snow) rating. We've used Nokians, Michelins and Blizzaks.

CR seems to do most of their winter tire testing at low speed in a hockey rink. They also, by their own admission, use other criteria for their rankings than shown int the tables - which is why, for example, the X Ice3 is ranked higher than the X Ice2 even though the X Ice 2 was better in several of the tests shown.

The Nokian Hakka R has a thicker tread than the Michelins. They tend to last at least a season longer than the Michelins on our fleet cars. This makes them both more effective than the Michelins and less costly to own.mYou won't learn this from CR

The X Ice is a good choice if you drive a lot on dry roads or don't have a Nokian dealer in the area.

The General Altimax Arctic is a good choice if you mostly drive on snow-covered roads or are willing to sacrifice dry and wet road handling and braking in return for low cost.

We've had OK success with Bizzaks but had the older model. Like the Altimax they had good snow and ice grip at the expense of noise and dry and wet road performance.. I believe the WS70 has better dry and wet road performance but we haven't bought any lately.

If "All Season" tires could pass the Severe Snow performance tests, they would. They can't. The guys at the Team O'Neil winter driving school refer to them as "no seasons" or "no reasons." If you live in the snowbelt, the Nokian WRG2 or WRG3 are vastly superior in snow than any all-season and can be used year-round.

We made the mistake of pitting some Michelin Pilot A/S on our Mazda minivan. After the first snow my wife boycotted. Take CR snow and ice ratings for AS tires with a grain of salt.
 
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