My new car arrived 3 days before the first major snowstorm here in Metro Vancouver. I had APTs installed and was able to break them in for 100 km before the snowstorm hit on Wed. I had my set inflated 4 psi (37 psi) above placard (Hyundai recommends +3 psi winter tires if the temps are known to be dropping).
The conditions were ripe for mayhem and mayhem it was, especially in a city where 47% of people have yet to install winter tires. It was -1C and 2pm when the snow started. It kept going for the rest of the afternoon and into mid-evening at a rate of 5 cm/hr. Temps fluctuated between 1C and -1C depending on the microclimate. Traffic was gridlocked everywhere with many slipping and sliding and crashing into things. I was with my son and left his gym at 6:30pm. Got within 3 km of my place but all access routes to the top of the hill where I lived were grid-locked. Had dinner at a local mall and then by 9:30 pm decided to drive 15 km west where the traffic wasn’t as bad and spent the night at relatives. Commuters were stuck on highways past midnight. By the time I arrived at my relatives, 15 to 20 cm had fallen depending on where you were. Despite my rant it really shows the chaos that ensues here in the west when the snow does come. But it sets the stage for my actual review.
During the chaos, my set of APTs faced deep puddles, slush, powder snow, deep snow compact snow, and ice, and many hills. Quite the shakedown indeed. But in one word, confidence! I had no problems driving off on a stand-still on either level or uphills, and no problems stopping whatsoever. My car was stable and I was in complete control at all times.
Yes, the APT is considered an all-weather tire. But despite this classification, I’d have to say that they exceeded my expectations for an all-weather, and exceeded the grip and handling on my previous set of General Altimax Arctic, seriously. But I suppose this isn't a big surprise since the General Altimax Arctic is a relatively older tire model and tech has change/improved. It's hard to say how the APT would perform in much colder temps (< -5C). But for the west coast where snowstorms are in the +2C to -4C range, the APT as an all-weather is an ideal solution for cross-over SUVs I feel. Where the General Altimax Arctic falter is when we get the odd pineapple express +14C winter rainstorms originating from Hawaii. Under these circumstances, the Altimax would get really squirrelly and stopping distances worsen (become significantly longer) compared to my UHP set (Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4). I suspect the APT would perform much better than the Altimax during these winter temperature spikes.
This is the winter review. I’ll be back for a summer (limited) off-road review.
The conditions were ripe for mayhem and mayhem it was, especially in a city where 47% of people have yet to install winter tires. It was -1C and 2pm when the snow started. It kept going for the rest of the afternoon and into mid-evening at a rate of 5 cm/hr. Temps fluctuated between 1C and -1C depending on the microclimate. Traffic was gridlocked everywhere with many slipping and sliding and crashing into things. I was with my son and left his gym at 6:30pm. Got within 3 km of my place but all access routes to the top of the hill where I lived were grid-locked. Had dinner at a local mall and then by 9:30 pm decided to drive 15 km west where the traffic wasn’t as bad and spent the night at relatives. Commuters were stuck on highways past midnight. By the time I arrived at my relatives, 15 to 20 cm had fallen depending on where you were. Despite my rant it really shows the chaos that ensues here in the west when the snow does come. But it sets the stage for my actual review.
During the chaos, my set of APTs faced deep puddles, slush, powder snow, deep snow compact snow, and ice, and many hills. Quite the shakedown indeed. But in one word, confidence! I had no problems driving off on a stand-still on either level or uphills, and no problems stopping whatsoever. My car was stable and I was in complete control at all times.
Yes, the APT is considered an all-weather tire. But despite this classification, I’d have to say that they exceeded my expectations for an all-weather, and exceeded the grip and handling on my previous set of General Altimax Arctic, seriously. But I suppose this isn't a big surprise since the General Altimax Arctic is a relatively older tire model and tech has change/improved. It's hard to say how the APT would perform in much colder temps (< -5C). But for the west coast where snowstorms are in the +2C to -4C range, the APT as an all-weather is an ideal solution for cross-over SUVs I feel. Where the General Altimax Arctic falter is when we get the odd pineapple express +14C winter rainstorms originating from Hawaii. Under these circumstances, the Altimax would get really squirrelly and stopping distances worsen (become significantly longer) compared to my UHP set (Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4). I suspect the APT would perform much better than the Altimax during these winter temperature spikes.
This is the winter review. I’ll be back for a summer (limited) off-road review.
