Winter Tire Rave thread.

[Falken]

I have been using Yokohama IG-20 (Ice Guard) 185/65r/15 on my Honda Fit during some really [censored] weather we have had in extreme Montreal over the past few days.

For once, I look out the window and see snow blowing sideways after we had pouring rain last night (which is now most likely a sheet of snow covered ice all over the city) and have the confidence to jump in the car and get groceries today.

These tires are quiet on dry pavement, and still allow 5L/100 km fuel economy on the highway.

They are great in deeper snow AND on ice, this is a combo tire that is great on both.

The tread blocks do collapse under heavy acceleration and tread wear seems brisk as the only complaints. So you do feel tire squirm on dry roads. Snowy slushy or icy it doesn't affect the tires road handling only on dry roads and concrete.

Yokohama IG-20, buy and use with confidence if you don't do high performance driving or have a heavy foot on the gas on dry roads. Coming out of a corner on the gas will cause the shoulder blocks to collapse causing under-steer where you have to take the foot off the gas and ease off the steering slightly to get the tires back under you. It does feel kind of odd... Drive cautiously like you should and you never experience this though.

Edit: Post Winter tires you love and tell us why and how the handling is on various road conditions!

PS forgot to mention I have no Traction Control or TPMS on my car.

 

[xxch4osxx]

The g/f uses Goodyear Ultra grip Ice tires on her GrandPrix and they work well for her.

 

[bigjl]

In the recent heavy rain I did notice that the GoodYear Ultra Grip 8 tyres on the Volvo are very good when hitting large puddles at the side of the road, almost no pull.

Impressed with that.

 

[JC1]

I have bridgestone blizzaks on my Sienna and pirelli snow tires on my wife's civic. Snow tires rule in the bad winter weather.

 

[Falken]

My next set of Winter tires will probably be Blizzaks, just to test out various options and to maybe even find a tire I like more.

Mounted a few new sets and they look awesome.

How is the tire wear and tread squirm under accel? Anything you don't like about them?

 

[JimPghPA]

2001 Impala with Bridgestone Blizzaks WS-70 beginning second winter of use. Took a small trip yesterday in the rain, and the car is glued to the road.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: Falken
My next set of Winter tires will probably be Blizzaks, just to test out various options and to maybe even find a tire I like more.

Mounted a few new sets and they look awesome.

How is the tire wear and tread squirm under accel? Anything you don't like about them?


I had to do one fairly fast stop yesterday and you could feel the tires squirm quite a bit.

I had put 35 to 36 in all 4 when installed 2 days ago, and had adjusted them cold to 31 front, and 30 back yesterday morning before moving the car. All 4 still read 35 or 36 at the beginning of adjusting down, so no leaks. But right after I did the fast stop with the squirm, the dash light came on displaying low tire. I stopped for gas and did a quick visual of the tires and they all look fine, so I reset the monitor (not a TPMS vehicle).

 

[Pablo]

My main gripe with snow tires (and I've used 5-6 brands over the years) is the rapid loss in performance with just a little wear. GREAT when new, but after that, not really all that great. Sure - better than all seasons. If someone makes a tire that stays grippy for 4 years, let me know. The best I had were some old school studded re-treads (I kid you not!)

But I'm jaded - give me a RWD with sticky tires and some weight over the wheels OVER FWD any day. FWD is OK down hill, but uphill - when you need mass force forward, gone....yeah that's the beauty of 4WD.

 

[Astro14]

Hakkapelliittas all the way! Gone through several Vermont winters on them with a RWD car, no ABS, no TC...and you REALLY feel the difference over all season tires....

 

[kschachn]

Yeah, I have Gislaved Nordfrost 5s on my BMW, and other winter tires on the two Toyotas. Once you have winter tires you become a "winter tire evangelist", it has gotten so bad I think my friends and family are tired of hearing me tell them how they are missing out.

It's like buying unpasteurized orange juice from a grove in Florida vs. frozen Minute Maid. Not even the same stuff.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Hakkapelliittas all the way! Gone through several Vermont winters on them with a RWD car, no ABS, no TC...and you REALLY feel the difference over all season tires....


When I get snows again, I WILL 'invest' in these!!

It's just a matter of which ones, the WRG2s (better wearing/performing {can even get them in a V speed rating in my size!!} in our mostly COLD/DRY conditions), or the Rs (superior in the rare around here horrid stuff, but handle and wear like carp most of the time, like most Q, or R rated winters).

 

[Falken]

I only know that if you have a lot of cold and dry conditions and want long wearing Winter tire, Michelin X-ice tires are good.

I had a set of the first generation installed when I lived in Calgary and had to get into work at a small engineering firm and they were decent for those conditions.

In deeper snow they were horrible. On sheer ice they were horrible. But on dry, cold roads they were very long-lasting and felt like an all-season tire, no squirm whatsoever.

Anyone find Michelin X-I3's to be any good (the latest X-Ice version)?

 

[kschachn]

Overall from your description those don't sound like very good winter tires, just sayin. Horrible in deeper snow? That should be the place where winter tires shine.

I don't like the normal squirm from my winters but hey, that's the price you pay for being able to miss out on an accident on that one snowy day...


Originally Posted By: Falken
I only know that if you have a lot of cold and dry conditions and want long wearing Winter tire, Michelin X-ice tires are good.

I had a set of the first generation installed when I lived in Calgary and had to get into work at a small engineering firm and they were decent for those conditions.

In deeper snow they were horrible. On sheer ice they were horrible. But on dry, cold roads they were very long-lasting and felt like an all-season tire, no squirm whatsoever.

Anyone find Michelin X-I3's to be any good (the latest X-Ice version)?

 

[Rand]

The xice xi2's are fine in deeper snow.. they will get you through anything that wont rip the bumper off.


the xice xi3's are even better.

basically they dont put giant voids in the tread area which reduces the "deep snow" traction ie snow over 6-8" deep.
they are still "good" in deep snow but there are better choices for a high ground clearance vehicle.

on your average passenger car you wont be stuck before you are ripping plastic parts off your car.

would i put them on a 4x4 with 14+" of ground clearance... no


the ws-70s have alot of squirm compared to all season but about average for winter tires.

The xice xi2's feel almost like normal soft all-season passenger tires.

 

[weebl]

When I first got them, and for the second winter as well, I loved my General Arctic Altimax (non-studded). Thought they were the best I've used so far. I used to rave about them.

Initially going into this winter, I thought the same. But this winter has been a little more extreme than previous. Several heavy snowfalls not common around here occurred. The snow is not an issue I am noticing with these. What's happened, is the snow becomes compact, and with freeze/thaw from traffic, have formed into ice the plows can't even scrape off in some areas. Add to the stopping/starting and spinning wheels at intersections, and the ice there is very wet and slippery.

I find now that these tires spin a lot in the ice, and ABS is kicking in way more on icy surfaces than they used to. Tread depth is still a healthy 9/32" and sipes are still good, and tires wearing evenly.

It's at the point where my wife is nagging saying these tires are cr#p. I wouldn't go that far, but I am wondering too, suspecting these can't be the norm for a set of winter tires that are good on ice. She even preferred the previous set, which were Canadian Tire's Nordic IceTrac (made by Michelin based on a Kleber tire they sold in Europe). Those aren't available anymore, since Canadian Tire switched to Goodyear for winter tires.

I am thinking of going studded for the next set. Suggestions?

 

[krzyss]

Studable tires like General Arctic Altimax rely on studs for ice traction.
You need studed variety of the same tire or studless (like Bridgestone Blizzak WS series or Michelin X-Ice) to conquer the ice.

Per Russian tests that I saw studless tires are better for cold ice (-15C and below) and "warm" ice is handled better by studded.

No clue which ice you experience more often or want to protect from more.

Krzys

 

[lyle]

Winter tires are getting TOO specialized now. You've got studless ice tires which are better than non-studded snows on ice but not as good in slush or deep snow, and studdable snows which are great in slush and snow but not as good as studless on ice, and now performance snow tires (???) which are not as good on ice and snow as the specialized tire, but will let you run 130mph+ (in the USA? huh?).

To me, where you live and how the locals clear the roads are most important in your selection of sub-species of winter tire. In 36 years of driving with winter tires, slush and deep snow mobility is paramount to ice traction, because of where I live. It's more apt to snow than rain and freeze here. The locals are really good at removing the snow and spreading salt, so what you usually get is slush before it all gets plowed away. Any snow that gets packed down is removed pretty quickly, so ice traction isn't the principle concern, where I live.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My studded winterforce tires seem to do a good job. Drove in the snow without snow tires for the first time on Saturday ... not a fun task!

I had WS-60 Blizzaks on the Taurus. Cheapest snow tires I could get for the Focus was the Winterforce.

Only complaint on the Winterforce is they won't balance.

 

[weebl]

The ice I'm concerned about is usually of the "cold" variety. Maybe I will try something like the X-Ice xi3 for the next set. Or Yoko Ice Guards.

 

[Falken]

Hit a patch of "wet" ice this afternoon on the right hand side of the car headed towards and intersection to make a right turn.

The ABS banged away at my foot but kept the car going straight. Must have been some ice under the left hand wheels as well as I kept on going.

Cars were on the left of me and I slid down my lane through a green arrow light and made my right turn and didn't hit anyone.

Could have gone worse but I think wet ice with the IG-20's is a weak point.

I was driving a little squirriely and slightly on the fast side, and I think if I drove with the full prudence I should have it would have been a bit better.

Will remember to be a bit more prudent on the roads, I chide myself...