How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP
11-01-2007, 11:36 AM
#1
How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP
ok well im looking to buy some snows for the winter and i went on tire rack and theres a ton of choices and im not sure which ones to get.
Anyone recommend anything im just not sure cause they give you so many options and a reason why.
thanks
Anyone recommend anything im just not sure cause they give you so many options and a reason why.
thanks
11-01-2007, 01:45 PM
#2
Batpool
Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (DeDonDeRosa)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are a lot of excellent winter tires on the market. They tend to break down into two groups:
a) tires that have the very best traction on snow and ice, but have so-so ride and handling on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, Dunlop Graspic DS-2, and Michelin X-Ice. (The Tire Rack calls these tires "studless ice and snow tires".)
b) tires that have good traction on snow and ice and in cold, although not quite as good as the previous group, but they also have very good ride and handling characteristics on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25, Dunlop Winter Sport M3, and the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2. (The Tire Rack calls these tires "performance winter tires".)
The choice between these two categories depends on the climate in your area, how much highway driving you do in the winter, how much you care about ultimate snow/ice grip versus ride comfort, whether you have another vehicle to use in the worst of winter, etc. Oh, and the tires in category (a) are usually significantly less expensive than category (b), which may be important. For example, I want the best snow/ice traction and I don't mind sacrificing some ride comfort and handling for those three months a year (mid-December to mid-March around here, although this year's first big storm hit earlier than usual), and winter weather here in Chicago can be fairly nasty, so I have category (a) tires. But your priorities may be different, and you might be better off getting the category (b) tires.
Oh, and I wouldn't say that the tires all perform the same. In my experience, the Bridgestone Blizzak and the Michelin tend to be a bit better than the Dunlop. But they're also more expensive; whether they're worth the higher price is up to you.
Putting myself in your position, I would probably go for the Dunlop Winter Sport M3. It's the performance winter tire category that probably fits your needs better, and the price ($55.50 after rebate plus shipping, at the Tire Rack) is very attractive (compared with, say, $83 plus shipping for the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 performance winter tire at the Tire Rack).
Just to throw out another choice, if you wanted to go with a studless winter tire, Discount Tire has the Michelin X-Ice in 205/60-15 for $89/tire, with free shipping, and Michelin has a $40 rebate. And the X-Ice is one of the very best studless winter tires around.
Oh, and Discount Tire has two other options in 195/65-15: the Hankook Winter iPike W409 ($60) and the Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 ($69). I don't know anything about either one.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
This.
a) tires that have the very best traction on snow and ice, but have so-so ride and handling on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, Dunlop Graspic DS-2, and Michelin X-Ice. (The Tire Rack calls these tires "studless ice and snow tires".)
b) tires that have good traction on snow and ice and in cold, although not quite as good as the previous group, but they also have very good ride and handling characteristics on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25, Dunlop Winter Sport M3, and the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2. (The Tire Rack calls these tires "performance winter tires".)
The choice between these two categories depends on the climate in your area, how much highway driving you do in the winter, how much you care about ultimate snow/ice grip versus ride comfort, whether you have another vehicle to use in the worst of winter, etc. Oh, and the tires in category (a) are usually significantly less expensive than category (b), which may be important. For example, I want the best snow/ice traction and I don't mind sacrificing some ride comfort and handling for those three months a year (mid-December to mid-March around here, although this year's first big storm hit earlier than usual), and winter weather here in Chicago can be fairly nasty, so I have category (a) tires. But your priorities may be different, and you might be better off getting the category (b) tires.
Oh, and I wouldn't say that the tires all perform the same. In my experience, the Bridgestone Blizzak and the Michelin tend to be a bit better than the Dunlop. But they're also more expensive; whether they're worth the higher price is up to you.
Putting myself in your position, I would probably go for the Dunlop Winter Sport M3. It's the performance winter tire category that probably fits your needs better, and the price ($55.50 after rebate plus shipping, at the Tire Rack) is very attractive (compared with, say, $83 plus shipping for the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 performance winter tire at the Tire Rack).
Just to throw out another choice, if you wanted to go with a studless winter tire, Discount Tire has the Michelin X-Ice in 205/60-15 for $89/tire, with free shipping, and Michelin has a $40 rebate. And the X-Ice is one of the very best studless winter tires around.
Oh, and Discount Tire has two other options in 195/65-15: the Hankook Winter iPike W409 ($60) and the Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 ($69). I don't know anything about either one.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
This.
11-04-2007, 07:18 AM
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Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (SilentEdge)
Good info above, but to add from my experience, the performance winter tires such as an LM-25 didn't show enough gains against a MUCH cheaper allseason for all the hassle/cost. So depending on your climate I would either go a full out studless Blizzak WS-50 and expect the crappy dry pavement handling for those three/four months or don't go for a winter tire and save yourself some money.
11-04-2007, 08:37 AM
#4
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Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (CardDealer)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CardDealer »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would either go a full out studless Blizzak WS-50 and expect the crappy dry pavement handling for those three/four months or don't go for a winter tire and save yourself some money.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Which offers better performance is often dependent on temperature, and not necessarily on whether the pavement is wet or dry. For example, the studless tires are going to grip much better than all-seasons when the temperatures are really, really cold (single digits or below zero F), even when the pavement is dry. OTOH, the studless tires don't do as well as all-seasons when the temperatures are warm (well above freezing). So a big consideration between the two is the climate in your area. If you live in an area where the normal daytime highs in January are well above freezing, or if you need to use these tires all year round, all-seasons may be the best choice for you. If you live in an area where nighttime lows go down to zero F or colder fairly often, the studless tires may be the best choice, because they will handle those frigid temperatures better than all-seasons, even when the roads are dry. The performance winter tires are an in-between option between these other two choices, and if that's what you want and you don't mind paying a bit more for it, it's one more option available to you. No one tire is best in all conditions, and you need to consider how much of the time you face various conditions in order to pick what works best for your climate, your budget, etc.
Which offers better performance is often dependent on temperature, and not necessarily on whether the pavement is wet or dry. For example, the studless tires are going to grip much better than all-seasons when the temperatures are really, really cold (single digits or below zero F), even when the pavement is dry. OTOH, the studless tires don't do as well as all-seasons when the temperatures are warm (well above freezing). So a big consideration between the two is the climate in your area. If you live in an area where the normal daytime highs in January are well above freezing, or if you need to use these tires all year round, all-seasons may be the best choice for you. If you live in an area where nighttime lows go down to zero F or colder fairly often, the studless tires may be the best choice, because they will handle those frigid temperatures better than all-seasons, even when the roads are dry. The performance winter tires are an in-between option between these other two choices, and if that's what you want and you don't mind paying a bit more for it, it's one more option available to you. No one tire is best in all conditions, and you need to consider how much of the time you face various conditions in order to pick what works best for your climate, your budget, etc.
11-14-2007, 06:50 PM
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Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (nsxtasy)
Dont be misled. Freezing or not, WS-50 winter tires have a dull response. They grip to the pavement better when it's frigid, but even then they have noticeable sidewall and tred flex. Just something to consider. Expect good stopping times, but a mushy feel in the steering wheel.
Would stay away from performance winters...go WS-50 or stick to allseason.
Would stay away from performance winters...go WS-50 or stick to allseason.
11-15-2007, 10:54 AM
#6
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Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (cinci27)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cinci27 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't be misled. Freezing or not, WS-50 winter tires have a dull response. They grip to the pavement better when it's frigid, but even then they have noticeable sidewall and tred flex. Just something to consider. Expect good stopping times, but a mushy feel in the steering wheel.</TD></TR></TABLE>
No one gets winter tires because they're looking for handling; they get them because they want better grip in winter conditions. No tires are going to feel very responsive in snow or on ice, or when the temperatures are well below zero. But winter tires - both the "studless" winter tires and the "performance" winter tires - will grip better than all-seasons in those conditions.
As for performance winter tires, it's one more alternative on the market, for those who are looking for better grip in those winter conditions than all-seasons, and for a bit better handling on moderately warm days than the studless winter tires. If that's what someone is looking for, then performance winter tires might be their best bet.
No one gets winter tires because they're looking for handling; they get them because they want better grip in winter conditions. No tires are going to feel very responsive in snow or on ice, or when the temperatures are well below zero. But winter tires - both the "studless" winter tires and the "performance" winter tires - will grip better than all-seasons in those conditions.
As for performance winter tires, it's one more alternative on the market, for those who are looking for better grip in those winter conditions than all-seasons, and for a bit better handling on moderately warm days than the studless winter tires. If that's what someone is looking for, then performance winter tires might be their best bet.
11-15-2007, 02:06 PM
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Re: How to pick which snow tire for the winter???? HELP (cinci27)
I just sold my set of LM-25's because they performed like unresponsive allseasons. Not worth the extra $$ for the imperceivable stopping gains.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2129305
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2129305
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