Do you use Winter Tires?

[lonehoosier]

If I'm wrong, why do tires of different types even exist?

Why don't F1 cars, tractor pullers, Baja racers, rally drivers, and soccer moms all run the same tires? Are all tread patterns, sidewall designs, and rubber compounds just marketing gimmicks?

You must drive on some interesting roads. What country are you from?

 

[rvb]

good guns are easier to shoot well than others.
good tires/4wd/awd is easier to drive well in snow than others.
a good shooter/driver can make anything look good, but will still say that the better equipment is easier to do well with.

I haven't used my 4wd yet this winter. haven't needed it (which is somewhat a testament to how good my tires are). Times I have used my 4wd that I can think of, I had no struggles at all where I cannot imagine a FWD sedan going anywhere (eg the time I was about the only one to show up to work through 14" of unplowed snow, or where plows had blocked off cross-streets and I was able to get through/over knee-deep piles).

I also now have to shovel the end of the driveway where the snow plow blocks us in... used to just drive over it a few times to knock it down enough, but the wife traded her 4wd in for a FWD minivan. It just can't do what her 4wd could.

If a person is running performance tires, not intended for the winter, they'll probably see remarkable gains with a winter tire (like going from a highpoint straight to a competition 1911).
If a person is running a good all-season or the right AT tire, they'll probably see minimal gains from a winter tire (like going from a good 1911 to a competition 1911).

Me, with good AT tires AND 4WD, no.... winter tires would be a waste. Don't think the improvement is worth it for my wife's minivan, because if it's that bad, I'll take her. If our equipment was different or our winters were longer/colder/snowier then it might be worth it.

then again, some people really believe their highpoint is "just as good" as anything out there....

-rvb

 

[BugI02]

I run Conti Extreme Contact DWSs on a Subaru year round. I live in Central OH so not much winter. I grew up on the fringe of the high peaks in the Adirondacks, so I have a good foundation in slick driving (first car was a 68 mustang 302 4yanker- even studded snows couldn't help that much) Have never gotten stuck unless and until the snow depth begins to drag on the underside of the car

The key in WX this cold is to realize your entire drive to/from is an opportunity for a cold tire mistake, even if the pavement is bare

 

[ghuns]

I run Conti Extreme Contact DWSs on a Subaru year round.

I ran a set of those on my A4 one winter when they were brand new. Best all seasons I've had. By the next winter the "s" was gone and I went back to my snow tires.

 

[nascarfantoo]

I have "snow tires" on my truck this year only because I hunting in CO via some trails. They work great.

 

[K_W]

I hit the wrong option... yes we do.

My wife asked for a set of Blizzaks for Christmas last year and I put a set on my car this year. They are much better that even premium "all-season" tires. However, there is not a lot of times they are truly needed here in the city. We have them because they are cheaper than a deductible, higher rates, and a newer car.

There is a new type of tire gaining popularity in Europe and Canada called "All-Weather" tires. https://blog.caranddriver.com/all-weather-tires-explained-merging-all-seasons-and-winter-tires/

All-season tires are a compromise, but these compromise less on snow and cold performance. They carry the "three peak mountain snowflake" rating like winter tires do but are made of a harder compound capable of surviving "mild summers" (Indiana=mild vs Arizona=severe). The only one I have found in the States is the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. My mother just bought a set for her Subaru and really likes them

I run Conti Extreme Contact DWSs on a Subaru year round. I live in Central OH so not much winter.

I had the DWS 06's on the Corolla since mid-summer '16 up to part of this winter. AWESOME tires that will get you through some decent snow but do not compare in anyway to real winter tires. The DWS06's gripped well for taking off and cornering in snow, and ran well in freezing rain and slush, but failed miserably when braking on packed snow.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

No, just not worth the bother to swap them out no more than I drive a personal car in winter conditions.

I also don't drive the Camaro when it's under 40 degrees because the high performance tires are like billiard balls at cold temps. Different tires definitely handle differently. It's not that you can't drive with less than ideal tires, it's just you can't drive as well.

Now, when I lived in the sticks and had several steep hills to get up and had to drive regardless of weather conditions, I was more concerned with a 4x4 with tread designed for winter conditions.

 

[BugI02]

I ran a set of those on my A4 one winter when they were brand new. Best all seasons I've had. By the next winter the "s" was gone and I went back to my snow tires.

Yep. Grip vs Tire Life is an inverse relationship

One of my many flaws (ask my wife) is I drive 9/10ths or 10/10ths all the time, even when I don't have to. I tend towards grip over life span and go 3 season because I want excellent wet grip 'cause we have a lot of rain and our drivers are at least as clueless and inattentive as anywhere else

 

[jkaetz]

If you say so

Physics says so.

 

[injb]

Yes, I just put a set of Blizzaks on my M3, and they're amazing. I had little choice though - the summer tires I had on it were useless in the snow so if I was going to have to buy new tires for the winter anyway, they might as well be proper winter tires. I'm glad I did it though - it's pretty much as good as my old A6 Quattro was with all seasons, and that's saying something. Now that I've tried both, I think I'd rather have a FWD or RWD with good winter tires than an AWD with all seasons. Far better stability and braking, at the expense of feeling a little bit less crisp at the best of times. But in this weather I'm happy just to be able to get around safely. Tires just matter more than AWD!

 

[Bennettjh]

I keep BFG Rugged Terrain's on my Jeep year round. They do great in the snow.

 

[EyeCarry]

Studded snow tires on the back of my 2 wheel drive pickup get around in the snow so much better. I would use the shop's free rotation to take care of putting them on and then off in the spring.

 

[Jeepster48439]

Fifteen years living in Michigan and never had winter tires. Five years living in Indy. NO winter tires. I've owned RWD, FWD, 4WD. Owned sedans, mini-vans and SUVs. Ran the same tires year round on all my vehicles. Never had an issue with traction or control. Never considered buying winter tires.

 

[ghuns]

There is a new type of tire gaining popularity in Europe and Canada called "All-Weather" tires. https://blog.caranddriver.com/all-weather-tires-explained-merging-all-seasons-and-winter-tires/

All-season tires are a compromise, but these compromise less on snow and cold performance. They carry the "three peak mountain snowflake" rating like winter tires do but are made of a harder compound capable of surviving "mild summers" (Indiana=mild vs Arizona=severe). The only one I have found in the States is the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. My mother just bought a set for her Subaru and really likes them...

Nokian makes some. They are a little harder to find, but worth the search. I have used their Hakkapeliitta snow tires and they were the best snow tires I've ever had. I have been thinking about these for my A4 when my current Michelin X-ice tires are shot...

I run these Nokians on my '98 Chevy 2500 4x4...

I primarily use the truck for hauling firewood. During our last warm up, I was cutting up a tree for a neighbor on the side of her barn bank. I was slipping and sliding all over that hill in my Muck boots. When it was time to load up, I backed my truck up the side of the barn bank in 6 inches of rapidly melting snow, in 2wd. I couldn't believe it did it.

 

[rimfireOH]

No, but this winter may change my mind.

 

[dung]

I just run DWS06's on my Mustang Nov-March or so. After that the summer tires go on. They seem to do pretty stinking good in the light snows that we get. I ran Michelin AS3's a couple years back on a Mazdaspeed 3 and they were horrible in the snow. They are made for it and rated quite highly, but didn't do all that great for me.

I need to buy some new rear tires already for spring.....I am not a fan of staggered rwd wheel/tires.

 

[K_W]

I just run DWS06's on my Mustang Nov-March or so. After that the summer tires go on. They seem to do pretty stinking good in the light snows that we get. I ran Michelin AS3's a couple years back on a Mazdaspeed 3 and they were horrible in the snow. They are made for it and rated quite highly, but didn't do all that great for me.

I need to buy some new rear tires already for spring.....I am not a fan of staggered rwd wheel/tires.

DWS06 are great tires but, with barely any latitudinal siping, they fall flat on hard packed snow and ice. They depend on compaction of snow between the treads to get grip on the snow on the surface.

 

[historian]

My tires are 13 years old (one is 10). So...that's a no from me.

 

[russc2542]

Are they necessary where I live in IN? definitely not. Do good ones make a difference? absolutely.

I wouldn't get them myself for southern IN but my in-laws manage to buy a crapload of tires (and wheels... and cars) long before necessary that seem to always end up in my garage.

This Christmas, circumstances happened that I drove my mom's Prius with good (but highway-biased) all-seasons and compare to my wife's Prius that looks like it's wearing monster truck tires and holy crap what a difference it makes. Our car drives with all the confidence and assurance of good weather while my mom's moved OK but you had to be careful or the gerbils were more than capable of spinning the tires.

In the past, I've outrun and out-handled awd/4wd w/ all-seasons in a rwd w/ snow tires.

Drivetrain doesn't matter much when braking which is when traction can be quite important. All (modern, functional) cars brake with all 4 tires.

Couple things I've noticed:
-The difference between good snow tires and cheap ones is as big as the difference between AS and winter tires.
-There are different kinds of winter tires, some are better at deep snow, some are better at flat ice, some are just softer compound and suck if there's anything on the pavement.
-Much like guns, skill is a major factor but equipment is a limiting factor.

You don't take highway tires to the track, you don't use race slicks in the rain, you don't take a side-by-side to a 3-gun, or a pocket pistol to a KD. Well, there's always someone but they don't usually win. All-seasons in the snow are like a .22 for defense: it may get you by but less than ideal.

 

[Tactically Fat]

My tires are 13 years old (one is 10). So...that's a no from me.

You should invest in some new rubber.

Tires at that age are definitely not up to the tasks of what they were originally designed for. UV light, heat, and ozone have been working on deteriorating that rubber since they came out of the molds. It's time. If not for YOU, then for your fellow travelers.