Ok, so what are the best All-Season tires for those of us who drive in snow?

[JF1GG29]

Michelin Primacy MXM4s on a fwd Fusion got me through the mountain passes in a pretty significant blizzard surrounding the I70 corridor in Colorado. They handle predictably in snow and ice, which is really all you can ask of an all-season, IMO.

 

If I had to run these, I would. But separate winter/summer rubber ftw.

Edited October 31, 2017 by JF1GG29

[Falcor]

How are those in the wet? Our Odyssey needs tires badly, but very few places have the right size in stock.

 

The Michelin or the Douglas?

[FLlegacy]

The Michelin or the Douglas?

 

The Douglas.

[Falcor]

The Douglas.

 

 

 

Granted, we only had about 4” of snow all last winter in KC. But the Douglas are actually pretty good. Basically they are spec’d by Walmart and made by one of the big 4-5 tire mfg’s. They told me that as of last year Kelly Tire was making them.

 

 

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[GTEASER]

Never heard of Douglas tires.

[FLlegacy]

Never heard of Douglas tires.

They are exclusively made for Wal-Mart through Goodyear who owns Kelly tires. I had a set ages ago on my Trans Am and they were decent. Just didn't know if that was still the case. Looks like I might be getting wally world tires.

 

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[foxrider28]

Douglas is a great brand. I've used them many times on many different types of vehicles and have had good luck with them for the most part. Just don't expect a manufactures warranty or life expectancy comparable to a name brand but do expect Wal-Mart to cover them if you buy the protection plan.

[FLlegacy]

When I shopped for the tires on my car and our tribeca I obsessed over the tire quality grades and tread ratings. With the holidays coming and bills still from our newest baby, we just need a set of tires to last a couple years. Right now it is near the wear bars on the front set and the wife is doing fine so I figure a decent set of tires together with all the nannies on board the mommy-mobile will do just fine. Still might hit up discount tire and see what they have thats comparable, their service is just too good not to give them a shot too.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[Becks1818]

Nokian is hands down the best all weather tire.

 

Look em' Up!

 

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[TheBeast]

Yeah, I am about 90% sure I will be buying a set of Nokian WGR3s sometime this month, or next month at the latest...

 

Either that or I bite the bullet and buy a set of winter wheels/tires with real snow tires on them. I hate the idea of storing another set of tires. I even more hate the idea of a set of steel wheels, so I may have to splurge on a set of alloys.

[cww516]

Buying a set of winter tires is a really good excuse to buy a set of fancy wheels for your summer setup, just put the winter tires on your stock wheels. Can't pass up an opportunity to enable

 

You could also hop on Craigslist and look for another set of Subaru wheels- on a 2.5i, you don't have to worry so much about clearing the brakes (anything smaller than a 17" and the barrel of the wheel hits the front calipers on a GT or a 3.6R), so pretty much any OEM Subaru wheel will fit. There's a thread over on NASIOC with sizes, offsets, and weights for pretty much every OEM Subaru wheel out there, in case you want to find something that's a close match to your wheels, but I don't think there's anything in a 5x100 bolt pattern on that list that won't fit. 2nd-gen Outback and 3rd-gen Legacy wheels are pretty common around here, and since you live somewhere that gets snow, that's probably the case in your area, too.

[NateSubzLGT]

My snow setup is Method Rally MR501 wrapped in Continental Pure Contacts. The tires are all season but so far are really nice in the snow. I also run 17's during winter due to how badly the stock 18's picked up ice inside the wheel..

[GTEASER]

My snow setup is Method Rally MR501 wrapped in Continental Pure Contacts. The tires are all season but so far are really nice in the snow. I also run 17's during winter due to how badly the stock 18's picked up ice inside the wheel..

Can you post a pic of these wheels on your car please?

[Guntherxdm]

Continental True or Pure contacts for an all season in my opinion. Usually 2-3 decent snow traction years out of them changing them depending on the amount of driving. A tire is always softer on the outside and gets harder. So i usually buy new tires right before winter to maximize snow life since i don't like swapping sets. If i get another set of tires it will be nokian's on a separate set of rims.

[dave g]

AWD does not help you stop or steer on slippery roads, the situation where you are most likely to crash. Otherwise, with Subaru AWD, A/S tires usually just cause a delay in forward propulsion, as a practical matter. That is just an inconvenience. A delay in stopping or steering is certainly another matter. With proper winter tires, you can actually use boost in snow. And you get fewer surprises when it is icy. But you have valid reasons to compromise.

[YeuEmMaiMai]

AWD does not help you stop or steer on slippery roads, the situation where you are most likely to crash. Otherwise, with Subaru AWD, A/S tires usually just cause a delay in forward propulsion, as a practical matter. That is just an inconvenience. A delay in stopping or steering is certainly another matter. With proper winter tires, you can actually use boost in snow. And you get fewer surprises when it is icy. But you have valid reasons to compromise.

 

your best bet regardless of tires is to no over drive the car in said conditions. Sure All seasons are weaker but most accidents are caused by driver error vs. mechanical issues

[Falcor]

your best bet regardless of tires is to no over drive the car in said conditions. Sure All seasons are weaker but most accidents are caused by driver error vs. mechanical issues

 

It happens every year during the first snow. It seems like 90% of people forget how to drive when it's slick.

[Perscitus]

Finally Michelin woke up are started to offer these in North America:

 

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=CrossClimate%2B

 

Now, hopefully just a question of time until they come in 18s, 19s and more practical non-SUV/CUV and soccer practice mobile specs like in Europe... but hey its a start.

And for those running stock 16/17s on their non-LGTs, this is a great and likely best option on the market today.

 

EU market has these extra CrossClimate+ sizes in 18s... 235/45R18, 245/45R18, 225/40R18, 225/45R18. Thats it.

 

Basically a Summer tire with Winter certification

or a Winter tire capable of dedicated Summer performance when applicable.

A whole new breed of tire, not your typical All-year heavy compromise.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Perscitus

[Unsp0kn]

Expensive, but I'm super impressed with my Toyo GARIT KX tires. We get a lot of snow up here and these tires perform really good in deep snow, slush, wet roads and even ice while being studless. Their Microbit technology (basically crushed up walnut shells) in the rubber give them really good bite when it's slick too. I was swayed because they are a performance snow tire with stiffer sidewalls than some other offerings, which is nice to not have the car feel like a marshmallow on dry roads and trips around the NW.

 

All seasons are a gimmick if you get much weather, they are a jack of all trades and master of none. My Motivos are considered an all season and they BLOW in the snow and ice.

[dsizer89]

i have blizzak ws80s

[Volleyball]

your best bet regardless of tires is to no over drive the car in said conditions. Sure All seasons are weaker but most accidents are caused by driver error vs. mechanical issues

That is only partially true. A driver who knows how to drive in winter conditions can gain some control with awd over 2wd.

I agree best to slow down but sometimes you hit a patch of frozen water unexpectedly.

Steel wheels isn't much of an option for those of us with the bigger brakes as we need 17" to clear the factory setup.

Snow tires are great. I got some for ours but never put them on. They are going to my kids forester. It is only a few miles of city driving to work and if it is bad, she stays home anyways. We put on conti asymetricals and they are like new and worked great last year. Plus we get far less snow where we drive than you would think for my location. Plus I have a Tundra ready for deep snow.

For those that go to work earlier than most. Live in the country and have twisty roads, and many other issues, snow tires are cheaper than most people insurance deduction. Plus the hassle. Far less hassle to drag 4 tires up and down stairs. Even my over 100 lb each truck tires.

[dgoodhue]

your best bet regardless of tires is to no over drive the car in said conditions. Sure All seasons are weaker but most accidents are caused by driver error vs. mechanical issues

 

The problem is that at least in New England, going with the flow of traffic is can often overdriving all season tires.

 

snow tires are cheaper than most people insurance deduction.

 

If you are someone who keeps their cars long term, snow tires can be not that expensive to run. I have been getting 30k miles out of my Nokian snow tires before they reach 6/32nd and I could run them in the non snow months if I wanted to once they are worn past 6/32nd to further extend them. This reduces the miles that you would put on a set of regular tires. For me the additional cost is the upfront cost of a 2nd set of rims, but I have been able to buy used OEM rims for the snow tires and I have recouped most of the cost when I have sold the car. My snow tire probably last longer than my current summers, but that probably isn't true for most tires.

 

BTW Ice tires like Blizzaks with soft tread wear very poorly, it seem like you would be lucky to get 10k miles before hitting the 6/32nd end of snow tire effectiveness.

[ehsnils]

The only proper tires for driving in snow and other winter road conditions is real winter tires, anything else is a problem waiting to happen.

 

The worst risk to encounter when driving with good tires is that someone takes you from behind. But then it's not your fault. Good tires is the difference between coming out cheap and unhurt and a risk of a life in pain both economically and physically.

 

You don't ever want to encounter a zero control situation due to no grip unless you do it on a safety test track.

[Volleyball]

The problem is that at least in New England, going with the flow of traffic is can often overdriving all season tires.

 

 

 

If you are someone who keeps their cars long term, snow tires can be not that expensive to run. I have been getting 30k miles out of my Nokian snow tires before they reach 6/32nd and I could run them in the non snow months if I wanted to once they are worn past 6/32nd to further extend them. This reduces the miles that you would put on a set of regular tires. For me the additional cost is the upfront cost of a 2nd set of rims, but I have been able to buy used OEM rims for the snow tires and I have recouped most of the cost when I have sold the car. My snow tire probably last longer than my current summers, but that probably isn't true for most tires.

 

BTW Ice tires like Blizzaks with soft tread wear very poorly, it seem like you would be lucky to get 10k miles before hitting the 6/32nd end of snow tire effectiveness.

 

I have a 10 bought new so I do keep vehicles a long time. And I did buy snow tires and wheels to swap out. Thing is I don't need them. The original tires were replaced last fall and the original tires were sold in the spring to someone who needed legal tires.

The thing about driving fast is really a I95 New England thing. The further from the coast the issue lessens so a good A/S especially like the ones I bought are more than adequate. There are lots of exceptions.

Blizzaks lose their ice rubber at about 8/32nd so that is when they become A/S tires. If you have new ones I don't recommend them for the fast driving either. They are squirrely on warmer days. I have had a dozen sets over the years, I know.

My unused snow tires and wheels are not going to waste, they will go to my kid because the Forrester still uses the 5X100 bolt pattern. And her factory tires are wearing down. So the original will be good for the spring until winter.

What works for me is partly because I am hundreds of miles away. And my weather is quite different than even 50 miles around me. That is why location for this type of thread is very important. And driving styles.

I said in my last post I am a proponent of snow tires. I have shown dozens the virtues of real snow tires. But not everyone needs them.

[Shutoburner]

I’ve never heard of blizzak becoming A/S at 8/32nd. I know snow tires have deeper tread pattern but that doesn’t seem right.

 

 

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