Crappy Winter Tire Question

[Legacy_GT_Pilot]

I put Hankook W604 winter tires on my Legacy GT last winter. I bought them used and didn't spend much, as a result I didn't expect much in the way of performance. On the highway my car seems to wander a lot, the wind seems to push my car around more, and through turns the tires feel like they're rolling over - the sidewalls feel very weak. The only upside is the traction is great.

 

I'm considering replacing them with a more performance orientated winter tire, and my questions is this - Are there snow tires that offer a similar feel to a high performance A/S or summer tire, with better winter traction? I don't want to spend $600 or $700 on new rubber only to realize that the feel and performance of snow tires are just poor in general and that I wasted my money. I'm really looking for an improvement in handling.

 

Dave

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LOAN PROTECTION INSURANCE ADVICE

[Brady]

Don't know what to tell you definitively.

 

I felt like the Blizzak LM-25 had a very similar sidewall to the RE-92 when on stock wheels. I currently have them on Tarmac I's (7.5" wide) and they feel much better. You could also try increasing tire pressure by 5-10% and see how that works for you.

[Vimy101]

I put Hankook W604 winter tires on my Legacy GT last winter. I bought them used and didn't spend much, as a result I didn't expect much in the way of performance. On the highway my car seems to wander a lot, the wind seems to push my car around more, and through turns the tires feel like they're rolling over - the sidewalls feel very weak. The only upside is the traction is great.

 

I'm considering replacing them with a more performance orientated winter tire, and my questions is this - Are there snow tires that offer a similar feel to a high performance A/S or summer tire, with better winter traction? I don't want to spend $600 or $700 on new rubber only to realize that the feel and performance of snow tires are just poor in general and that I wasted my money. I'm really looking for an improvement in handling.

 

Dave

 

Welcome to the world of true snows. They're for snow.

 

Contiextreme A/S. It's the closest you'll get to high performance A/S tires and still have excellent snow performance. They're quite reasonably priced as well.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ContiExtremeContact

 

A casual glance of the Tire Rack survey is misleading. Look at the miles reviewed. 15 times more represented than the 960s. The 960s are fine tires but according to Consumer Reports the Conti blew all other tested A/S (including the 960) away in the snow. Also, they aren't loud at all. Furthermore, they really are amazing all seasons for snow and can handle high speed dry conditions very well.

 

Make sure you pump 'em up good! I'm going 40f/38 215/50-17 and they're great.

[TRS]

The design of snow tires is biased toward snow and ice traction, while winter tires are biased toward cold temperature performance. There is a large overlap between the two extremes of max deep snow and/or ice performance and max cold dry performance. It's all a compromise but it seems that for you exceptional snow traction is secondary.

 

I'd look for a winter tire that has good dry and wet performance characteristics but also has also still earned the "suitable for severe snow conditions" symbol:

 

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/images/symbol1.gif

[rs6er]

My son has v-rated Dunlop 3D snows on his 280 WHP WRX. Lives in CO. Loves them.

[Brady]

To address Vimy and TRS:

 

Don't think the 960 isn't as good a tire as the Continental due to fewer number of miles reviewed. The 960 is a new tire as of last year, so logic would follow that it has few miles covered so far. Both the Continental ExtremeContact and the Bridgestone 960 A/S are excellent all season tires with good snow handling capabilities. As for Consumer Reports, most of us on this board have given up on their reviews long ago. I would never make a purchase based on the findings of Consumer Reports.

 

And with respect to getting an all season tire which has also been rated for severe winter conditions ... to my knowledge, only the Nokian WR has pulled that off.

 

To go back to the OP's original question of trying to find a dedicated winter tire with the feel of an UHP A/S or Summer tire, it's just not going to happen.

 

Winter tires are made of still softer compound rubber to avoid hardening in the winter. They would become mushy under summer temperatures. They also just aren't going to be as rigid. The best compromise is going to be finding an All Season tire that maybe better suits your needs in Ontario.

 

How much snow do you get in a season there?

[Vimy101]

^ One should take into account of sources of information. It is precisely because the 960 is a new tire that the TR survey results are skewed. There are far fewer long term/high mileage reviews which is, IMHO, where the rubber really meets the road. The CR test stated that the Conti performed as well as the dedicated snow tire they used as a control. The CR testing may not be the be all and end all but it's a lot better comparison test than anything we as indivduals could hope to perform.

 

We get a pretty decent amount of snow and cold here in Chicagoland. We also do a lot of freeway driving.

[Legacy_GT_Pilot]

I'm not looking for winter traction with summer performance and feel. My current winters replaced my RE92's and they felt horrible in comparison - a big step backwards. My question is more whether this is normal, or do I just have very crappy winter tires. If other have switched to winters with a similar or better feel than the RE92's, then I will look for new tires.

 

On another note, I will try the increased tire pressure and see if that helps at all.

 

Dave

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Lightbulb Vaporizer Reviews

[Brady]

I went from RE92's straight to Blizzak LM-25's.

 

I thought they felt about the same with regard to sidewall rigidity. I'm very happy with the Blizzaks, but your results may vary.

 

And Vimy - so because a tire is new, you're going to say that it's not as good as an older tire? The tire rack survey results may be somewhat skewed, but that does not mean they are invalid. Once you get to a certain sampling size, it doesn't much matter beyond that. You're going to see a similar pattern ... many more reviews from people who just bought the tire, and the occasional review from someone who is updating their review, and then the occasional review from someone who is on a new tire and gave their long term result.

 

If the samples are similar in composition, then sample size becomes relatively insignificant.

 

And no ... Chicagoland doesn't get much snow ... the great lakes snow belts and the mountains get a lot of snow!

[FocuS]

I've been happy with my Conti ExtremeContacts.... We had them on our '02 Leg GT Sedan as well as our new '05 Wagon. They had great traction during our snow/ice last year in the SEA area and only lost traction when I really got on it but what tire doesn't???

 

Plus, they're cheap and pretty easy to get.

 

My .02...

[Vimy101]

I'm not looking for winter traction with summer performance and feel. My current winters replaced my RE92's and they felt horrible in comparison - a big step backwards. My question is more whether this is normal, or do I just have very crappy winter tires. If other have switched to winters with a similar or better feel than the RE92's, then I will look for new tires.

 

On another note, I will try the increased tire pressure and see if that helps at all.

 

Dave

 

Snow tires are for snow.They have a soft compound and big lugs that squirm on dry pavement. They are also often not appropriately speed rated and can have softer side walls.

 

I don't think there could be such a thing as a snow tire that would perform as well as a decent A/S (and the 92s are decent but just a bit overwhelmed by the LGT) in normal dry conditions.

[chenc544]

I don't think there could be such a thing as a snow tire that would perform as well as a decent A/S (and the 92s are decent but just a bit overwhelmed by the LGT) in normal dry conditions.

 

IMHO, Nokian WR is better than RE92 in the dry and it carries the severe winter traction rating.

[Vimy101]

^ That may very well be true but the WR is an A/S and not a true snow despite the traction rating. Nokian does make true snow tires with the soft cold weather compounds and big lugs, etc.

[boostsr20]

I've got Hankook W404's and they act exactly as you described but i've also owned Dunlops and Blizzaks and they are similar. SO I'm guessing your experience is normal. They definately feel les stabile at higher speeds but they are intended for snow and ice traction. The softer sidewall allows the tread to compress and grip better.

[Aczwild]

I've heard good things about the Hankook Icebear W300's, which is why I ordered a set mounted from discounttiredirect.com this morning. I'll let you know how they feel when I get them in

[mwiener2]

Dunlop Wintersport M3

 

I've run an autocross on them (don't ask why) and they did fairly well. I had better times than some noobs with $$$$$$ track tires.

 

I work at a ski area and I spent more time on snow than pavement last winter. The M3's never let me down.

[spicytuna]

The Hankook Icebear W300's are supposed to be high performance snow tires. Some people have stated that they're actually better than the RE92's on dry pavement... which doesn't say much.

 

I've got my Icebears from Discount Tire and they're already mounted on my stock rims. Just waiting for the white stuff to accumulate.

[Vimy101]

^ They may be better on dry pavment but they'll probably only last 5k miles.