Winter Tire Suggestions? The time is coming

"Kailand09" (kailand09) 09/17/2019 at 22:15 • Filed to: None

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As I start prepping the car for winter in the coming month or two, I noticed my winter tires are on their last legs.

I drive a 2014 focus ST, and use 215-50 R17 tires for my winter set. The current winter tires are the original set I bought with steelies in 2014, and were cheap Champiro Ice Pro tires. They’ve actually performed really well and lasted 4 winters, however now that I’ve got the car paid off I’m going to opt for a more decent brand.

I’m in the north Midwest, and run summer tires in the warm months, so prefer to go for winter specific tires in the winter (duh?). I’m not looking for all-seasons.

I’m looking for decent winter performance but a tire that also won’t wear super quickly, especially since most of the time it is on dry pavement and mostly temperature that is the issue.

I have heard Blizzaks (a more expensive option) wear relatively quickly, and for the price just don’t see the value.

Does anyone have experience with other brands? Cooper, Hankook, etc.? General altimax get good reviews too, but I’m not sure how these all wear.

facw > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:22

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As functionoverfashion noted today Tire Rack seems to have the Blizzak WS80s on sale for a pretty steep discount: Smoking (deal on) Tires   (not sure if that’s all sizes, but my size was down to $90/tire + the $80 rebate).

I assume this is because Blizzak now has the WS90s, but everyone always says good things about Blizzaks, and they’ve worked well in snow and ice for me when I’ve driven my parents’ car in snow (though I’ll admit I preferred the old PA Alpin 2s I had for my S40).

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:22

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Those Finnish brand winter tires are apparently decent.

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:29

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Michelin X-Ices are good tires. Used them on the Madza 3 for 4 seasons now. Will probably have to replace after the upcoming 5th.

I also have some Hankook i-pikes(I think they’re call that ?) on my BRZ , and I’m not sure how I feel about them. Not sure if it’s the car or the tire, but I certainly have to drive more conservatively than my Mazda.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:29

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Nitto Terra Grapplers. I'm sure you could find some in your size. 

MM54 > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:30

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I had good luck with Firestone Winterforce, but I believe they’ve redesigned them since I bought a set so I’m not sure how the newer ones are.

If they’re in your siz e, I hear Hakkas are excellent, though I’ve not used them.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:31

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Blizzaks work really well, but do wear fast when it’s warm. They’re also pretty loud. One upside is that they’re cheaper than other high quality options and they’re available all over...

Nokian probably makes the best winter tires , but they’re   pricier and harder to find .

Kailand09 > facw 09/17/2019 at 22:32

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that’s a pretty smokin deal, thanks for the heads up!

Kailand09 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 09/17/2019 at 22:34

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Yeah wear is my concern. As much as they may be really good, I want something that lasts as long as the $90 chinese tire I’ve already used.

Kailand09 > MM54 09/17/2019 at 22:35

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Totally forgot about firestone. Nice idea!

DasWauto > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] 09/17/2019 at 22:44

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+1 on the Michelin X-Ices. I had a set on my Golf and the ones on my WRX have done 3 winters now and they probably have 2 or more left in them. I’m tempted to try Nokians at some point but we’ll have to see if I change vehicles before winter rolls around. 

bob and john > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:45

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I’ve had X-ice and Altimax on my IS 250.

not bad tires either one of them. X-ice held up a bit better on the pavement. but in the snow...oh my lord, those general tires are god dam near unstoppable. 

Agrajag > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:49

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I was really happy with the Nokian Hakkapeliitas (not bothering to look up the correct spelling)I had.

dogisbadob > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 22:53

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For 215 /50-17

Continental TS850P, Pirelli Sottozero, Kumho WP72

Actually, even the Nokian WRG4 might work for you

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:03

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I have nordman 5s. they the slight budget Nokian tires 90% of the hakka performance for 75% of the price. I’ve had them on for 4 winters, including one year where I ran them till june. And I’m goin g to try another winter on them as i still have 60% left . like all winter tires they are a bit loud

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:06

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Blizzaks ftw! If you have space to store some steelies, it may be cheaper in the longer run to have 2 sets of tires. I have 195 section Blizzaks mounted on steelies.

Steelies are OEM Mini rims which I paid $160. They were brand new, so its fairly cheap.

MarquetteLa > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:12

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I’ve had really good experiences with the Dunlop Wintermaxx tires. Not ~quite~ as good traction as the Blizzaks, but I had no trouble with wear. Phenomenal on wet asphalt. I had them on my 323 GTX and I have them on my Mazdaspeed 6 winter wheels now.

smobgirl > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:26

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I’ve run Blizzaks and the Pirelli snow tires on my Fiat. I was absolutely unstoppable with Blizzaks; comparatively, the Pirellis are total shit. Never tried anything else. 

The_Answer_is_Heep > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:30

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I recommend the Michelin x-icr xi3. Had them on the old fiesta and could drive circles a round everyone in the snow up until it h it the bumper (about 6 inches). Did well in dry, wet, snow, ice but not temps over 75. That only has 120 hp.

Have win terforce on the current fiesta and I wouldn’t recommend them. They are mushy, thin (bent two 15 wheels with a 60 series sidewall) not good in the rain and ok in snow.

Had Dunlop graspics ds3 on the 540 and those were pretty good. Went from supper sport a/s 3 for summer tires so wet and dry dropped but was still good.

Had Dunlop winter sports 3d on a Avalon and they were ok in the snow. They would wheel spin (about 260hp) on command but we’re good in the dry and wet.

Had x-ice latitudes xi2 on a wrangler and a grand Cherokee and those were ok. The wrangler would spin the rear wheels but the Grand was point and shoot (I miss that car).

The michelins kep their performce through their wear range vs the blizzard which run out at half tr ead.

shop-teacher > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:42

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I had a set of Blizzaks on my truck (2wd, in Chicagoland). They were fantastic, and lasted 6 winters. We’re they as good in winter 6 as winters 1-4? Nope, but they were still pretty good. Last year I cheaper out and bought a set of General Grabber Arctics . They’re good too, but not as good as the Blizzaks. The compound is a lot harder, and doesn’t stick on ice nearly as well as the Blizzaks. I like the Generals enough that I’ll keep them until they wear out, but then I’m going back to the Blizzaks.

The Snowman > Kailand09 09/17/2019 at 23:55

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I have had Firestone, Uniroyal and Generals in the last few years, because all my rigs have two sets of wheels. My choice is the General altimax. Best bang for the buck. Wear was good here in SLC where the roads are generally clear but temps are cold. These were on the wife's Cooper S and it was a beast in the snow with them.

sn4cktimes > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 09/18/2019 at 00:13

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Wife has Nordmans on her Juke. She has the dual season version and they’re still pretty good. I have studded Nokian Hakkas on my 88’ Eagle. Car has at least twice the grip as the Juke even with not having any ABS or Trac-Control. I had non-studded Hakkas on my front wheel Veloster Turbo. Grip was about the same as the Juke that has AWD, but stopped better but with less control. 

PowderHound > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 02:02

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I had WS80's which were good but wear really quick, especially if you don’t switch them out soon. Currently have x-ice and have run them year round for reasons and they are fantastic. The siping, I think that's what its called, are deeper so they last quite a bit longer. Really happy with them on my Subaru 

I own dead car brands only > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 05:46

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I loved the Champiros, they were absolutely excellent and lasted so long! I was on my fourth season when Cleveland the Saab got totaled. I would absolutely buy Champiros again. 

Kailand09 > DasWauto 09/18/2019 at 06:42

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Good to hear the Michelin last. I'll look into those as well. Thanks!

Kailand09 > I own dead car brands only 09/18/2019 at 07:00

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This is an interesting point. I was satisfied with them, they were low cost, maybe I should just stick with them. Hmmmm

PlaysWellWithNOthers > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 08:25

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If you mostly drive on dry roads in the winter and you’re looking for a tire that lasts longer, I suggest performance winter tires. They trade so me of the snow and ice performance of a straight up snow tire for better dry and wet road handling and longevity.

I’ve used Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3Ds on multiple vehicles and was always happy with them. I have Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60s on my winter wheels that came with my Audi and they were working very well last winter . They likely will have to be replaced this winter and I’m considering Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4s.

For reference, I live in West Michigan, where we do get a l ot of lake effect snow, but roads are usually plowed and salted swiftly.

NotaMethLab > DasWauto 09/18/2019 at 08:26

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I run nokian wrg4 on my grand prix and they do well. I barely got any snow time on then last year. But have no doubt they will perform well.

ateamfan42 > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] 09/18/2019 at 08:58

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+ another vote for the X-Ice. Heading into the 5th winter with the set on the Miata.

I own dead car brands only > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 09:51

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You should. I’ll probably pick up a set for my TourX. I drove four seasons with them with mileage each winter in the 10-15,000 miles range so over four winters, I drove 40-50,000 miles on them and they STILL looked fine.

I remember, I had them on my 2011 Saab 9-5 FWD, I parked on an unplowed incline. Gave it some gas, and it just freaking moved like nothing was wrong.

functionoverfashion > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 10:13

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Blizzaks are on sale right now and they have a rebate offer ($80) too. My car is a 16" wheel but I’m getting them for under $90/ea - I think they’re ~$120 for some common 17" sizes. The WS-80 I’ve heard good things about, so I’m going to try them.

I put Michelin x-ice tires on my wife’s Mini last year and they were great. She does ~100 miles a day mostly on the highway, and she didn’t mind them for that, plus she could, you know, get out of our driveway even in a few inches of unplowed snow.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] 09/18/2019 at 10:35

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I’m still not sure whats going on with the X-ices. My local survey in central and northern Vermont has the universal result of “they suck bad, except for on dry roads and in terms of tread life”. I had a set on my FieSTa and hated them. Their tread pattern was so biased toward traction in the forward direction that stopping was harrowing and I had trouble backing out of parking spaces after a moderate snow. They also hydroplaned easily and had crappy traction in the wet in general. I replaced them after two winters even though there was still a lot of tread life left. I got Toyo Observe Garit KXs, which were pretty good. I then got a second set of the Toyos when the first wore out. The guys who sold me the Toyos said they always thought the Michelins were crap too. I agreed, but mostly chalked it up to tire salesman talk dissing a brand they didn’t sell, and thought maybe the size i got performed badly for some reason. Then a friend of mine with a 2013 Golf GTi got a set. She lives in a steep hill a couldn’t get home half the time. She swore up and down about how much they sucked and replaced them with a set of General Altimax Arctics after the first winter. That same winter another friend got a set for his 2010 Saab 9-3 turbo xwd. He lives in the city and also hated them, had the same complaints I did, he also ran them for two winters and then replaced them with a set of Hankook I*-pikes, which he said were “much better”. So thats four sources, including my personal experience, that say the damn things blow chuncks in real winter driving, but they keep getting great reviews from other people... The reviews on Tire Rack are mostly “omg bbq these are the bestest evar!” but with a few “wtf? So bad, awful in the wet, terrible braking, garbage!” do they have awful quality control? Are there certain sizes that just perform badly? What’s the deal? Personally I’d never own a set again, and i know my two friends wouldnt either. We have a set of Toyo Observe GS5(?) on the F150 that we like quite well, and i just took advantage of the TireRack closeout on WS80s for the Kona (we ran the brand-new GoodYear Eagle all seasons last winter, since we bought it in late December... ) this will be the first time I've had Blizzaks. Always ran either Generals, Nokians, or Dunlops in the winter before (years ago, all discontinued tire models now) 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 10:44

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Blizzaks are like for someone who lives in the UP in Michigan or like me in Northwest Montana where there is snow on the ground for 6 months out of the year. There are some “intermediate” dedicated snow tires that might be better suited to a higher performance car that I would look at as well.

Kailand09 > PlaysWellWithNOthers 09/18/2019 at 10:47

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This is an interesting point thanks. That might give me the longevity I'm looking for.

Dr.Jeckyl > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 10:54

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No real advice here but I’m shopping winter tires and wheels right now and coming up short. Wish I could find some steelies that fit my ‘17 GTI with the bigger brakes. All I can find are expensive and ugly aluminum rims. I’ve been checking Facebook marketplace and Craigslist and no luck yet.

Wacko > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 11:09

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I heard good things about the General Altimax.

I have Yokohama IceG ua rds on my pathfinder and ordered a set for my Forester yesterday. I had them on my pathfinder for 4 years and they look almost like new still. Yokohama has Blue earth v905 that fit on your focus.

KnowsAboutCars > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 11:29

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Nokian Hakkapeliittas are good but not the cheapest option.

vicali > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 11:31

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I’ve run through a set of Michelin X- Ice2 on the Subaru - awesome winter grip and lasted 10 seasons. Just replaced them last year with Blizzaks and they have also been amazing so far . On the Tacoma I’ve run Blizzak VM1 for 5 year s and they are fantastic.

We are in Canada and don’t hesitate to take either vehicle on any road during the winter months.. I have peace of mind that first our rigs will make it, and second if I need to do evasive maneuvers to avoid other drivers with all seasons I’m not going to lose control.

Kailand09 > Dr.Jeckyl 09/18/2019 at 11:32

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That’sa bummer, there’s readily available steelies for me but on stock brakes.

Don't forget, going a thinner section width is actually better in snow if you can fit the brakes.

TysMagic > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 12:04

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I didn’t need them, it was just a really good deal, but I had Pirelli Snowcontrol 3's on the Abarth’s extra set of wheels. They’re a performance winter/snow tire. Overkill for Nashville, but again great price ( wheels/tires installed was sub $500) . I’m pretty sure I profited when I sold them after a couple years of winter use. They saved me for a couple of the snow storms they went through and were generally nice riding overall .

i86hotdogs > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 12:16

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I’ve read nothing but good reviews on Nokian Tires. They offer studless and studded. If you shop around, certain Nokians are always on sale. I almost bought a set for my van for rallycross , but came across an even cheaper deal for winter tires.

https://simpletire.com/catalog?width=215&ratio=50&rim=17&zip=44017&maincategory=AUTOMOBILE&brand=69&query=catalog&sort=price&order=asc&category=3

Abam > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] 09/18/2019 at 14:41

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100% agree. Have these on a 2008 Outback XT and a 2017 Alltrack (both manuals, both driven aggressively) . Great tires.

Abam > Dr.Jeckyl 09/18/2019 at 14:43

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I got used OEM 17" golf alloys. Not too bad

tromoly > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 15:01

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You shouldn’t have any real wear issues with Blizzaks, a family member forgot them on their car until well into July one year and they still look and perform great.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 19:13

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I loved my Wintersport 3D s. Great tire.

Boxer_4 > facw 09/18/2019 at 20:10

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I run WS80s currently; no complaints here!

Boxer_4 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 09/18/2019 at 20:18

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I will admit that in most cases my WS8os are completely overkill where I’m at in PA... however... they were very nice to have the one weekend in January when I was in Erie. They do really well on snow packed roads. I only started to get into trouble in 10+ " of fresh snow... on top of grass/mud...

waffle911 > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 20:40

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Technician/Service Writer at a regional service and tire chain. Winter tires are universally made with a soft, fast-wearing rubber compound that stays pliable and maintains traction in below-freezing temperatures better than any all-season tire could. Depending on driving habits, you may see 1-3 usable seasons out of a set. Put them on in October before the holiday winter tire rush, get them off when things start to warm up by April .

Michelin X-Ice 3 is the only winter tire I’m aware of with a treadwear warranty – 40k miles from new to 2/32" tread depth . F or driving in winter conditions, I cannot recommend using any tires worn to less than 5/32" tread depth. I put them on my dad’s run-of-the-mill Focus SE. They perform similar to the Blizzak WS80 with a bit less refinement, but they’re also usually much more affordable . Recommended for the combination of value, p erformance, and l ongevity . This upcoming season is my dad’s last on this set (I think this will be the fourth season ?) and they will probably have gone almost 30k miles by sp ring. They have definitely lost some of their bite by now, though, as all tires will do as they wear.

Y ears ago I had a customer with the old Blizzak WS70 on a Sienna put on 40k miles before getting to 5/32". T hey were heavy and stiff like run-flats (maybe they were?) , but I haven’t seen any winter tire (WS70 or otherwise) last that long since.

On my Subaru I hunted down a set of Nokian Ha kkapelliita R2's, a studless design for performance cars . Nokian (they’re Fin nish, and yes they’re related to Nokia) makes some of the best performing winter tires in the world (they actually invented the winter tire) , most of them with integrated studs that are far better refined than the studdable winter tires offered by everyone else. It’s hard to find distributors that carry Nokian, though; it’s easier to get them online than in a shop. (They’re mostly manufactured in Russia.) This will be their third season I think, might be their last. I think that will put them at about 15 k. More concerned with performance than longevity, and it’s a Subaru SVX, not a Focus SE.

On a Saab I had previously, I had the old design General   Altimax Arctic. They were fine, still had a lot of usable tread after a couple seasons by the time I lost the car in an accident, but I was also a student living on campus for much of that . Sold the tires mounted on alloys on Craigslist. Altimax Arctic is what I consider to be the standard for a good performing value winter tire. We don’t carry a lot of Generals at our store, though; our most popular non- house brand is the Sumitomo Ice Edge. (Sumitomo also makes tires for other brands like Falken, our house brand Multi-Mile [TBC Tires] , and I’ve also come across a set of Dunlop Graspic winter tires actually designed and manufactured by Sumitomo   to Goodyear’s specification.)

One other brand to watch is Vrede stein, a Dutch brand with tread designs by Italian car design firm Giugiaro . T hey do winter tires and pretty refined winter-capable all-season tires at reasonable prices. I had a WRX STI special order a set of winter tires. I don’t know how they hold up under proper care, though. H e ran them for a full year, through the summer, on lowered suspension with a few degrees extra camber. He also drove how you might expect, so the tires were smoked before the next winter.

Kailand09 > waffle911 09/18/2019 at 22:15

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Now that's a hell of a detailed response. Thanks man, I'll look into some of those options. Never heard of Vredestein, sounds interesting. Giugario??? Haha

for Michigan > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 22:43

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I’ve had Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires on both my Miata and my 1-series and been quite happy with them in both cases. They’re performance winter tires, not snow tires like Blizzaks. They’re geared more toward cold dry pavement and ice than deep snow, but they still got me through a decent snow storm (about 8" of accumulation, much deeper drifts all over , and laughably unprepared street crews ) with no problems. Would certainly recommend .

syaieya > Kailand09 09/18/2019 at 22:55

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I ran hancooks last year without a problem,

The new car though most likely wont accept a 16 inch snow tire. So i too am in the market

Right now its a toss up between those, Michelins, and Nokians. It seems nomatter what I do it’s going to be 700 dollars 

ihm96 > facw 09/19/2019 at 12:08

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I’ve run blizzaks on two cars for basically my whole driving career (7 years) and theyre awesome. Sucks though cause I checked tire rack and I think they discontinued the size I currently use on my clownshoe and I realistically have about one more season on these. They generally wear more due to age than tread, although mine are wearing pretty unevenly due to how much rear camber BMW designed into the Z3 (and no camber adjustments, yay!)

ihm96 > Boxer_4 09/19/2019 at 12:09

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Yeah they may be overkill for PA, but those few days of big snowstorms I get to take my clownshoe out on some abandoned backroads and its just such a peaceful fun time that I wouldnt be able to enjoy otherwise (or Id end up in a curb/tree)

ohioplayer1177 > Kailand09 09/19/2019 at 14:14

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I know you said a pure winter tire but.. Goodyear weather readys have a 60,000 mile treadlife and are the only (all seasons) to have the triple mountain rating. Depending on your location they may fit your winter needs. I have them year around on my wifes Cayenne. They were very costly but they are so good in the snow/ice we get in Ohio and good enough for summer as well since she just drive to work and such. You know how they say all seasons are “ good enough" for most winter driving? I think these are the opposite and are very good at winter and "good enough" for summer driving.  

Dr.Jeckyl > Abam 09/20/2019 at 12:53

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Thanks, I’ll have to broaden my search.