[BlackArcher101]

Every year this thread eventually comes up with the usual following questions/comments. So I decided to get a head start and put the usual down, with a few answers.

1. All-Season tires are good enough for winters in Calgary.
A common misunderstanding since the majority of days in the winter time don’t have snow accumulations on the road. The problem with this idea is that a common all-season tire has a harder rubber which loses traction in colder temperatures (even below +7C). This can greatly affect tire performance even on dry pavement. For this reason, a softer compound winter tire is still recommended. It's also playing on a huge gamble that it will never snow in Calgary and if it does, you either park your vehicle, risk driving on inferior tires, or somehow find winter tires during december.

2. The car came with all seasons, so they must be good enough.
The tires that come on new vehicles are usually very low grade as the automakers have deals with the tiremakers to receive cheap tires in bulk. An aftermarket all-seasons tire will usually outperform the OEM tire.

3. I have a 4x4 so winter tires aren't needed.
Another common misconception is that 4x4 gives you traction. This is not the case as a 4x4 may assist in the ability to start from a stop, but does nothing for you when coming to a stop. In fact, the extra weight of the 4x4/suv could hinder the stopping ability more.

4. I can't afford two sets of tires so I have to stay with new all-seasons.
There are tires out there which can be used year round while still giving the performance of a rated winter tire. This means two sets of tires (one summer, one winter) are no longer required. These types of tires are not called all-seasons and instead “all-weather”. A common brand is the Nokian WR.

5. Does price make a difference on winter tires?
Yes and no. Usually within the same brand of tire, the higher the price the better the performance. When comparing different brands to each other however, care must be taken in researching and comparing performance vs cost. A $150 tire from Michelin may perform the same as a $120 tire from BFGoodrich, but a $180 tire from Michelin will probably outperform the $150 tire from the same company.

6. My M+S tires are winter rated so they are good enough.
A Mud & Snow rating on a tire does not mean they are winter rated. This rating refers to the amount of space between treads and the ability of the tire to shed mud and snow from within the tread and not necessarily the traction.

7. How do winter tires vary?
This is a question that essays could be written on. I'll keep this short and to the point. There are three main kinds of winter tire; Ice, Snow, and a blend of the two. Ice tires will have less space between treads and lots of siping. Snow tires will have more space between treads (more aggressive) but still have an amount of siping in them. A combination of the two will try to have the best of both worlds, but won't meet the performance of the other two on ice or snow.

8. What should I look for in a winter tire?
Let's ignore price for this category as this is a factor I can't advise you on. A better winter tire will have the "Severe Snow" rating which is in the form of a small picture of a mountain with snowflake inside it. Not getting into specifics, a winter tire should have a good amount of siping for ice traction. These are little "cuts" or "slits" in the tire which allow it to flex over and grab the road a bit better.

9. What winter tire should I buy?
An impossible question to answer as it varies by vehicle, where & how you are driving, budget, noise, etc. If you do some mountain driving or are worried about deep snow, get a tire with a bit more aggressive tread. If mainly worried about ice or packed snow in the city, then a full ice tire might be better for you. I will leave actual tire recommendations to this thread and not in this post.

10. When should I buy and/or install them?
Buying winter tires in the early fall is the best way to get what you want at a decent price. Not to mention you are beating the rush of the "oh my god it snowed for the first time and I'm stuck, I need tires asap" people. When to put them on is a different game, as I look at it betting on roulette. Will it snow before Thanksgiving or can I wait till Halloween? Who knows, it's your decision. I personally do it near Thanksgiving and the colder temperatures are a good enough reason to switch over.

11. Do I only need two winter tires if I'm driving a front or rear wheel drive vehicle?
NO!!!! You need all 4! A rear wheel drive car may get away with it, but in turns and under braking, the imbalance of traction can cause issues. A front wheel drive car is more critical to get all 4 tires, as the increased traction on the front will make the car want to swap ends and you might find yourself driving backwards coming up to a red light. Keep the proper balance of traction and get identical tires on all 4 corners.

12. Do I need tire studs?
This is entirely up to you and the style of tire you have. If you have a snow tire and are worried about ice/packed snow traction, then maybe studs will be of a benefit to you. If you already own a pure ice tire, then studs might be overkill, especially in the city. Keep in mind, studs add noise to a tire, likened to a stone being stuck in your tread, but instead lots of them. Studding will usually run you another $20-25 per tire. A studless winter tire is more common that one allowing studs.


I hope this guide helps a bit. I'll leave this open now to discussion on what tires someone should buy and from where.
As for what I'm sporting, it's Kumho KW19's studded, installed this weekend.