The Winter's Coming Winter Tires Thread

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Only winters I'll use are Blizzaks and Hakkapeliittas.

[jeffporfirio]

Put on winter tires this week.
If looking for new tires (got Blizzaks for both my cars there) or just a place to do your swaps, check out Country Tire on Edm Trail (convenient if you work dt).

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Only winters I'll use are Blizzaks and Hakkapeliittas.

I'm a die hard Blizzak buyer myself. They work fantastic.

[chemgear]

Hmm, was looking for Blizzak rebates but they say only purchases made in the US? Can't seem to find anything for Canada.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Interesting. I've been using Blizzak winter tires for several years. They are indeed fantastic. I bought some Continental Extreme Contact summer tires based on a users advice and they really are quite good for the price. I had wondered about their winter offerings. Think my Blizzaks are basically done, anyone else tried the Continental winter tires?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Based on reviews, the Blizzaks aren't even really any better than their competition. It's just that they're the only tire I've ever used. I know they work, I know how they feel, and the confidence of that predictability is worth quite a bit.

The only reason I'd consider switching to Nokian is they're reportedly way, way better than everything else, and that opinion seems to be the consensus among everyone.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Hmm, was looking for Blizzak rebates but they say only purchases made in the US? Can't seem to find anything for Canada.

Costco has $70 off the purchase of 4 until Oct 8.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Only winters I'll use are Blizzaks and Hakkapeliittas.

The Hakk's are my chosen brand, too. When I got the new car, I made sure to get some new Hakk's and rims to go with her. Kinda looking forward to sporting the winter gear, this year.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Interesting. I've been using Blizzak winter tires for several years. They are indeed fantastic. I bought some Continental Extreme Contact summer tires based on a users advice and they really are quite good for the price. I had wondered about their winter offerings. Think my Blizzaks are basically done, anyone else tried the Continental winter tires?

I have the extremewintercontacts which I run on a rwd car. I bought them specifically for their dry pavement performance and have been happy with their snow and ice abilities as well. Are they the best winter tire on snow and ice? Maybe not, but we don't drive on that the majority of the time.

[TheAlpineOracle]

is it not early for winter tires? Wouldn't putting them on now accelerate tread loss?

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

is it not early for winter tires? Wouldn't putting them on now accelerate tread loss?

Yes. But the sales for them are starting, which got folks talking again. Winter tires shouldn't be put on until the temp is consistently around/under 7.

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

is it not early for winter tires? Wouldn't putting them on now accelerate tread loss?

White Tiger nailed it.

A week or two of the temp being 10-14 is not going to accelerate wear any more than the 8-10 chinook's we see over winter. Now if its 24 for a month and winter tires are on thats a completely different story.

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I have the extremewintercontacts which I run on a rwd car. I bought them specifically for their dry pavement performance and have been happy with their snow and ice abilities as well. Are they the best winter tire on snow and ice? Maybe not, but we don't drive on that the majority of the time.

I have two cars outfitted with EWCs, and also bought them for the dry performance.

It's nice to drive on a tire that can handle snow, but doesn't have brutal tire wander in moderate temps (unlike Blizzaks).

[mrkajz44]

Annual plug for General Tire Altimax Arctic tires. They are the best compromise between price and quality. Tread wear continues to be fantastic on them, and while not perfect, they feel strong and comfortable in virtually all conditions.

http://www.generaltire.ca/productdet...d=altimaxartic

[Knut]

Anyone had any experience with All-Weather tires? There are a few brands that have the winter rating in Canada.

I understand they wear a bit quicker during the Summer, but it is nice to not have to swap them twice a year.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Hes

Anyone had any experience with All-Weather tires? There are a few brands that have the winter rating in Canada.

I understand they wear a bit quicker during the Summer, but it is nice to not have to swap them twice a year.

I've used them on my FWD car for the past 4ish years... they need to be replaced now and I'd say I've gotten about 80-100k on them. I chose the Nokian WGR2 or whatever the letters are.

My original thoughts when I got them were... great, now I don't have to swap tires twice a year. I had only one set of rims so this was always a hassle and expensive.

I also thought, for the type of driving I did (lived on the west side and drove downtown in rush hour and home in rush hour), they'd be just fine for me.

Now, 4 years later I still have those original thoughts, but I also realize the sacrifices. They are not as grippy at ANY time of the year. You are losing summer and winter performance for a true "all" season tire. I really think they're not as good in dry and wet but warm conditions, nor are they quite as good in snow and ice. I now have a way longer (highway and unplowed road) commute, and I don't think I'll be getting all-weathers again.

My honest opinion is that I would not do it again because the benefit wasn't actually worth it.

Of course, if it's a second car that you rarely drive, or something you use for commuting but it's short and the vehicle isn't anything special, then it might still be worthwhile to you.

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Based on reviews, the Blizzaks aren't even really any better than their competition. It's just that they're the only tire I've ever used. I know they work, I know how they feel, and the confidence of that predictability is worth quite a bit.

The only reason I'd consider switching to Nokian is they're reportedly way, way better than everything else, and that opinion seems to be the consensus among everyone.

Blizzaks are good but somewhat overrated IMO, many comparable or better options now (Continental WinterContact SI, Toyo G3 ICE, Pirelli Ice ZERO come to mind). Blizzaks also have amongst the most progressive wear rating of any winter tire on the market which means replacing them every 2 years in our environment in many cases.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by FLAME ENVY

Blizzaks are good but somewhat overrated IMO, many comparable or better options now (Continental WinterContact SI, Toyo G3 ICE, Pirelli Ice ZERO come to mind). Blizzaks also have amongst the most progressive wear rating of any winter tire on the market which means replacing them every 2 years in our environment in many cases.

While I'm sure they're great - I've never been able to get past the fact that at the 50% wear mark, most Blizzak's MultiCell compounds have worn away leaving you with an all season tire.

I've gone with XIce2/3 and Hakka R2's as a result.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Hes

Anyone had any experience with All-Weather tires? There are a few brands that have the winter rating in Canada.

I understand they wear a bit quicker during the Summer, but it is nice to not have to swap them twice a year.

I had all weather tires on my old car. Previously, I had only ever used all seasons and when it was time to replace them, I thought about getting winters, but didn't think I would keep the car much longer and didn't want to buy two new sets of tires. I got all weathers and they were great, definitely a step up.

With my new car, I went with actual winters. There are a few situations where I find the winters a bit better, but the improvement isn't huge for the driving I do (mostly around the city with occasional highway drives in good weather). It was two different cars though, so I always feel the comparison isn't quite perfect.

When I need to replace tires, I will definitely look at all weathers again.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

Put on winter tires this week.
If looking for new tires (got Blizzaks for both my cars there) or just a place to do your swaps, check out Country Tire on Edm Trail (convenient if you work dt).

How much are straight swaps at Country Tire (my winter tires are on their own rims, so just screws off, screws on)?