The Winter's Coming Winter Tires Thread

[Wormius]

Thanks. I have been using the Himalayas on my car, too and I really like them, but I missed the chance to get them studded when I bought them. Now that it's an option, I want to make sure we're doing the right thing since I can't go back and stud them after they're used.

There seems to be a number of reviews out there also that don't recommend studding, but without knowing the part of the world they're in, it's hard to compare with Calgary driving conditions.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Wormius

So my wife is getting new winter tires for her SUV. The question is, studded or non-studded. They're the UrbanX Federal Himalayas. My wife's concern whether they will accelerate the wear of the tires when driving on dry pavement, the other is the road noise. Are any of these significant enough to go nonstudded?

We have about a week before our install date, so has anybody run both studded and nonstudded? Is it worth the added cost and road noise?

We will be mainly driving around Calgary and the Rockies for skiing, etc.

We had a set of (unstudded) Federal Himalayas on our last car and they never fell short in our time with em. I'd pass on the studding myself. To me the jump between all seasons/winter tires is enough of a change that you don't need to jump up to another level at all.

[Northendzone]

had the blizzaks installed on my 2009 explorer (AWD) yesterday. In very limited driving condicitions since then, i can say that thus far i have not noticed much of a difference.

could be becasue of the current conditions, and over the past few years i would describe my driving style as prudent and i tend to leave a good gap in the winter.

[DoubleF]

Question for all regarding studding:

Rather than consider them for regular performance, I was wondering whether it would make sense to stud a tire after 3-4 seasons to A) Extend the life of the tire (slow wear and perhaps get an additional year or two for the cost of studding B) bring performance back up to "par" after a little wear of tread.

Thoughts?

Assume sound is a non factor in the decision.
Assume reason is for saving money/delay replacement/peace of mind (That weird period where you're not sure on your tires but mechanics or tire shops say the tire is still OK for another season)


Also, for those with studs... what does this "sound" sound like? Like driving on the side of the road with the buzzing indentations?

[j_j]

Unfortunately, you can't stud a tire once it's been driven on.

Sound is probably the most annoying part. It is a factor, but you do get used to it. Depends on the soundproofing of your car as well.

Studs DO make sense for Calgary. Think of how many snowy days there are versus icy days without much snow. We get many more icy conditions in Calgary and the snowy and the studs really perform well on those typical freeze-thaw days in the shoulder seasons.

[Chill Cosby]

The studs really only have a positive impact for 3-4 days in Calgary (the days immediately after a big snowfall in severe temperatures where the roads are ice-covered, which is rare) and in communities with questionable road clearing.

Studded tires really is overkill, and honestly, the money is better spent on getting top of the line winters without studs instead.

[Calgary14]

Canadian Tire currently has Michelin X-Ice tires for $70 off (mail in rebate), great deal for these tires as they're rated one of the best. Apparently they advertised them as 25% off but then stated it was an error

[BlackArcher101]

This will be my 3rd season on my set of tires that don't have studs. Already regetting not having studs. Going into my 3rd season the tires definitely don't have the grip they used to and having studs would certainly go a long way right now. Feels like I'm driving all seasons :/. Next year I'll be going back to studs for sure.

[DoubleF]

Thanks for the info about studs. I didn't know it was for brand new tires only.

Got my car back. The new tires in the back makes a HUGE difference. No more unexpected power sliding!

Well... as long as I don't gun it like an idiot (I had to test it for the sake of testing it)

[t0rrent98]

This will be my first full season with Winters (getting it installed next sunday) as I've been using my factory all season tires since I bought the car 4 yeas ago. Wonder if I'll notice much of a difference.

Going from Bridgestone All seasons to Michelin Ice winters.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

Canadian Tire currently has Michelin X-Ice tires for $70 off (mail in rebate), great deal for these tires as they're rated one of the best. Apparently they advertised them as 25% off but then stated it was an error

Every retailer I've seen is offering that deal right now, since mail-in rebates almost always come directly from the manufacturer

[REDVAN]

Just put Nokian Hakka R2's on my new vehicle the other day. Perfect timing because my wife went into labor that night, and those tired never slipped or lost traction once!

They are my third set of Nokains- I've had RSI and WGR2 before. I'm always impressed with their performance. I guess I am also a fan of Kal tire- but location REALLY matters.

[Regular_John]

BUMP.

Got my tires installed yesterday, little Mazda 2 feels much more stable with the Toyo Observe GSI-5s' underneath.

/cool story bro

[Canehdianman]

Sitting at Costco getting blizzak DM-V1s put on my highlander.

Just in time it appears.

[-TC-]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Just put Nokian Hakka R2's on my new vehicle the other day. Perfect timing because my wife went into labor that night, and those tired never slipped or lost traction once!

They are my third set of Nokains- I've had RSI and WGR2 before. I'm always impressed with their performance. I guess I am also a fan of Kal tire- but location REALLY matters.

I put those on my GX yesterday... perfect timing, and they are amazing

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Well just got on my new winters today, had to book a month out but looks like my timing was almost right. I ended up downsizing like is suggested with a taller sidewall. I am impressed in the few hours I have been driving. Even with AWD, stability, ABS, etc it has made a difference.

I was scared little girl (Arnold voice) on my all seasons yesterday but today I have my tank back!

Just quick update, I liked this thread because people specify what tires they are using and how much they like them. So 3 weeks in I am still extremely happy with my winter tires.

I am using Yokohama IG51v in a sized down 18" on my Q7.

I had the Goodyear UltraGrip ICE WRT last season on our old Q5, those were awesome as well. However, I am now full on fan of downsizing. I think they make the Yokohama's that much better. Just a rock solid ride for $900 set tires.

[FireFly]

We got the Goodyear Ultragrip Ice WRT last week. I'm a new driver and don't really notice it too much, (I just use 4x4 in the snow anyway) but my husband loves them. I'm sure he'll want to play tonight.

[Regular_John]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone purchased a set of winter tires that they hated or were just pure crap?

The reason I ask is I have a hard time thinking of another $1,000 purchase I make with so little research into the decision making process. It's basically "I need winter tires, here's money, make my problem go away now!" and I honestly don't comparison shop or read reviews at all.

Just wondering if other's share this experience of if I'm missing out on some comparison shopping.

[Northendzone]

i akways think that with any purchase of this magnitude, you are goiing to have people that love the product or hate it. if you read some reviews that a good and otehrs that are bad, how do you sort them out.

i suppose the best approach would be to find a web fourm for your particular vehicle and see if folks are talkign bout snowies in there and if there is a brand that is more popular than otehrs.

i think at the end of the day, all snow tires made by a any name brand company will be a solid choice and an upgrade.....

[FireFly]

Had a conversation with my husbands boss who figured he had just purchased the best winter tires for his vehicle because they were the most expensive. My husband pointed out that Goodyear is the best tire maker in the industry. His boss did not believe him. However when it was pointed out that Goodyear is the official tire of all motorsports, he left in a huff to go google it. Sure enough, Goodyear has the best ratings.

That said, you're probably not driving a NASCAR or some such so I think it's personal preference.