what winter tires do you use ?

[ajae]

This winter will be my 5th on Michelin X-Ice's. I've been pleased with them although the Yaris is too light in my opinion to be a real good performer in heavy snow conditions. I also carry cable chains and have used them at least once each winter when driving over the Coq. here in B.C.

[mryaris]

Originally Posted by kou

I have General Altimax Arctic's on my factory steel wheels,they worked great last year.I drove in all conditions and they performed great.

Ditto for me. I have a set of these mounted on an extra set of steelies and they did me well last winter while I lived in Jackson Hole. I'm back in Denver now and our winters are usually pretty mild, so I probably won't install them for the entire season (I'll just install for bad storms then remove them when it all melts).

Anyway, I thought these did very well on the snow & ice and were much cheaper than the other options. They are studdable too, which may be a good thing depending on where you live.

[longlivekel]

I live in KC MO...
We get some harsh moments occasionally and no one clears the roads... haha.
All season or Graspic ds3 for December 1st through April 30th.
If is dry out i am sure these snow tires disappear pretty fast?
Wa you think guys?

Should i spend the extra dough and drive snow tires for a couple cold dry months during the snow season or buy all seasons?

[why?]

Originally Posted by longlivekel

I live in KC MO...
We get some harsh moments occasionally and no one clears the roads... haha.
All season or Graspic ds3 for December 1st through April 30th.
If is dry out i am sure these snow tires disappear pretty fast?
Wa you think guys?

Should i spend the extra dough and drive snow tires for a couple cold dry months during the snow season or buy all seasons?

how many days out of the winter months do you think you will see snow? If it is only a few days a month, snow tires are a waste of money.

[Kal-El]

Originally Posted by why?

how many days out of the winter months do you think you will see snow? If it is only a few days a month, snow tires are a waste of money.

If it snows just once all season and your winter tires save you from even just a fender bender, then the tires just paid for themselves (with most deductibles being at least $500). Never mind possible injuries.

Thing is, most of the northern half of the US gets plenty of snow and ice each winter. I never believed before last year that snow tires were "necessary", but after learning a lot about them and buying a set, my view is now that winter tires are an absolute must if your climate freezes. People may believe that their all-seasons are adequate, but the fact is they suck. You find that out really fast the first time you run dedicated winters in snow/ice.

Also remember, the benefits of winter rubber isn't just beneficial in snow and ice but also winter rain and even on dry pavement. All season rubber gets much harder and slicker under 40°F. Winter rubber stays flexible in the coldest of temps. So even on dry winter roads, you are safer.

[birdman]

My '08 liftback came pretty loaded and I wrongly assumed it had ABS. It doesn't have VSC either. Being that I live in the Cascades where we can get some severe winter driving conditions what would be best studded or non studded winter tires? The studded General Altimax Arctics have impressive reviews on a number of consumer websites. What do you out there in YARISWORLD recommend?

[docB]

Just got AltiMAX Arctic by General. The Eagle LS just are not inspiring the same confidence as their first winter. Went with a 185/65-14 as it is pretty close to the 185/60-15 eagles. Gonna mount them up tomorrow and find out if they were worthy of a win @ tire rack's winter shoot out. I had some Firestone WinterForce & they were really great on the Crown Vic I had. These are supposed to be better. We'll see.
doc