Best performing AT Tire for winter/ice

[Rat^3]

So ive been on the hunt for a AT tire that preforms well in winter conditions mainly on ice. I know people would be like just buy a winter tire dumb dumb but I'm just exploring more of the AT selection for now.

I'm in Montreal and weather conditions are really unpredictable. I currently have a K02 set up (which was amazing in the snow) but on ice man forget it.

Any suggestions?

 

[fourwd1]

Well, there's Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice and Michelin X-Ice to start with.
Of course, studded tires would be best if available/legal in your area.

 

[Deuxdiesel]

The DuraTracs I have are so much better than the KO2's I have for winter use. Noisy, but worth it.

 

[MAST4R]

Good suggestions already.

Look also at the Tire Rack website because they have comparative reviews of AT tires in rain, snow, and ice, in addition to dry.

They offer stopping distances as well as acceleration data.

The only issue is that they don't cover many tires but do look it up.

For example, this one does not seem to cover snow and ice but I have not watch it, just giving you an example:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...7DA4SOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I have definitely seen such videos that cover snow and ice, most recently when I was looking at MT tires.

 

[Hautian]

We get a good amount of snow and ice where I live and I’ve been happy with falken wildpeaks. We run the non LT versions and I’ve found them to better than duratracs on ice. They definitely aren’t as good as a dedicated winter tire but I’ve never felt unsafe on the wildpeaks . My work vehicle has wildpeaks and I drive year round in all conditions.

The LT version of the wildpeaks has a different compound and may not be as good.

I’m interested in trying the Cooper Rugged Treks, based on the tire rack review, but don’t know anyone that has them.

Edit: just went back and looked at the Tire Rack review and the Rugged Treks had an ice stopping distance of 61’ vs 49’ for the Wildpeaks. 12’ is a pretty big difference.

 

[rcfs1834]

I’m in Maine and right now I’m running Duratracs. I had the KO2s originally and they were fine on dry pavement, deep snow and mud but awful on wet pavement (forget about ice). A lot of the plow truck guys run Duratracs in my area so I grabbed a set of them. The Duratracs are better on wet pavement but for ice a snow tire is still needed if you want the best level of control possible. I’d suggest getting the Blizzak DM-V2 to run Nov-Mar and keep the KO2s on the rest of the year.

 

[NorthernSailor]

Nokian Outpost AT?

I generally have to agree with what others say...when it comes to ice, only a "winter" tire, preferably studded, will be great.

I've run many tire (I generally go through a set a year) and because of that I tried the one-and-done approach to getting an A/T that is decent on ice. The Fallen Wildpeaks were decent, as well as the Cooper Discoverer AT3's (both of them the winter versions), and even had surprising luck with Continental TerrainContact AT's.

On this new 4R of mine I immediately put on a set of Nokian Outpost AT's, and am impressed so far...especially in deep slush on the highway like we had here last week. Yesterday morning I travelled north and had a couple tank slappers on black ice though. I didn't ditch, but the truck definitely wobbled, and if I had to make an emergency maneuver I know I would have been toast.

So all that being said, this truck will have studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta's for next winter, because nothing beets studs on pure ice, even though you sacrifice dry road capability.

Really depends on your intended use though, I guess.

 

[cosmo4r]

We get a good amount of snow and ice where I live and I’ve been happy with falken wildpeaks. We run the non LT versions and I’ve found them to better than duratracs on ice. They definitely aren’t as good as a dedicated winter tire but I’ve never felt unsafe on the wildpeaks . My work vehicle has wildpeaks and I drive year round in all conditions.

The LT version of the wildpeaks has a different compound and may not be as good.

I’m interested in trying the Cooper Rugged Treks, based on the tire rack review, but don’t know anyone that has them.

Edit: just went back and looked at the Tire Rack review and the Rugged Treks had an ice stopping distance of 61’ vs 49’ for the Wildpeaks. 12’ is a pretty big difference.

I have the rugged treks on my 3rd gen. I would say they are pretty decent in the snow. Confidence/ traction in level in *4wd* is about the same as any AWD car with winter tires I’ve been in. A bit more floaty driving over ruts in between lanes but I think that’s mostly due to the width. In 2wd they do okay in up to 1-2cm of snow, although I can make them spin very easily with aggressive throttle. If you are on a hill and starting from standstill forget it. Anything more than a couple cm, and you will be sliding all over the place in 2wd.

I’m curious to see how a skinny dedicated winter tire compares. But I don’t tho you will see any night and day differences between AT models simply due to the compound.

 

[BuffaloBass]

Ilm late, yet Falken Wildpeaks perform excellently here in Buffalo NY. Not as cold as Quebec, but more snow on this side of the lakes!