Best tires for snow and ice

[M1911]

Get a second set of wheels and dedicated snow tires. I've had good luck with Nokians.

All season tires just suck on ice. One icy day before I had snow tires on my 4Runner, I got it sliding sideways at 10 mph, completely out of control. A 5000 lb SUV will slide a long way on ice.

 

[eliminator]

I'm running Blizzak DM-V2s on FJ rims. So far, so good. It's been snowing almost non stop here since Thursday. :bowl:

 

[darrylj]

I'm going to put in a good word for Firestone Winterforce tires. They aren't the absolute best you can buy for ice, but they are excellent for deep snow.

Just put mine on yesterday to get it over and done, no snow in the forecast for another week. Spent time popping last year's gravel out of all the little sipes, for no practical reason other than that they irritate me.

 

[ThorInc]

Nokia or Michelin, you can't go wrong.

 

[mattyrides07]

I have used Goodyear Duratracs on my FJ and my wife's 5th gen. I hands down love these the best. We keep them on year round and they do well off road too.

I am currently using the Nokians on my TE. They are great for packed snow and ice. However they lack bite in the pow.

I have used Hankook I-pikes on my Subaru STi.

 

[Batang.Gapo]

I see your location is Van Island? Do you guys even get snow and ice?!

Best snow and ice tire are Nokian Hakk's. Expensive but worth it!

Same thing here, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R or R2 SUV.

 

[snorola]

I'm running Cooper M+S studded on our TE and these things are amazing. Barely even need 4x4, seem good in deep snow and on ice.

 

[Peyto]

Nokia or Michelin, you can't go wrong.

These are my two favourites. The Nokians are better in deep snow, the Michelins better on ice and definitely handle more like an all-season, which is nice when chinook winds rolls through.

 

[hamlet]

I have run different winters with different vehicles:

- Continental ExtremeWinterContact on my old GTI, excellent winters
- DM-V1's on the Runner for the second winter now, it gets the job done nicely and at this point I would have no issue recommending these in Alberta conditions. Have never taken them off-roading however.
- Cooper AT/W on the Sierra, will see how they perform across the entire year vs wear, have heard great reports on these.

I do believe that dedicated winters are typically the way to go, but am willing to give the Coopers a chance as a year round winter-rated AT.

 

[trex9K]

I'd like to put Mich X-Ice on my TEP but I've got my doubts that they'll do well during non snow winter off roading. Does anyone make a more AT-like tire that performs well on snow and ice?

The WILDPEAK A/T3W looks promising but it won't be out until Feb 2016.

http://www.tirebusiness.com/article...re-unveils-4-consumer-tires-at-dealer-meeting

Features include an outer apex construction designed to protect the casing at the bead area; large center blocks for stability and on-road feel; and Falken’s 3D Canyon Sipe technology for traction in wet, icy and snowy conditions. The firm added that every size qualifies for the Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake symbol, signifying it is designed for use in severe snow conditions.

 

[littlezavasaurus]

I'd like to put Mich X-Ice on my TEP but I've got my doubts that they'll do well during non snow winter off roading. Does anyone make a more AT-like tire that performs well on snow and ice?

The WILDPEAK A/T3W looks promising but it won't be out until Feb 2016.

http://www.tirebusiness.com/article...re-unveils-4-consumer-tires-at-dealer-meeting

lately I've been looking for a good AT and I've heard good things about the cooper discover at/3. It also performs well in wet and snow conditions

 

[AudiTech]

I have Blizzak DM-V1 in the factory size on factory 20's for winter and 275 K02 on TRD wheels for the rest of the year. There is no comparison between the 2 when the weather gets bad (I live in the Rockies and ski a lot).

Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV would be my first choice of winter tires.

 

[trex9K]

I have Blizzak DM-V1 in the factory size on factory 20's for winter and 275 K02 on TRD wheels for the rest of the year. There is no comparison between the 2 when the weather gets bad (I live in the Rockies and ski a lot).

That's a great solution if you don't off road in the winter. But I'll be in snow one weekend and dirt/rocks the next.

 

[JB.]

That's a great solution if you don't off road in the winter. But I'll be in snow one weekend and dirt/rocks the next.

Then your only practical choice would seem to be an aggressive all-terrain.

To make the process easier, realize that performance differences within categories are probably much smaller than you imagine.

The best thing you can do is choose from the most appropriate tire category. That single thing does most of the work for you.

 

[Peyto]

That's a great solution if you don't off road in the winter. But I'll be in snow one weekend and dirt/rocks the next.

You're going to have to compromise on snow performance or off-road performance if you're going with one set of tires. An all-weather A/T (Cooper A/Tw, Nokian Rotiiva, etc) is probably your best compromise. A lot of folks on here like the duratrac as an A/T (but not all-weather) that performs well on snow and ice, but you're going to give up some traction vs an all-weather.

 

[eddie333]

My first winter with my durtracs they performed amazing. The second winter was so-so... Now I'm heading into my third winter with them and a little worried. yhey have around 26k on them now.

I'd love a good ice tire but I enjoy doing some light off-roading in the winter also and worried the two might not mix well.

 

[MSRP.]

You're going to have to compromise on snow performance or off-road performance if you're going with one set of tires. An all-weather A/T (Cooper A/Tw, Nokian Rotiiva, etc) is probably your best compromise. A lot of folks on here like the duratrac as an A/T (but not all-weather) that performs well on snow and ice, but you're going to give up some traction vs an all-weather.

There is a link somewhere in the internet (just searched for 10 minutes, couldn't find it) that compared a few big winter tire players when their tire was at half life (50% of their new tread depth).

Suffice it to say, every single tire showed far less effective tread EXCEPT for the Xice (don't recall if it was xice3 or 2). The Xice's had their original tread pattern consistent at 50% with reduced depth, vs the competitors that not only lacked the depth, but was also missing significant portions of their original tread pattern.

I really wish I can find the article, hopefully someone wiser than I can find it.
I've read a lot about the Hakkas too, but they're too cumbersome to source and their lack of availability (compared to Xice) scares a bit if I ever need to replace them in the future.

 

[philsey]

....
I've read a lot about the Hakkas too, but they're too cumbersome to source and their lack of availability (compared to Xice) scares a bit if I ever need to replace them in the future.

Interesting to hear this comment from a Canadian. My impression had always been that the Hakkas were popular and available in CA.

I used to have a winter tire evaluation from some Canadian auto publication, which rated the Hakkas the best, with Blizzaks second. I decided to buy the Hakkas, but not only were they near-impossible to source in the USA, but terribly expensive to boot. I've owned many sets of Blizzaks over the years. Available, fairly quiet, good ice and snow performance. My 3 YO set still look like new.

 

[Peyto]

Interesting to hear this comment from a Canadian. My impression had always been that the Hakkas were popular and available in CA.

I used to have a winter tire evaluation from some Canadian auto publication, which rated the Hakkas the best, with Blizzaks second. I decided to buy the Hakkas, but not only were they near-impossible to source in the USA, but terribly expensive to boot. I've owned many sets of Blizzaks over the years. Available, fairly quiet, good ice and snow performance. My 3 YO set still look like new.

The main issue is that Nokian seems to have signed a near-exclusive deal with Kal-Tire, which is a large Canadian tire chain that seems successful despite both mediocre prices and service.

I say near exclusive because I did find one independent tire shop that carried them, just not at prices any better than the chain.

 

[Peyto]

There is a link somewhere in the internet (just searched for 10 minutes, couldn't find it) that compared a few big winter tire players when their tire was at half life (50% of their new tread depth).

I have heard something along these lines before with respect to Blizzaks. Apparently the rubber compound on the last 50% or so is harder that the first, and more akin to an all-season at that point (albeit still with better siping)? Never gotten to that point on Blizzaks so cannot provide anything first hand though.

As a buyer you still might come out even because they are a fair bit cheaper than the Michelin and Nokians.