irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Every year, there are a ton of posts asking about snow tires...and since winter comes EVERY year, why not have a sticky about snow/winter-specific tires?

* do NOT post reviews of how your summer or All-Season tires "do in the snow" - to qualify for this thread, your winter tire must come with the "snowflake on the mountain" insignia given to all winter-specific tires.

* don't bother with a review of your winter tire if it hasn't been used in ALL of the following conditions: snow/ice, dry, rain. A snow tire review that says "I haven't used it in the snow yet, but it's really great" is USELESS.

The format:

-Tire Brand/Model
-Tire size you used (and the rim size used, i.e. 17x7.5")
-Description of tire - is it a high-performance winter tire, a studded ice tire, standard non-high-performance snow tire
-Dry performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Wet performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Snow and/or ice performance.

Cite some example of how well or how poorly it worked, post some photos to illustrate.

I'll post one in a few mintues as an example (it is a real review, BTW)

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22

Size: 225/50/17 (front), 235/50/17 (rear) on 17x7.5(f), 17x8(r) G35 wheels. These I obtained slightly used from a guy with a 350Z

Description: The LM-22 is marketed as a high-performance winter tire. It is not supposed to be "the best" in snow compared with snow-specific tires, but it is equally at home on snow-covered roads, ice, or going 80mph on the highway. Built for driving the autobahn in winter

Dry performance: The grip is actually excellent...comparable to any tire I've ever used - that said, I suspect that it will wear very fast for the same reason it has good grip, specifically the soft rubber compound. I recently drove 400 miles through mountainous roads (way up) that were mostly dry. They never squealed or lost traction, though on some hard turns I did experience some sidewall rolling. I use this tire all winter for commuting to work, even when it's dry and 60 degrees, and it handles potholes and 80mph traffic nicely. Not the performance of an A/S tire, but it is close...

Wet: Great hydroplane resistance under about 65mph. Over 65 or 70 it hydroplanes a little in standing water. Very good cornering grip on "wet" roads without puddles.

Snow: Very good. It pushes through soft AND crunchy snow with little effort. On a recent ski trip we had snow up to the wheel centercaps and the car was unstoppable. It inspires cornering confidence in snow as well - we actually were passing SUVs on mountainous, snow-covered roads. On ice it's "ok" - better than an all-season tire, but not by much. This tire likes snow more than ice, I'd say.

Mud: I added this category because last night I drove up a VERY steep gravel/mud/ice road for almost 2 miles...the road had some deep standing mud, and my buddy's Accord with Pilot Sport A/S tires could not make it up. I made it up with minimal/no slippage whatsoever..no problem.

Overall - great tire....one I can put on in December and leave on until march, regardless of conditions. It can handle the snow, ok in ice, good in rain, and fares just fine when aggressively pushed in the dry. Hell...I could be happy using this tire year-round almost

here's an example pic: In this photo, we were not stuck at all, just stopping for a pee-break. Got going no problem, even though the snow level was above the bottom lip of my bumper....just pushed through it like a plow.



going about 45mph through 6" of fresh, untracked snow

upstatemax

iTrader: (15)

-Tire Brand/Model
-Tire size you used (and the rim size used, i.e. 17x7.5")
-Description of tire - is it a high-performance winter tire, a studded ice tire, standard non-high-performance snow tire
-Dry performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Wet performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Snow and/or ice performance.

Cite some example of how well or how poorly it worked, post some photos to illustrate.

I'll post one in a few mintues as an example (it is a real review, BTW)


- Nokian Hakkapellita NRW's
- 235/45/17's on Stock SE rims (17x7)
- Highperformance Snow and Ice
- Compaired to my Extremecontacts (allseason), the dry traction in corners is "mushy" and does not instill highspeed cornering confidence... but what do you expect from a snow? Compared to my Pirelli P-Zero's... no compairison in dry traction.
- Wet performance is great, cannot complain about how they handle in the rain. The only non-snow I have used that holds a candle to them are the ExtremeContacts.
- Snow and Ice performance is fantastic, saved my a** on quite a few scary moments.

Examples:

Snow: On my way back home from work in heavy snow and some tard lady slammed on her brakes and slid out of control in front of me. I had no choice but to hit the brakes and hope for the best outcome. I really thought I was going to nail her or the guardrail, but they held really well and ABS only kicked in once for a second. Three other cars slid off the road from her freaking out and hitting the breaks, I was the only one not to...

Rain: On my way to class in really heavy rain. There is this one lowspot in the road after a bridge that always collects water in the rain. I did not expect the ocean that had formed from the heavy rain... I saw it comming up and freaked (Just had the deathtenzas ripped off to put on Nokians), all I knew was that Maxima cannot handle any standing water thanks to the RE-92's. I could not merge because a car was right next to me and I could not slam on the brakes because of heavy traffic and no time to stop because of poor visibility. I thought I was going to float right into the car next to me or off the road, I held the steering wheel and got ready for impact... To my suprise I went right through it, no hydro! I could not belive that my car had just went through standing water and did not even have a hint of hydro.

Sorry no pics Josh...

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

Dunlop Wintersport M3
225/55/R16 on 6.5" Alti steelies.
High-performance winter tire (compromised toward longevity/low dry pavement wear).
Dry performance: Average. Somewhat slow steering response. Good cornering stability.
Wet performance: Good, but these tires are noisy on wet pavement (especially concrete). Have not hydroplaned (I try to avoid salty puddles at all possible).
Snow/Ice: Better than A/S tires but likely average for a snow tire. That said, two factors may be going aganst my M3s in the snow; they may be too wide for this application (I wanted a narrower tire, 215 mm, but Tirerack was sold out); and second, in the interest of gas mileage, I run too high a pressure for these tires to bite properly in the snow (37 psi).

Champ2433

iTrader: (9)

Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50

Size: 215/55/17 on stock 17x7 2k SE rims

Description: Dedicated studless snow and ice tire. Really the first studless ice and snow tire made.

Dry: These tires are designed for snow use and therefore do not handle as well as an all-season tire in dry conditions. Due to the deep (13/32), blocky tread pattern there is tread-block squirm at high speed. On the local hilly, curvy highways you can easily push the tires to near limits if you are not careful. These tires are only speed rated to 99 mph and feel very squirmy at 70-75. Quick, high speed lane changes can be uncomfortable. Some of this is due to the higher profile and going back to stock spring/struts. As far as dedicated snow tires go the dry traction is acceptable. The soft compound means added grip. The steering is somewhat unresponsive, though I have had Cooper snows that did not grip as well as these in dry conditions. Because of the soft compounds and 55% dedicated ice tread the tires will wear very quickly in dry conditions. Road noise is certainly elevated over all-seasons.

Wet: So far these tires have been very good in the rain. I have yet to seriously hydroplane in these tires and the directional tread pattern certainly helps in the rain. I have driven through standing water without any real problems. Road noise is even more elevated in the rain.

Snow: Without a doubt the best snow tire I have ever driven. I have driven on Cooper Weathermasters, Nokian RSI's and these tires are hands down better. They are very stable even in the last two heavy, deep snows we have had in the Northeast. Both snows where deep and heavy with a lot of slush and I was able to drive all around the local hills with no problems. I live on a hill and these tires have no problem going up my driveway. The biggest difference I have noticed with these tires is their cornering stability and grip. When you turn, even on ice, you can feel the tire bite. This adds a lot of confidence when driving in the snow. Stopping has also been vastly improved as I had to skid to a stop the other night when a car slid right past a stop-sign in front of me. No way I stop with all-seasons. One issue I have had with them is the fact that they throw a lot of snow and slush. Obviously this is a good thing, however they tend to pack the wheel well rub if you do not clean them out.

Ice: Again, these tires are as good as it gets on the ice without being studded. Their special multi-cell technology makes a huge difference, especially when there is a little wet snow, slush covering the ice. They have some trouble with forward bite in real slippery conditions but their stopping power and cornering grip are superb.

Obviously living in the Northeast I have a lot of experience driving in the snow and these tires make a huge difference. Just my driveway alone is an ordeal whenever it snows and these tires are fantastic. Unless you live in a high snow area they are probably a little too aggressive and I would recommend a more performance oriented tire as these will wear quickly and are not the best in dry conditions. For those in high snow areas, I have yet to find a tire better than these for winter.

dansmax2003

iTrader: (7)

Size: 215/55/16 mounted on Nissan OEM 16" steel wheels

Description: The WS-50 is a true winter tire that gets the job done - every time the road gets white/wet/icy.

Dry performance: Nothing unusual for a tire that is so "soft". The car does feel like it's floating, especially during quick lane changes. It's not that bad but you should not expect a lot of responsiveness or high speed performance. Stay under or around 80mph max, just to be safe and comfortable. I've driven them successfully with 95mph but this abviously is not a good idea for the tire wear and perhaps my own safety.

Wet: Very nice tires in wet weather. They do NOT slip and i do not spin the wheels as easy as i used to do with my Michlein Pilot Sport A/S tires. I feel safe driving in heavy rain with 65mph+. No hydroplaning.

Snow: Very good. I was almost shocked when i took the car to my first ski tri at Lake Tahoe, CA with these tires. Previous years i went with my Audi and with my Maxima with Bridgestone Craptensa. The Audi was "OK" with Falken tires but i needed chains. Needless to say, my Maxima, with the Potensa re92tires - the car was "scary" in the snow. Chains had to be installed quickly - everywhere i went. This is when i decided to invest in snow tires/wheels.
With the Blizzak, my car feels extremely safe and under control. I can accelerate, climb steep grade, stop and turn anywhere i want - snow covered or not. Even ice traction impressed me. I always belived that only chains can give you that sure footed feeling in snow driving, but now i know that with the Blizzak, the car can cover a lot of distance without the need for chains. Of course, caution must be exercised at all times.

Mud: Tried them only once on a hilly, dirty, muddy parking lot and i had no problems climbing out of the driveway. Other cars needed help.

Overall: Great tire for snow/winter driving. NOT a high speed tire. NOT good for fast lane changes. Noise is OK. My Michelin Pilot Sports A/S were worse. Wear is decent if driven carefully. If you push it hard - the rubber will be gone before you know it. I've put 5k miles on mine and they still have a lot left.

shorty3870

Bridgestone Blizzak REVO1

Size: 215/55/16

Description: Studless beast of a snow tire.

Dry Performance: The grip isn't terrible, but don't expect the performance of a good all season or summer tire. I've had few chances to fully test them on dry pavement, but the pavement was really about as dry and clean as you'll get in New England in December/January... which to me is really whats important.

Wet: Good traction, very loud though, especially when accelerating. Not too obnoxious though, and again, its only really when accelerating.

Snow: Fantastic. The thing that I like the most from these over the Cooper's I had before is its ability to self clean. What good is a snow tire if it can't get the snow out? After a while its about as good as driving on slicks. These tires add a whole new level of confidence when driving in snow. After the large storm that just passed through (we got about a foot here, preceded by a little rain/freezing rain), I was able to go out and drive without a problem. I took it into an empty parking lot to see how it would corner, and all I can say is holy crap. The snow was also very heavy, and the roads were very slushy. To me, I'd have to say slush is the worst to drive on, especially around turns. Around slushy bends in the road, although the fronts don't grab perfectly, I never had to worry about fully losing traction. They'd rotate maybe once or twice and then find a place to grip again.

Ice (I feel this category is just as important, and worth noting seperately): Very good for a studless tire. After I detailed my car two days ago, there was obviously a good layer of black ice on my driveway. I had to put my mom's Pathy into 4WD to make it up, but my Max took it like a champ. This is the first tire that I've been able to start my car on my driveway (its a hill) and be able to make it up no problem in winter.

Overall: A snow tire's snow tire. I was really impressed. I don't think the Max is the best car in the snow, but these tires make up for it and then some. They're pretty soft, and probably won't last that long, and are pretty pricey (Xmas present). I'll update this as new obstacles come along (highway drive back to school, driving at school. they apparently don't think its fun to plow the roads around my school, and my campus is literally a mountain). Highly recommended for those up north that have to deal with alot of winter conditions (read: not just snow, but ice/slush), especially when combined with good ol' hills.

I'll get some photos up in a little bit, and sorry for the delay in adding my review to your thread irish, I wanted a bit more time with them so I could give a better review.

Update (2/13/06): Just drove directly through the huge blizzard from northern CT to PA. Saw countless cars in the median (including big rigs), a couple jack knifed tractor trailers. I was the only car I saw on the road through CT (the rest were SUV's/trucks). I didn't see any road (all snow) until 684 in NY. The tires handled very well.

burnurass

iTrader: (21)

Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50

Size: 215/55/16 Mounted on 240SX (s14) rims. 16", +40 offset

Description: Dedicated studless snow and ice tire. Really the first studless ice and snow tire made.

Dry: These tires are designed for snow use and therefore do not handle as well as an all-season tire in dry conditions. Due to the deep (13/32), blocky tread pattern there is tread-block squirm at high speed. Dry traction is acceptable....but no WOT in first and sometimes second gear. Turns you have to take a little more carefully as the tread is so soft and thick.

Wet: No problems in the rain....again....just don't drive like a maniac and you'll be fine.

Snow: This is my first experience with snow tires and now it won't be my last! It's amazing how much bite they have in the snow...sometimes I wonder how I survived past winters on all season and ONE season on SUMMER TIRES. Definately a good safety item to have on the car and well worth the money.

Ice: These tires are as good as it gets on the ice without being studded. Their special multi-cell technology makes a huge difference, especially when there is a little wet snow, slush covering the ice.

I've gone to Vermont through snow storms with these tires and it's absolutely awesome.

My car is a 2003 Maxima SE so it came with the 17" tires. Per tire...it was almost $50 more for 17" snows vs. 16" snows so I found some S14 rims (bought them off my friend) and mounted the 16" snow tires on them. Here's a pic to give you an idea:

Ammi

iTrader: (26)

Continental ContiWinterContact TS810

225/50/17 on 5.5 OEM wheels

Performance winter

Dry: Typical snow tires. Can't be compared w/ all season or summer tires

Wet: Excellent. Yet to hydroplane.

Snow: Excellent. Good bite on snow, grips well.

Overall: Good quality tires w/ good treadlife, good grip and low noise.

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

Cooper WeatherMaster S/T 2



-205/65/15 (stock 3rd gen size) mpunted on steelies.

-Mud and Snow rated (meets severe snow definition) Mine are also studded with steel studs.

-Dry performance is below average. Definitely not something to drive a lot on pavement, especially studded like mine are. The tires are fairly loud and are built to clear themselves of mud and snow, so they have a little bit of rumble to them. They handle OK on dry pavement, but I generally try to dismount them if we have a long stretch of dry or warm weather. I have driven over 75 mph on the freeway and I don't feel unsafe, but they definitely are snow tires.

-Wet performance is good for normal driving, but below average for high speed/aggressive driving (not recommended). The chunky tires clear themselves of water well and are really good in standing water to avoid hydroplaning.

-These tires are fantastic in snow and ice. I have no traction problems at all. The only thing I worry about when driving my Maxima in snow or ice is the clearance of the car itself. They grip well for accelerating and stopping.

I live on top of a big hill. I would rather drive my Maxima with these tires to get to work and back than drive our QX4 with brand new all-season tires. I have driven in ice, snow, rain, slush and never had a problem with them. I would recommend them if you get a lot of snow. They are dedicated snow/winter tires. They aren't even close to being all-season, not something I would run except in bad conditions.

I can't really comment on the wear, but they still work great. I have had them three seasons and I have driven maybe 2k miles on them. I have a garage, so I just take them off when the weather is better. Some years I change them 3-4 times in a winter.

bluesman

-Tire Brand/Model: Hankook W407 (actually the model replaced by it - I don't know the number, as I'm in the office right now)

-Tire size you used: 185/65-16 on 6.5x16 - Mini Cooper S

-Description of tire: high-performance snow tire

-Dry performance: much better than the Blizzak WS-50s on my sons' Honda; quieter than my summer 17" Parada Spec2s and smoother riding (no surprise there); no problem with the squirming on dry pavement that's bad enough to be scary with Blizzak 50s; Paradas bite a little better.....

-Wet performance: minor 'planing through deep standing water over 50; a hair more of this than with the Semperit snows we put on our son's Mini; pretty good grip on wet roads overall - no surprises, no complaints

-Snow and/or ice performance: not quite as good in deep snow as the WS-50s, about the same as the Semperits, did fine in Massachusetts winters; as good as any non-studded tires I've used on ice - again, no surprises, no mishaps

I don't know how well the wider ones perform on our Nissans, but I'd buy them again in a minute - they were inexpensive and perform great. Also wear very well - measured tread depth down 3/16" from new after 2 seasons (before Thanksgiving to Easter).

igzy

iTrader: (18)

Michelin Alpine Arctic 205/65R15 mounted on steelies
Standard winter tire Q rated for speed
Dry handles average and soft as expected from this tire size
Wet is excellent and sticks well to the road
Snow and ice is excellent too

Got them used with about 11-12/32" thread. I drove two winters on them and put about 30-40K on them. I needed to balance them at least once a season as they do wear faster than all-season tires and as I found it common with Michelin tire wear. Tire performed excellent in sub-32F temperatures. One thing I did not like about them was that they were Q-rated and I had to watch my speed. Otherwise, of the line it owns the road I'm at 5/32" thread now, which is minimum for this winter tire and I will be looking for a new pair of winter tires for this coming season...

redwagon29

iTrader: (2)

Conti Winter Contact TS790V

On a 1997 Maxima SE with stock 16 inch rims. (215/55-16 size)

Description: A performance winter tire designed for the European Winters with high speed highway travel. It is designated to trade a little bit of winter traction for the high speed capabilities, with a bit of a stiffer sidewall than normal winters, but still better than an all-season performance.

Dry Performance: Since I just got these tires earlier this month I've put just under a 1000 miles on them. Most of my driving has been highway to work and back from college, but with some back roads. The cornering is decent (obviously nothing like the 18s I had on in the summer) but the traction is unbelieveable. It grips the road extremely well (which I hope it will do in the snow as well). But at speeds on the highway exceeding 80 I feel very confident switching lanes etc. Compared to the Proxies4 on 18s that I had on it this summer I actually prefer the way this tire handles. Obviously it probably wouldn't be the same with warmer temps.

Wet Performance - It's too early for the snow, but I'll update after a couple of snowstorms. Rain/hydroplaning resistance is excellent though, and once again I would say better than my 18s. I'd definetly recommend this tire, I paid under 400 dollars for all 4 shipped to my door on a closeout special at the Tire Rack.


The format:

-Tire Brand/Model
-Tire size you used (and the rim size used, i.e. 17x7.5")
-Description of tire - is it a high-performance winter tire, a studded ice tire, standard non-high-performance snow tire
-Dry performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Wet performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
-Snow and/or ice performance.

Cite some example of how well or how poorly it worked, post some photos to illustrate.

mikek78

Viking Snowtech (by Continental)
215/55R16
Very Good Dry performance
Excellent Wet Performance
Very good snow performance
Very Good Ice performance
Unbeatable price.

merlin2375

iTrader: (3)

Tire Brand/Model
Bridgestone Blizzack WS-50

Tire size you used (and the rim size used, i.e. 17x7.5")
205 65r15 (15" rim). 15" rims can fit on a 2001 Maxima with no problem. They clear the stock calipers without issue. They are steel rims.

-Description of tire - is it a high-performance winter tire, a studded ice tire, standard non-high-performance snow tire
This is a studless winter/snow tire

Dry performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
I do a lot of highway driving as well as in town driving. I found these tires to be excellent in dry conditions. They hold the road well and corner well as well. The only downside to these tires is they are a little bit noisy. To put this in perspective, it's loud but unbearable. If you listen to music, you won't have an issue overall but it can be slightly annoying when making a phone call. You'll get used to it.

I read a bunch before getting them and realized that many people said that they would feel "squirmy" on dry pavement but I haven't found this to be the case.

Wet performance (compare it to other "non-snow" tires you've used)
Excellent rain performance. High confidence when driving in rainy and wet conditions. At least as good as any all season I've ridden on.

Snow and/or ice performance.
Top notch, no complaints. Eats through the snow well. They aren't a license to drive like a maniac (no snow tires are) but there doesn't seem to be much that can stop these tires.

I rate these highly, as has just about everyone else but hey it's another review

frankd121

iTrader: (1)

Tire Brand/Model: Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50

Tire size: 215/55/R16 (16" rim).

Description of tire: Studless winter/snow tire

Dry performance:
The tires perform decently on dry pavement. At highway speeds, (70-75 mph), the tires tend to sqirum. Also, they are noisier than the all seasons/summer tires that I've had in the past, but not much noisier (e.g. you can tell the difference when you have the radio volume down). I don't really push these tires (seeing that they're snow tires, and I generally don't drive like a maniac), but they drive fine around town and on the highway.

Cornering wise, they don't feel as firm as my all-seasons mounted on the stock 17" wheels, but I'm attributing most of the differences to the larger sidewall/smaller wheel size.


Wet performance:
Good rain performance. These tires definitely feel better going through heavy rain at highway speeds.

Snow and/or ice performance:
Excellent performance. I can pretty much tackle through deeps snow, slushy snow, and hard packed snow. I had a lot of traction problems with my all seasons once the snow started building up on the roads. These tires do have noticeably better grip on ice than the all seasons that I've had.

I highly recommend these tires to anyone in areas that see a lot of snow.

Coop

This year we clutched up and bought 4 snowys for our 2002 SE (6 speed manual). We live at about 1000 feet in the hills above Vancouver. At the top of Westwood Plateau for the locals. My estimate is we had 6' plus since Christmas.

Bridgestone WS 60 215 60 R16 95Rs mounted on Blues Brothers style black steel rims.

Dry Performance. At least competent. Safe and predictable.

Wet Performance. Same or better. Noisy.

Snow. Money! We could basically plow the stuff with our bumper. We regualarly passed SUVs and AWD cars with No Season tires.

Ice. Money! Regularly drive my son down the hill at 4:30 AM to work on very icy roads. Never a problem.

Snow covered Ice. Always sketchy but way better then anything else in this condition.

Overall. I can't believe there is a better tire for the car we own for our situation then these.

riverrats923

- Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

- Tire: 225/45-17; Rim: 17x7.5

- Performance Winter tires developed for sports cars, coupes and sedans that come from the factory equipped with low profile tires mounted on large diameter alloy wheels

- Dry performance: Very good, feels a little squishy when flooring it from a stop, hitting unfortunately large bumps, and under hard cornering, but doesn't lose grip or act unpredictably. Road noise nonexistant as far as I could tell. Probably half the days from Oct to Apr saw dry pavement, and tread still looks like new. Nowhere near as good as the Kumho Ecsta SPTs in the summer, but still plenty good to drive spiritedly in winter.

- Wet performance: Excellent, as long as the LSD was on I never lost traction or slipped even a little in any type of rain or wet roads. Performance on wet pavement was very close to Kumho Ecsta SPTs.

- Snow and ice: Phenomenal. Drove through multiple blizzards with visibility being the only thing stopping me from going faster at any point. Best example would be driving near Buffalo in January and plowing through one of the worst blizzards I've been in doing 85. The massive line of people in the right lane doing 40 were honking and flashing their lights and all kinds of stuff. Drove in freezing rain only one night the entire winter and though I was being cautious the grip was still amazing and I never lost traction.

BluFlame

iTrader: (2)

studdable snow, I use it without studs,

A on snow , deep snow, controls and tracks straight.
A+ on slush/rain, no hydroplane at all.
B+ on ice, but I never had problem getting started on hills covered with bare ice. I have no ABS thats why stopping was the issue. I assume with studs this would be perfect.
B- on dry, squirmy a bit, I have 70 series on 15".

Noise level is very low, tires made in germany, part of continental group.
terrain: north west mass, steep hills, heavy snow ice,wet snow, unplowed rural roads, temps below 20F. (not your dc-nj kinda winter)

sdg1871

I generally agree with this review. I'm run this tire for 5-6 years. It is one of the best performing dedicated snow tires in dry weather but is only fair in the snow. It is no Blizzak in the snow. But it is perfect for a climate, such as New York City, that gets snow occassionally. If I lived somewhere where it snowed a lot in the winter, this would not be my snow tire.

amansour14

I have 2002 nissan Maxima Se ... for some reason it is not good in the snow ..
anyone can help please ?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

this is a snow tire thread. does your car have snow tires? if not, that might be why it sucks in snow. that and it's 2wd. that and you might not have a limited slip diff.

daroccot

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 Studded. http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=1...akkapeliitta 5

-235/50R18 101T XL on 18x8 aftermarket rims

-Car is 2009 Maxima Sport pkg

-Premium studded winter tire

-Dry performance is pretty good (as good as the RS-A's that came on the car) though I'm hesitant to push hard on dry pavement as I don't want to tear a stud out.

-Wet performance very good, better than factory RS-A's though it doesn't rain much in the winter here, too cold.

-Snow and/or ice performance... there is no comparison, these are the best winter tires out there, compared to x-ice/alpine, hankook ipike (studded), toyo G2 studless, and other budget type tires I have had in the past. The reinforced sidewalls are nice giving sharp turn in responce unlike many squishy sidewalls I have experienced in the past.

Grip in snow is phenominal, pulling into my garage (20-25° slope) i have zero wheel spin when starting from a dead stop. On another vehicle (older BMW) with these tires I ran on a frozen lake topping speeds of 85mph.

rog

Would it be OK to have snow tires just on the front or do really need 4 tires.

Thanks
rog

Kryogen

how do the hakapelita 5 studded compare to the new studless blizzak WS70?

Im hesitant to go to the studded route, because of the slipping on water/dry road.
The advantage is better pure ice grip.

Still have not made up my mind but I need new tires for this winter so i'll hae to choose. really its betweek hakapelita 5 studded or ws70

Dominicanaso

iTrader: (4)

Noobs don't understand this is review not discussion
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-70

Size: 235/55/17 All around on 5.5 Gen Wheels.

Dry performance: Put them on when there was absolutely no snow. Griped amazing no complaints here and minor sound can barely hear it but I pay close attention to everything.

Wet: Corners really well even with heaven rain when I say well I mean at 65 mph without any shake. Yes I tested it to the limit.

Snow: Great! We got a storm with about 6-8 inches and it was amazing! I had never had snow tires before so this was different but you can pass people and leave them standing still in these when snowing. Never do you feel like you lose control. Grips very well. Soft snow or unplowed snow nothing stops them. I took it through some back roads which hadn't been touched. Plowed through it look a champ.

Overall - I won't get a different snow tires again. This is one of the more affordable Bridgestone Blizzak tire out of the series and it has not failed me yet. I actually feel safe and I have outperformed some AWD cars believe it or not

Pictures later. An possibly some videos..