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I've been researching some tires that are called "variable condition" or "all weather tires"....not to be confused with "all season". Consumer Reports says they tested better than some snows (not all, but some). Would be nice to have only 4 tires and not swap them out (vs 8 and having to swap them out).
Appears though the very best snow tires are still the best with breaking on ice and traction on snow.
My husband and I want our tires to be the best for the current season and conditions. And we also enjoy driving on the twisty country roads. Therefore, all of our cars each have a set of good summer tires on alloy rims and a set of snow tires on steel rims.
Snow tires are made of a different rubber compound that doesn't get as hard in sub-zero temperatures (but the downside is that these tires get really too soft in high temperature conditions). And the treads are deeper and designed to prevent snow from being compacted inside the treads.
And I love my summer tires for being firmer rubber in warm weather and being grippy on the entrance and exit ramps on the highways. But the treads are not deep enough for dealing with snow covered roads. And the summer rubber formula gets too hard when the temperatures dip below freezing.
And my car feels better with summer tires, it's like the difference between wearing sneakers and hiking boots.
IMO all season tires are just too much of a compromise because of the huge seasonal differences in New England's weather. And we're all about safety first on the roads.
My husband and I want our tires to be the best for the current season and conditions. And we also enjoy driving on the twisty country roads. Therefore, all of our cars each have a set of good summer tires on alloy rims and a set of snow tires on steel rims.
Snow tires are made of a different rubber compound that doesn't get as hard in sub-zero temperatures (but the downside is that these tires get really too soft in high temperature conditions). And the treads are deeper and designed to prevent snow from being compacted inside the treads.
And I love my summer tires for being firmer rubber in warm weather and being grippy on the entrance and exit ramps on the highways. But the treads are not deep enough for dealing with snow covered roads. And the summer rubber formula gets too hard when the temperatures dip below freezing.
And my car feels better with summer tires, it's like the difference between wearing sneakers and hiking boots.
IMO all season tires are just too much of a compromise because of the huge seasonal differences in New England's weather. And we're all about safety first on the roads.
Thanks for the excellent info Miu. The article I read on Consumer Reports said "all weather/variable condition" tires shouldn't be confused with "all season". Apparently they are different and work more like snow tires in winter, but also can be used year around. But I'm far from an expert just read that one article. What month do you usually put the snow tires on? I'm thinking maybe early Nov?
I know that having two sets of tires is more money, but we were able to find cheap used steel rims of craigslist. And IMO we save in the long run by being able to keep our cars and ourselves safe for many years by having better car control and avoiding dire road situations.
My favorite snow tires are Nokians. But I do fine with a lesser tire (I can't remember what it is at the moment). We buy our tires online from Tire Rack and have our local area tow garage put them on rims for us. We've found the Tire Rack reviews to be spot on.
Otherwise, should you ever buy Blizzaks, after the first winter season, please be diligent about checking the tread depth on them. Those tires have a layer of sticky rubber for tread, but after it wears down, the base of the tire is regular tire rubber... and not at all grippy.
I know that having two sets of tires is more money, but we were able to find cheap used steel rims of craigslist. And IMO we save in the long run by being able to keep our cars and ourselves safe for many years by having better car control and avoiding dire road situations.
My favorite snow tires are Nokians. But I do fine with a lesser tire (I can't remember what it is at the moment). We buy our tires online from Tire Rack and have our local area tow garage put them on rims for us. We've found the Tire Rack reviews to be spot on.
Otherwise, should you ever buy Blizzaks, after the first winter season, please be diligent about checking the tread depth on them. Those tires have a layer of sticky rubber for tread, but after it wears down, the base of the tire is regular tire rubber... and not at all grippy.
Thanks for the helpful info. I agree with you, I think its worth the safety and peace of mind to spend a few hundred bucks on switching out for snow tires and then getting the best snow tires.
Nokian WR G4s are unlike other "all seasons" and really are 4-season tires. I have had 3 sets from this series - one set of WR G2s, two sets of WR G3s, and will be buying their 4th generation WR G4s within a year. At least for me, there is nothing else I'd try to run year round. Most all-seasons are a death-trap in winter, and most winter tires handle poorly when pushed hard and wear quickly, in summer. These are different, and provide good year round performance.
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