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Well... we got 6 inches of the predicted 1-3 inches. I'm not complaining. So the wife needed something for the Church Xmas party tomorrow, at the Hannaford in town(Bar Harbor). Then she decided she didn't need it since driving in snow makes her horribly complainey and scared. This undoubtedly developed from her experiences driving RWD cars with bias ply summer tires in SNOW back in the 80's in a Ford Maverick.
But I convinced her to go into town with me. The roads were sort of plowed but it has been snowing pretty hard, so really not. I drove out in the Pontiac Torrent(Chevy Equinox by any other name) AWD with the new Nitto SN2 tires(not the Subaru Impreza with the General Altimax Arctics. Loss of traction is easy to see in the Tor-Nox, the AWD comes on because the front tires slip(full time FrontWD, part time AWD) more than 1/4 turn(just a fraction of a second at any speed above 5 miles an hour) and the yellow traction light comes on.
At no time did the light come on. So I gunned it a few times, and it did come on briefly(like 1/2 sec) as the rear wheels immediately grabbed traction, and then the light went off as the fronts stopped slipping.
Other than that it was pretty much like driving in dry pavement. Stopping was just as easy. Cornering was like dry pavement at any speed I tend to drive in snow with other people on the road with me. It would be fun to see what its like in a place where I don't have to worry about rolling over or hitting other idiots on the road. My driveway is now glaze ice with a 2 inch layer of snow on it--on a slight grade UP. AWD drive does not come on even driving up very slowly.
I worked in Canada for seven years. My company car was a Ford Explorer. The policy was to go 50,000 miles and trade it for a new one. Around 94 or 95 Ford came out with the V-8 full time 4WD Explorer. The earlier one had V-6 and an automatic 4WD engagement. Going up a hill it would kick in and out numerous times. That full time 4WD in the V-8 was wonderful.
My boss said I could have any vehicle I wanted as long as it was a Ford. My predecessor drove a full size sedan. They wondered why I wanted the Explorer. They considered it to be like a truck and it would not ride well. I told them I didn't want it for the highway. I wanted it for the parking lots. Paper mills are at the bottom of the hill by the river. Getting out of the parking lot when it has been snowing all day and you were in the mill was a challenge in a regular car. They saw the wisdom in that.
I worked in Canada for seven years. My company car was a Ford Explorer. The policy was to go 50,000 miles and trade it for a new one. Around 94 or 95 Ford came out with the V-8 full time 4WD Explorer. The earlier one had V-6 and an automatic 4WD engagement. Going up a hill it would kick in and out numerous times. That full time 4WD in the V-8 was wonderful.
My boss said I could have any vehicle I wanted as long as it was a Ford. My predecessor drove a full size sedan. They wondered why I wanted the Explorer. They considered it to be like a truck and it would not ride well. I told them I didn't want it for the highway. I wanted it for the parking lots. Paper mills are at the bottom of the hill by the river. Getting out of the parking lot when it has been snowing all day and you were in the mill was a challenge in a regular car. They saw the wisdom in that.
Blizzaks are modern day witch craft. Pure wizardry. I ran all-seasons on my AWD Santa Fe for 4 years before putting Blizzaks on in Dec '14. Wow, what a difference. To its credit, the Santa Fe did an admiral job with its all seasons, but dedicated studless winter tires are a no-brainer nowadays.
If you plan to do a lot of off-road mudding you need 4X4. I have had a few 4X4 vehicles, I currently have a '56 Willy wagon and it is great for off-roading.
For winter driving we have studded General Altimax Arctic tires on our daily vehicles. They work great.
I have not seen any head-to-head comparisons to the Bridgestone Blizzak yet.
I am certain that both would rate highly for ice and / or ice.
For winter driving we have studded General Altimax Arctic tires on our daily vehicles. They work great.
I have not seen any head-to-head comparisons to the Bridgestone Blizzak yet.
I am certain that both would rate highly for ice and / or ice.
In the Tire Rack rating system, the worst winter tire from the best is less than one percentage point(6.37 to 7.01). In the Canadian system of Tire rating, the worst winter tire around 8.2 in the rating system(best winter tire being around 9.0) is two full percentage points above the best all season(6.2 to 8.2).
Blizzaks, Michelins, Nittos, Generals all rate between 8.7 and 9.1. All seasons rate between 4.0 -6.2(the michelins at the top) in winter conditions.
You can see that if you purchase an inexpensive General or Notto winter tire, you will only be .4 point below the very very best which cost $175 a tire. But an inexpensive all season will be as much as 5 points below the best winter tire. That's not even in the same league. Its the major leagues compared to a Junior High Team.
You really want to be riding on the Junior High Team in ice and snow? Not me. I value my life and the life of others greater than that, not to mention the hassle of property damage issues, and inconvenience.
I'm philosophically opposed to studded tires, thus my choice of the Blizzaks.
Me too..... Besides, the studs are great the first year, but as soon as they wear down they its essentially a studless tire. I would prefer a tire which was designed to provide super traction without studs first.
The Nittos have walnut shells ground up in the tread compound, and so they tend to be really scratchy at the microscopic level.
In the Tire Rack rating system, the worst winter tire from the best is less than one percentage point(6.37 to 7.01). In the Canadian system of Tire rating, the worst winter tire around 8.2 in the rating system(best winter tire being around 9.0) is two full percentage points above the best all season(6.2 to 8.2).
Blizzaks, Michelins, Nittos, Generals all rate between 8.7 and 9.1. All seasons rate between 4.0 -6.2(the michelins at the top) in winter conditions.
You can see that if you purchase an inexpensive General or Notto winter tire, you will only be .4 point below the very very best which cost $175 a tire. But an inexpensive all season will be as much as 5 points below the best winter tire. That's not even in the same league. Its the major leagues compared to a Junior High Team.
You really want to be riding on the Junior High Team in ice and snow? Not me. I value my life and the life of others greater than that, not to mention the hassle of property damage issues, and inconvenience.
All winter tires are better suited for winter, as compared to all summer tires. I agree.
I'm philosophically opposed to studded tires, thus my choice of the Blizzaks.
Go into any high-taxed city you will see sparks flying from the edge of the plow blades. Those edges must be replaced every year, as they grind away.
Are you opposed to the wear on the pavement?
I suspect there is far more pavement damage from plow blades than from studs.
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