All-season tires or snow tires?
Even if your car has traction control or an ABS braking system, those features won't improve traction on snow and ice. Experts at The Tire Rack say only snow tires will actually improve grip on snow and ice. And although all-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive is an advantage, you'll still improve safety by swapping your summer or all-season tires for winter tires. Snow tires also use a softer rubber compound, so they stay flexible at lower temperatures.
Though you might be tempted to buy just two winter tires for your drive axle, every expert we found says this isn’t a great idea. That’s because mixing winter and all-season tires can lead to poor handling balance. The Toronto Star’s John Mahler says that this strategy can be dangerous in skid situations, as the front wheels get different traction than the rear wheels. All experts say four winter tires are your best bet, and even inexpensive winter tires will do better in ice and snow than all-season tires.
Plus-sizing is popular for summer tires; plus-sizing means choosing a larger wheel size and corresponding tire than originally specified for your vehicle. For example, if your car specifies a wheel size of 16-inches, increasing wheel size by one inch would result in a 17-inch wheel, or 'Plus One' for your vehicle. The tire you buy will then need to have a shorter sidewall and wider tread to accommodate the same load and tire diameter.
Although many drivers are doing this for cosmetic reasons -- a larger wheel and narrower tire has a sportier look -- reviews say plus-sizing is a bad idea for winter tires. That's because wider tires must carve a wider path through snow; that means more resistance and drag. Instead, experts recommend using a narrow winter tire. Narrower tires can more easily cut a path through snow and slush. You can also "minus size" your original tire size by selecting a narrower tread and smaller wheel size. This can also save you some money, since narrower tires and smaller wheels are usually cheaper than wider tires with larger wheels.
Winter tires are generally Q or H rated. H-rated tires are rated up to 130 miles-per-hour. Q-tires are rated up to 99 miles-per-hour. When it comes to winter tires, however, the speed rating translates a bit differently. Consumer Reports says that more expensive H-rated tires generally get better performance at lower speeds in ice and snow. Q-rated winter tires are usually less expensive.
Best snow tires for cars
While they are popular in Scandinavia and parts of North America with the harshest winters, studded tires are not as popular in most of the U.S. Studs are small metal spikes imbedded in the tire tread by the tire dealer. Most reviews acknowledge that studs are a big help on ice, though they don't make much of a difference on snow. Because studs contribute to road damage, however, many areas restrict their use. Studded tires are also a lot noisier than non-studded tires. While Consumer Reports says studded tires are still best if you live in a region where icy conditions are prevalent, non-studded tires are the best choice for most people.
In the most recent tests, several non-studded tires come close to matching studded tires for performance on ice. Improvements in materials and tread design help boost ice traction. At Aftonbladet, the top non-studded tire, the Continental Viking Contact 3, isn't available in the U.S., but the Gislaved SoftFrost 2 (*est. $85) is. Swedish Gislaved tires are marketed in the United States by Continental, but they are sometimes hard to find. Two more widely available tires tie in performance with the Continental and the Gislaved tires, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi (*est. $90) and the Michelin X-Ice (*est. $80).
Reviews say the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi is a high quality non-studded tire, with excellent ice braking and acceleration, aw well as very good snow traction. The Nokian also rides a bit better and is quieter than some other winter tires. The one area where the Nokian does not excel is on wet asphalt, where it is more prone to hydroplaning than others.
The Michelin X-Ice replaced Michelin's popular Arctic Alpin series last year and has since received excellent reviews overall. Editors at Aftonbladet say the X-Ice really has no serious drawbacks, with very good ice and snow traction. Testers say the Michelin X-Ice is a very predictable tire, which means handlng is controlled and calm. As with the Nokian, the Michelin is best for harsh winters; it doesn't do as well on wet and dry asphalt, where it can be prone to hydroplaning.
If your winters are not particularly harsh, the Viking Snow Tech (*est. $45) is a good choice, according to reviews. While its snow and ice performance can't match the Michelin X-Ice or Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi, the Viking excels on wet and dry pavement, and it better resists hydroplaning. It also rides better and is quieter than other tires. If your winters are not too extreme, the Snow Tech is a good budget choice. The Viking is marketed in the U.S. by Continental.
Studded snow tires
Studdable snow tires can be used without studs, although once you've driven on them without studs, you lose the option of having them installed later. It's possible to install studs, then remove them later if the tread hasn't worn too much, but with 80 to 100 studs per tire, it will take a while to remove them all. We saw the Hankook W404 (*est. $55) tested both with and without studs, but it doesn't do well in either test. At Aftonbladet, the budget Hankook tire loses grip in all conditions, and it doesn't recover well in skids. When tested without studs, the Hankook isn't much better. Ice and snow traction is merely average, and it is prone to hydroplaning on wet or slushy roads.
Among studded snow tires, there are several excellent options, however. In fact, in Aftonbladet's latest 2005 winter-tire test, it's a five-way tie for first, though several of these aren't sold in the U.S, including the Michelin X-Ice North, Continental Winter Viking 2 and Uniroyal MS Plus Nordic. The Gislaved NordFrost 3 (*est. $90) and Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 (*est. $90) can be found in the U.S. In reviews, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 never loses grip and is easy to control. The Gislaved NordFrost 3 is its equal, with fast responsiveness and excellent grip in snow and ice. The Pirelli Winter Carving (*est. $70) ranks a bit behind the Nokian and Gislaved, but it's also a little less expensive.
Snow tires for light trucks and SUVs
If you live in a mild climate, owners of trucks and SUVs can get by with all-terrain tires. Since SUVs and trucks are heavier than cars, that's an advantage in inclement weather. Still, installing dedicated winter tires will further improve traction and handling in the harshest conditions.
As for SUV/light truck winter tires, we saw far fewer evaluations for these. The truck variant of Bridgestone’s Blizzak tire, the Bridgestone Winter Dueler DM-Z2 (*est. $100) is a favorite at The Tire Rack. The Dueler is tested against the Michelin 4x4 Alpin (*est. $100), and while the Alpin gets high scores for dry road handling, the Dueler surpasses it on ice driving.
The truck version of the Michelin X-Ice is Michelin Latitude X-Ice (*est. $110), and while we did not see it tested against others, Toronto Star columnist John Mahler writes that the X-Ice is a big improvement over the older Arctic Alpin.
Important Snow-Tire Features
Choose a tire type and size to suit your vehicle and driving conditions:
Narrower tires are better when it comes to driving in ice and snow. Although wider tires with corresponding larger wheels are a popular look these days, reviews say narrower tires are best for cutting a path through snow and slush. It's best to go with the tire size specified for your vehicle, or even switch to a compatible narrower tire with a smaller wheel.
Studded vs. studless tires? Studded tires generally do better on ice than non-studded tires. Studs make little difference in snow. Studded tires are noisier as well. Editors at Consumer Reports say your choice comes down to your climate; if you regularly deal with icy roads, studded tires are the way to go.
Get four matching winter tires. Although it may be tempting to just buy two snow tires for your drive axel, reviews say that's a bad idea. Different tires react differently, and non-matching tires can deliver unpredictable handling.
Winter tires wear faster than regular tires, so timing is important when installing and uninstalling. Snow tires don't come with treadwear ratings. Their softer rubber compound and deeper treads wear down more quickly than all-season tires. You'll want to install them before the weather turns, but you'll also want to remove them promptly in the spring.
Tires come in varying sizes. You can find out what size tires are right for your vehicle by consulting your owner's manual or by looking on the sidewalls of the tires currently on your vehicle. Tire sizes are represented by a ratio followed by a whole number. The ratio comprises the width in millimeters and the percentage of that width that makes up the profile (the distance between the rim and the outer edge of the tire); the whole number is the rim diameter in inches. A tire with a size of 215/60 16 is 215mm wide, 129mm (60% of 215) from the ground to the rim, and is intended for a 16-inch wheel.
Tire manufacturers use letters to represent the maximum speed (in miles per hour) at which a tire should be driven. There are about twenty different speed ratings, but the most common are Q (up to 99 mph), S (up to 112 mph), T (up to 120 mph), H (up to 130 mph), V (up to 149 mph) and Z (169 mph and above). Snow tires most commonly have a Q rating.
John
