What are your favourite winter tires?

[Slipstream]

Currently I run the Michelin Alpin PA4 performance winter tires. They have been great but they are only so, so in deep snow...they are more of a dry winter performance tire. If I were to replace them now I would get the Continental Viking Contact 7. Heard a lot of great things about them. Good luck.

The Alpin PA4s are phenomenal as a winter tire, but I agree - they have limits in deep snow. If you're in the kind of climate that gets freezing cold and have decent road clearing services, the PA4s are a no-brainer. Legitimately the best winter tire I've ever owned for my usage. If you're out in unplowed snow alot though, I'd look at the X-ice or Hakkapeliittas (if you can find them).

 

[GenX Retread]

Tires went on today. The dealership tech was kind enough to mention that he removed one of the shipping pucks that got missed at the PDI (different dealership). So... yeah. This is how the springs are supposed to feel then? Nice.

These Michelin X-Ice Snows are like other winter tires I've had; a little more tread noise, and a little softer ride. What they DON'T have, is the incessant ROAR the original Pirelli P7's had, particularly over pebbled pavement. These tires ride quieter and comfier overall than the stock pieces of shit. On my 150Km commute home I noticed not one iota of extra gas consumption, which squares with the last pair of Michelin X-Ice tires I had, on a '12 Explorer.

I also had them install OEM mud/splash guards. I think they look good, so I'm happy. She's properly ready for winter now, which is here. It was -7°C on the way in this morning, and we had a few flakes of snow at the job site before lunch.

 

[snobrdrdan]

It was -7°C on the way in this morning, and we had a few flakes of snow at the job site before lunch.

I was just about to say....isn't it kind of early for snow tires, but I guess not

 

[GenX Retread]

I run them Thanksgiving to Easter, in maple units. Last year it was -20°C and heavy snow the third week of October. When I lived further North I ran them year round on several trucks.

The reason Canada isn't a superpower nation is because we have horrible weather. The forecast is for motorcycle weather again by the weekend.

 

[SteveRedGTI]

I was just about to say....isn't it kind of early for snow tires, but I guess not

I'm getting mine on today just to be the annual rush. Heading into a cold front now to bring our usual weather, in the 30's with some frosts. I don't intend to drive too much for a few weeks, just enough to break the new tires in. Most snows are funny that way.

 

[SteveRedGTI]

I like my X-Ice tires, honestly they are pretty quiet on the highway. I've had blizzaks WS80s and didn't really care for how they howled, they did good in deep snow but honestly no snow tire is going to save our low cars from deep deep snow.

Yeah, that's why I didn't sweat going to 17" rims too much. I resigned myself early on that if it snows a lot, my son with his Jeep will be driving me somewhere. I just knew the Pirellis weren't going far during moderate weather, and to get to the main road is all uphill for me.

 

[draftgli]

I found a set of 17” VW wheels locally last year, which had mint Continental Viking Contact 7’s already mounted on them. Well, 1 tire had a bulge, which the seller freely admitted up front. (The corresponding wheel was fine). In the end I bought the whole set from the seller and bought 1 new tire from tire rack - to replace the tire with the bulge.

I don’t know if I would have picked a continental tire if I had a clean slate - probably would have opted for Michelin or maybe Blizzaks. But for obvious reasons I ended up with the Continentals. Fortunately, they are awesome. Good all around - light or deep snow, ice, wet, heck they’re even decent if it’s dry. They’re also much quieter than my summer tires (in fairness they are some cheap junk the dealer put on before selling the car).

Anyway, I’ve only used them for the one season last winter…so jury is still out on durability. But so far I’m really impressed.

 

[SteveRedGTI]

I found a set of 17” VW wheels locally last year, which had mint Continental Viking Contact 7’s already mounted on them. Well, 1 tire had a bulge, which the seller freely admitted up front. (The corresponding wheel was fine). In the end I bought the whole set from the seller and bought 1 new tire from tire rack - to replace the tire with the bulge.

I don’t know if I would have picked a continental tire if I had a clean slate - probably would have opted for Michelin or maybe Blizzaks. But for obvious reasons I ended up with the Continentals. Fortunately, they are awesome. Good all around - light or deep snow, ice, wet, heck they’re even decent if it’s dry. They’re also much quieter than my summer tires (in fairness they are some cheap junk the dealer put on before selling the car).

Anyway, I’ve only used them for the one season last winter…so jury is still out on durability. But so far I’m really impressed.

Just picked mine up, the Blizzaks are so much quieter than the Pirellis I'm going to look for new tires next year. The Pirellis are so noisy it's the only thing I hate.

 

[GenX Retread]

Update on the X-Ice Snow; suffice it to say these tires lack somewhat in dry pavement traction. It's not unexpected, but requires thinking about them on days like today, when driving in a somewhat... envigorating fashion would be the norm. (It's 22°C right now.)

The X-Ice Xi2 tires I had on my '12 Explorer weren't this bad, and the current version of that tire might be a better choice if you won't see much soft snow on the regular. Those tires were quiet on dry pavement, and very good on hard packed snow, pretty good on ice. Not good on loose or deep snow though, even with AWD.

 

[cr_sti]

I’m going to get blasted for this I’m sure. I put the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 on my car. There weren’t many options in 19” so I decided to try them. I struggled to get the car loose in 2-3” of fresh snow. Partly melted snow into slush? No problem. Hard packed? They went. I watched 4x4 trucks slip and slide up hills with their AS tires and just cruise right on by.

I know I'm late to the party here for OP, but I love the Sottozero 3's. I got 225/50R17's on my winter setup, and confirm your comments. They do well in midwest wet snow, ice, hard pack etc.. Coming from Blizzak WSx0's (don't recall if 60 or 70), equivalent grip in slick conditions with much improved performance in the dry.

Would recommend.

 

[SteveRedGTI]

Update on the X-Ice Snow; suffice it to say these tires lack somewhat in dry pavement traction. It's not unexpected, but requires thinking about them on days like today, when driving in a somewhat... envigorating fashion would be the norm. (It's 22°C right now.)

The X-Ice Xi2 tires I had on my '12 Explorer weren't this bad, and the current version of that tire might be a better choice if you won't see much soft snow on the regular. Those tires were quiet on dry pavement, and very good on hard packed snow, pretty good on ice. Not good on loose or deep snow though, even with AWD.

I had the X Ice on my Avalon, and was ready to kill those that hyped it up as some fantastic and earth-shattering new tire. They handled great, and rode like a nice all season. But they wore poorly, and I had the worst experience in my life in rain or snow, slush they were useless. So when I hear about the new X-Ice snow I dismissed the test results out of hand. Coming from Tirerack previous reports, I was not going to be the sucker again. I'm not sure why it's so hard to get honest reviews on tires, but it is. I demand great performance in winter conditions, because less than good is no fun at all.

 

[GenX Retread]

I expect these tires to perform very well in the awful conditions we drive in most of the winter. I'll update after I have some proper winter miles on them.

 

[fretburnr]

I have Michelin X-Ice 3 on my winter wheel set, and I don't like them very much.

Snow and ice traction are decent, but above-freezing wet grip is poor, and they are the squirmiest tires I've ever used; so much so that they don't hold a straight line going 60 on the highway. They are broken in with more than 2000 miles, so freshness and mold-release compound are not factors. The car's alignment is spot on, and it tracks true and drives great on the stock Pirellis and my Dunlop ZIII summers, so it's very specific to that set of tires.

The Xi3 characteristics are much like many Blizzaks I have used over the years, and all of which are reasons I don't choose them.

In the past I have been much happier with Dunlop Wintersports and other performance winter tires. Being in Chicago, most of the time I'm driving on cold wet or dry surfaces, not deep snow, so the straight line stability and turning responsiveness of a performance winter are much preferred.

 

[mud4]

Haven't seen it asked, but on the stock 18" wheels, what size tires can you put on safely? I was looking for General Altimax Winters but they don't come in the factory size for the GTI.

 

[OceanJack]

Haven't seen it asked, but on the stock 18" wheels, what size tires can you put on safely? I was looking for General Altimax Winters but they don't come in the factory size for the GTI.

My car is wearing 235 40 18 without any rubbing on stock Austins