2024 Snow Tires

[Danno]

I ran 3PMSF on my car for years, year-round. Almost every set would feel confidence-inspiring in snow when they were new, with a decrease in snow ability over time (sometimes a big decrease). That is to be expected. Generally felt pretty capable in snow (big 4wd SUV with those ties is generally gonna do well).

Last February, I got a set of rims and Blizzaks, and the difference in snow performance was quite noticeable (and the tires that had been on it were pretty darned new). Maybe it only was 5% difference as schuss speculates, but 5% is a lot when you're driving in snow! And I found I could confidently plow through things that might have made me a little nervous before.

Anecdotally exactly what one would expect.

I probably didn't *need* Blizzaks, but my next non-snow tire tire purchase will be something much better for highway and longer lasting, something I could not buy if I was running the same set year-round.

[XXX-er]

With dedicated snows my summer tires are sitting in the shed for 5 months of the year so obviously everything lasts longer with 2 sets of tires

yeah it is more expensive but it is mo safer ever notice in snow tire threads the convo is about cost not performance or safety ?

[Danno]

The only real cost IMO was the set of rims. And of course you need to have space to store the second set of tires.

[Beaver]

Like xxx-er I have w sets, summers run 5 months/year. Over the lifetime of the tires it's not really much more expensive if they're mounted on rims and you take 45 minutes to swap them yourself.

Winters are not expensive at all when you compare them to the cost of the smallest dent in your fender.

[XXX-er]

Like xxx-er I have w sets, summers run 5 months/year. Over the lifetime of the tires it's not really much more expensive if they're mounted on rims and you take 45 minutes to swap them yourself.

Winters are not expensive at all when you compare them to the cost of the smallest dent in your fender.

best case scenario a trip to the ditch is gona cost 4 figures OR maybe you die ?

back when i was a road warrior after every good snow fall I would be booking for Mackenzie , I would almost always see 2 vehicals usually 4wd upside down in the ditch cuz on 97due narth of PG the arctic front would work up/ down so the highway so the road would be Ok but its glare ice 10 kms later which you don't know, I learned to stab the brakes just to see if there was pavement or ice

i got a set of studded Hak LT3's with 60% tread on the (rusted) steelies I have to sell on FB cuz they don't fit a tundra so I will re-coup some to that 1800 i spent on them

i used to drink the odd beer with a BC highways guy and he said the way to do was always buy 10ply for your truck and then you run the same 10ply as on your truck for your trailer so you got alot of redundancy

[Toadman]

I haven't ever used a mileage guarantee on *any* tire - but it seems to be a bit of a differentiator if a manufacturer is willing to even throw that out there on a winter tire. Because like I said - I don't think *any* winter tire has offered a tread-life warranty before. But maybe they're just trying to sucker us.

I could see some clever consumers buying the X-ice and drive them year round in warmer climates and just coming in every 25k miles when the tread is worn down to 2/32" and getting a new set. Michelin is counting on a low redemption rate for mileage.

[skaredshtles]

I could see some clever consumers buying the X-ice and drive them year round in warmer climates and just coming in every 25k miles when the tread is worn down to 2/32" and getting a new set. Michelin is counting on a low redemption rate for mileage.

You'd think they would have considered that when offering the mileage warranty, though... perhaps they *actually* will go 40K miles? Even in warmer climes?

[Danno]

You don't get a new set if they don't last the full warranty amount, you get a prorated discount on a new set.

[alembical]

Have you tried any of the 3PMSF rated all season or all terrain tires?

I wouldn't think that Portland Oregon required true soft compound winter tires, but YMMV.

Yeah, I run those on our other car and I think they work great.... 99% of the time. Last year, wife had to cross country ski from the house to work, plus we have the 2nd set of wheels already.

[LongShortLong]

I could see some clever consumers buying the X-ice and drive them year round in warmer climates and just coming in every 25k miles when the tread is worn down to 2/32" and getting a new set. Michelin is counting on a low redemption rate for mileage.

I drive them year round. Usually replace after 3 seasons, around 40k, when I care about winter driving. That means I start a season at 0, ~15k, and ~28k. I think I got up to 60k on one set, not snow driving, and they were past due. Tire guy gave me a dirty look. X-Ice seems like a good tire for the yay area, where 80+% of a ski trip is on wet or dry pavement, and 80% of the drives are commutes. The math doesn't make sense to me to swap them so I don't. Staying out of the ditch on an icy road - that math works for me. I've never driven a dedicated summer tire, so I don't know what I'm missing. I hear they ride better, are quieter, and use more gas. Yeah, X-Ice is an eco LRR tire.

Dunno if X-Ice would work in say Sacramento where it's 100+ all summer.

[J. Barron DeJong]

If your day-to-day driving isn’t going to be in snow, then you might also consider something like a Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 or Michelin Pilot Alpin 5.

https://www.tire-reviews.com/Article...-Tire-Test.htm

In Europe they might call this a ‘winter’ tire, whereas things like Hakkas or Vikings would be ‘Nordic’ tires.

Still going to be better than a 3PMS in the snow and on ice, but better than a Nordic tire when it’s above freezing, and should have better wear as well.

[neufox47]

If anyone in the Tahoe area wants a pair of Nokian Hakkapelitta 8s on 16” Pilot wheels let me know. They have about half tread and have sat in my crawlspace (no light) for 2 winters now. $100.


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[skaredshtles]

If anyone in the Tahoe area wants a pair of Nokian Hakkapelitta 8s on 16” Pilot wheels let me know. They have about half tread and have sat in my crawlspace (no light) for 2 winters now. $100.


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Dammit. That's a really good price just for the rims.

[skaredshtles]

Related: Just bought a new set of X-Ice Snows for our Mazda to replace the ones that have been on the car since December 2020.

[XXX-er]

If anyone in the Tahoe area wants a pair of Nokian Hakkapelitta 8s on 16” Pilot wheels let me know. They have about half tread and have sat in my crawlspace (no light) for 2 winters now. $100.

cool thing with Haks is you don't have to guess how worn they are or stick coins in the tread

The wear indicator is a series of % numbers molded into the rubber, the numbers disappear as they wearaway so whatever number you see is how much tread is left, cool idea

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
The wear indicator is a series of % numbers molded into the rubber, the numbers disappear as they wearaway so whatever number you see is how much tread is left, cool idea

This is an excellent feature.

[singlesline]

Related: Just bought a new set of X-Ice Snows for our Mazda to replace the ones that have been on the car since December 2020.

Ugh, it is probably getting to be time to replace the set on my GTI. They are older than that and while they have a ton of tread left (barely see any mileage now that we have a second car), the rubber is bound to be getting hard which negates the primary benefit of winter tires.

[m2711c]

just do alot of weaving... that otta put enough heat in 'em to get optimal cornering gription.


fact.

[gaijin]

This is always the same conversation. People who only have one set of rims versus people trying to convince them to buy another set.

My dad raised me on BFG ATs. And I still can’t convince him that two sets of wheels is worth it.

Stubborn people be stubborn, yo.

And yes— studless tires do get hard over age, but even at five years they still outperform ATs.

Blizzaks are rad. Michelin are dope. A second set of steels isn’t that expensive.

That’s all I know.

Oh, and BFG ATs are neither rad summer tires, nor rad winter tires. They’re rad gravel road tires.


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[bigdude2468]

I don't think i could find the rims second hand cuz the truck is so fucking new that its a problem finding spare rims and I don't know if I could run 17's,

Kal wants 141$ each for the steelies so I'm gona check with my sales guy at Toyota to see if he has any ideas or connections or wtf

At 566 $ for spare steel rims I could also just forget about spare rims for now and swap tires until something shows up in the future

Don't be so sure, patience. We have a 2024 Grand Highlander Limited Hybrid, 20" wheels purchased in late April. I started checking on Facebook Marketplace and in late June I check and find four sets for sale, one about 40 miles away and a couple between 100 - 150 miles. One set are the polished chrome that come on the Platinum model. Seller tells me he hates the shiny chrome and the chrome is actually a plastic overlay on the wheel. Other models including the Limited are polished aluminum. I buy the four aluminum for $400, 40 miles away. Guy works for Discount Tires and they have a program where they store your winter or summer tires (for a fee) and do the switch each fall and spring. This past spring they call and email the owner to get his tires switched and never hear back so they sold the summer tires to someone else and I bought the wheels, a sweet deal. There were at least two other sets that I found on Marketplace so they are out there. Costco just put Michelin's on sale, I am getting the Michelin X Ice snow in the next month, had good luck with those on our previous vehicle which was a Ford Explorer.

[singlesline]

And yes— studless tires do get hard over age, but even at five years they still outperform ATs.

Where’s the cutoff? My X-ices might be from 2017?

Although they are also being swapped with performance all seasons, not ATs, so even bigger winter performance gains that likely remain as the rubber hardens.

[k2skier112]

Another vote for Nokian Hakka

[byates1]

Cooper discoverererer m&s here. Full time winter skier. 1100$ a set can't complain. I drive like an old man. Awd this thing is a tank.

[Jumper Bones]

Nokian Hakkas

[XXX-er]

You'd think they would have considered that when offering the mileage warranty, though... perhaps they *actually* will go 40K miles? Even in warmer climes?

Back in the day when i was a road warrior shit would fuck up all the time and I didn't have time to wank about

So when I blew a Hak the dealer Kal tire ( the exclusive Hak dealer in BC ) would give me a credit towards replacing both tires on an axle so i get 2 new tires they do all the math, they would hang on to the other tire for another customer and i was back on the road ... great service

i have bought tires from their used stock really cheap