Initial Review, 1350 Miles on Tires
December 24, 2008
I had originally wanted Blizzak WS50. Finding that model unavailable, and the replacement WS60 was rated similar to the Winterforce, I thought I'd save a few bucks and go with the Firestones. After a few months of use, including rain, snow and dry, I'd buy them all over again. I haven't had to use them in ice conditions, but we don't see a whole lot of that here-mostly just snow. I expected more road noise due to the tread design, but it's completely tolerable and I don't see how they could be quieter considering the intended purpose. It's just a light hum, honestly I've had more road noise with Michelin Symetry (an all season tire). The tread depth is impressive, we should get years of winter use from these.
The dry traction is fine, almost as good as the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus that we use in summer, but the snow traction has really transformed the car. With these tires and ESC, we're totally confident in any weather. The deep (over 6") snow traction is really pretty good. I've conducted 6 panic stops tests from over 50 MPH in 5-7" of snow, each test ended without excitement, and in distances much shorter than I had expected. Stability Control has something to do with the directional control, and the ABS helps, but the stopping distance was probably 60-70% of what I would have expected with an all season tire.
Living in the country, we had considered buying an all-wheel drive car, but these tires have eliminated that thought. Winterforce inspire confidence and are well worth having, even using just 4 months of the year. I've never used a dedicated snow tire on any car before, but I'm sold on the idea now. If you think you need a new set of all season tires just to make it through the winter, seriously consider a second set for winter, it's apples and oranges.
Tirerack made it easy, tires/wheels/covers were delivered mounted, balanced and aired to correct pressure. I've ordered from Tirerack before, and will continue to do so in the future