High Performance Snow Tires

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 07, 2013

I have always prefered a Michelin tire, and have had great service from them over the years. The prices are high, and I have wondered if part of that is paying for the name? A few years ago, we purchased a new truck with General tires on it, and the tires performed flawlessly. In fact those 11 year-old Generals were are currently on a farm trailer, and show no signs of dry rot, or other problems. After much thought, I decided to give these Generals a try. These tires are very quiet and smooth. They have great resistance to hydroplaning, which is a feature that I like a lot. The tires are not great in the snow, but than a V-8 powered RWD car is not so great in the snow either. I have a designated AWD winter vehicle, so winter traction does not matter to me. We live in the mountains with lots of winding roads, and tires get punished around here. I have the car set up with a stiff aftermarket suspension, so it rides harsh and corners like a sports car. The car no longer handles like a traditional Crown Victoria. Infact this car has seen an AutoCross track more then once... The OE tires where very soft and the car had a tendency to oversteer with them on it. These tires take the curves very well. So far they have passed the test. I plan to purchase three more sets, one for my wife's Crown Vic, and two sets for our two vintage Pontiac Trans AM show cars. For the price, nothing else compares. General seems to have hit the mark!

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
April 25, 2013

Just put these on my Cayman after wearing out my second set of Michelin PS2's and taking off my Michelin Alpin winter tires. They look great. Very different feel. Immediately more comfortable - softer ride, quiet, but there's a slightly "floaty" feel and a brief delay when you turn the wheel before the car turns. Still grips on a hard curve, its just the connection between driver and road is a little fuzzy compared to the other tires which, frankly, are punishing as every day drivers. Was only getting 32,000 miles out of the PS2's and needed more durability for my dollar. Haven't driven them in rain or snow yet. Will update. So if you switch from a dedicated high performance summer tires, which are all considerably more expensive and last half as long, be prepared to trade off some precision for comfort.

Initial Review, 50,600 Miles on Tires
April 08, 2013

I have a set of these Michelin LX4 on my Odyssey EXL. I had always been happy with Michelin in the past on my Honda Accords and Nissan. They are generally more quiet than any other tires of comparable costs, particularly when they get olders (35K+). This set performs well for the most part with no exception. I rotated my tires every 7.5K so they wear evenly and keep the pressure between 35 to 40 psi depending on the weather (high pressure during the winter months). They are very quiet on the city and highway unless the road surface have grooves but never pave up in some states. I'd say that we did about 30K on high way and 20K in city. They are probably good for another 4-5K in the summer before I have to replace them. The tires traction is very good in dry, wet or light snow conditions now that the tread had worn out but it is used to be good in 4-6 in" of snow too when it was newer. I will likely replace them with the Michelin Defender which has a better tire life (60K+) for almost the same price. I think if the Defender is quiet as this tire, I will be happy.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

Purchased these to replace Bridgestone 960A/S that lasted 73000 and no longer had tread depth for any snow. The Conti DWS tires really offer a far superior winter experience. In icy slush last night I had no wheel slippage on fairly steep hills. Something the 960A/S could never have done even when new. The trade off is in dry handling: I notice more roll in turns and less on center feel. So far tire seems to be a little quieter. Overall very happy and after experiencing the winter performance would highly recommend.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 02, 2013

I purchased this tire to replace an aging set of Continental ContiProContact tires that were on the car when I bought it. Let me say first that these tires are an enormous upgrade over the Continentals. I commute 35 miles each way to work and the weather in Northeast Ohio is nothing if not unpredictable. These tires have given me a tremendous amount of confidence in every situation I've encountered. Wet and dry traction is outstanding but it's the wet traction that really stands out. I have never had more confidence at speed on slick roads. I enjoy throwing my car around as much as possible and these tires are an ideal compliment to my driving style. At highway speeds they are quiet, comfortable, and have a reassuring sense of straight ahead. I've made it through one winter now and although these tires are not particularly good in deep snow, they are passable. Performance in light snow is excellent. I would highly recommend these tires to anyone looking for a meaningful performance upgrade over a standard all season tire. In addition, with their combination of wet and dry capability, I think these tires are a tremendous value in the Ultra High Performance All-Season class.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 14, 2013

Amazing Snow and Ice performance out of these OE tires on my '13 Mustang GT. I had a CTS prior to this that I had equipped with Continental DWS high Performance All Season. The Caddy had to be parked if 2 snowflakes fell. I can drive the Mustang GT equipped with thes P Zeros all day in any weather (including light to medium SNOW) !

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
April 01, 2013

I just went through a winter that delivered record snowfalls and the tires performed as I had hoped they would - excellent. I drive in deep snow all the time and despite driving a high performance rear-wheel drive car, I had no problems driving on ice and deep snow on a regular basis. I put them to the test while driving through the Adirondacks in a blizzard after a day of skiing Whiteface...the tires got me through 6-8 inches of snow on the icy roads without a problem...even the step hills and sharp turns...outstanding winter tire fit for my car. I know winter and I love winter driving..great recommendation Tire Rack

Initial Review, 9,500 Miles on Tires
March 23, 2011

So here's an update after 9,500 miles or so. The tires performed well all winter, handling rain and snow as well as can be expected of an all season tire. They remained responsive, good handling, quiet and smooth, and I was happy with them until returning from a 900 mile trip. On the way home they developed a high speed vibration which was not cured by rotation and rebalance. In fact, the rebalance only found 2 tires out of balance by 0.25 oz! Finally, a road force balance by my Audi dealer found both right side tires were out of round.



The rotation/rebalance was routine, but the road force balance/diagnosis was expensive ($130). The really important fact is that TireRack and Yokahama stood behind the tires. Maggie at TireRack was exceptionally helpful and 2 replacement tires were provided without charge. How good is that?!



There seems to have been some change in the tires, as now they take a set when standing in cold weather, reminiscent of the old nylon tires. After a few miles they smooth out. I think this must be just the replacement tires, as it didn't happen before.



If the tires hold up and don't go out of round again I recommend them highly. And TireRack is exceptional - no reason to buy form any one else.

Initial Review, 19,000 Miles on Tires
April 05, 2013

Not understanding all the hate for this tire. Most likely it's because they come standard on 2010 thru 2013 GTI's and drivers who never experience sub-zero temperatures and snow have no need for an A/S tire on a high-performance car. As a result, they compare this tire to either max or extreme performance summer tires.
However, comparing this tire to the Kumho ECSTA 4X A/S tires on my son's Mazda 3, I would rate them at least as equals, and probably a bit better when below zero.
Additionally, using a regular rotation period of 5k miles, these tires demonstrate fantastic wear resistance. Currently at 19k miles and less than 50% wear. Very quiet on the freeway as well. The only negative is the braking and cornering traction in the wet should be a little higher.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 23, 2013

In Vermont, we run winter tires pretty much from November until April, so it's important to choose wisely when shopping for a new set. These Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 winter tires replaced Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 winter tires, and I couldn't be happier with the selection. Every objective measure of performance (and satisfaction) went up with the Goodyear tires: grip on icy surfaces; deep snow performance; slushy and wet road traction; and overall comfort (NVH). And on dry, cold roads, I really appreciate the stability and responsiveness of a performance winter tire -- especially in a heavy, V8 powered sedan. It's been a 'real' winter this year, and these tires have exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 24, 2013

Got these tires on my s60R and they are great. They stick to the road like I am driving on glue. Great traction in the snow for being AWD, but mind you it is a Volvo and they TCS is great. I drove in pretty bad conditions on the highway and did not slip at all! Great dry traction and wet traction. Definitely can hold the road. A little noisy but this is my first set of high performance tires. Overall I think I will be getting these again!

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
March 16, 2013

Update to previous 4,000 mile review. A phenomenal tire, and I can see none rated better that I would buy. Exceptional in dry and wet conditions, even heavy rain. Good in light to deep snow, but fair in icy conditions. Have maybe 5-10,000 miles of tread left now that I've put on 50,000. Quiet, smooth, what we all would expect a good tire to be.

Interestingly, I work in construction. My previous Continental Cross Contacts which I loved, had a number of flats from picking up nails, etc. None with this tire, which is either coincidence, or signs of better tire composition, which I believe it is. Continental has none in this size, so I will buy this tire again.

This winter, I looked at the tread and had concerns about winter driving on worn tread. But, decided to stick it out and tires performed SURPRISINGLY well.

My Toyota V8 all wheel drive limited has the best of everything, and these tires meet my expectations. Mileage in summer averages 18.4, and less in winter due to gas reformulation.

Highly recommended for those who appreciate quality, safety and consistency. But, if you live where ice and snow abound all winter, you may want to consider winter tires, but these are more than able to take on CT winters. Best to you all.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

I have worn out a number of very high performance tires on this car. All have their quirks. These are still low miles, so I haven't really tested them much, but so far so good. The PZero Nero offer surprisingly civilized ride, fairly low noise, with strong and predictable cornering. My suspension is mostly stock with Koni shocks, and these tires will out perform my suspension with no drama or unexpected motion, and max cornering on ramps is very stable and predictable. I am impressed that wet traction is very good and they still behave well. I can't wait to put them back on after snow season!

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

I replaced my OE ContiProContact's at 36k miles after getting stuck in 6" of snow. These tires are just as quiet and proved increased traction in all weather conditions. In addition, the stiffer sidewalls greatly increase response, while not noticeably increasing harshness. I don't have enough mileage on the tires to comment on tire wear or fuel economy impact from switching to non LRR tires, but I would highly recommend these tires for a nice performance upgrade. They got me through a couple snow storms of 4-6" without too much drama, but they aren't a replacement for winter tires. They're more like a higher mileage summer tire with moderate winter capabilities, which is what I was looking for.