Winter Driving

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 25, 2013

I'm from the desert, so I don't have much experience with snow/snow tires but I moved to upstate NY and needed some snow tires. I am pretty happy with these tires. Can't compare to other snow tires, but these worked well for me. Good city/highway driving. Much better snow/ice traction than my all-seasons.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 18, 2013

These tires have two upstate NY winters under their belts and I couldn't be happier. I owned a set of Blizzaks on my old Civic and these are as good or better for less $$. My nose heavy FWD Acura plows through ANYTHING I threw at it with these tires on. I would most certainly buy them again, as well as recommend them to others. From light powder to packed icy snow I've always had confidence and control. Take em to an unplowed parking lot to play around and you'll see what I mean!

Initial Review, 600 Miles on Tires
April 22, 2013

Just got through the break-in miles, so this is an early review. These replaced Continental DW tires (30,000 miles, over three years) that became very noisy after 15,000 miles. The Bridgestones are incredibly quiet and smooth-riding - much nicer than the OEM Michelins, my prior summer tire, the Conti DW (when new), or my other set of aftermarket rubber, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 winter tires. Until the mold release compound wore off, they felt uneasy on the highway, but now they're much better at tracking straight at speed. They respond faster to steering corrections than the Conti DW. (The DW in this size are 2009 production, and I didn't want to get old stock.)

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, 20,000 Miles on Tires
April 26, 2013

I mount Blizzaks during the winter so my winter driving assessment is somewhat hypothetical but these tires make my car feel like a 'sports car' on dry twisty roads....the car feels like it's on rails..
They are rated for 40K and will probably reach that easily.
If they make 50K I'd never buy anything else...

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
April 22, 2013

I live at a ski resort at 8500 feet with an annual snowfall of 500". These tires on a subaru were awesome. I passed other all wheel drives and SUVs that didn't have snow tires and they were sliding off the road. The traction is unbelievable. These tires were cheaper than blizzaks and I knew I would be driving some highway miles as well. Stopping and turning on snow was no problem. Driving up to Alta and Snowbird was a dream! I am not sure about the wear. I drove 2000 dry highway miles and then six months of 50/50 snow and dry driving and the tires look brand new.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
April 13, 2013

While only 10000 miles have been driven on these set of winter tires, their first impression has been a very good one. Traction in deep snow is remarkable, the ride is quiet, and grip and performance are predictable. I did notice that the ride is stiff, however, but among other parameters, this is not a concern. Looking forward to gathering more experience during the 2013-2014 winter season.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 12, 2013

Tires are used on 2002 (manual trans) and now 2003 (automatic) Honda CRV AWD, these tires are a very cost effective, albeit somewhat noisy, way to get winter traction in snow and slippy conditions. Moderately aggressive tread pattern, durable, softish compound still wears much better than I expected (4th winter now still in very good shape especially considering they spend almost all od their time on dry or rainy roads, the car is the primary "got to get to work car" hence snows over all season tires in our somewhat unpredictable though not usually severe winters) studdable if you need it for lots of ice traction and pretty dang inexpensive. We had a 17" snow over night not long after I got these meats and the little CR-V was a TANK, I expected wheelspin but got so much traction I "plowed" the local street as a real plow never comes and also used the trucklet with these tires to clear the gutters for the snowmelt to be able to get to the drains. I purposely tried to beach the little CR-V but the tires pulled right through both the powdery snow then the melting slop with ease. These tires rock for the price and are pretty stout and long wearing in my opinion (about 15000k miles so far and look like they have still several winters left). Do be aware of noticeable tire noise/drone though. Just add stereo and forget it...

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 17, 2013

Bought this set of tires because I knew I'd be driving long distance over the winter. Never has any issues at highway speeds or within the city. Only issue I noticed was tight cornering at higher speeds (~25mph), as this tended to cause understeer. Everything else has been perfect.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 18, 2013

Tread life isn't bad until you start autocrossing on them, then they start to wear, but that is true of any tire :) Also totally ----s driving on these in the snow. They aren't meant for that, but when you get a freak snow storm in May, what ya gonna do? Typically I run these tires May - Oct and a set of winters Nov - April...

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
April 14, 2013

I bought these tires from shop as Continentals that i wanted were not available. Levis in buffalo recommended these and I'm glad he did. very smooth ride on highway and great traction in severe rain. We just finished winter and never had a worry driving through any snow conditions. i would buy these again.

Initial Review, 75,000 Miles on Tires
April 15, 2013

I have 205/55R16 size tires on my car. Brand new they're no better in the snow than my 97,000 mile old OEM Michelins that I replaced! Sliding and spinning everywhere no matter how slow you go. I had them "road force balanced" when new and rotated them every 4000 miles along with watching how they were wearing to adjust tire pressure accordingly. Longevity is excellent but they're absolutely terrible in the snow. I now have 75,000 miles on these and they're at 3/32". They handle corners better now that they're almost slicks. I've been driving on these through 2 winters now. Was hoping to get a good compromise between cornering and snow capability. I'll just get a set of performance tires to get me through the next 4-8 seasons. I might as well get the tires I want if all-seasons don't work any better! I'm not about to waste money on winter tires.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
April 18, 2013

Great tire, great hanlding, would definatley buy these again, I Go thru many tires owning 6 vehicles, will put these on my other winter driving cars. I monitor udates on new tires regularly, i feel these are one of the best tires available for winter driving. Work great for dry weather also. SO far they are showing no signs of wear.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 07, 2013

We got about 9" of snow today and these tires made me feel safer than I ever have driving in a snow storm. When other people are slipping, these tires keep me rolling without an issue. They're as sturdy and surefooted in light, powdery snow as they are in the heavy, wet stuff we got today. In fact, I drove into a parking lot with about 6" of untouched snow, and it was like nothing for my tires. I've had Blizzaks in the past, and I'm not sure they could've handled that scenario without some spinning. I am a nervous winter driver, and I am so relieved to have a tire that makes me feel more confident on my long commutes to and from work in rural areas.

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
April 12, 2013

These are the absolute best in daily street tires!
Saying I am a “spirited” driver is an understatement.
Handling and cornering response is excellent.
These tires are excellent under dry conditions and leave all other tires in the dust under wet conditions. The wetter the conditions, the more dust!
I am amazed at how well these handle in extremely wet conditions.
I can’t say anything about winter conditions as I use 4 Good Year Ultra Grip Ice snow tires. which are the FINEST snow tires made!
Tire wear has been above average, at a minimum, especially considering the “spirited” driving style.
I have these on 3 of my cars for summer & 4 Good Year Ultra Grip Ice snow tires on the in the winter.
I refuse to settle for anything less!

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
February 07, 2013

Great winter tire, but like most winter tires they wear quickly if you drive them on dry pavement. I have had these tires on for three years of Wisconsin winters and have gone through countless snow storms with no issues. Honestly I feel safer driving my 2wd truck in the snow with these tires than with a 4x4 vehicle. I could only imagine how well these tires would perform if they were studded also.

Initial Review, 55,000 Miles on Tires
April 15, 2013

Was looking for a tire for my bmw 330xi, the OE Continental Tires were junk, worn out in 30k miles and very susceptible to road hazards. The Michelin have been wonderful, gave up a little in handling but got a tire that was reliable and durable. I use separate tires in winter, so can't comment on winter handling.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
April 12, 2013

Excellent winter tires for my truck. They performed well in all conditions (dry, wet, snow, ice and slush, as well as cornering, acceleration and stopping). In deep snow, my truck did some fish-tailing as I had no weight on bed and I could feel it pushes the front wheels through the snow. Once I turned the 4x4 on, the truck went like a charm through the snow and didn't flinch a bit. After one winter with 10k miles, there is a noticeable tread wear on rear wheels compared to front wheels which still looks like new. Will have to rotate them after 5k miles next winter.