Winter Snow Tires

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
April 24, 2012

Was having some trouble with my Conti DWS tires (one was out-of-round). Purchased the Potenzas based on the Tire Rack survey and couldn't be happier. Much quieter than the Conti's and much better grip and steering response. Not sure how they'll handle in light snow, but I have a set of dedicated winter tires which go on in early November. A little more costly than the DWS's, but I feel they're with it.

Initial Review, 48,000 Miles on Tires
May 19, 2012

OEM tire for this car. It's a daily driver With a Bama Chips tune. Summer great. Winter good better than exspected. Only slid off the road one time in 4 and a half years. That was durring VERY deep snow should not have been driving was my bad judgement. Put 48000 miles on the set before I bought another set of the same tire. Very pleased with the overall tire. One of the best ALL Season tires Ive owned.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
May 21, 2012

Bought these to replace Michelin Symmetry on my 2001 Lincoln Town Car. There is no comparison. The ride is great, the traction wet or dry is terrific and the tires are extremely quiet. I can't wait until the winter to see how they do in the snow. I have made a couple of emergency moves and the tires responded very well. As for cornering, they do very well for a "T" speed rated tire on a big car, however, if they made a "V" rated version I am sure the cornering would be better. I was on the NJ Turnpike and keeping up with traffic. My wife looked at the speedometer and saw I was doing almost 90 mph. She could not believe it. The ride was incredible and she thought I was doing more like 60. I would buy these again in a second.

Initial Review, 7,000 Miles on Tires
May 05, 2012

This is my 1st set of Kumho's and I have been very pleased. I have experienced exceptional wet performance. These are daily driver tires on a car that loves the corners. Tread wear has been excellent. Not much snow this winter and I always use snow tires anyway. Bang for the buck is excellent. No major faults. Only reason not a definite is who knows what will be available when I need my next set.

Initial Review, 62,000 Miles on Tires
April 25, 2012

My Goodyear SRA Wranglers were the factory tires when I purchased my New Jeep in 2008.
I'm a long time Michelin fan and was sure I would be disapointed with the Wranglers, I was wrong. I live at the beach in North Carolina and visit family in the winter up north. My tires have seen deep sand, snow, Ice and flooded roads of South East North Carolina and never let me down. I rotated them every 6000 miles including the spare. I rebalanced them at 30,0000 miles. I just repalced them at 60,000 miles, still above the warning mark on the tire slightly.
I would recomend these tire to anyone.

I however switched to my Michelins LTX M/s2 for the new set, hoping for 80,000 miles from this set.

Thanks to the Folks at Tirerack for supporting such a great web site!!

Initial Review, 13,000 Miles on Tires
June 11, 2010

These are the best all-season tires for winter driving traction in slush and snow. We are in Western NY so we know about driving in snow !! They perform at the "winter tire" level without the noise associated at highway speeds. Very happy with the noise and handling characteristics as well. A real winner for Goodyear !

Initial Review, 35,869 Miles on Tires
May 19, 2012

I have to give these OEM Dunlaps that came on the FIT a high grade because they have provided highly reliable and flawless performance for 36,000 miles, even under the most oppressive conditions.

They came as Original Equipment on my Base 2009 Honda FIT. I don’t expect to get more than 40K out of any OEM tires, and I replaced these early because I was going to be away on the road a lot this spring and summer. These tires could have easily went 40K, but rubber that has been on the road for more than 3 years on any tire starts to show its cracks, hardens a bit, and safety becomes an issue.

I drove these tires Hard and they never failed. I took them non-stop for 14 to 16 hours at a clip from Los Angeles to Portland, to Vancouver B.C. and then back to LA along the Coastline. I took them from Los Angeles to NYC in just 3.5 days, at high speeds, in both desert high temps and freezing low NY winter temps. Through snow and slush in the brutal 2010 winter in NYC. Back and forth, from NYC to Washington, DC. From NYC to LA via Savannah, New Orleans, Houston, & Phoenix. Countless trips from LA to San Diego and back. Hot summer road trips from LA to Las Vegas and back, and LA to Phoenix and Tucson and back. LA to San Francisco many times. All that, in addition to all the city driving in NYC and LA, through the potholes and bad streets, and constantly jamming them into curbs parallel parking. They just didn’t fail, they run fast and accurate, with great gas mileage. Never a flat, never a repair—all 4 tires still had the original May, 2009 air in them from Japan when I changed them out in May, 2012 . Incredible.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 30, 2012

These tires were on my car and slightly used when I purchased it a year ago. About 12,000+ miles I've added. Dry traction is very good. My 95M Miata handles extremely well with these. Dry traction is very good. These tires loosen up quite a bit when wet. Actually just loose enough to make wet road driving alot of fun at about the speed limit on spirited scenic drives. If your up for that. They reject hydroplaning rather well. Was forced to drive all winter with these in nothern WV. They performed better than expected in the snow on a rear wheel drive vehicle, but you better be a good driver to avoid getting stuck. However, even my spouse could handle snow under 1 inch and plowed roads. We did burn up our rear tires in >3 mild months of winter, we contend with many hills to climb. And we did climb them in the snow with these tires all winter. I'd reconsider using these if being used on a true performance vehicle with muscle. My stock 95M Miata can spin them at will and powerslide with mildly spirited driving if just a little wet. Fun for me, but dangerous at higher speeds/horsepower. These are one of the very few all-season tires available for the stock 95M Miata BBS rims. 195/50 15. Upon an inspection today I did find an outward bulge the one of my sidwalls about 2" in diameter. QC may be an issue? Overall for the price, I'm quite pleased with the performance of these tires. Can't completely say how much of it is the car and how much is the tire. But these tires are giving me exactly what I expect from my Miata and I can afford to burn them up having a little having fun. Also, they look good enough. I'm buying 2 more rear tires. Zoom-Zoom

Note: these are directional tires

Dry Traction = very good+
Wet traction = ok, safe at moderate speeds, good highway, easily pushed to fun limit
Snow traction = just good enough
Hydroplaning rejection = very good
Braking = good

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
May 08, 2012

THIS IS MY SECOND SET OF KDW's FOR MY 2006 SCION xB ... THE FIRST SET WAS A 215/45-17 BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RIDE QUALITY AT THE TIME , AS I WAS DOING 90 MILES A DAY ROUND TRIP OF MOSTLY HIWAY DRIVING ... I ROTATED THEM EVERY 5 THOUSAND MILES AND RAN THE PRESSURE AT 40 PSI AND THEY WORE PERFECTLY SMOOTH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BASICALLY NO TREAD AT ALL ...

SO FOR THE SECOND SET I DROPPED THE SIZE TO A 215/40-17 , AS I WASN'T DRIVING THE LONG ROUNDTRIP DAILY ANYMORE ... YES THEY ARE A BIT STIFFER ON THE RIDE , BUT NOTHING THAT BOTHERS ME AT ALL ... SO FAR THEY DO FEEL A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE ON THE ROADS AND TURNS THAT I ENJOY PLAYING ON ...

I HAVE JUST OVER 1 HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES ON THE CAR , AND I USED THE FACTORY STEEL WHEELS FOR WINTER DUTY WITH A SET OF SNOWS ALL THE WAY AROUND ... MY GUESS IS ABOUT 40 THOUSAND MILES BEFORE I REPLACED THEM ... THE OTHER AWESOME BONUS WAS WITH THE REINFORCED SIDEWALLS I HAVE NEVER BENT OR DAMAGED MY RIMS , I RUN A SET OF KONIG HOT SWAPS ...

I'D HIGHLY RECOMMENT THESE TIRES TO ANYONE THAT WANTS A FUN , GREAT HANDLING TIRE ...

Initial Review, 39,000 Miles on Tires
April 24, 2012

Both my cars have these on them now. I just put some on my wife's car and have had these on mine for 2 years. Outstanding quiet and comfort. We both feel secure that they handle the transition between fall/winter and winter/spring incredibly well and grip the transition snows and ices nearly as well as our snow/ice tires do.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
May 22, 2011

I needed to replace the factory Michelins after 75000 miles. I've had Kumhos on my previous Explorer, as well as, I have them on my wife's truck so I know how well these tires are made. I purchased these tires because I not only live in NYC but I also goto NE PA to see my parents, and winters can be bad. This winter was worse in NYC than NE PA, and these tires performed flawlessly. When NYC received two feet of snow and my Explorer was plowed in at work. The guys came out and said there was no way the Explorer would get out. Not only did it get out, but on many unplowed city streets, the Kumhos gripped and grabbed and got me home. These tires are extremely impressive. I would definitely buy these again.

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
May 17, 2012

Let me start by saying that I absolutely LOVE this tire. I have been running this tire on my "winter beater" Saturn for 3 seasons already. I live in NW PA and I drive all over the state for my job. I bought this tire primarily for it's ability to get me through the regular lake-effect snowstorms that we are famous for in the northeast. I have been absolutely amazed and pleased with the ability of this tire to get me through our frequent snow storms. I have regularly driven through drifts and fresh snow that my bumper is plowing through and the belly of the car is dragging through. I have never once gotten stuck with this tire.

Since this is a winter tire, I expected it to be good in the snow. But what really has amazed me is the treadlife. Although this is my "winter" car, most of the 30,000 miles of use has been on dry roads. I was expecting that these tires wouldn't last very long due to their very soft tread compound. I have been very surprised at how well they have held up. I might have rotated them once, but probably not more than that, yet the tread wear is very uniform across all four tires, and I still have about 40% tread life remaining. I will admit, given that this past winter was my 3rd season with these tires, I did notice a decrease in their ability to handle the snow. I would say that they still worked better than a new "all-season" tire, but I will be putting on a new set before the next snow flies.

In summary: Snow performance is outstanding, tread life has been much greater than I expected, they are louder than an all-season tire--but only slightly more, and if you remember that these are snow tires and not "performance" tires--you won't be disappointed with the handling. I recommended these to a co-worker who put them on his Accord, and he was very happy. I LOVE these tires!

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
May 06, 2012

i have a Buick rendezvous awd i have winter snow tires with wheels and factory wheels with this tire for summer. very good tire I'm more on the aggressive side of driving and have put them through the paces. very good tire would buy them again. i drove with firestone winter forces for the winter and was glad to get the smooth and quit ride back

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
May 03, 2012

I just purchased these to replace Michelin Pilot Exaltos that were at the end of their life and I'm very happy with my choice. The car has 165,000 mile on it it and rides like new even with control arms that need replacement soon. Don't let the low price put you off. Great grip, handling, and quieter then the Michelins.This is a summer only tire, but for the price difference you can pay for a good portion of a set of winter snow tires and have the best of both worlds.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
May 10, 2012

I have had these tires installed on my RAV4 for a couple of years and I would like the share my experiences with them. Given that I live in MA and we have poor road conditions and pretty extreme weather, I am sure I have put those tires in many tests.

For the first 2 years they worked like a dream: Wet, Dry, Snow, there's barely a difference for the way I drive (going slower on heavy snow, of course). I drove about 300 miles during a huge snow storm (all 300 in heavy snow) and my car was as steady as a snowmobile with these Tires and 4WD, and never lost traction in rain.
When running over a deep puddle with speed, with the original tires my steering wheel will go crazy and the car will go out of control, which was the major reason why I switched. With these tires, my car go straight and steady. If you live in an area that rains a lot, I would highly recommend these tires.

In Winter 2010, I was in NYC and we got caught with the biggest snow storm for NYC in a century. Most sedan were buried in snow when it was 3-4 feet high, while my car was one of the very few moving objects on the street. It almost felt like I was in a Video game on a Snow Rally track, but once again the tires and 4WD combined made driving possible, when other car owners were busy digging their car out, I drove by with a smile on my face.

After all the miles on the tires, Treadware is very significant and now it performs poorly on light snow, my car starts skidding with only an inch of snow even with 4WD. Still performs great in rain / wet / dry surface. I will not blame the tires as it seems to be right time for new ones anyways, and I am definitely choosing the same tires again unless I find a good deal on another decent tires. I don't want to overrate them, but they are good enough for me to write this long review to praise them, in compare to the OEM Bridgestone Dueler which is a total trash.

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
May 09, 2012

These tires started out great with wet and snow traction superior to the OEM Continentals they replaced but at about 7000 miles the noise level at city driving speeds became unbearable. They have been rotated twice now and at 12,000 are nearly worn out. Inflation is proper so that is not a contributing factor nor is unusually spirited driving. I'll run them until this winter and likely go back to the original Continentals.

Initial Review, 24,000 Miles on Tires
April 24, 2012

These tires were installed new when I first bought my explorer in February of 2011. The first winter driving with them was ok, we didn't have a ton of snow but did slide a few times when ice was present. During the spring and summer I had no problems with the tires and driving was smooth. After putting about 15,000 miles on these tires (having them rotated every 5k). I started to get some vibrating/bouncing while driving but no noise. Had my vehicle checked and no mechanical problems were found. This past winter I had no traction in ice or snow, and easily slides in the rain. The vibrating and bouncing has gotten to the point that my whole vehicle shakes when driving on the highway, as if I am going over many shallow potholes. I have had my vehicle checked several times and it is def. the tires. I now have 24,000 miles on the tires and have to put air in them every week or two, tread life is bad, will be replacing soon and not buying Eagles. I love goodyear tires and will probably go with something better recommended for an SUV.

Initial Review, 6,500 Miles on Tires
April 30, 2012

This is my second set on my second Jag Convertible. I didn't care for the OEM Dunlop Sport Maxx's as they have absolutely no winter traction. So I have my dealer swap them off for these at delivery. With My Pilot A/S's, I feel like I'm in a little 4X4 come winter, though this last winter was only fair as the very few snows we had were wet snows and the tires do far better in deep snow or very cold 'dry' snow. Compared to the Summer tires though, there is no comparison. These last 35-45,000 miles compared to 18-22,000 miles for the Summer tires. I like that. To all the reviewers who say they get noisey... Have any of you ever heard of an alignment machine? The only noise that builds is due to chopping. Chopping is caused by one thing and one thing alone, a poor alignment or old suspension components which lead to this. I suppose its easier to blame the tire than the driver. I highly reccomend these tires, have never had an issue and will buy again and again. I am eyeing the Conti DWS Extreme Contact's though I must say, as I like the pricing and have heard good things there as well. Competition, isn't it a wonderful thing.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
May 08, 2012

Winter in MN was just over when I put these tires on, so I am unable to comment on performance in snow. However, I can comment on performance in rain, which has been superb. If these tires perform well in snow, I would consider buying them again. I told my tire rack rep that my main criteria was traction in rain and snow. So far, I am very happy with his recommendation of these tires. Not the smoothest or most quiet ride on dry roads, but again, I'll trade that for the great traction in tougher conditions.

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
May 03, 2012

Great tires, excellent quality for the price. I drive from Boston to Nothern Vermont frequently. In Vermont am on dirt roads 60% of the time. These tires perform well on the highway and on dirt roads the hold corners on dirt road as well as they do on the highway. I know this is an odd review but these tires do a wonderful job on all surfaces and under widely varying conditions. I have snow tires for the winter so I cannot comment on there performance on ice and snow.