Winter Tire Ratings

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, 2,000 Miles on Tires
February 08, 2013

Have only 2,000 miles on these tires, but so far so good. They are amazing in the cold dry and have gotten me through a huge blizzard this year. Ultimate snow traction is less than studless tires but the tradeoff is well worth it for the dry weather performance. I would definitely recommend to other C63 drivers.

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.

Initial Review, 25,000 Miles on Tires
April 13, 2013

This is a very nice tire. I use a performance winter tire for 5 months each year so this tire is on my car about 60% of the year. It has lasted 3 seasons now and comfortably has another season remaining judging by the remaining tread depth. It is quiet and grippy at 7 tenths driving. I have full confidence in this tire at any speed and feel it is great value for the price as well as offering performance that exceeds my requirements. Is there a better tire out there for extremely aggressive driving? Well, maybe but you will likely pay more and experience quicker tread wear and less comfort. For most BMW owners this tire will not disappoint. M3 owners who need to tear up every piece of road they find themselves on? They are a fussy type of driver who might find something to complain about. This is a very under-rated tire and I would recommend it to anyone.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
April 09, 2013

Purchased this tire to replace Pilot Sport A/S Plus and switch to summer/winter dedicated sets. I cannot say enough things about how awesome the performance is! Fantastic dry grip, fantastic wet grip and amazingly, extremely good ride quality and noise for a tire of this performance level. I wasn't going for that specifically, but it sure is a nice bonus for a max performance tire that I daily drive on. I can't say much about wear yet, as I've only had them on for about 500 miles. I do autocross as well, and I will follow-up with a review on their performance, but I am expecting great things. For someone who wants all the grip you could realistically use on a street tire, without any of the compromises of the others in its league, this is your tire.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
February 08, 2013

I bought these tire for the 2011/2012 winter season. The first winter I had them they were brilliant. Supurb grip in any snow condition. I plow parking lots but yto get to work ( where the plow truck is) is 22 miles. when I would travel to work I would pass 4x4 trucks as if they were standing still. I also never bougt a set of all seanon for the rest of the year. They feel a little soft in spring, summer, and fall. But they do the job. Noise: there is some but expected. just a slight hum nothing drastic. once again it is winter in chicago and the tire still have good tread, even though I drove druring warmer months. I took the malibu out during the first big snow and the tires still preform very well, not as good as new but pretty close. It is very difficult for me to get it to spin-out it just want to hug the road as if there was no snow.

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
February 10, 2013

I live in Long Island NY and we just got hit by the blizzard, where I live got hit the hardest and we got 34" of snow. I work 40 miles away from home and I left during the worst of the storm. I was passing stuck suv's and trucks left and right. I cannot believe how great these tires are. As I was passing cars that were stuck I can just see them staring at me wondering how is that little civic passing my 4wd suv? well all I can say is winter tires, that's how. I did not get stuck once, going up hills and through deep unplowed roads. I am sold on these tires for life and I will always buy them from now on. If you have a lowered civic, or just a basic fwd car I HIGHLY suggest these. Everyone knows how bad this blizzard was and these tires made it great for me. I was even passing plow trucks that got stuck. I have these tires in low profile 215 45 17 tire size so I can imagine how much better they would be with a larger sidewall but these are the best winter tires money can buy!! Highly suggest you buy them if you have a fwd car or truck!!