Winter/Snow Tires vs. All Season Tires

[hindude]

Sorry, I haven't been on in a while, but I've been too busy having loads of fun in my new rex. I'll be posting pics and what I've done to it soon too. That's a different thread though...

The cold weather is coming and it's time to get prepared. I saw a similar thread to this and I didn't want to thread-jack so I figured I'd ask here.

I know I am gonna have a dedicated summer/winter set of tires but my concern is the winter set. I am from the midwest and while we can get a lot of snow in the winter, there are still times when the snow melts and we are driving around on dry roads for a couple weeks at a time.

I read all the articles on tirerack about winter/snow tires and my concern is that my winter/snow tires would prematurely wear when I am in the dry during the winter. I've never had winter/snow tires (always all season) and I've never had a problem with driving in the snow, so I am considering putting all season tires on my winter rims.

In your experience, about how long do winter/snow tires last when they are driven on roads that are sometimes covered in snow and sometimes dry?

[mikepl]

I had Blizzaks ws70 on my winter rims through last winter, and had no problems with tire wearing. I'm from NE (Connecticut), where it snows and there are periods of time when we drive on dry pavement. As long as you don't rapidly accelerate/brake and don't go over 65 mph, you are going to be fine. I'm driving mainly on the highway (mostly dry surface), and sometimes side roads. My tires should last me two more seasons.

PS: Get Blizzaks ws70. I had no issues driving 2003 Nissan Altima during snowstorms. It's going to be even better with your Subie.

[michaelwfox]

From my limited understanding winter tires aren't just about driving in snow. They also hold their compound better in lower temperatures. Therefore regardless of the road conditions winters will always be better when the temps are below 40.

[ktesterman25]

I work for America's/Discount Tire Company in Oregon. We hardly see any snow but a lot of people run winter tires. By far the performing and longest lasting have been the michelin X-ice 2. They also carry a mileage warranty of 40,000 miles. I have ran them for the past 2 years and I absolutely love them for snow, ice, water and even dry.

[mangostick]

As others have mentioned, its not just about the snow. Temps and how well the compound sticks at those temps is just as important. Run snows.. you'll be very pleased.

All seasons are a " jack of all trades, master of none " sort of solution.

[hindude]

Thanks for all the input. I can definitely avoid rapid acceleration/braking in the winter, but I don't think I would be able to contain my highway driving speed on those days when the roads dry up. In the dry, rush hour traffic usually travels at 75-80 on the highways along my route. I think the lowest speed rating I saw on some of the winter/snow tires I was looking at was 99mph. If I got a set that was rated at 130mph, would traveling at 75-80mph really wear them out faster? I just want to make sure I am considering everything before I buy my set. I commute 55 miles a day a the majority of it highway miles.

[mikepl]

You can be driving 75-80 on the highway. However, if temperature jumps to like 50-55F during the day (which is normal during winter in US) and you're driving over dry pavement, snow tires will feel little "sticky" and wear out much faster. You should be fine though.

[90crxfreak]

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[cohland]

....I just want to make sure I am considering everything before I buy my set. I commute 55 miles a day a the majority of it highway miles.

While considering everything is a noble goal, I keep thinking about some advice that I (and a roomful of others) got from Frank Dernie, who in 2006 was one of the Williams F1 team's senior engineers, one of the guys who was allowed to talk to guests. Taking questions after a Hewlett-Packard customer dinner at the USGP at Indianapolis, one of the customers asked Frank what was the single most important thing that we should be concerned about for cars that were driven on the street. To paraphrase Frank (my memory isn't perfect), the reply was "Tyres" (after all, he IS British). Get the tires that offer the best traction and be willing to pay to have them wear out. In the final analysis, the grip that your tires produce will be more important to safety than any other factor. Coming from a man with a respected career in Formula 1, that was a surprise to me.

I know that this sort of advice flies in the face of economic reality, but I still keep it in mind when I buy tires, and I put "wear" as the least important item on the list.

Chris