Winter/Snow tire recommendations

[jjenks]

I'm going to put a dedicated set of winter tires on my 02 Jetta, and I'm looking for feedback/advice on what to buy.

Bridgestone blizzak's seem to be sort of the standard winter tire, but I'd like to get some input on other brands, etc.

Tire Rack has some "Winterforce" tires that are also made by Bridgestone I believe. Does anyone have experience with these?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[milehighassassin]

There is another thread on this right now...
But M3's or Toyo Observe is what I am trying to decide upon.

 

[david_594]

I picked up a set of Green Diamond Ultra Trac's last winter and was very happy with them. They were great when it was just a light dusting and even better when we had a good few inches on the ground. A side note, they are retreads which makes them more environmentally friendly.

 

[BleachedBora]

Anything Nokian will be some of the best tires you've ever owned. The Hakkapeliitta series is amazing--the Hakkapeliitta 4, 2, or RSI...as well as the WR series.
Good luck!
-BB

 

[myke_w]

I can vouch for blizzaks, incredible tire. I pulled trucks out of snowbanks with my mk3 jetta with them in 1/2 foot of snow. However, as with any soft tire, don't leave them on the car, unless the temps are consistently below 45f or so.
I will be in the market for a set of snows for my jetta wagon, so i'd like to see other people's input on this as well.

 

[cattlerepairman]

I picked up a set of Green Diamond Ultra Trac's last winter and was very happy with them. They were great when it was just a light dusting and even better when we had a good few inches on the ground. A side note, they are retreads which makes them more environmentally friendly.

I followed the Green Diamond threads last year and earmarked them as my next winter tires. However, a search on the www.greendiamondtire.com page revealed that there do not seem to be any more dedicated winter tires. The products are all classed as "all season".
This is not what I want. I am looking for real winter boots for my car.

 

[lrpavlo]

I've got Green Diamonds on 4 out of the 5 TDI's I have.....really like em. 3 Sets of Icelanders, 1 ultrac, and 1 the summer tire they had on sale for $44. You are correct though their site only has the Icelanders now....and they are quite pricey!

 

[spinfire]

Most of the time during New Hampshire winters the roads are dry. However, we also get a lot of snow. The Nokian WR is ideal for these conditions, as it designed to provide good "all weather" performance with a snowflake endorsement. I have been very pleased with the WR.

 

[AThreeTdi]

I was shopping the same way you are and all I heard about was Bridgestone blizzak's too, so I have a set just waitng for the first glips of bad weather..

 

[Brock_from_WI]

I have also owned cheaper no-name winters, Michelin Artic Alpines, Bridgestone Blizzack’s, and now Nokian Hakka Q's. They have traction in that order. The Nokian's are noticeably better then all the rest, the only ones I haven't tried that are commonly mentioned are the Green Diamonds. I run Q’s on the wagon and can’t imagine sticking to the road any more without chains or studs and run WR’s on my wifes van. She does more distance driving and figured they would hold up longer. The WR’s have about the same traction as the Blizzack.

 

[whatnxt]

I have the M3's on my Golf. Great in the wet or dry. On slush,ice, frost, and 3 inches of snow, they are good. They get me where I need to go. I have not had them in deep snow. I have 8K on them and they are wearing well.

 

[spicy_red]

It looks like I'm going with Nokian RSI's this winter. Possible 2nd choice is Mich x-ice or the Toyo, depends on price.

 

[Radman]

The Pirelli Winter Carving seems to be a good tire at a decent price as well.

 

[Radman]

Sorry double post

 

[MTjake]

From my experience, year #2 on the Blizzaks was better traction than year #1 on the Michelin X-Ice, but the Michelin's had a wider footprint, so that may have been the difference. I've heard nothing but rave reviews of the Nokian's. If you're not worried about cosmetics, go as narrow as you can, for maximum winter traction.

 

[Frankenwagen]

I am a convert to Nokian Hakkapallita 2's. These tires really are the king of snow tires. Also, adding the eco-studs to them makes a great tire even better if your state or Province will allow them.

 

[resinguy]

I'm in the market for some winter tires, too. I've been running on Hakkas for nearly 20 years. The latest Consumer Reports just tested winter tires, and to my surprise the Hakka 2 and RSI did not fare well. Top was Michelin X-Ice. Anyone else see this article? Comments?

I think part of the difficulty with recommending winter tires is the variety of winter conditions, and the choices/compromises manufacturers make with a given tire. A tire that performs well on glare ice may not be best on deep snow; packed snow is different than wet slush, etc. I find it very difficult to read between the lines on the various tire data sheets to parse out what conditions a given tire really excels under.

 

[milehighassassin]

I myself, think Consumer Reports if full of [censored] on most of their reporting. So I would not give their study much consideration. Just my 2 cents.

 

[nchapman]

i had toyo observes for a few winters when i lived in colorado, but then went with kelley springfield snowtrackers for my 1st gen eclipse GSX. I made alot of trips to the mountains (mostly steamboat), the snowtrackers were great. i plan on getting some for my golf.
not as good at high speeds as the observes, but much better in deep snow. (also, they look pretty tough)

 

[Radman]

Im leaning towards the Pirelli Winter carving at this point. Price is decent and it is 'T' rated. Anyone have experience with them?

 

[milehighassassin]

i had toyo observes for a few winters when i lived in colorado, but then went with kelley springfield snowtrackers for my 1st gen eclipse GSX. I made alot of trips to the mountains (mostly steamboat), the snowtrackers were great. i plan on getting some for my golf.
not as good at high speeds as the observes, but much better in deep snow. (also, they look pretty tough)

I have had the Toyo Observes and currently just purchased them. I love them. I will give a new review once I get some snow miles on them.

 

[Wilkins]

I currently have Hakka RSI's on the wagon and Cdn Tire Nordic traks on the old car. The RSI's are the best snowtire I have owned. They are stable and predictable across a whole range of surfaces from ice to deep snow, have good traction, will send snow flying past the windows when the going gets tough, ride quietly and handle decently in the dry.

The Nordictraks replaced a set of Toyo GO2's and work a little bit better in snow than the worn out Toyo's did. The RSI's were worth the extra cost.

 

[chevtrk49]

I ran Bridgestone Blizzak's b/c like most that is what I had heard of. Then I started really asking/looking around and decided on getting Nokian Hakkapallita 2's. I think that the hakka 2's are far superior. I have had both in ice, slush, snow (12"+) and flying down the interstate while I watch all the DUMB 4x4 people can't believe that there is a car on the roads and not only that it is passing them.

Again, I vote Hakka 2's !!!!!

 

[phaser]

I ran Bridgestone Blizzak's b/c like most that is what I had heard of. Then I started really asking/looking around and decided on getting Nokian Hakkapallita 2's. I think that the hakka 2's are far superior. I have had both in ice, slush, snow (12"+) and flying down the interstate while I watch all the DUMB 4x4 people can't believe that there is a car on the roads and not only that it is passing them. Again, I vote Hakka 2's !!!!!

Are you running studs on them?

 

[RabbitGTI]

Green Diamond are junk. Buy Nokian. WR if you have a light winter, dedicated winter tire if you have serious winter.

 

[dsclark]

Hey, I love snow tires, but last year, I put on some Goodyear Triple Tread all season and boom! - we had a record year for snow (I live near Lake Tahoe).
The car did great, until the snow got too high. The belly pan would compact the snow until the front wheels would just spin above the snow. Imho, regardless of tire, your car is limited by clearance and no tire will change that. If I were to go with a snow tire, I'd go with steel studs. That's because while I feel that snow tires aren't much better than the triple treads, at least with the studded tires, you get way better traction on ice. And yes, I have used different brands of snow tires and cables and have alot of experience driving in the snow in the sierra nevadas....

 

[pepper10]

I'm in the market for some winter tires, too. I've been running on Hakkas for nearly 20 years. The latest Consumer Reports just tested winter tires, and to my surprise the Hakka 2 and RSI did not fare well. Top was Michelin X-Ice. Anyone else see this article? Comments?

I think part of the difficulty with recommending winter tires is the variety of winter conditions, and the choices/compromises manufacturers make with a given tire. A tire that performs well on glare ice may not be best on deep snow; packed snow is different than wet slush, etc. I find it very difficult to read between the lines on the various tire data sheets to parse out what conditions a given tire really excels under.

I saw that article too. CR is not to be trusted with anything that pertains to automobiles. They rated the Pirelli's better than the Nokian's. I ran Pirelli's for 10 years until I bought RSI's last winter. The Nokian is SO much better in all conditions that I would never go back. My father bought Michelin X Ice to put on his Civic. I'll be able to compare this winter but I am planning my next set to be Hakka 2's next year.

 

[chevtrk49]

No, I do not have my tires studded.