Michelin HydroEdge tires on snow

Sounds good! How do you rate their snow performance compared to the OEM Integrity's?

 

You know, I'll bet you'd do well in a lake ice racing event there! Just floor it and steer.

 

Amped,
An Interesting Experiment that maybe we can talk john1701a into. Might help answer some of jayman's concerns that he posted in "Installs & Reviews..." While he rightly has concern about the M+S rating, one article that he cited was from 11/98. There is unfortunately a wide variation in the M+S rating and the OEM Integrity's don't do well against their current counterparts though I suspect they are far superior to anything out in 1998.

Would have been nice if TireRack had also done formal snow traction testing of the top couple of all-season tires to see how the Goodyear TT's and the Michelin HE's compare to dedicated studless snows. No I don't expect them to be identical but it be nice to know how much snow traction we give up to have a longer wearing all-season tire

 

Finally snowed here...with Goodyear TT I tried to spin and slide...even after trying to slam the brakes at a stop sign...i couldnt slide...couldnt get the VSC to kick in ...nuthin'...a lot better than OEM tires.

 

Well, I have been able to do my own snow testing for the past two weeks. I have on the Michelin Harmony all-seasons, and for an all-season tire they appear to work well.

That is, in fresh snow and slush, they aren't horrible. But hard-pack and ice is an entirely different matter. The ABS works well, but getting started again is hopeless. I tried going up a parking ramp at a local mall and Forget About It.

I have owned many cars and trucks, and have driven them with all-seasons and with dedicated snow tires. There is absolutely no doubt the difference in traction, especially on hard-pack and ice.

On my 1992 Honda Prelude SR, I would take off the Bridgestone Blizzak tires and put the all-season tires back on, then go for a brief spin on the snowed-over gravel sideroad from my hobby farm to the highway. It was a brief spin too, tires spinning helplessly.

Drive back into the garage, put on the Blizzak's, and repeat the test. The car would stick to the road and even half a foot of snow was no trouble, though the deep snow would start piling up at the rad and the motor. The car only had 4 inches of ground clearance.

My favorite snow tires are the studless Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 and Dunlop Graspic DS-1, or the studded Firestone WinterFire.

I actually prefer the studless tires now, with a good set you sacrifice very little ice performance and do away with the dry pavement noise from the studs.

If you want to drive in dangerous road conditions with regular tires, be my guest. I prefer the much better traction and control from dedicated snow tires, thanks much.

BTW: I'm not saying my Michelin Harmony tires are crap. They're actually the best all-season tires I've ever driven in snowy/icy conditions, especially fresh snow.

 

Thanks for the report, John. It makes me feel better about my decision to switch to HE's. I won't be able to add much useful information, because I drive pretty cautiously in winter conditions, and as little as possible. But i did get the ABS to kick in today. I was approaching an intersection, no cars around, so I hit the brakes hard, and felt the pulse of the ABS. Of course, my HydroEdges are brand new. I had them put on one week ago, and I don't put on many miles at all.

We had only a little bit of snow, and I didn't go out that day at all, so now all we have are a few slippery places. My biggest fear with snow and ice is always the other guy, who has a cell phone, bald tires, no ABS, and who does not believe that just one or two drinks will impair his reaction time.

 

John, what size HydroEdges are you wearing? OEM?

 

I already posted this in:

http://www.priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic....p?p=55428#55428

Having had to drive back from the hobby farm in a snowstorm, and driving around Winnipeg today in the aftermath of snow/ice, I immediately noticed a difference with my Dunlop Graspic DS2 snow tires.

There is no way I would trade the much improved winter performance. At least I'm not leaving intersections at a walking pace anymore, just driving off normally.

My Michelin Harmony all season's are great tires, but the Graspic's are so much better on snow and especially ice.

 

I posted this elsewhere, but I did trigger VSC turning left yesterday at a very icy intersection. I felt only a hint of a skid, and heard the beeps.