Winter tires?

I would have gone for a set of Hakka R5 (or X-Ice Snow as i hear they improved quite a bit since those crappy X-Ice days..) but my driveway also has a steep icy slope so i need all the traction i can have just to get out of it. Once, i had to push my 2021 Prime with the CX-5 because there was no way i was getting out.. need not to worry, we've put an old and thick pillow between both cars... still...

 

bridgestone blizzaks completely destroy x ice when it comes to driving on ice ironically. the only benefit for x ice is lower rolling resistance and better mpg. but is it worth saving 2 mpg if you end up in a crash?

 

Here in the Colorado Mtns it's Blizzaks FTW

 

Well, that's absolutely not the consensus view. I'm seeing a consensus on the Blizzak WS90 being noticeably better than the competition in deep snow, but that's about it. Every other category was either negligible difference(wet, dry, compacted snow, ice) or noticeably worse(wear*, noise, comfort, performance in higher temps).

My research says: (for the USA market)
Smooth ice - get the Nokian Hakka 10
Deep snow - get the Blizzak WS90
Mix of other conditions - can't go wrong with the Nokian Hakka R5, Hakka 10, Mich X-Ice Snow, Blizzak WS90, or Conti VikingContact 7

And since I rarely have to deal with deep snow or smooth ice, and since the only one of those five tires available in 195/50R19 is the X-Ice Snow...




*My sources say the compounds that make the WS90 so good in the snow are only in the top 55% of the tread. Once that is worn through, performance noticeably drops.

 

every single third party test or direct test video ive seen all put the blizzaks ahead of the x ice with ice braking and ice handling. each test has a slight percent test, but blizzaks always win

i stick with blizzaks because even a few feet means off in a ditch or crashing into someone. sucky thing is the gas mileage is terrible and the thread life i REALLY BAD. LIKE SUPER BAD. i have to replace every pair of blizzaks every other season. 2 year tire life is terrible. 20-30k miles driven and they are useless

they do work amazing on wet PNW roads though. can blast thru deep puddles and heavy rain and not even feel the car react

 

Just an opinion here but I think that for the winter conditions I drive in, I doubt I would notice any difference between the Blizzaks and the X Ice tires. The Blizzaks are cheaper by about $20-25 per tire but if I had to replace them every other winter due to low tread life, the X-Ice would win the day simply because they last a lot longer. In my previous vehicles, I've had X-Ice tires last five seasons. Of course that all depends on how much you drive in the winter. But I think most of the treadwear comes from driving in temps over 45F which happens a lot during our PNW winters.

If your winters are constant sub freezing temps, Blizzaks would probably be your best bet. But if temps fluctuate like they do in the PNW, X-Ice would be a more cost effective option long term.

 

All dedicated winter tires are only good for half their tread wear for dedicated winter driving, then they become "all season" tires for the rest of their life.
Drive what you're comfortable driving. YMMV

 

i mean im not arguing that. the x ice are a better long term bang for the buck. the cost per mile driven for tread life is much higher with the blizzaks. i simply get them because they are the best, not to save money. its like comparing a sony to a vizio tv. sony is a little better, but not 2x-3x the price better but people still buy them because they want the best

heck id pay double the price for a tire better than blizzaks with even one season of wear if an even better tire came out. when it comes to winter tires, i dont mind stupid spending

though when i get an awd prius next year, i may be able to get away with the x ice tires. but right now on my fwd ioniq hybrid, the blizzaks help compensate a lot for only fwd and have saved my life too many times

 

... and in my experience, half of tread life is about where tires marked as "All Season" become 3-season tires.

 

Need to know the milage not the time. Flat roads and/or mountain passes....

 

First impressions on the X-Ice Snows(I put on about 120 miles today - highway and city):

Marginally quieter than the Toyo Extensas. Maybe a little bit more comfortable. Currently no snow or ice on the ground to test winter handling. Seemed to improve MPG by a couple, but that's extremely difficult to confirm around here with temps, winds, and driving patterns all fluctuating wildly.

 

I'm liking the Mich X-Ice Snows so far. We had overnight drizzle onto frozen roads about a week back, followed by light slippery snow. Highways are patchy with dry and icy spots, city streets are a mix of clear, slick, slight snow(stuff the plows left behind), and places with a snow/sand mix(mostly at intersections).

The tires will still spin on pure ice(they aren't studded after all), but it's a very predicable loss of traction. Right after the drizzle, I found some streets that were untreated and floored it. I could hear the tires spin, but the combination of the tires, the AWD, and the car's traction control kept me in full control no matter what I did with the accelerator. Car kept moving in a completely straight line while accelerating smoothly.

In more normal wintery conditions, I've had complete control. I tried to break things loose in a parking lot with a mix of snow and ice. Acceleration plus sharply turning the wheel. The car+tires handled it fine. A little predictable sliding that disappeared completely once I straightened out the wheel. Braking has also been very good in all conditions(some sliding/skidding on pure ice, but it was predictable and controllable).

Only thing left is to wait for a 6"+ snowstorm and to go out before the plows to see how they handle in deep snow.

 

Blizzaks don’t spin in place on ice. They are studless. They use a special compound and tread pattern. They are softer than z ice.

 

Running Blizzacks on 16" rims (Discount Tire). Have had a few snow storms and the car handles better than my pick-up did (also with snow tires). As long as the snow is <6", I'm great.
Utah...

 

Joining the winter setup folks

Generic Sport Edition A12 16x7.5 ET38 205/65/16 Blizzak WS90

Looks super dinky, wheel is pretty flush with the body, clearance on 16s is darn close with wheel weights right up against the caliper

 

I have blizzaks on my Matrix, and I've run X-Ice before. In the end, they're honestly very comparable for your average driver and right now, if you want stock size the x-ice are much easier to find. My car arrives soon and the dealership has the x-ice in stock, but no blizzaks. So I'm going to try and get some semblance of a deal there with the car, as I can't do my usual Costco order for the cash back and usually a bit better than mail in rebate on the tires there (no stock available, and only pirellis on offer)