All season tires for winter?

[nikro000]

Here is my situation: in Austria, by law, we are required in winter to have snow tires on the car. So I have never driven on snow and ice with anything except snow tires. Here in New Mexico we usually get no more than a slight "sugarcoating" in winter, so snow tires were not necessary in the city - that is until last winter. In our backyard we had 17 inches of snow which led most of us on an ice skating tour everytime we used our cars with the summer tires. Clearly that will not do next winter. I first thought about snow tires, but there are several down sides including costs (buying and changing 4 tires for a maximum of 2 weeks of heavy snow a year, that might not even come) and storage (not much space to store the other 4 tires in our garage). Now I see those ads for all-season tires all around. It would be convenient to slap them on and have them on the car all year, even for the 2 weeks of snow. Does anybody have experience with all season tires in snowy conditions?

[CharlesW]

Yes.
They have served us well for many winters.
If you have front wheel or all wheel drive, it should be all you need. If you have rear wheel drive, you may still want snow tires on the rear. I didn`t, but my wife did.

Charles

[black bart]

Depends on what brand you buy not all AS tires are created equal. Some do pretty good in snow not as good as a winter designed tire but good enough for your situation.
Here is a link where you can compare a lot of brands for traction and wear.
The Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels

[distrbd]

We get a lot of Snow here in Toronto,Canada but many people use all season tires here and with a little practise you will quickly learn how to drive/stop in Snow.
Regardless of how good A/S tires are,they just can`t compete with a good set of winter tires,the smart way here is to have a set of winter tires with their own steel rims and swap them with all season ones as soon as winter arrives.

[nikro000]

We get a lot of Snow here in Toronto,Canada but many people use all season tires here and with a little practise you will quickly learn how to drive/stop in Snow.
Regardless of how good A/S tires are,they just can`t compete with a good set of winter tires,the smart way here is to have a set of winter tires with their own steel rims and swap them with all season ones as soon as winter arrives.

Yeah, that`s what we did in Austria too and I thought about it here, but I have to make budget compromises, especially since the snow might not even come. I have visions of equipping my car like a snow plough, only to have a nice warm January sun blazing down on it and my wife nagging me, why I had to spend so much money.
So all season might be the way to go. Sounds like a doable compromise.

[Stephan]

God I wish it was a law here....I love getting behind a 1992 honda civic with 18" rims and 1/2 " size tires and wondering why he can`t go more then two feet...


I agree while all seasons are good, nothing beats a good set of winter tires.

[audiboy]

All season tires are not only good for snow, but they`re great for colder weather too. Most summer tire manufacturers don`t suggest using their tires in anything than less than 45 degree weather. Like black bart suggested, you might want to go The Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels to research different tires. Their prices are really good too.

[nikro000]

Thanks guys - I went to tire rack and found some really good options -I especially like their decision maker.

[nikro000]

Most summer tire manufacturers don`t suggest using their tires in anything than less than 45 degree weather.

Gee that`s interesting - I have never heard that but I guess that`s not what they write on the tire in big letters. Thanks Audiboy!

[black bart]

Tires that have poor cold performance are designed for high performance driving. They are not good for a year round daily driver but such tires are designated as ultra performance and at tire rack they will tell you that they are not for ice.
I have tires like that on my highly modified Corvette.
Down side they are really expensive and wear very fast due to the soft compound.
The good part is they stick like glue when hot.
Since I only drive my vette in the summer months and drive it like it was stolen they are idea for my situation.
AS tires attempt to do all things so they do everything reasonably well but will not be as good in snow as a winter designed snow tire and not as good for high speed cornering as a ultra performance tire.
If I lived where you do I would choose a AS tire with a good wet traction rating they should do well in your winter climate.

[Brenton]

I`m in Canada and use all-season mostly. But I have a 4x4, so power for getting through deep snow without them. In Alberta, the crusty ice and low budget snow removal meant they were mandatory. If I had the money, though, I would use them for sure, though they are a little hard on dry roads.
b

[Poorboy]

I agree that you can probably get away with an aggressive All Season tire ...the GoodYear would be a good choice...I use the Michelin MX4 for most of my vehicles including my Tahoe for a better and smooth ride..I`ve had quite a few sets and have been happy with them on my cars, mini-vans, and trucks.

[nikro000]

I agree that you can probably get away with an aggressive All Season tire ...

Hmmm.. agressive...I assume you refer to the traction ...what traction rating would that be? Is that "AA" or would you rate "A" as aggressive too?

[Poorboy]

Hmmm.. agressive...I assume you refer to the traction ...what traction rating would that be? Is that "AA" or would you rate "A" as aggressive too?

Like i said i like the Michelin MX4 personally, but this Goodyear seems to be highly rated for what you are looking for Goodyear Assurance TripleTred

[black bart]

nikro000 here is a link to a page with a lot of info for what you are asking about.
I"m sure this will help you make a decision.
Remember the better the traction in snow the more noise so if you don`t want to listen to a noisy tire you will either need to compromise or plan on switching to summer tire when you no longer need the extra traction.

Winter Tire Tech