Winter tire discussion for grown ups thread.

[Badhobz]

take some snow shovels too and maybe some trax, then coqu to kamloops and back on the 1 to Edmonton. Thats the most used route i believe so it should have the most snow plowing/clearing.

https://www.amazon.com/BUNKER-INDUST...d670b6bc&psc=1

[underscore]

imo extra supplies are time are most important, you're more likely to be delayed by an accident or something. Check the cams on DriveBC before you leave and as you go. And even if you know the route I always have Google Maps running navigation because it'll alert and reroute around accidents.

[Gerbs]

What are y'all thoughts on cheap $600-700 winter tires that are no name? Is it worth it? Or best to pay double.

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

What are y'all thoughts on cheap $600-700 winter tires that are no name? Is it worth it? Or best to pay double.

You can find deals on good brand-name winter tires, just have to look. I would personally be annoyed at crappy off-brand tires because I'd dislike the downsides of cheaping out.

Never cheap out on your office chair, bed and tires IMO.

Check out online places like Quattro Tires, PMC or Blackcircles for good deals.

[bcrdukes]

I know a few people on and off RS who use no-name made in China weirdo name brand winter tires and they have worked well without issues. I wouldn't hesitate to get them except I do a lot of driving in Toronto so my risk tolerance is lower. In Vancouver, I'd totally rock them.

I know these people are reading this post. You know who you are hahaha

[smoothie.]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I know a few people on and off RS who use no-name made in China weirdo name brand winter tires and they have worked well without issues. I wouldn't hesitate to get them except I do a lot of driving in Toronto so my risk tolerance is lower. In Vancouver, I'd totally rock them.

I know these people are reading this post. You know who you are hahaha

Sailun translates to small pp

[bcrdukes]

[320icar]

I have said it before in this thread and I’ll say it again, I have cheapo non name off shore tires and I’d buy them again in a heartbeat. Just use your brain, buy the ones with the most aggressive visual tread pattern. Some brands just use their ‘generic all season’ pattern but cut a few extra grooves in it and call it done. Use your gut and car instincts.

I’d rather have new and fresh import tires than 5 year old 7/32’s name brand tires

For reference; Sailun ice blazers 225/40r18 for ~115 each back in 2020

Spoiler!

/url]

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

What are y'all thoughts on cheap $600-700 winter tires that are no name? Is it worth it? Or best to pay double.

I'd say do your research as there are tradeoffs for cheaper tires - more noisy, less capable in wet or dry or ice. If your conditions match the cheaper tire then go for it. Tyre Reviews likes to review some of the cheaper brands in their reviews - might be worth a read. Example: https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/...-Tyre-Test.htm

Also, maybe consider the off brands from the big names or the smaller big names like General or Falken etc? An Altimax Arctic is a really solid tire and a lot cheaper than an X-Ice/Blizzak (I think).

[underscore]

Depending on the size definitely shop around a bit. For me the no name ones usually end up only being slightly cheaper than the top tier ones so there's no reason to get them. Whereas in the size 320 runs there's clearly a pretty wide spread of prices.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

What are y'all thoughts on cheap $600-700 winter tires that are no name? Is it worth it? Or best to pay double.

tyrereviews does reviews on groups of tires on YT. For the winter tire test he always throws a few no name/budget tires on.

YouTube

This year's review seems to show the budget tires are quite good for snow, but poor in other categories. Figure out your needs and buy one that matches.

[68style]

I have 6 cars nowadays and a big mix of tires, name brand and not... I'm not convinced by video tests and whatnot, honestly I think even when they say they're not taking money they are... most knockoff brands are just copies of big name brands anyway so the tread pattern side of things doesn't stand up... so it comes down to compound I guess???

I have no name all seasons from the USA on my Celica GT, it drives better and quieter than the Toyo Proxes all seasons on my Celica GT-S (absolutely terrible road noise!).... my winter tires were creappy Tiger Paws and I made it to the same ice racing as 320icar did... one of my Lexus has $70 Barum tires made in Czech Republic from Discount Tire on it and it drives better than the other Lexus with Continental DWS on it... My MR2, due to staggered sizes and nobody making 15" tires anymore... it has Kumho's and they're pretty terrible.

To each their own I suppose!

The other thing with video tests is that absolutely nobody is pushing their car or tire to the limit like those people are to get their numbers. Not everyone is a RS member haha... majority of the population is driving within the 5/10ths of capability (or less!) that is pretty much an even playing field for every tire.

[mikemhg]

I wish these kind of tests were done on the West Coast style of snow.

Every test I've seen are done sub 0 degrees either on the East Coast or somewhere cold and dry.

I've never seen tests done on the slushy/wet/icy type of snow we deal with out here, which is extremely different.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by mikemhg

I wish these kind of tests were done on the West Coast style of snow.

Every test I've seen are done sub 0 degrees either on the East Coast or somewhere cold and dry.

I've never seen tests done on the slushy/wet/icy type of snow we deal with out here, which is extremely different.

I agree with that. I've had 3 different sets of snow tires over the years and none of them stood out to handle Vancouver snow particularly well.

[320icar]

Really? What kind of vehicle?

Over my focus st, focus RS, focus SVT, ford focus wagon and ford flex we’ve had 6 or 7 different winter tires. All ranges of sizes, A/B/C tier brands, manuals/autos, fwd/awd etc. never once has snow made driving difficult for us, really quite the opposite. I’ll look for excuses just to go driving in it!

For a contrasting view, I took delivery of my ST in early December. Brand new eagle f1’s (which i didn’t realize weren’t all season rated). I assumed they’d be fine but it lightly dusted a few days later. Made it 2 blocks and had to turn back… couldn’t even drive in Richmond lol

This includes lower mainland and out into the interior where the in-laws are. Also wow… total ford family by accident…

[EvoFire]

I had Hankook iCept Evos on my MS3 a few years back. It was great on the interior snow but around town in Vancouver it was soso.

I had Dunlop 3D Winters on the M3 in 245 width. It's ability in the cold really showed as it had more grip than my PSS in low temp dry roads. Otherwise it was ok, I won't get caught out.

I have XIce 3 right now on the M3 in 255 width. It's not amazing, I won't get stuck but in my alley last year which has a slight incline, it took me 3 tries to get going up the hill. I think partly the tires were too wide. They don't wear at all though which is nuts for a winter. The Dunlops wore super quickly.

[BIC_BAWS]

I run farroad winter tires. It wasn't bad. Except for that one time last year when it snowed heavily and I was stuck in my driveway - I live on a hill. I have blizzaks this year so we'll see how much better it is.

FWIW, China spec tires is better than 10 year old michelins lol

[underscore]

Originally Posted by mikemhg

I wish these kind of tests were done on the West Coast style of snow.

Every test I've seen are done sub 0 degrees either on the East Coast or somewhere cold and dry.

I've never seen tests done on the slushy/wet/icy type of snow we deal with out here, which is extremely different.

With that slushy slop you guys get I'm going to guess whatever is best at not hydroplaning? Since you more drive through that stuff than on it.

[320icar]

@underscore yeah the slop is not great, but it’s not that bad either. The real issue is that after a few cars drive in the wet snow, it compacts into sheets of ice. Very very sketchy when entire road ways are covered in 2” solid sheets of ice. When I drive in the interior where it’s regularly in the deep negatives all day, any snow that accumulates can just be blown off the road by the wind. That’s sooooo much nicer to drive on

[The Producer]

had michy's, nokians, blizzaks, sottozeros and no names.

Sottozero is hands down the best "performance" snow tire I've ever used. Maybe not the best in deep stuff but we don't get that anyways. I did a winter of daily Lions Bay commuting and if I was buying new, that's the route I would go.

But I'm not buying new. I'm trying used Yok Iceguards this year on my GTI. Will hold out a few more weeks tho - my Yok Avids are actually quite good in the wet.

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by 320icar

@underscore yeah the slop is not great, but it’s not that bad either. The real issue is that after a few cars drive in the wet snow, it compacts into sheets of ice. Very very sketchy when entire road ways are covered in 2” solid sheets of ice. When I drive in the interior where it’s regularly in the deep negatives all day, any snow that accumulates can just be blown off the road by the wind. That’s sooooo much nicer to drive on

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

The slushy stuff is pretty much water, which isn't terrible.

It's the soft snow/ice stuff we get when the temps go up to 1/2C in the day and drop back down to 0 at nighttime.

When you run into that stuff on the Coq, it's a completely different demon than that of the snow you run into in the interior where it always stays below 0.

I've yet to find a tire that can effectively deal with that type of snow, guess that's pretty much why we have a TV show (Highway Thru Hell) that documents these unique conditions we deal with over here.

We'll see how these C2s end up faring on some of those night drives back around Agassiz from ski trips this winter, that area can be a total nightmare at times.

[underscore]

We get that freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw/repeat junk here too, maybe for less time overall though. The Coq is a lot higher than here (the Pennask Summit is much higher still, I always find it to be way nastier than the Coq) so I'm not too sure what conditions you guys are talking about unless you mean black ice? That's not 2" thick though.

[320icar]

Exactly what I described. Have you ever made an ice ball during a snowball fight? Same thing.

Wet ass heavy snow crushed under the weight of a vehicle turns into ice. If the roads aren’t heavily brined ahead of time it builds up and the side roads/subdivisions become literal ice rinks from gutter to gutter

[underscore]

So compact snow and ice? Isn't that everywhere? They only really plow the main roads here. The prairies are pretty much entirely that.

[TypeRNammer]

Originally Posted by roastpuff

You can find deals on good brand-name winter tires, just have to look. I would personally be annoyed at crappy off-brand tires because I'd dislike the downsides of cheaping out.

Never cheap out on your office chair, bed and tires IMO.

Check out online places like Quattro Tires, PMC or Blackcircles for good deals.

Canadian Tire usually has some reasonable deals also on top tier brands.

I bought my winter tires in February 2021. Michelin X Ice Snows 215/55/17. Total cost after discount was $715 taxes in plus I received an additional $100 in Canadian Tire money from an offer in my Triangle rewards