The best winter tires

[eur0]

Hey guys, I'm looking to pickup a set for my 2008 Honda Civic and was wondering based on experience which ones are the best bang for the buck?

Costco has a deal where Michelins are $70 off. But wanted some other opinions

[msommers]

I'm a big advocate of Nokian Hakk's.

[alien]

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/tire-rebates-2011-fall-winter-season-1015724/

[Tomaz]

Best Trie? or best VALUE?

For the Value, I love the tires I got from Urban X last winter: Hankook I-Pike. Amazing tires for a reasonable price. :thumbsup:

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Tomaz
Best Trie? or best VALUE?

For the Value, I love the tires I got from Urban X last winter: Hankook I-Pike. Amazing tires for a reasonable price. :thumbsup:

Best value for sure.

Stud them if you want extra grip on ice.

If we are talking the very best, probably one of the Nokian ones.

[n1zm0]

http://i.imgur.com/t7tQm.jpg

but serious note,

when i can afford it for the winter beater - toyo observes, dunlop graspics

when i desperately needed some for whatever reason - nexen winguards (surprisingly very efficient and cheap)

mind you this is based primarily on experience of driving HWY 1 everyday from around chinook to callaway park for 3.5 years, also never needed studded tires, but i would like to try one day.

[kamakurakid]

Whichever winter tire is entering the first or second year of release. Using the latest tire science, it kind of makes sense. Just call Urban X south or north and they can sort you out at the best price in Calgary (anywhere in my case).

I am entering my fourth season on some General Tire winters, these were well reviewed in Sweden, so I bought them for value and deep snow use. Better out there now, as the science gets adapted. Next year I will be getting a new set, looking at new releases this winter and mostly those from the Nordic reviewers on their experiences. I would be looking for an ice tire, the science is getting darn good from what I have read. I have had studded in the past, would like an extra set over and above the snow tires for those really ice road days. Two sets of winter tires... overkill?

The cheapest winter tire is going to be better than any all season (no season) tire.

[dimi]

I run some of the cheapest winter tires around. Canadian Tire Ipikes. Have had them for 2 years. Very little wear, should last another good 4 years. I have made 3 trips to kicking horse in deep snow conditions. My car is FWD and weighs 2300lbs and I was passing cars with AWD. I love these tires.

Are the more expensive tires better? Of course, no doubt about it. But 2-3X better? I highly doubt that. I just wish I studded them for all the driving in the mountains that i do.

$400-450 for new winter steelies + tires + installation.

[codetrap]

225/55 R18 (2011 Outlander XLS)

Michelin X-Ice2
Michelin Latitude Alpin
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-70
Toyo Observe GSi-5
Continental ExtremeWinterContact

Which one?

[lellowrx7]

Originally posted by msommers
I'm a big advocate of Nokian Hakk's.

100%
best tire for winter

[BokCh0y]

I've tried Toyo Obersvers (Garit KX), Bridgestone Blizzak and Dunlop Grasspics.

My Fav in order of 1 being the best:

1. Blizzaks
2. Toyo Observes
3. Dunlop Graspics

Only beef with 1 and 2, they wear much faster than the Dunlops.

But realistically, you can't go wrong with either of the above.

[shakalaka]

Blizzaks. Cost an arm and a leg but well worth it.

[Phenix]

just about any winter tire will be better than the stock all season rubber you are running now. costco is usally pretty good on michelin pricing. but get them soon if you buy from there. they get stupid busy really quick when snow flies

[DC2]

Blizzaks on turbo rwd worked great with traction control.

Michelin arctic alpine on fwd, sucks.

hankook i-pikes (not studded): on rwd, was okay, got stuck a few times, on my fwd its fine.

Federal Himalaya's (studded) on rwd, with traction, great. I passed 4x4's last year.

Overall studded was fantastic on ice or snow, just on dry pavement its annoying as fuck and a bit sketchy when you corner harder.

[tech1]

michellin x-ice tread patterns are not as aggresive as others stated, they look as if they'll build up alot of snow. i would stay away from them personally.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by DC2

Michelin arctic alpine on fwd, sucks.


These are old old tires, and what I have on the SC, and yes, they do suck. :)

From what I understand, most modern winters are pretty good. We have Blizzaks and Xice2's on different RL's, and they are virtually identical performance wise. I think the Xice2's are slightly better in terms of tread wear.

[lellowrx7]

Do yourselves a favor and go to Kal tire, get them to put nokian Hakka r's on your car. If you don't like them you can change them for anything else within 30 days. They carry x ice and blizzaks.
If you want the grippiest winter for your $$ hakkas

[SportEL]

Nokian Hakkapelliitta (rhymes with fajita) Rs

[codetrap]

lellowrx7, aren't they studded?

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R SUV?

[tirebob]

Best is relative to specific situation, plain and simple. Everyone has opinions and preferences, be that handling, traction on black ice, traction in deep snow, cost, quietness, stability, ride quality, brand preference, etc etc...

No one tire is better than another tire is every single aspect for every single purpose. I always tell people, make fair comparisons. Just like cars... A Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry is realistically a fair and equivalent comparison. A Toyota Yaris and and a Ford F350 Dually Diesel is not... Same with tires...

Talk to someone who actually has knowledge about what the differences are between products, what makes one product perform better or worse in all the various aspects, assess which type of driving situation you are in, and select the one that checks the most relevant boxes to suit your own specific needs based on the budget you have.

As the saying goes, opinions are like @$$holes... everyone has one.

[johnboy27]

Originally posted by eur0
Hey guys, I'm looking to pickup a set for my 2008 Honda Civic and was wondering based on experience which ones are the best bang for the buck?

Costco has a deal where Michelins are $70 off. But wanted some other opinions
I have a 2006 civic and when I bought it it had Michelin X-ice tires on it. They were very good tires even though they were worn to probably 50% or less that winter they still did extremely well on this car. Last winter I grabbed a set of four studded I-pikes and they were crap for this car, half way through the season I found a brand new set of Nokian Hakka R's on kijiji and bought them. They are 100% bette than the I-pike and also better than the worn michelins too( of course) I am a Nokian fan for life. I also have a set of Toyo obsere go-2's on my wifes old van and they are decent, nowhere near the tire the Nokian is but they work well.

[pinoyhero]

I've driven on about 5 diff sets, dunlops, icebears, etc. Nothing was all that diff imo other than the hakkas, those are the best and last winters ill ever own/buy