Winter Tires Help me choose

[ninjahotel]

I'm looking at winter tires and have been quoted on 3 different sets and looking to choose. The price includes balance, mount, balance and tire tax.

This is for a 2008 subaru impreza I just picked it up. ANd will keep the car for quite some time.

Michelin X-ice X13 $852.00+tax
Hankook Winter I*Pike $700 + tax
Toyo observe GSI 5 $816 + tax

What would you go with?

[CanmoreOrLess]

These tires are for what type of vehicle? In the winter, are you driving to ski resorts, highway travel or just driving in the city? How long will you keep the vehicle?

You can go with a minus 1 tire and rim package, saves money compared to the tire and rim package you run in the summer and increases traction. Getting tires mounted and remounted every season is wasting money and risking damage to the tire.

[Redlined_8000]

I heard the I-Pike are decent for the money. What type of vehicle? If its a low weight smaller car id go I-Pike. But if you have a big sedan or something Id probably go for the Michelins.


1010tire.com and Tirerack.com reviews are your friends.

[ninjahotel]

I added it. It's for a 2008 subaru impreza. won't be going to ski resorts other than COP. But want something that will be good for ice/snow not just snow.

[avishal26]

I think Michelin X-ice are the highest satisfaction rated...

I have I-Pikes on my 'large sedan' lol and it is amazing. Not even came close to getting stuck last year. For the price difference if you want to save cash, get the Hankooks (I find them better for road noise too compared to the Blizzaks I just got on the SUV).

If you want the best I don't think you can go wrong with Michelins

I got Hankooks on my M35 (instead of Blizzaks) because the price differential for me was over $200 I think.

[avishal26]

Originally posted by ninjahotel
I added it. It's for a 2008 subaru impreza. won't be going to ski resorts other than COP. But want something that will be good for ice/snow not just snow.

I slid around a bit (nothing crazy) when it was icy for a while last winter on the IPikes. .. I think unless you go studded you can't do much about black ice.

[CanmoreOrLess]

A Subaru, hard to go wrong with winter tires. I'd go with the Michelins BUT I'd also consider Generals at less than half the price from UrbanX. You can get them studded as well. I had them for three years, great tire. I'm on my second year of studded tires (non General), doubt I'd ever go back to a non-studded winter tire.

http://www.consumersearch.com/snow-tires

[JLau]

Give Kyle Ho at spec R a call, very professional and knowledgeable, 4033971880

[BokCh0y]

Out of those 3 choices, I would personally go with the Toyo GSi-5. I don't have experience with that particular tire, but I am quite well versed with the Toyo Observes Garit HT and KX high performance winters. No issues at all when I had them on my IS.

[GTS Jeff]

The XI3 is a great overall winter tire that gives not only superior winter performance, but has good ride quality, is quiet, and doesn't squish too badly. It's my top choice.

Ps. I've owned all the tires you've listed, in addition to various blizzaks, Hakkas, Xiice, Dunlops 3D M3, Kumhos KW, and some I'm forgetting...studded, non studded, performance winter, all weathers, etc etc. My favourites are always the X Ice.

[jdmXSI]

As a subie owner, I have had 4 types of winters and I will rate them in order of satisfaction 1) nokian hakka 8's (currently on right now) 2) blizzak lm25 3) Toyo geo observes and 4) hankook ipikes. Not sure that helps but either way, you will be happy with having winters and awd!

[Sugarphreak]

...

[dj_rice]

Whatever choice you go with, any winter tire is better than no winter tire.

[CRXguy]

I'm not sure about the Toyo's you listed, but my previous set of Garit KX weren't that great. Had it on my 2009 Civic and for some reason last year, it always got twitchy when the roads were icy. Never experienced that problem with other winter tires I've had before. I went with Hankook I'Pike this year and the drive this evening was excellent.

[max_boost]

Ipike and go stud them if you want. My entire family runs it on our Vehicles. Good value. I approve.

[Cos]

.

[schocker]

The generals are pretty good for the price. My sister has had a set on her civic for the last few years now and they are quite good in the snow and seem to be wearing pretty slowly?

Anyone got a good idea on a place to get tires mounted onto rim near the NW?
urbanx is closed until wednesday and looking to get something booked for saturday.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I have the Xi3's as well. Amazing tire. I've laughed out loud on more than one occasion with their ability to stop on snow/ice almost as if I was on pavement with fairly hard breaking. Unquestionably better than the Blizzaks I had before, at least with my unscientific testing in the same area.

Another thing I liked is that most winter tires are next to useless after 50% tread wear, where the Michelins have been shaved down and tested to be nearly as good as with full tread. This should mean you would get more tread life out of them. They also have a pretty good tread wear rating to begin with.

They are silent on the highway, and have no negatives on dry pavement that I can detect, other than being skinnier and taller than my summer tires so they do move around a little more.

If you like reviews and tests, Consumer reports has them rated the highest I believe, as have other reviews. For me personally, the #1 thing I care about is stopping distance. Realistically that is going to be the only situation I am ever at the tire's limits - a panic stop. It's also where a stopping distance improvement of even 1 foot can mean the difference between an at-fault accident or no accident. The Xi3's seemed to have the best on-ice stopping distance of any non-studded tire. I'm not always the biggest fan of Consumer reports, but testing a winter tire is pretty straight forward - same car, same variety of conditions & tests, and just swap between all the different tires to see what you get.

I'm sure a studded tire is better, but then you have to live with them on dry pavement, which in Calgary, is every main road 90% of the winter - that's why I have never gone that route.

If you are getting steelies, spend the extra $5-10 per rim and get hub-centric rims.

That was the product of my research anyway, YMMV.

EDIT: Michelin usually runs a $70 mail in rebate this time of year, not sure if it's on right now. Several of the manufacturers do this.

[freshprince1]

My bald Nokian Hakkapelita's were still doing well in the snow before I swapped them out. I'd add them to your list, though not sure if they're more expensive or not. They were fantastic.

[blownz]

Those Hankooks are crap compared to X-Ice.

Last winter in our lot two guys with identical Jettas, one with I-pikes, other with XI2's tried some acceleration and braking tests. It was quite a noticeable different between the two and the Michelin's had over 20k on them vs less than 3k on the Hankooks. Definitely worth the extra money in this case.

I also had XI2's before my studded Hakka 7's and these aren't any better imo. The Michelin's are good tires.