It seems strange to post this on a sunny 28C September day but we all know that the white stuff will be here sooner than most of us would like! By this time last year we'd already been through the nasty snow storm that destroyed so many nice trees but that also kicked most of us into gear for getting the winter tire swap done early. By pure luck I was already running Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4s when the storm struck so getting around would have been easy if there were so many slow moving vehicles on the roads
Since I have a strange attraction to winter tires I usually start trying to find out what new tires will be available before the Canada Day long weekend but this year the research didn't take very long. So many of the major tire manufacturers were on a steep product R&D curve for the last few years but this year I haven't seen any earth-shattering product releases. Here is a snapshot of how I see some of the major players for this coming season…in no particular order.
Toyo - The GSi5 is a great winter tire for most standard vehicles and SUV at a nice price point. Their new G3-ICE is a very aggressive winter tire for people that want max snow and ice traction at the expense of dry road handling. Toyo really needs a new high-performance winter because the Garit GX is getting really old, plus it is expensive.
Bridgestone - The Blizzak WS80 will no doubt be a huge seller for us, partly because it is a good tire but mostly because BS pumps so much money into marketing it! They have a new SUV tire called the DM-V2 with is an evolutionary improvement on the older DM-V1 - same story here. In the fall we rarely go a day without installing at least one set of their high-performance LM-32 and it works well for people that want a compromise of dry and slippery road traction with decent tread wear.
Pirelli - The W210 and W240 Sottozero series is old but still offers surprisingly good all-around performance and is well suited to the Calgary climate, particularly on more powerful and sportier vehicles. We sell lots of them to Porsche 911 owners and vehicles that use Run Flats. The newer Sottozero 3 is a more modern take on a high-speed, high-performance winter tire but it wouldn't be my first choice on -30 blizzard days. Their new ICE ZERO looks interesting and should compete head-to-head with the Toyo G3-ICE in smaller sizes; aggressive tread and a low(ish) price point.
Yokohama - I am a huge fan of their iceGUARD iG51v for passenger car and SUV application. So much ice/snow grip, great price and it looks cool Their ADVAN Winter is a good tire but it is so expensive that we usually only sell a handful each year so Yoko is really missing out on this part of the market.
Nokian - We get lots of calls and emails for this cult brand and while many of their tires are excellent I still think most are overrated, and if you ask our installers they will tell you that the construction quality lags behind some of the bigger brands. That said, if you want a tire with lots of ice and snow grip and don't mind faster wear rates and lower top-speed ratings this company has some great tires. We use a lot of R2 and R2 SUVs and the Hakka 8 sold well for us last year. It is just too bad that most of the Hakka 8 sizes are only imported with studs because I think the studless version makes more sense for our climate.
Continental - Often a bit off most consumers radar, the TS810 and TS830 are definitely worth considering for luxury and sporty application. They work really well in our climate and last longer than lots of the competitors. We also sell a lot of their Run Flat winter tires, mostly to BMW owners.
Michelin - Another famous brand with not much new to mention for 15/16. Their X-Ice Xi3 will be a top seller for us (Michelin Man marketing at work!) but it is genuinely a good all-around winter tire. The Pilot Alpin PA4 is a great high-performance option and after driving on a set for seven months last year I give it two thumbs up. It disappoints a bit on the nastiest winter days but it pays you back with all-season-like dynamics (that is a compliment) on warm chinook days. Their new Latitude Alpin LA2 is a great SUV tire but the sizes are limited and targeted mostly at Porsche vehicles.
That's it for now. I will continue with my $0.02 on other brands later.
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