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Nokians >> all seasons. I'm a lifelong New Englander and have been very happy with the combination of my FWD Civics and Nokian snow tires. One winter, I had an '89 BMW 325ix to play in. Otherwise, I have seen many AWD cars in all season tires sliding off snowy highways. And one can't consider every all season tire equal to another brand's. Plus consider the tread wear factor. And I do tell my friends to avoid Blizzaks because most people are too lazy to check their tires' treadwear on a regular basis.
One winter, my boyfriend was hanging out with his buddies at a house with a very steep icy driveway. The house was at the bottom of it. Our Civic with four Nokians was the only car that was able to exit the driveway. And to further show off the grip of the tires, he stopped halfway up the driveway and was still able to continue his ascent.
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']I just moved to Michigan and I don’t have any experience in driving under snowy conditions. Since I will be driving 30-50 Miles a day, I thought I need to replace the old tiers with (traction/winter tiers) but I don’t know which one is the best and affordable. By the way my car is not a BMW, so don’t think of those expensive (Michelin, Pirelli) it is a 97chevy Lumina, so my budget is ($200-$300). I tried to research it, but I found so many types which confused me. What I am looking for is a decent, safe, and affordable tiers that won’t let me down on the highway when the Temp is below F20.[/font]
Tires are only one portion of the formula. Have you had your car winterized? Only need to do it once and then just keep it that way.
Winter Snow Blades
Non Freezing Windshield wiper fluid (keep lots on hand)
What's the radiator check out to? Should be 50/50 mix water and antifreeze for most cars.
Maintenance free battery or one you should check the acid level?
How are your belts? Easier to chane one now instead of along the highway in blowing snow.
How about your hoses, are they fairly new?
Black ice? I had an old Chevy Citation with over 125,ooo miles that was great in the Buffalo winters. The car handle great and felt like it was on a rail. Great POS!
My Michelin Hydroedge have been great in winter. From glare ice to 12" of snow. No hydroplaning in spring and summer storms, either. Worth every penny.
BUT, I am still hesitant about it because I have to change the old tiers any way. My friends told me that I should have changed it long time ago. The thing is: which one is the smartest choice? Winter OR all seasons tiers?
- If I chose winter tiers, do I have to replace it on spring? And what brand Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Michelin or …. What?
Whether you go with all-seasons versus winters is ultimately going to be up to you. I've made my case for going with all-seasons with supplemental equipment for the small handful of days when exceptional traction is really needed; others have made their case for winter tires. But if you get winter tires, you will need to change them come springtime. Winter tires have very soft compound that substantially increases treadwear and handling & braking capability in warmer temperature conditions versus summer or all-season tires. That's part of the tradeoff: going with winter and summer tires means you have ideal traction for conditions year-round but that comes with the added expense and inconvenience of having two sets of tires (and maybe wheels) and swapping them out twice a year. Going with all-seasons saves time and expense but there will always be at least some degree of performance compromise. For my needs, the all-season route has been the way to go. Your needs may be different.
Whichever way you decide to go, what brand you get will also be a matter of personal preference, balancing factors such as cost, treadwear rating, wet-weather traction, dry-weather traction, ride comfort, cornering, tire noise, et cetera. I have found the best way to evaluate these factors based on one's personal needs is to go to the Tire Rack website, pick the tires that fit your wheel size and basic needs (winter, summer or all-season) and then check out the customer ratings and read the reviews. That said, if you decide to go the winter-set/summer-set route, I'm particularly partial toward the Green Diamond brand for the winters.
Best of luck to you, and welcome to the Snow Belt™
Just remember your driving on grease. Without anti-lock brakes you will need to pump your breaks so they don't lock up, it's rear wheel drive is a challenge but I drove a rearwheel drive for 15 years in Alaska before I got a4 wheel drive. I drove everyday to work been up here for 33 years and have yet to be in a ditch
Well, I'm in a similar situation. I live in VT and drive a Volvo 240 (actually 2 of them) which are rear wheel drive and both were manufactured before the introduction of anti lock brakes. They're not perfect in snow, but they are pretty reliable if you have 4 good winter tires and some added weight - say about 100 lbs. - in the rear of the car. It's quite hilly here and there have been only a few times in the last 20 years that I wish I was driving something else in deep snow.
I'd say that your inexperience with snow is a bigger worry, at present, than the car. Go slow if the road conditions are poor. Find an empty parking lot on a snowy day and see how your car handles corners, stops & starts. See what it takes to get your tires to spin. Get a feel for the car in these conditions and you should be ok. Easy on the brake and easy on the gas pedal are critical for maintaining control. Good luck!
After you have moved ask someone that has lived there and knows how to drive to give you some lessons. Trade a nice dinner or something. Driving on ice and snow is different, but obviously not impossible. You just need to acquire the skills.
First rule: Flooring the gas pedal does no good whatsoever.
Second Rule: Rear wheel drive and front wheel drive act differently. Cutting donuts in RWD is fun, in FWD it'll make you puke.
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Haven't Driven in The Snow Yet
