Yahoo Autos 7 of the Best Snow Tires You Can Fit for Winter Driving
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If you live where winter means lots of snow, slush, ice, and sloppy roads or you travel to snowy places to play, we strongly advise that you fit your vehicle with a set of snow tires-more accurately called "winter tires." Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because your vehicle is equipped with all-season tires; all-seasons aren’t optimized for the worst of winter driving.
• Winter tires use a specialized rubber compound designed to have good traction in freezing temperatures and on icy surfaces.
• The tread on winter tires has special grooves and biting edges specifically engineered to dig into the snow to get maximum traction.
• There are now several winter tires designed specifically for high-powered performance machines. These tires offer good snow grip and also exceptional handling on dry winter roads. In a recent Car and Driver test, a set of high-performance winter tires fitted to a Porsche 911 delivered 95 percent as much cornering grip on dry pavement as the car's standard summer high-performance rubber-an amazing performance.
How We Chose These Tires: The following seven tires were evaluated during our most recent winter tire test, conducted in a special winter-testing facility in Finland. From those tests, plus our experience with the winter tires that we fit to our long-term test cars, we’ve chosen seven excellent winter tires from top brands. Whichever ones you choose, always fit them in sets of four.Availability and Pricing: Some of these tires may not be available in a size that fits your vehicle, and prices vary greatly depending on the size you require. If your first choice isn’t available, don’t be discouraged. Fit any of these winter tires, and when the snow falls you’ll have added confidence every time you get behind the wheel.
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Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02
Dunlop
tirerack.com
One of the most affordable winter tires, the Winter Maxx lacks some of the traction offered by the more-expensive winter tires, but in our testing it almost matches them in braking, where it really counts. Another plus is that the Dunlop uses an asymmetric tread design that helps it run quietly.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 3/8
Michelin X-Ice Xi3
Michelin
tirerack.com
The X-Ice does a great job in any sort of inclement winter weather. It grabbed second place overall in our winter tire testing and performs admirably in braking, acceleration, and cornering in snowy conditions. In fact, it turned in a nearly identical performance to the Nokian Hakkapeliitta, which took top honors overall in our testing.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 4/8
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
Bridgestone
tirerack.com
We’ve equipped many a long-term test car with Blizzaks over the years and they’ve performed extremely well. The Blizzak tends to be on the pricer end of the winter-tire spectrum (but that can vary with the size you require). For that you get an excellent all-around winter tire, with braking as its strong point; in our testing it tied for the shortest stop in snow with the test-winning Nokian Hakkapeliitta.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 5/8
Continental WinterContact SI
Continental
tirerack.com
The Continental is the polar opposite of the Dunlop Winter Maxx. The Conti exhibits top-notch grip for accelerating from a stop and for turning in snowy conditions, but delivered the longest tested braking distance. Still, it represents a huge improvement for winter driving compared with all-season tires.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 6/8
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Pirelli
tirerack.com
The Pirelli Sottozero 3 is an intriguing option for people who like to have fun driving in the winter when the roads aren't covered in snow. It is one of several recently developed high-performance winter tires that compromise deep snow traction and braking somewhat, but more than make up for it with stellar dry-road handling exceptional cornering grip. The Sottozero is a perfect choice for someone who deals with occasional snow and wants to retain the sportiest possible handling on dry, twisty roads.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 7/8
Yokohama ice GUARD iG51v
Yokohama
tirerack.com
SUVs and crossovers are typically heavier than their smaller passenger-car brethren, and as such need more room to brake. The Yokohama IG51v is specifically designed for SUVs, and is a boon to winter traction. Coupled with an SUVs' higher seating position and the all-wheel drive many SUVs are equipped with, the iG51v will make you feel like you're driving an M1 Abrams tank in the snow. The Yokohama is generally less expensive than many of the tires listed above, which makes it one of the most affordable winter tires on the market.
tirerack.com - Car and Driver - 8/8
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2
Nokian
amazon.com
Nokian is a Finnish manufacturer that been developing tires since 1932. Winter tires are among it's specialties-no surprise when you consider Finland’s proximity to the arctic circle. This is the brand that finished tops all-around in our most recent winter-tire test. Nokians tend to be pricey, but if you’re searching for uncompromising winter performance, the Hakkapeliitta R2 is the tire for you.
amazon.com
Our testing shows how much more confidence you'll have behind the wheel with a set of these winter tires.
