Snow tires?

[GoCougs]

My snows (which aren't even performance snows) came with 10/32" of tread, which is the same as most any other passenger car tire (including the summer performance tires on my Mustang). 

As to standing water with the Caddy test, C&D test braking distance, lateral grip (on a 200 ft skid pad) and did an auto-x course.  The winter tire was better than the all season on warm wet pavement in all three.  Only the braking test would have involved speeds at which those tires might hydroplane based on the amount of water on the ground in the pictures (I owned Eagle RS-As, when new they wouldn't hydroplane at speeds <50 mph that I ever experienced).  1g on a 200 ft skidpad equates to 38 mph.  The ~.7-.75 g these cars were pulling would be closer to 32-33 mph.  And an auto-x course generally is set up to keep speeds under 60 mph on the longest straights, with slaloms and corners tight enough that you don't get above 35 in those section.

Sorry, dude, snows are far worse than all seasons on bare/wet pavement of any temp.

[SVT666]

Sorry, dude, snows are far worse than all seasons on bare/wet pavement of any temp.

They're better on dry cold pavement.  My personal experience trumps your magazine article.

[GoCougs]

They're better on dry cold pavement.  My personal experience trumps your magazine article.

False - snow are awful on dry cold pavement.

[SVT666]

False - snow are awful on dry cold pavement.

False - snow are great on dry cold pavement.

[giant_mtb]

omfg who cares.

[SVT666]

omfg who cares.

you

[S204STi]

He's from the YouPee which means he's an expert on snow.  Nobody else gets enough to qualify.

[hotrodalex]

He's from the YouPee which means he's an expert on snow.  Nobody else gets enough to qualify.

Which means he is not an expert on dry cold pavement...

[giant_mtb]

you

Not really.  You guys are arguing for pages about a 10 foot difference in braking distance that is almost never going to matter to anyone ever except in an extreme situation.  Why.

[280Z Turbo]

Not really.  You guys are arguing for pages about a 10 foot difference in braking distance that is almost never going to matter to anyone ever except in an extreme situation.  Why.

[Soup DeVille]

Not really.  You guys are arguing for pages about a 10 foot difference in braking distance that is almost never going to matter to anyone ever except in an extreme situation.  Why.

All of you are going to die because of improper seasonal tire choice.

[280Z Turbo]

Snow tires are part of the welfare state along with Diesel engines, turbochargers, and Mustangs.

[MrH]

Yes, that.

But yeah, Cougs is right.  All seasons > Snow tires on bare/wet roads.

[S204STi]

I absolutely agree, but that's not the purpose of snow tires...

[93JC]

BULLSHIT!!!

Winter isn't over in Calgary until June 13th.

Nigga please, winter's usually done by the end of April.

That doesn't preclude a chance of snow in May, June, July, August and September--it has happened--but the chances are very remote. Which sort of ties into what I've said many times to others about the subject of snow tires: hypothetically it could snow at any point in the year. Or not snow. "Brown Christmases" are very common here. You might say "Oh, but it's cold in the winter and winter tires help dry traction on cold pavement!" True, but it might be 10+ degrees for two weeks on end in the middle of winter during a chinook. Then I'm just quickly wearing out my precious snow tires.

Conversely we get below freezing the odd time during the spring, summer and fall. What then? Should I swap my tires out?


If you've got tread on all-seasons and don't drive like a jackass you'll do just fine in the winter.

[Eye of the Tiger]

LOL @ this thread
summer tires all year