How do you pick winter tires?

[mwinfredpp]

I’m in rural Ontario and we get plenty of snow and ice. I do a 250km daily round trip to work and back, so fuel efficiency and road noise are important to me.

The thing is, there are so many options out there... Lots of name brands (BFG, Pirelli, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin), and they all seem to be in the same price range at about $220–$260 CAD per tire.

Do I just grab whatever is on sale, or is there actually a way to make an educated choice about which tires will work best for my situation?

Thanks in advance!

 

[stickerbush]

TireRack and DiscountTire web sites have customer reviews and ratings on tires.

I've used Michelin X-Ice for over ten years, been very happy with them.

 

[sm1ke]

I go by tire ratings and customer reviews. Usually the reviews or the retailer websites will offer a little more insight. I've used Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s for the last 6-7 years. I think they offer good grip and excellent durability, but they are noisy on clear pavement. I think that if I buy another set of winter tires, they will be Michelin X-Ice and Snow. Those seem to have a much quieter ride and better comfort.

 

[HyFlyer]

Take a look at tire rack in house testing and comparisons for a "professional " opinion and their buyer surveys.

I've used blizzak dmv2, ws80 and general altimax arctic with good results (the generals are studdable if that's your thing or leave them as is)

 

[madar]

Take a look at tire rack in house testing and comparisons for a "professional " opinion and their buyer surveys.

I've used blizzak dmv2, ws80 and general altimax arctic with good results (the generals are studdable if that's your thing or leave them as is)

The Generals are exceptionally quiet and smooth with great traction

 

[yieldchase]

I don't usually like to promote one brand or place over another but I will mention Costco if that is around. I like the "free" balance, rotation, and installation that come with purchase.

 

[jadmt]

if you can get by with out a pure dedicated snow tire, the Michelin CC2 has been awesome for Montana winters...

 

[ADS-B]

I go by tire ratings and customer reviews. Usually the reviews or the retailer websites will offer a little more insight. I've used Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s for the last 6-7 years. I think they offer good grip and excellent durability, but they are noisy on clear pavement. I think that if I buy another set of winter tires, they will be Michelin X-Ice and Snow. Those seem to have a much quieter ride and better comfort.

Blizzak yes! My favourite snow tire!

 

[N7turbo]

These reviews are very helpful to get your research started.

 

[GFrosty]

Do I just grab whatever is on sale, or is there actually a way to make an educated choice about which tires will work best for my situation?

I hunt around for as many "shootout" comparison tire reviews that I can find. The ones that have a good list of tires they compare on the same vehicles on the same course over the same conditions, comparing how they behave. The rankings can be revealing, at least for that short-list of tires against one another.

Here are a couple of winter-oriented comparison sites I've used over the years.

Winter Tires - Test, Reviews & Ratings

Winter Tires – Test, Reviews & Ratings

alltyretests.com

Tested: Best All-Weather Tires for 2025

All-weather tires from Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Pirelli battle it out on dry, wet, and snow-covered surfaces to see which is the ultimate evolution in all-season rubber.

www.caranddriver.com

https://www.thetirelab.com/225-55-R19/winter/

Reifentests - AUTO BILD

Der große AUTO BILD Reifentest: Die neuesten Reifen in verschiedenen Dimensionen im Test. Hier gibt es alle Ergebnisse.

www.autobild.de

Another useful thing is actual owners' remarks and rankings. TireRack is a reasonable place, given they have so many thousands of customers who are repeat customers for years. Lots of reviews, often very good remarks. And then TireRack also does a variety of "shootout" comparison tests.

As for price, yeah you're likely to be paying more for a great-quality winter tire. Here in the U.S., a great tire for winter is likely to cost me USD $200-275, at least in my 'factory' sizing of 225/55-19. If I were to change to 17x8.5 rims, I could likely reduced the cost of winter tires by $40-60ea.

Am currently running the Nokian Encompass AW02 in 235/50VR19, on my 2016 CX-5 GT AWD. Just put them on ~2 months ago. Used year-'round, they perform well in the dry. And with their all-weather compound similar to the WR G4, I expect them to do quite well over the winter. Aren't quite the equal of the Nokian Hakkas or the Blizzak in the worst-of-winter conditions, but they'll be fine for the relatively sedate driving I do on the mostly-flatter roadways I have to contend with. These are roughly similar to a winter-oriented Michelin CrossClimate2.

 

[Fawiek]

I have used Michelin X ice (1&2) on three vehicles. It's quiet and maintains mpg as summer tires. It's amazing in slippery icy conditions and good on snow.

I also recently replaced my summer tires with CC2 tires. Very quiet, smooth ride, despite the aggressive looking rubber. Amazing on water and it'll give me extra confidence if an unexpected snow catches me by surprise. Definitely a hit on the mpg though...

 

[N7turbo]

I have used Michelin X ice (1&2) on three vehicles. It's quiet and maintains mpg as summer tires. It's amazing in slippery icy conditions and good on snow.

I also recently replaced my summer tires with CC2 tires. Very quiet, smooth ride, despite the aggressive looking rubber. Amazing on water and it'll give me extra confidence if an unexpected snow catches me by surprise. Definitely a hit on the mpg though...

In the reviews I have seen, it is noted that the CC2's ability on wet roads is it's Achilles heel. The CC3 reportedly improved on this but you'll still get better wet traction from other competitors. Depends what your priorities are. It is known for being very good in snow though.

 

[ADS-B]

In the reviews I have seen, it is noted that the CC2's ability on wet roads is it's Achilles heel. The CC3 reportedly improved on this but you'll still get better wet traction from other competitors. Depends what your priorities are. It is known for being very good in snow though.

I've been using Cross Climate for 3-4 years now and from my own experience I can say that I am extremely pleased with it's behaviour on wet asphalt. Firm, no slip, not once, if I run into a puddle of water it absorbs the shock well, no side movement, the car keeps going. On average, with CC2 tires on wet surfaces, I move faster than the traffic around me.

 

[N7turbo]

I've been using Cross Climate for 3-4 years now and from my own experience I can say that I am extremely pleased with it's behaviour on wet asphalt. Firm, no slip, not once, if I run into a puddle of water it absorbs the shock well, no side movement, the car keeps going. On average, with CC2 tires on wet surfaces, I move faster than the traffic around me.

I'm not saying they're necessarily bad; but they will hydroplane more easily and have longer braking distances than rivals. I think this is important in the midwest where snow melting creates a lot of wet conditions where a winter tire may not perform as well as an all-season or all-weather tire. This is a very common scenario in our warming world.

I realize we are talking about winter tires here, but if someone needs an all-season tire, or an all-weather tire with a little less emphasis on snow to gain in other areas like dry and wet, there are better choices, like the Pirelli Cinturato SF3, Continental AllSeasonContact 2 and Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6.

Sources: 1 and 2

Note the Cross Climate 3 are available in two different flavors: regular and Sport, and they behave very differently. Most people on these forums interested in snow traction and ride comfort would be looking at the regular version.

Overall the CC3 seems like a good step up from the CC2. They seem to have fixed the rolling resistance (fuel economy) and made it a more well-rounded tire.

 

[jadmt]

In the reviews I have seen, it is noted that the CC2's ability on wet roads is it's Achilles heel. The CC3 reportedly improved on this but you'll still get better wet traction from other competitors. Depends what your priorities are. It is known for being very good in snow though.

I have had mine on plenty of wet roads with no issues....

 

[Fawiek]

In the reviews I have seen, it is noted that the CC2's ability on wet roads is it's Achilles heel. The CC3 reportedly improved on this but you'll still get better wet traction from other competitors. Depends what your priorities are. It is known for being very good in snow though.

I disagree. It feels very sturdy and planted in wet conditions, better than most (or all) tires I have used.

 

[N7turbo]

I disagree. It feels very sturdy and planted in wet conditions, better than most (or all) tires I have used.

I don't doubt you. But the reviews pit many tires against each other in the same conditions, something no single user can do.

 

[sm1ke]

I don't doubt you. But it doesn't really matter, the reviews pit many tires against each other in the same conditions, something no single user can do.

Agreed. All of the tires being compared probably work great in normal wet conditions, the difference is simply that CC2s will reach their limit sooner than the other comparable tires when it comes to traction on wet surfaces. If you never come close to that limit, you won't have issues.

 

[GFrosty]

I've been using Cross Climate for 3-4 years now and from my own experience I can say that I am extremely pleased with it's behaviour on wet asphalt. Firm, no slip, not once, if I run into a puddle of water it absorbs the shock well, no side movement, the car keeps going. On average, with CC2 tires on wet surfaces, I move faster than the traffic around me.

I've noticed much the same thing, with my CX-5's Nokian AW02. Basically, a similar directional tread design similar to the Michelin CC2 tire, but with more sipes and a decent all-weather compound. It's stellar in the rain, even stouter puddled areas. Seems to shove it all to the side. On the highway, during downpours, handling still feels much like it does in dry/clear road conditions.

Winter weather will begin in my area, in another 6-7 weeks or so. Frosty road surfaces, increased rains turning to icing overnight, and by late November likely a light snowfall or two. Am looking forward to seeing how these perform in snowy/icy conditions. While no Nokian Hakkapeliitta, like the WR G4 before them these ought to do fairly well.

 

[Lazy2.5]

My main experience is with Yokohama Iceguard. I like that the tire focused on excelling in real winter conditions (periods of dry, wet, slushy conditions) , exceptionally quiet, while doing well in snow.

I am about to try X-Ice this winter.

I think, they are all similar.