Car Q - snow tire question in mild winter climates?

[acehistr8]

Here in Northern VA we have a pretty mild winter usually. Average high is in the low 40s, snow is pretty light, maybe we get pounded once per winter with a good snow, but otherwise dustings are the norm.

Have a 350Z Coupe right now mounted with the stock Potenza 17s. Talk on most of the 350 boards is how great the Blizzaks are in winter climates, but I know that if you drive snows on dry pavement too much, doesnt it burn them out real quick? I'm worried about mounting them and then having one day of snow in 4 months but for 95% of the time driving on well treated and dry roads. Would it be better to buy a high quality all-season tire? Just wondering given the lack of snow we get here if its even worth going to the Blizzaks or not.

 

[buddy]

March 2004

Best in snow:
All-wheel drive or winter tires?

AWD is best, but better tread also makes a big difference.

Go-anywhere grip is a major part of America's love affair with sport-utility vehicles. Automakers are capitalizing on that passion for all-wheel drive by offering it on a growing number of sedans, wagons, and minivans. More than 20 non-SUV models now offer such systems, which provide power to all four wheels as needed.
Most all-wheel-drive vehicles are based on front-drive cars, which, in turn, tend to do better in snow than rear-drive cars because the weight of the engine and transmission sits directly over their drive wheels. Front-drive models cost about $2,000 less, on average, than all-wheel-drive models, weigh less, and use less fuel. And as with other vehicles, you can improve their snow traction with winter tires, which use special compounds and aggressive tread (see our November 2002 report on Winter and touring-performance all-season tires).

How much difference can winter tires make? We compared four of our test cars--the all-wheel-drive Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion and its front-wheel-drive sibling, the Passat GLS, and the all-wheel-drive Volvo Cross Country and similar front-drive Volvo S60.


The tests: We gauged traction by measuring the distance it took to accelerate from 5 mph to 20 mph over packed snow. Because cold-weather stops can be especially challenging, we also tested braking from 10 mph over smooth ice. We drove the all-wheel-drive cars with their factory-issue all-season tires, which should get these vehicles through most conditions. Front-drive models were tested two ways--with standard all-season tires and with winter tires. Our results:

Best were the all-wheel-drive cars, which reached 20 mph 21 feet sooner, on average, than the front-drive cars equipped with winter tires.

Winter tires yielded the biggest snow-traction gain for the buck, however. Using them helped the front-drive cars reach 20 mph nearly 28 feet sooner than they did with all-season tires. Cost: about $300 for the four winter tires plus another $160 or so for an extra set of wheel rims to ease the switch to winter tires.

Better traction won't guarantee shorter stops. Braking distances on ice were about the same for the all-wheel- and front-wheel-drive cars. But the antilock braking systems (ABS) helped significantly; both Volvos stopped some 14 feet sooner with ABS than they did when we turned it off.

Our advice: Consider an all-wheel-drive vehicle if you live in a snowy area or want added peace of mind. For maximum traction, equip it with winter tires. In less-snowy areas, front-wheel drive and a set of winter tires should suffice. Mount winter tires on all four wheels for balanced handling. Remove them after winter, since these tires wear quickly on dry roads (plan on about three winters of use). And be sure to opt for ABS on any vehicle.

 

[spang]

Here in NE Ohio we run Blizzak LM 22s on my 540i, and the Blizzak WS-50 on my wifes mustang from November through March. I can tell you that all the good things you have heard are true. We both have to drive in severe weather on many occasions and I feel much more secure with this tire. I ran all seasons one winter and the difference is night and day, I can pretty much get through anything now.

That said, in your climate they would probably be overkill, unless you frequently travel north in the winter. If it were me, on the one or two days you get pounded I would take the day off and have dinner delivered.

 

[The Boys]

I run all-weather Pirelli P-6 here in Michigan on a Audi A-6 all wheel, they are awesome.


The Pirelli P6 FOUR SEASONS radial is a High Performance All-Season tire developed for European cars imported to North America. The P6 FOUR SEASONS complements these potent vehicles, such as the Audi A6 allroad quattro and the Volvo V70, by combining high performance characteristics with year-round traction, even in light snow.

On the outside, the P6 FOUR SEASONS radial features an asymmetric tread design with two central circumferential grooves to enhance wet traction and resist hydroplaning. A continuous center rib provides constant road contact to enhance straight line tracking and dry road response. The tread is molded out of Pirelli?s 100% silica compound with siped Independent shoulder and intermediate tread blocks to provide additional biting edges to enhance light snow traction. Internally, the P6 FOUR SEASONS features twin high tensile steel belts that reduce weight to enhance ride quality while they stabilize the tread area to enhance handling.

The Pirelli P6 FOUR SEASONS radial?s styling features black letters reversed out of three stylized, serrated ?islands? on their sidewall, and the 225/55R17 sized tires proudly carry ?Allroad? branding on their sidewall to identify their use as original equipment on the Audi A6 allroad quattro. Depending on application, P6 FOUR SEASONS radials are H- or V-speed rated and available in selected 65-, 60-, 55- and 45-series sizes for 15" through 17" wheel diameters. Other sizes are anticipated to be introduced in the future as the P6 FOUR SEASONS radial earns additional original equipment fitments.