Share your experience of the winter tires you have had
17-Dec-2009, 10:58 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 28
Share your experience of the winter tires you have had
Since there are many threads starting with something like "which winter tire is better", " Firestone vs Dunlop? ", "WanLi tires? any good? " I'd like to start a thread to share your experience of the winter tires you are having or you had before on your car, so we can have some idea on choosing winter tires
Make/Model: Toyo GARIT HT
New/Used/Condition: Used, 80% tread left
Size: 205/55/R16
Price: N/A
Car: 2000 Golf GTI VR6
Comments: A little disappointed on these tires from Toyo. Wet and snow traction are just ok, a little slip when cornering. Maybe they would do better on lighter car
Make/Model: Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT
New/Used/Condition: Used, 90% tread left
Size: 195/65/R15
Price: N/A
Car: 2002 Civic SiR
Comments: I think there are lots of review on Nokian already.Amazing tires, best winter tires I've ever had. Great traction on both snow and ice and not too noisy when driving on dry road.
Make/Model: Michelin Artic Alpine
New/Used/Condition: Used, 70% tread left
Size: 185/70/R14
Price: $100 for 2 @ Tire Depot
Car: 1990 Accord EX
Comments: The tread pattern looks like all season tire to me but it actually did the job in the snow. I only put 2 at the front and all season tires at the back. The rear tires slipped like hell on icey road but the 2 Michelin at front were quite good. I'd say they are not the best but above average.
Make/Model: Semperit Ice Grip 2 (From Continental, Made in Germany)
New/Used/Condition: Brand New
Size: 185/70/R14
Price: $290/set @ Tires23
Car: 1998 Civic EX
Comments: Just got a set at the beginning of this winter and rided for 1500km, riding comfort is amazingly good on both highway and local, and the snow and ice gripping are both pretty good as well.
Make/Model: Toyo GARIT HT
New/Used/Condition: Used, 80% tread left
Size: 205/55/R16
Price: N/A
Car: 2000 Golf GTI VR6
Comments: A little disappointed on these tires from Toyo. Wet and snow traction are just ok, a little slip when cornering. Maybe they would do better on lighter car
Make/Model: Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT
New/Used/Condition: Used, 90% tread left
Size: 195/65/R15
Price: N/A
Car: 2002 Civic SiR
Comments: I think there are lots of review on Nokian already.Amazing tires, best winter tires I've ever had. Great traction on both snow and ice and not too noisy when driving on dry road.
Make/Model: Michelin Artic Alpine
New/Used/Condition: Used, 70% tread left
Size: 185/70/R14
Price: $100 for 2 @ Tire Depot
Car: 1990 Accord EX
Comments: The tread pattern looks like all season tire to me but it actually did the job in the snow. I only put 2 at the front and all season tires at the back. The rear tires slipped like hell on icey road but the 2 Michelin at front were quite good. I'd say they are not the best but above average.
Make/Model: Semperit Ice Grip 2 (From Continental, Made in Germany)
New/Used/Condition: Brand New
Size: 185/70/R14
Price: $290/set @ Tires23
Car: 1998 Civic EX
Comments: Just got a set at the beginning of this winter and rided for 1500km, riding comfort is amazingly good on both highway and local, and the snow and ice gripping are both pretty good as well.
17-Dec-2009, 11:11 AM
#2
Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: TDOT
Posts: 40
i used to have a 99 civic 4dr 5spd it was daliy driven, my front and back all-season tires that had no tread at all maybe 20% left, and i went threw one of the worst winter 2008 without a problem lol. i dont know how but ya. 5Speed makes a big difference in winter driving
17-Dec-2009, 11:24 AM
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Scarborough
Posts: 12
michelin arctic alpin
used - 95% thread left when i bought them
got a good deal, $200 w/ steelies
these were my first winter tires ever. i was amazed at how well they handled whatever mother nature threw at them. i used to live in etobicoke and go to school at centennial (progress campus) so i did a lot of daily driving...never once did i lose control, go into a slide, or get stuck. loved them!
winterforce
new
think i paid over $400 but could be wrong, it was 2 years ago.
imo these were def a step down from the alpins. i never got stuck or lost control but i used to spin the wheels a lot so i def wasn't as confident with these ones.
michelin x-ice (current)
used - 70%
paid 240 with steelies
these have just been on for a couple of weeks so it's too early to tell. but so far so good. if they're anything like my previous michelins, i'll be happy.
used - 95% thread left when i bought them
got a good deal, $200 w/ steelies
these were my first winter tires ever. i was amazed at how well they handled whatever mother nature threw at them. i used to live in etobicoke and go to school at centennial (progress campus) so i did a lot of daily driving...never once did i lose control, go into a slide, or get stuck. loved them!
winterforce
new
think i paid over $400 but could be wrong, it was 2 years ago.
imo these were def a step down from the alpins. i never got stuck or lost control but i used to spin the wheels a lot so i def wasn't as confident with these ones.
michelin x-ice (current)
used - 70%
paid 240 with steelies
these have just been on for a couple of weeks so it's too early to tell. but so far so good. if they're anything like my previous michelins, i'll be happy.
17-Dec-2009, 05:44 PM
#5
Make/Model: Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice
New/Used/Condition: New
Size: 185/65/R14
Price: $460 for 4 @ Tire Rack, +$390 for MSW 14" rims
Car: 1996 Civic EX Sedan
Comments: This is the first set of winter tires I've owned, I'm starting my 2nd season on them this year. The first year I had the car I rode all winter on all-seasons and I was scared shitless half the time (first winter driving my own car), and I can say that while most winter tires are obviously far above and beyond all-seasons, these do pretty well. Grip is pretty good in the snow in normal driving conditions and braking distance isn't too bad at all. I went all of last year and only had ABS kick in 2 or 3 times (got cut off a few times).
Not sure what's up with Mississauga not plowing the little offramps on Hwy10, but I've managed to kick through some fairly nasty snow buildup on the way to work in spots that had left others stranded only minutes before.
Dry handling performance is lackluster, but most reviews will tell you that. These are meant for shitty conditions and they are worth the money if you're like me and don't want a little snow to stop you from getting to work or back home.
New/Used/Condition: New
Size: 185/65/R14
Price: $460 for 4 @ Tire Rack, +$390 for MSW 14" rims
Car: 1996 Civic EX Sedan
Comments: This is the first set of winter tires I've owned, I'm starting my 2nd season on them this year. The first year I had the car I rode all winter on all-seasons and I was scared shitless half the time (first winter driving my own car), and I can say that while most winter tires are obviously far above and beyond all-seasons, these do pretty well. Grip is pretty good in the snow in normal driving conditions and braking distance isn't too bad at all. I went all of last year and only had ABS kick in 2 or 3 times (got cut off a few times).
Not sure what's up with Mississauga not plowing the little offramps on Hwy10, but I've managed to kick through some fairly nasty snow buildup on the way to work in spots that had left others stranded only minutes before.
Dry handling performance is lackluster, but most reviews will tell you that. These are meant for shitty conditions and they are worth the money if you're like me and don't want a little snow to stop you from getting to work or back home.
17-Dec-2009, 06:35 PM
#6
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 26
Make/Model: Gislaved Nordfrost 5
New/Used/Condition: New
Size: 185/65/R14
Price: $410
Car: 2000 Civic EX Sedan
best winter tires ever. had nordfrost 2's and 3's on my 92 accord and now 5's on my civic. i will never use another winter tire. never been stuck, stopping power is awesome. no road noise
New/Used/Condition: New
Size: 185/65/R14
Price: $410
Car: 2000 Civic EX Sedan
best winter tires ever. had nordfrost 2's and 3's on my 92 accord and now 5's on my civic. i will never use another winter tire. never been stuck, stopping power is awesome. no road noise
18-Dec-2009, 12:18 AM
#7
old motomaster nordic ice tracks. ~80/ea
worked well but nothin crazy. cheapo tyres what do you expect.
uniwoble tigerpaws. got them supper chaep at $50/ea at CT cuz they were discontinued they said. I work at Toronto Honda and we sell the same tyres still so I don't know why CT thought that they were discon'd but hey.
excellent in the snow and not bad on ice, but they were the worst tyres ever on dry or dirty pavement. my civic came with MM predators that the guy put on so the car would pass saftey for me before he sold it to my and even they were better in any condtion than a blizzard.
currently I'm on goodyear nordics. the old MM nonrdics were so popular that GY decided to take the mm off them and change the tread design but keep the basic compound and sell them only at CT. I doubt they are as good as the ultra grip but they are also way cheaper. I've driven a car with the ultra grip and the only diff I found was the nordics were noisy compared the the ultra's. Still not bad and since my car has I/H/E and a sk2 IM and a magnaflow hf cat, tyre noise is the least of my noise concerns.
I'm putting michelin pilot alpine's on steelies on my dads dc5 for him for christmas/his birthday earlier this month. when the snow hit and I've driven on them (if he ever lets me drive his car) I'll add a review to them.
worked well but nothin crazy. cheapo tyres what do you expect.
uniwoble tigerpaws. got them supper chaep at $50/ea at CT cuz they were discontinued they said. I work at Toronto Honda and we sell the same tyres still so I don't know why CT thought that they were discon'd but hey.
excellent in the snow and not bad on ice, but they were the worst tyres ever on dry or dirty pavement. my civic came with MM predators that the guy put on so the car would pass saftey for me before he sold it to my and even they were better in any condtion than a blizzard.
currently I'm on goodyear nordics. the old MM nonrdics were so popular that GY decided to take the mm off them and change the tread design but keep the basic compound and sell them only at CT. I doubt they are as good as the ultra grip but they are also way cheaper. I've driven a car with the ultra grip and the only diff I found was the nordics were noisy compared the the ultra's. Still not bad and since my car has I/H/E and a sk2 IM and a magnaflow hf cat, tyre noise is the least of my noise concerns.
I'm putting michelin pilot alpine's on steelies on my dads dc5 for him for christmas/his birthday earlier this month. when the snow hit and I've driven on them (if he ever lets me drive his car) I'll add a review to them.
18-Dec-2009, 08:44 AM
#8
Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 59
Make/Model: Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT
New/Used/Condition: Bought Brand New
Size: 205/55/R16
Price: almost $1100 installed on Steelies
Car: 2006 Civic SI
Comments: These are the most amazing snow tires, best winter tires I've ever had. Great traction control on both snow and ice and not noisy at all when driving on dry road. They have awesome grip on ice too.
New/Used/Condition: Bought Brand New
Size: 205/55/R16
Price: almost $1100 installed on Steelies
Car: 2006 Civic SI
Comments: These are the most amazing snow tires, best winter tires I've ever had. Great traction control on both snow and ice and not noisy at all when driving on dry road. They have awesome grip on ice too.
18-Dec-2009, 10:24 AM
#9
Inactive
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Where my car is.
Posts: 5,460
Make/Model: Nexen Winguard 231's
New/Used/Condition: Bought Brand New (from walmart)
Size: 175/65R14
Price: $64 per tire, $292 for all 4 tax in. (Bought used set of 4-14" steelies for $40 - kijiji rules!)
Car: 2000 Civic SiR
Comments: Unbelievable and unbeatable for the price. Rivals the big name brands. The rubber compound stays very soft at the coldest temps, performs insanely well in snow and are excellent on ice. I HIGHLY recommend them. Proof that you do not need to spend a fortune and buy the biggest, best, brand name tire out there to get the best winter tire performance you want.
Also, I recommend if you are buying seperate steelie rims for your snow tires (which you should) that you buy the smallest diameter rim that will fit your car. It will save you money both on buying the rims and tires. The larger the rim and tire, the more they cost. Also you want a taller sidewall for more sidewall flexability in winter as well. A stiffer, lower profile tire will break traction with slipery surfaces easier then a taller, more flexable tire.
Happy motoring!
New/Used/Condition: Bought Brand New (from walmart)
Size: 175/65R14
Price: $64 per tire, $292 for all 4 tax in. (Bought used set of 4-14" steelies for $40 - kijiji rules!)
Car: 2000 Civic SiR
Comments: Unbelievable and unbeatable for the price. Rivals the big name brands. The rubber compound stays very soft at the coldest temps, performs insanely well in snow and are excellent on ice. I HIGHLY recommend them. Proof that you do not need to spend a fortune and buy the biggest, best, brand name tire out there to get the best winter tire performance you want.
Also, I recommend if you are buying seperate steelie rims for your snow tires (which you should) that you buy the smallest diameter rim that will fit your car. It will save you money both on buying the rims and tires. The larger the rim and tire, the more they cost. Also you want a taller sidewall for more sidewall flexability in winter as well. A stiffer, lower profile tire will break traction with slipery surfaces easier then a taller, more flexable tire.
Happy motoring!
19-Dec-2009, 07:55 PM
#10
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London,ON
Posts: 94
I definatly agree with MPR. This is my second winter season with my Nexen Winguards 175/65R13on my 92 civ hatch, and they are great. I think I paid 45$ or so per tire, put them on my steelies and they work amazingly. As long as there is no black ice I cant even ebrake slide the car. And in heavy snow the car drives like a tank, plows right through.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
lets_ride
CFz Discussion
18
20-May-2010 02:04 PM
imported_JDM_Outlaw
Chit-Chat
5
11-May-2005 05:30 PM
imported_kingrukus
Traffic tickets, accidents, insurance
0
27-May-2004 05:29 PM
enko
Traffic tickets, accidents, insurance
1
25-Sep-2003 12:55 PM
