Don then you only need to put summers on for vanity sake!

 

You say that as if it's a bad thing...

 

Not at all!

 

Anyone done Yokahoma or Bridgestone snow/ice tires? They are way cheaper than Pirelli's and the Bridgestone is higher rated on a lot of sites (including Consumers Reports). I am unimpressed by the Pirelli Scorpion Snow-Ice since today the truck damn near did a 180 in a very slow speed 90 degree turn with 1" of slush on the road. The price and poor wear also factor into my dislike of them.

 

Not sure Yokohama winter tires (I only know them for performance summer tires) but Bridgestone blizzak winter tires are commonly used up here in Canada. Solid on ice and snow. I've had good experience with Michelin winter tires but they don't have 265/50/R19 according to Tirerack.

 

Thanks Kenny. I found out today that snow tires in that size are not easily found. Apparently, the snow-tire peak is October in NJ (figures - the temps are changing) and by March they're all gone. I priced the Yoko's - Mavis Tire - $912 - installed, 4 wheel alignment. Firestone - $1,144 - installed, 4 wheel alignment. No one local can get Bridgestones. I found a bargain deal on Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV on line - but the R2 is a discontinued series so I wonder what the date code on them is. My summer tires are Nokians - and they were a PITA to get balanced (I saw several complaints about the snow tires having the same issue.. Hard to balance.)

I think I'll look at some reviews of the Yoko's..

 

I have swapped Continental DWS06's on all of our cars - including my CTT. Best bang for the buck IMO. Handle great all around.

 

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tir...r3-suv/p/24745

Am running Nokian R3 for my winter set.

Haven't really had a chance to try it out in proper snow though.

The few days that Portland had some snow a couple of weeks back, handed her over to my mother in law since she was on call (OBGYN) and she had no issues getting around the east side of town that got hit worst.

 

They're a fine tire if one was looking for an AllSeason tire. I'm specifically looking for snow-ice tires. There are LOTS of AllSeason tires to pick from.

 

I installed the 20" Verde non-N Spec on my CD, and took it to the Sierras just after and during a snow storm. They seemed to do just fine. Of course, I also tend to drive a lot slower in the snow. I did not encounter any sliding or loss of traction and I did not even bother to shovel them out after 1-2 ft of snow; I just pulled it out of the parking spot. Being in CA, I typically do not put snow tires on though.

 

Figured I'd wrap it up - ordered the Yokohama winter tires this AM. With a wheel alignment, it comes in at about $900 for mounted/balanced/tax.. will report back on how they feel on dry pavement since I'm sure that's what I'll see for the remainder of the winter. Mebbe I should take a drive to Quebec? Winter festival is coming up and it's on our bucket list..

EDIT: I happened upon Consumer's Reports winter tire test this AM (day after above) - and they roundly panned the Yokos - especially for wet braking, handling and noise. All of those are somewhat important to me. I called to cancel my order - and apparently, it hadn't been placed yet - so the guy at Mavis Tire (ex STS in NJ) - matched the price pretty closely on a set of 4 Bridgestone Blizzacks. They got good ratings from CR - not the best - but in the top 1/3rd. They don't look too cool (squared off shoulders), but they do seem effective in snow/ice conditions from all the believeable reviews I've seen. They are only "T" rated for speed (118MPH) - but it's unlikely to highly-improbable to never gonna happen - that will be an issue in north America. They do have the 110 load rating, so I'm covered for my coast-to-coast trips with my wife.

I looked into Winter Festival/Carnival for Quebec, and apparently that ship sailed a few weeks ago. Bummer, I would have liked to check that one off. Have to see what else is going on up norf in March (I finish some medical stuff on March 5th.)

 

Got the Blizzacks this afternoon. Mavis is the usual tire-guys kinda place. They got them installed and very carefully torqued the wheel lugs after tightening them with the impact gun. Torque setting is 118 ft/lbs. If I had to guess - the torque on their impact gun exceeded that value since when I checked them at home my 1/2" drive torque wrench clicked nicely at 110ft/lb. They aren't undertightened. Balance seems to have been achieved - once I fixed the tire pressures using the TPMS (all over-pressurized by 5-15 PSI) - they seem fine no balance issues up to around 90MPH. They do not have as sharp a handling edge to them as the worn out Pirellis did, but I really didn't expect them to. Feel a bit softer in on/off-ramp handing tests. Response is a bit slower dodging potholes, but the ones they hit feel much less hard impact as the worn out Pirellis. They are eons quieter than the worn Pirelli's. Now I'm hoping for some snow. I may have to go find some to try them out in.

I'll try to remember to report back in 1,000 miles or so after the new glow wears off.

 

Can't go wrong with Blizzaks on snow/ice. I had them on my Touareg in the 18" size and was very happy with them in bad weather. They were just a tad too squishy on dry roads for my taste but that's the price you pay for good ice performance.