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Need info on snow tires

4K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  Lowbanks 
#1 ·
Newbie here, great site,Ii have a 2010 rav v6 sport w appearance package Looking for snow tires. I would appreciate any info on what owners are using I drive a lot in upstate NY. I have run flat tires. Im i crazy to think about buying non run flat snows?
 
#2 ·
I have experienced with the Micheline Xice Xi2 on my other car and it handles acceleration and braking very well , just remember snow tires wont help when you turn around the bend to fast... Laws of phyiscs wins.

The best thing about this Xice is very quiet ride and does not wear very fast. I am still using the same winter tires after 4 years or 3 winters had gone by and still treads are 95% new. =). It handles very well like an all season tires .

Currently the Xice Xi2 was replaced by the new Xice Xi3 and I bet this current model is much better! Both basically have low rolling resistance which means less drag , better fuel mileage. I highly recommend the Xice.

If you want a more aggressive tread bites, Nokian tires specially the hakkas are great! I would say better than the Xice , but it might not be as quieter than the Xice or treadwear might notmbe as good as the Michelin. Also, the cost is more...
 
#3 ·
Does anyone even make run flat snow tires? I haven't heard of such a thing.

Are you getting a second set of rims? If so, I would recommend going down to 16" to keep costs lower. 225/70/16 is the tire size I have on my Limited. Take a look at the General Altimax Arctics. Take a look at the reviews and videos on Tire Rack.
 
#5 ·
Another big fan of the Altimax Arctic. In deep snow conditions, I can take off at nearly full throttle and with just a hair of wheelspin, can get a quick launch to 30 MPH before other cars are even barely moving. Cornering and braking traction is equally good. The only area it suffers is on glare ice, when tires like the Blizzak and X-Ice would do much better. However, the Altimax Arctic does a lot better when it's just wet - it doesn't have the mushy steering response and has handling levels nearly equal to all-season tires without chunking the tread.
 
#7 ·
I have had excellent luck with the Nokian Haakapelietas (spelling?) and in the past had excellent experience with Vredesteins and Gislavid winter tires--both made in northern Europe where snow and ice are heavy and extended, so I figure they know something about it. The reviews at Tirerack for the General Artic Alpines are very good, and there is an interesting test video there as well; they offer the advantage of being studdable should you wish to do that (helps on ice but has disadvantages otherwise).
 
#8 ·
Spark
Welcome. I'm pretty new too and also have a Rav( well, ours is 2009), Sport with SAP.

Here's what I'm doing. I got a set of OEM takeoff wheels from a Rav4 Limited, 17", and am currently shopping on Craigslist for 225/65 R17. I was going for new Nokian Hakkapelliita 'R'...I liked the low rolling resistance and was also looking at Gislaved but the price was getting a bit rich for me. I came down to earth and decided that Consumer Reports third choice, the General Arctic Altimax would do fine. I ordered a set locally, $675 m&b, but am desperately trying for a last -minute Craigslist deal for some almost new tires. I just missed a couple of deals so I still have a glimmer of hope.

Anyway, double check that 16" wheels will actually fit and not hit the brake calipers. Btw, when you change from stock wheel/ tires to something else, you want to make sure the outside wheel diameter of the new tire is within 3% of the stock. Good luck.

PS, yeah, the Blizzaks are available as RF. Prob not worth it... thing with rfs is that you are still going to f them up if you drive any distance... they are no miracle product... and that stiff sidewall makes for a stiff ride.
 
#9 ·
I just got the Michelin X-ice Xi3s from Tire Rack ($177 a piece for 225/60/18s plus about $75 shipping to Colorado) for my '12 V6 Sport. First light snowstorm with the Bridgestone run-flats made me want to do some serious research on snow tires! Had many sets of Blizzaks on different cars in the past, and barely got more than two winter seasons (maybe my driving style?) Anyway, read great reviews about the Xi3, ordered them and got them in four days (installed at Firestone), and just drove through the first measurable snowfall in Denver...tires are awesome! Great handling on dry roads, too. Hope to get 4 or 5 seasons from these, since they are one of the few snow tires with a treadwear warranty (40,000 miles!). Good luck!
 
#10 ·
Ouch! I got an entire set of wheels, from TireRack, with Altimax Arctic on alloys for less than you paid for your tires only!
 
#17 ·
Yeah...but I'll still be rollin' on good rubber when your Generals are clogging some landfill for 2 years...LOL:p
Seriously don't think so, since the Altimax is a traditional winter tire compound and can be driven in summer conditions for a few tens of thousands of miles. Ours has seen lots of aggressive winter driving in snow/ice and in wet/dry pavement and still look and work like new. Any of the studless winter tires are made with a softer, faster wearing compound that is supported by a harder traditional winter compound, so while this type of tire may get slightly better traction at first, grip drops off significantly once the hydrophobic compound wears out.
 
#12 ·
Blizzack tires are the most popular in the interior of Alaska. Got this set from TireRack and installed them on my wife's Rav 4 (tires, wheels, and sensors). By the way, since having to register the new sensors cost $100.00 at the local dealers, I told my wife just to ignore the caution light on the dash.

By the way the Blizzack tires on my wife's Rav 4 aren't the run-flat type. That would be a waste of money up here.
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
Newbie here, great site,Ii have a 2010 rav v6 sport w appearance package Looking for snow tires. I would appreciate any info on what owners are using I drive a lot in upstate NY. I have run flat tires. Im i crazy to think about buying non run flat snows?
I live south of buffalo and am running the Nokian Hakkapelliita 'R' SUV..225 65 17 mounted on an extra set of 17" alloy rims,smooth ride,great traction on ice and snow...I highly recommend them.
 
#16 ·
Yeah... same here. I found a set of steel take offs from a base Rav and then found some used Nok Hak R. 225/65 R17. So far very nice but no real snow or ice yet over here in VT. They are a bit too pricey for me new. If I had to go new, I think I'd go for the General Arctic Altimax. Rebranded Gislaveds. I looked at them in a store and they are one serious looking tire... with very deep tread
. Consumer Reports recent evaluation does not put them in the top six however, but I did not read the actual report and have no idea of their evaluation criteria.

I am not going to get involved with run flats any more than I have to. Will buy a compressor and keep my AAA membership up to date.

Bridgestone does make the Blizzak in runflat... but they also make that soft tread rubber that loses effectiveness at the half-wear point.

I just feel like if you run the car on runflats, you're going to ruin them just as you would a normal tire... so it makes no sense for me unless Tony Sopranos crew is chasing me down the highway and shoot out my tire.
 
#19 ·
I've had the X-Ice and they still performed better than any other snow tire I have had even when they only had 6/32" left on them. The soft compound is prone to cutting though, so if you are going to be on trails or tearing up dirt roads, you'll also be tearing up your tire tread. I have a set of Firestone Wintermark with studs right now, because that's all I could afford 2 winters ago, they are crap tires but they can take some off road abuse and the studs (mostly) make up for the lack of ice gripping ability. If you are going to buy cheap tires, get them studded. Otherwise the more expensive ice tires are worth it.
 
#20 ·
The A20's that came on my new car were pretty good until the weather went cold and there was ice on the road. They actually did a bit better than I expected, but I did not feel safe and I do enjoy winter sports.

I considered buying wheels on Craigslist and found suitable ones in the $300 range. Adding that to the $220 for a set of TPMS sensors and $100 to the dealer to register them makes it $620. The Blizzak's were $612 out the door at America's tire. I decided to put them on the stock rims.

If a car is equipped with the sensors it is illegal to install wheels without sensors. It is considered tampering with safety equipment. Here in Oregon there is zero enforcement, but shops will not do it.

The Blizzaks are great! They are very soft, and will probably wear faster, but you need soft tires on ice if you are trying to avoid studs. The price was less than I expected. I may put the oem tires on some new rims in a few months when the supply becomes greater than the demand and prices come down.
 
#21 ·
Nokian Hakka R SUV tires with the resistor mod to keep the TPMS light off.
Best winter tire hands down. Not available everywhere, and not the cheapest but in all my years using various winter tires, the ride and grip is amazing.
 
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