Tire recommendations for all-seasons, 225/65R17's

[Ed H]

Need to replace my OEM 225/65/17's on my 2010 Base four cylinder four wheel drive. I live in NE Ohio where we get snow, and sometimes serious snow. I would like to replace the OEMs with all-season tires that have better winter traction but that still afford decent tread wear, thinking that the FWD will compensate for true snow tires when the snow is at its worst. I run Nokian WR G2's on my Prius and they are great for snow, but not for tread life.

Tire choices in that size seem to include Michelin Defenders, Continental LX-20's, Yokohama Avid Ascends, etc (I left out Firestone, Bridgestone, and Goodyears d/t past problems with those brands on other cars). If you have any recommendations I would appreciate hearing them.

I would also appreciate info about whether it would be OK to go to a slightly different size in order to increase tire options, eg. 235/60/17's. Or should I bite the bullet and buy snows and another set of wheels (non-TPMS)? All advice is appreciated. THanks.

[djb383]

Lots of helpful tire info over at TireRack.com. Test results, owner surveys, etc.

[vanib]

Don't pass on FireStone WinterForce. I had them on my Mazda 6. Superb grip and braking. A little loud though. Would not recommend if you do a lot of highway driving.

The best bang for the buck seems to the General Altimax.

I supposed you have a 4wd RAV; hence you are thinking of getting just a good all-season. Please remember that the tires need to get you moving; 4wd will definitely help but when you brake, you really want winter tires especially when it is cold and below 50F.

[JTRAV]

If you say you get serious snow, get a dedicated winters.

I am also a fan of the General Altimax Arctic. A great value. High ratings on Tire Rack and a very competitive price. I just bought some for my mom's Corolla. I also recommended them to a friend that owns an Elantra and he thinks they are A+.

I personally run Michelin Latitude Alpins in 225/70/16 and love them. I also have a friend that runs Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 on his Toureg and he's happy.

[Ed H]

Thanks, guys, for the recommendations. Right now I can't spring for another set of wheels and just need to replace my all season OEM tires with something that will be reasonable for this winter. Next year I will get some winter tires on their own set of wheels.

Anyone have pro/con recommendations re: all-seasons tires? After looking at Tirerack info and reviews I am leaning towards Michelin Defenders or maybe Nokian WRG2's (or something similar form Vredestein). Ideas, thoughts? THANKS!

[drzsmum]

We replaced the original Yokohamas with Michelin Energy LX4s. They have been excellent tires and they now have 110 000km with a 5 tire rotation compared to 80 000km on the Yokos with a 5 tire rotation. They still have 4/32s left. They have been a decent, quiet, all round tire. We found them fine on the 4wd Rav in the winter. Reasonable cost and no balancing issues.

Also they did not effect mileage at all. It stayed exactly the same which is not always the case with replacement tires. Some are heavier or have more aggressive tread which drops mileage. These were OEM on the Highlander Hybrid at one point.

I would stick to the original size as the 235s will be a little wider and actually decrease snow performance. You want narrower not wider in snow.

[Freedom55]

The Yokohama Avid Ascend does not seem to have a very aggressive tread; it looks more like a summer tire than an all season. It's kind of new so not many users had a chance to try it. Consumer Reports rates them average in snow handling like the Michelin Defender but claim the latter is the best choice for all weather performance which combines snow and ice along with the Continental ProContact Ecoplus. These are T speed rated; the Michelin Primacy MXV4 H rated gets top marks along the Continental PureContact. Not sure if all these tires are available in your size so check the manufacturers website or ask your tire dealer.

I have dedicated Blizzak WS70 winter tires on steelies but the Ascend is my first choice for a quiet and smooth ride for the nother 3 seasons and I will probably get a set in the spring.

[blackdograv]

Originally Posted by vanib

... 4wd will definitely help but when you brake, you really want winter tires especially when it is cold and below 50F.

Second that opinion. BRAKING is the biggest reason to have good snows in the winter. Taking off is easy with AWD. You are not going to get a M&S/AS tire to shed the snow adequately to ensure good braking. Your ABS will chatter and crunch...and you'll keep rolling through the red light. Not cool. If you are really not going to get snows for Ohio, please drive VERY cautiously and leave a LOT of space between you and the car in front when snow is present.

[batpot]

I generally don't have to deal with snow except when I go to the mountains, and my OEMs have been adequate for that, but I'm curious why you guys recommend winter tires, rather than just all season tires and a set of chains?

[blackdograv]

Originally Posted by batpot

I generally don't have to deal with snow except when I go to the mountains, and my OEMs have been adequate for that, but I'm curious why you guys recommend winter tires, rather than just all season tires and a set of chains?

Have you ever used chains?
I used them in northern VT for years before I had a 4WD vehicle. They work, but they are a MAJOR PITA!!!
1 Challenging to put on. Takes 5-10 minutes when you get proficient.
2 Need to "re-tighten" after one mile.
3 If neither #1 or #2 are done adequately, chains loosen up and get flung outward as you speed up. This can, and usually does, result in the chains tearing into your wheel well with not-pretty results.
4 Just when you need to apply them, it will usually be raining on top of glaze ice. I can assure you that this is not a fun time to be on your knees in the dark on the side of the road.
5. As soon as you hit dry pavement, you should take them off.
6. You need to stay below 25 mph.
7. If you get stuck at all on ice, and attempt to gun the engine to coax a little more traction, they can slip right off and wrap around the axle. Usually this will take a hour or two to untangle, again in the freezing dark, and usually you will have damaged your metal brake lines.

Sound fun?