This will be the 4th winter with my Subaru, and the first time I actually got to experience the WOW factor that I have been missing the last few winters.
The last three winters I had been running Hankook I-Pike RW11 unstudded on my Forester. To put it lightly, it was downright dangerous in the snow and slipper condition. Those are the absolute WORST snow tire I have ever used, bar none. There was zero traction in any situation except for unpacked snow , in which case I could drive up to the headlighs with no problem. However, if there was any hardpack or slush, I would be in the slow lane having to go 10MPH with the 4 ways on behind the summer tires club because they just did not work. At all. There was one point where I was out accelerated by a Nissan Versa with all season tires because I could not get any traction with those God awful Hankook snow tires. Review here
I'm not even going to list them on Marketplace or CL because they are that dangerous; I do not want to be responsible for someone buying this set of terrible tires and wrecking their car thinking that they did the right thing by buying snow tires. It's possible they are counterfeit? That's the only thing I can think.
Rant over!
Off to the Sumitomos. They have less tread depth to start. Over the 15,224 miles I put on the Hankooks they seemed to have only wore 3/32''. The sumitomos have as much tread as the 15K mile Hankooks.
The Ice Edge are also quiet. I'm sure that may change as they age. They have a slight whine / hum to them , but nothing really obnoxious. Doesn't sound or feel like a bad wheel bearing like the old Winterforce used to. A bit more noise than the factory all season tires that came on the car.
Ice and hardpack are the biggest improvement I have seen with these tires. There's a few spots that usually end up with black ice or standing water that freezes on my daily drive. Usually with the Hankooks, I'd set off the TC or ABS trying to pull into parking spots at work. Or even turning onto my road. I'd often set off the VDC making the turn because they would lose traction. Obviously, wet ice on a 32 degree day is going to be a problem for anything but studded tires, but I have been quite impressed with how these tires handle hardpack.
The last snow storm we got earlier this year, I wasn't able to make it out until the next day. A lot of parking lots had the snow packed down and was quite slippery. I had no issues stopping or starting. Very similar to where I was out accelerated by a Nissan Versa on all seasons with the awful Hankook snow tires. That would not have happened this time. I have also been able to stop if I stand on the brake pedal going 45. Yes, the ABS will activate but the tires will actually grab and the car will come to a stop. With the Hankooks it was like I just put the car in neutral and was trying to coast to a stop.
I did, however, have to get the car out of the driveway and back through a snow bank that was plowed up to the tail lights. Just like with the hankooks, deep and fresh snow was no issue. Backed right out with no drama.
The most impressive thing with the Sumitomos is how well they handle slush! We had probably 3-4 inches overnight. The lake effect band moved south and we weren't prepared. There was a lot of standing snow on the Interstate this morning on my way to work. A lot of slush as well as the salt had melted some of the early snow but it was not plowed off.
I was able to keep up 65 on the Interstate in the unplowed left lane. Most others were going 40 or so with the summer tires club going 10 with 4 ways on. The car didn't seem to have the any hint of wanting to lift, hydroplane or spin out. This same condition would have me going 10 MPH in the slow lane with the Hankooks and the 4 ways on. Completely different handling characteristics. It was the definition of sure footed. I am running the factory tire pressures in these too. The absolute definition of sure footed.
The only downside is they seem to have eaten a bit more fuel economy (2mpg) than the Hankooks did. I never noticed any sort of fuel economy loss with the Hankooks that couldn't be attributed to idling the car for a long time . The Sumitomos also seem squishier on warm days. I've run the Hankooks on warm days up to 65 degrees and they did not feel squishy, they felt more like an all terrain tire. A very hard compound would explain the lack of performance and lack of wear in 15K miles.
So it took a few winters, but I can finally appreciate my Subaru in the winter. I will NEVER buy another set of Hankook snow tires. That's for sure.
The last three winters I had been running Hankook I-Pike RW11 unstudded on my Forester. To put it lightly, it was downright dangerous in the snow and slipper condition. Those are the absolute WORST snow tire I have ever used, bar none. There was zero traction in any situation except for unpacked snow , in which case I could drive up to the headlighs with no problem. However, if there was any hardpack or slush, I would be in the slow lane having to go 10MPH with the 4 ways on behind the summer tires club because they just did not work. At all. There was one point where I was out accelerated by a Nissan Versa with all season tires because I could not get any traction with those God awful Hankook snow tires. Review here
I'm not even going to list them on Marketplace or CL because they are that dangerous; I do not want to be responsible for someone buying this set of terrible tires and wrecking their car thinking that they did the right thing by buying snow tires. It's possible they are counterfeit? That's the only thing I can think.
Rant over!
Off to the Sumitomos. They have less tread depth to start. Over the 15,224 miles I put on the Hankooks they seemed to have only wore 3/32''. The sumitomos have as much tread as the 15K mile Hankooks.
The Ice Edge are also quiet. I'm sure that may change as they age. They have a slight whine / hum to them , but nothing really obnoxious. Doesn't sound or feel like a bad wheel bearing like the old Winterforce used to. A bit more noise than the factory all season tires that came on the car.
Ice and hardpack are the biggest improvement I have seen with these tires. There's a few spots that usually end up with black ice or standing water that freezes on my daily drive. Usually with the Hankooks, I'd set off the TC or ABS trying to pull into parking spots at work. Or even turning onto my road. I'd often set off the VDC making the turn because they would lose traction. Obviously, wet ice on a 32 degree day is going to be a problem for anything but studded tires, but I have been quite impressed with how these tires handle hardpack.
The last snow storm we got earlier this year, I wasn't able to make it out until the next day. A lot of parking lots had the snow packed down and was quite slippery. I had no issues stopping or starting. Very similar to where I was out accelerated by a Nissan Versa on all seasons with the awful Hankook snow tires. That would not have happened this time. I have also been able to stop if I stand on the brake pedal going 45. Yes, the ABS will activate but the tires will actually grab and the car will come to a stop. With the Hankooks it was like I just put the car in neutral and was trying to coast to a stop.
I did, however, have to get the car out of the driveway and back through a snow bank that was plowed up to the tail lights. Just like with the hankooks, deep and fresh snow was no issue. Backed right out with no drama.
The most impressive thing with the Sumitomos is how well they handle slush! We had probably 3-4 inches overnight. The lake effect band moved south and we weren't prepared. There was a lot of standing snow on the Interstate this morning on my way to work. A lot of slush as well as the salt had melted some of the early snow but it was not plowed off.
I was able to keep up 65 on the Interstate in the unplowed left lane. Most others were going 40 or so with the summer tires club going 10 with 4 ways on. The car didn't seem to have the any hint of wanting to lift, hydroplane or spin out. This same condition would have me going 10 MPH in the slow lane with the Hankooks and the 4 ways on. Completely different handling characteristics. It was the definition of sure footed. I am running the factory tire pressures in these too. The absolute definition of sure footed.
The only downside is they seem to have eaten a bit more fuel economy (2mpg) than the Hankooks did. I never noticed any sort of fuel economy loss with the Hankooks that couldn't be attributed to idling the car for a long time . The Sumitomos also seem squishier on warm days. I've run the Hankooks on warm days up to 65 degrees and they did not feel squishy, they felt more like an all terrain tire. A very hard compound would explain the lack of performance and lack of wear in 15K miles.
So it took a few winters, but I can finally appreciate my Subaru in the winter. I will NEVER buy another set of Hankook snow tires. That's for sure.
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