Originally Posted By: lubricatosaurus
Originally Posted By: krzyss
So you think that tire designers have no clue how to "sipe" tires and running studless winter tires all year round is good idea.Good luck!Krzys
You're not getting the point. Most of us know every tire engineering decision is a compromise between hot/dry/wet/snow/ice performance. Siping will simply tilt the performance in favor of better ice traction at little expense to other areas.
As for running winter tires year around, Michelin Xice3 works quite well in the dry, a somewhat unique tread compound developed by Michelin, while most other winter tires are too reduced in performance in the dry in my opinion.
Michelin was always average winter tire, precisely bcs they focus on dry performance too much. It is not only harder compound, but very dense tread patter. That allows Xi3 better stability in dry, as well as good ice performance considering compound and density of tread pattern.
However, they suck in slush and deep snow. In packed snow they are OK, but as winter tire, I think they are OK for East coast, but mountains? There are much better choices. There is no manufacturer that changed more winter tires models then Michelin. I think they have new model every year in Europe, and that tells a lot.
Still, that tire will be soft in summer, regardless Michelin's attempt to make it better in dry. On 80 degree they will be just another winter tire in warm weather: bad.
So if OP wants to get "by" and have good tire in summer, probably DWS 06 is best option.
50+K tire and some kind of winter traction is just wishful thinking.
As you know we are getting big storm in next few days, and problems are again going to be cause by people who can get "by."