Continental ContiProContact snow performance

[Stewart Fan]

Thats what came on my '11 Outback. I'm wondering if they're worth a darn in the snow?

Subaru is supposed to have the gold standard of AWD systems. I don't want to handicap the AWD with a POJ tire.

The reviews on TireRack aren't that impressive.

 

[Oil Changer]

There is no all season tire that will perform as well in the snow and ice as well as a snow (winter) tire.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Wife has them on her C300. She made it through last winter OK, but she didn't need to drive through any serious snow. I drove it a couple of times and there was no tragedy. With that said, I'm sure there are better all-season tires available out there with better winter traction.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
There is no all season tire that will perform as well in the snow and ice as well as a snow (winter) tire.


Amen...you want winter performance, you want real winter tires.

So what if it has AWD?...it has ABS...and without snow tires, stopping will take longer, pure physics and the coefficient of friction...90% of accidents in the snow are due to inability to stop...AWD does nothing to help you there...

 

[sbachmeier]

Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
I don't want to handicap the AWD with a POJ tire.


Word. I'm amazed at the number of people that think that AWD alone can repeal all laws of physics, with no regard to what makes up those 4 rather small tire contact patches that the AWD electronics has to work with.

That said, I run Conti ExtremeWinterContact in a -1 size on my VW Passat (non-AWD) -- and it handles Wisconsin winters with aplomb.

 

[dparm]

They came on my brother's Jetta. They were pretty mediocre. Not bad, but not stellar. He runs snow tires now and it's of course a night-and-day difference.

 

[oggb]

They're not rated very well for snow traction on TireRack. The original tires on my WRX were absolutely horrible in the snow as well.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
There is no all season tire that will perform as well in the snow and ice as well as a snow (winter) tire.


Nokian WR G2's come very close in my experience with all sorts of winter tires (Blizzaks, Michelin, Gislaved). I believe they are rated as a winter tire. Not sure where OP is but they definitely fill the need of a one size fits all when my wife had them on our 2005 Subaru Legacy wagon.

That being all said see how yours do in the winter and then jump. On Subaru's even with mediocre tires the problem is not moving but more stopping and turning.

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: rjundi

That being all said see how yours do in the winter and then jump. On Subaru's even with mediocre tires the problem is not moving but more stopping and turning.


My mom's Legacy could be induced to do some pretty good 4-wheel drifts one very snowy morning in an unplowed parking lot with the junk all-seasons it had then. It had no problems going, and lots of problems turning/stopping.

 

[JeremyInMT]

Not even going to be close. Just get some good winter tires. A few hundred bucks is definitely cheap insurance for safety, especially if you have a spouse/kids/friends.

 

[ridgerunner]

I had my 1997 subaru legacy wagon for 11 yrs before I gave it to my niece. I ran winter tires ALL yr long and never had a traction problem anywhere, dry,rain,mud,or snow. The only thing that stopped it was the lack of ground clearance. They do wear a little faster though.

 

[Oil Changer]

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear warfare.

For all of the anecdotal stories of people doing just fine without winter tires, the same people would have done better with winter tires. This is fact. And since I do not live in Washington or sell tires, I have nothing to gain or lose.

Winter tires totally transform the driving characteristics of a vehicle.

 

[Ken2]

Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
There is no all season tire that will perform as well in the snow and ice as well as the cheapest snow (winter) tire.
Fixed it for you.

Another big advantage of real winter tires is the increased ability to dodge some fool sliding toward you.