Yes, Winter tires... Honda Fit

[Falken]

I have 7/32 left on my Yokohama IG-20 Winter tires, and I may try to stretch them this one last Winter.

My next set, I have narrowed it down to two tires:

Blizzaks or Continental Extreme Winter Contacts

What would you pick and why? I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice.

Thinking of just going to Costco and grabbing the Blizzaks and be done with it.

 

[SatinSilver]

7/32's is almost new. I'd take them down to 5/32's before replacing. At least one or two more seasons with these tires unless the traction is pretty bad.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Falken
Thinking of just going to Costco and grabbing the Blizzaks and be done with it.


I've got Blizzaks on my 2015 Caravan. Prior to that I had Blizzaks on my 98 Sienna.

They are excellent tires for heavy snow, which I know you'll get. I think Costco has the rebate for the $60 or $70 off the tires in September.

 

[360kid]

Snow tires I have used:

Pacemark from Sam's Club (Studded and un-Studded)
Blizzaks
General Altimax Artics
Continental Extreme Winter Contacts
Goodyear Ice WRT

The worst of that group were the Altimax Arctics. I gave them away after two winters. The next worse are the Continenta Extreme WC which are on my wife's Camry in the winter. I bought them two winters ago based on rave reviews. I have been completely disappointed. Maybe it's just the Camry... I doubt it though. The just don't grip on snow that well. As a result, we drive my dumpy Impala on winter weekends because the tires were better.

The best of the group in my opinion are the Goodyear Ice WRT which are on my Impala... now worn out. But when they still had tread on them, they were awesome. They drove on hard packed snow like it was pavement, 60 mph no sweat and stopped really good. Their only downside was cornering wasn't as good as the Blizzaks. Goodyear ICE WRT (make sure it's the WRT) are amazing.

My only complaint with the Blizzaks was the cost and treadlife. They were virtually no good after two winters, even with swapping to summer tires. They wear out on dry pavement really fast.

Pacemarks were hard as a rock and studded, they gripped well.

Here's my rank:
1. Goodyear Ice WRT
2. Blizzaks
3. Pacemark Studded
4. Continental EWC
5. General Altimax Arctics

I did not like the Continentals and we still have them. They will go back on my wife's Camry this winter. I would give them away, but her commutes are real short and they will suffice. I would probably get the Blizzaks. They're always good, you know what to expect. Another choice would be the Michelin x-Ice. I've never tried them, but they often rank higher than Blizzaks in tests. They're just expensive like all other Michelin tires.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Falken
I have 7/32 left on my Yokohama IG-20 Winter tires, and I may try to stretch them this one last Winter.

My next set, I have narrowed it down to two tires:

Blizzaks or Continental Extreme Winter Contacts

What would you pick and why? I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice.

Thinking of just going to Costco and grabbing the Blizzaks and be done with it.

Blizzaks are good in deep snow. I have them in winter on Tiguan and X5. However, I do not think they are on par with Continental when it comes to ice, slush and rain and dry.
Continental produces by far best winter tires in Europe, which is most profitable winter tire market in the world. They do not bring here those models, but I would say chemistry is same or very similar.
Also, Conti has new winter tire, Continental WinterContact SI.

 

[c502cid]

Can you run studded tires?

I have had the opposite experience with the Generals. I've run them with and without studs and either way were amazing although the studded versions were much better on ice, nature of the beast. It's been years since I've run Blizzaks but I never have felt so unsafe as the tread squirmed underneath me on dry roads....

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: Falken
...I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice...


If your winter temperatures are typically around -10 degC to 0 degC, then get a studded tire for the best possible ice traction, like a Nokian Hakka8 or Continental ContiIceContact.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Falken
...I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice...


If your winter temperatures are typically around -10 degC to 0 degC, then get a studded tire for the best possible ice traction, like a Nokian Hakka8 or Continental ContiIceContact.

Why studded tires?
I drove cars in -45c, and never needed studded tires.
Studded tire will help in pure ice, no question about it, but what you gain there you will loose in abysmal performance in dry, rain etc.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: c502cid
Can you run studded tires?

I have had the opposite experience with the Generals. I've run them with and without studs and either way were amazing although the studded versions were much better on ice, nature of the beast. It's been years since I've run Blizzaks but I never have felt so unsafe as the tread squirmed underneath me on dry roads....

I got new Blizzak DM-V2 for X5 in November, and had a chance to run them in Vegas for Thanxgiving on 75 degrees and generally warm asphalt.
They are major improvement over older Blizzaks like WS-70 I have on Tiguan, LM-60 I had on CC.
However, what they gained on dry, they lost in poor performance in slush and rain. Probably worst winter tire I ever had when it comes to hydroplaning and slush.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Why not Falken tires, given your namesake?

The Espia EPZ should work well.

Canada has a lot more winter choices than we have. For example, Kumho doesn't sell their winter tires down here.

I like Dunlop tires, so I'd probably use the Winter Maxx.

Between the two you're considering, my choice would be the Blizzaks.

What size do you use? Are you sticking with the OE size, or do you minus-size for winter?

 

[c502cid]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Falken
...I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice...


If your winter temperatures are typically around -10 degC to 0 degC, then get a studded tire for the best possible ice traction, like a Nokian Hakka8 or Continental ContiIceContact.

Why studded tires?
I drove cars in -45c, and never needed studded tires.
Studded tire will help in pure ice, no question about it, but what you gain there you will loose in abysmal performance in dry, rain etc.


You bring up a good point about performance. I never look at winter tires for anything but being the best performance in the snow and ice (and thats why I love studded tires) but I dont have any performance oriented cars to think about actual tire performance in the winter. Maybe I dont push my vehicles hard enough but I just dont notice degraded performance from them because of the studs. Well except for the noise

 

[Falken]

I run either 175/65R/15 or 185/65R/15 or 185/60R/15, those three sizes, the 175 being stock size but VERY limited choices.

I am going to try and run the aging Yokohama IG-20 (185/65R/15) for another Winter unless I see a killer deal.

I am leaning towards the Continental EWC or something from Continental that is similar.

I have read elsewhere (to those that mentioned it) that the slush performance (Montreal gets a ton of slush) for the Blizzaks are their weak point, along with wear.

All in all, was very happy with Yokohama, but they are harder to find and are on the pricy side.

 

[WillsYoda]

We have used Blizzaks and X-Ice Michelin winter tires. Both are excellent, but different. The Blizzaks are softer, wear faster, and have worse grip on dry road. However, the Blizzaks have slightly better grip on snow and ice. Both are very good on snow and ice, nevertheless. X-Ice3s last about twice as long.

Consumer reports says the same as I have about each tire.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Summer just started 3 weeks ago, it is so hot in every part of North America and you are talking about snow tire !

 

[360kid]

A good point that someone else brought up above about dry traction. Even in up-up-upstate NY, where we get a snow storm every week, once the snow stops and the plows get out, the roads are clear the next day. 85% of the time, you'll still be driving on dry pavement. For that reason, I have thought about performance winter tires. You would give up some snow traction for better dry and wet traction and longer life.

Just to chime in again on the Continental EWC, they may have good ice traction. But our roads get salted to the gills, so much that the roads are stained white once the snow melts. So, we don't worry too much about ice. It's mostly snow and slush. I just feel that snow traction isn't good. Perhaps look at what type of winter driving you need to go through as different tires excel in different areas. Do you get a lot of iced up roads? Light snow? Deep snow? Un-plowed roads? Where I lived prior, I would often have to drive on an unplowed road in the morning, sometimes 6 inches deep. I had un-studded Pacemarks back then and they tore through that fresh snow. I can tell you that the Continental EWC struggle with snow like that.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Originally Posted By: Falken
I run either 175/65R/15 or 185/65R/15 or 185/60R/15, those three sizes, the 175 being stock size but VERY limited choices.
-snip-
All in all, was very happy with Yokohama, but they are harder to find and are on the pricy side.


If you like the Yokos that much, then they might be worth going out of your way to buy again and spending the extra money

The IG20 has been replaced with the IG52c and is still available in 175/65. The Dunlop Winter Maxx is also available in the stock size.

Narrower tires are better in winter, so stick with stock size.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Falken
...I need the best grip possible on my Fit, our Winters in Montreal are really bad, a lot of snow and ice...


If your winter temperatures are typically around -10 degC to 0 degC, then get a studded tire for the best possible ice traction, like a Nokian Hakka8 or Continental ContiIceContact.

Why studded tires?
I drove cars in -45c, and never needed studded tires.
Studded tire will help in pure ice, no question about it, but what you gain there you will loose in abysmal performance in dry, rain etc.


This post shows lack of knowledge in regards to ice slickness. Which is temperature dependant.
Good Studded tires can be much better on ice@NEAR FREEZING (0C) Temps.
the colder the ice the harder it is and not as slick.
studless tires can outperform studded at very low temps.


Originally Posted By: edyvw

Blizzaks are good in deep snow. I have them in winter on Tiguan and X5. However, I do not think they are on par with Continental when it comes to ice, slush and rain and dry.
Continental produces by far best winter tires in Europe, which is most profitable winter tire market in the world. They do not bring here those models, but I would say chemistry is same or very similar.
Also, Conti has new winter tire, Continental WinterContact SI.


Very overgeneralized to the point of being worthless.

Need models of tire for it to be of any use.


Originally Posted By: 360kid


Continenta Extreme WC which are on my wife's Camry in the winter. I bought them two winters ago based on rave reviews. I have been completely disappointed. Maybe it's just the Camry... I doubt it though.


The conti EWC was my favorite tire on my 2009 Elantra Touring.. much better than the yokohama IG20 I also had.
Some cars just arent that great in the winter so as you said it might not be totally fair to trash them.

This was the older model of EWC not the new directional model.

 

[Rand]

dbl post. delete.

 

[krzyss]

I agree with Rand.
At -45C (-10F per my mental math, may be wrong) studless tires chemistry beats studded mechanics.
The closer to 0C (32F) one gets the more advantage studded gets.
Modern studded tires (Hakkapellitta 8) are just noisy, dry performance is not that bad.
But performance winters will beat both studless and studded in dry and wet (winterforce posted some impressive hydroplanning numbers probably because its high void ratio but it is exception to the rule).

So...
Pick the tool for typical or the worst. There is still no tire that is perfect in all conditions.

Krzys

 

[WillsYoda]

Originally Posted By: 360kid
A good point that someone else brought up above about dry traction. Even in up-up-upstate NY, where we get a snow storm every week, once the snow stops and the plows get out, the roads are clear the next day. 85% of the time, you'll still be driving on dry pavement. For that reason, I have thought about performance winter tires. You would give up some snow traction for better dry and wet traction and longer life.


This is one big advantage of the X-Ice3's over Blizzaks. The Michelin X-Ice tires drive much better on dry road than Blizzaks (and the Michelins last twice as long). However, the Continental EWCs have even better dry performance than the Michelins, although the Continentals have lesser snow and ice performance. The Blizzaks wear quickly and have poor dry performance but are the best on snow and ice.

It is all a trade-off.

I like the compromise of the I-Xice3s, but it comes down to a personal choice of how you want to balance things like dry performance, wear characteristics, and grip on snow and ice.