best tires for ice?

Do people have opinions/experience about the best winter tires for ice for Priuses? (Snow traction is important, too, but ice is my top concern.) I live in a serious-winter area with lots of hills. I had Dunlop Graspics on my last car (a front wheel drive Beetle) and loved them, but I hear they no longer make them, and any that dealers sell are now several years old with dry rot.

I've heard that Blizzaks are great when you first buy them until the top layer wears away, and then they are no better than all-seasons.

Do you agree with what I've heard?

Other opinions?

Thanks a lot!

Molly

 

Thanks very much, dogfriend and Rockin Prius. I'll check out the Nokians. Studs are legal, but I'd like to avoid them if possible for now. But you're right; they do have good traction.

Thanks!,

Molly

 

Thanks to all who commented. I did some research and found out the following:

*Dunlop Graspics are still made, afterall. DS-2 is what I had before and liked.
*Blizzaks are good performers on snow and ice traction tests, but I did see several more references to them wearing fast.
*Two other studless tires that did well on tests (involving ice-skating rinks, hard-packed snow, etc.) and got good user reviews: Continental ExtremeWinterContact and Michelin X-Ice Xi2.
*The Nokian WRG2, which Rockin' Prius recommended, is officially classed as an all-season tire, so winter tests on it were harder to find, but it got very, very good reviews (#3) as a winter tire by one company http://www.marathonauto.com/tires/snow-tire-ratings-reviews.html and did very well (but not as well on ice and snow traction as the others above) in tests at Consumer Reports.

BTW, my reason for wanting to avoid studs are that they tear up the pavement and have reduced traction on dry roads (which you still have a lot of in winter). Also, they reduce gas mileage.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks!

Molly