winter tires, compared

The Hydroedge is *NOT* a winter tire, so it does not compare at all to the X-ice.. Some people in areas with only light snow have reported reasonable ice/snow traction with the Hydroedge, but IMO, until you have actually driven real dedicated ice/snow tires vs. even a top-of-the-line all-season, you really don't know what good winter traction is like.. Once you've driven with a good ice/snow tire, nothing else will do- what used to be "OK" with an all-season becomes "unacceptable" compared to what you get with a dedicated winter tire..

The X-ice is a superior tire on ice and snow, but like all ice/snow tires, its performance on dry pavement is not as good.. This is why you swap tires for summer/winter- summer: primarily dry pavement, some wet weather. Winter: mostly ice and snow, some wet weather- two totally different sets of requirements means two different sets of tires

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(c4 @ Nov 27 2006, 01:01 PM) [snapback]354464[/snapback]</div>

I just bought my 2007 Prius...first Prius I have ever owned. Do I need to buy X-ice tires for all 4 wheels, or only for front wheels? Do you have separate wheels upon which to mount the winter tires? If so, did you buy them from Toyota?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ConnecticutYankee @ Nov 28 2006, 08:00 PM) [snapback]355021[/snapback]</div>

You may find this thread helpful: http://priuschat.com/cost-and-type-for-4-s...ims-t25137.html

In answer to your question, IMO, you should run Winter tires on all four corners. Winter tires are a completely different tread design and rubber compound than your OEMs. Running just two on the front (front wheel drive) may cause handling issues.

Buying wheels from Toyota would likely be much more expensive than picking up a set on ebay.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fatfenders @ Nov 28 2006, 11:47 PM) [snapback]355123[/snapback]</div>

Thank you for the information. How does one ensure that wheels from eBay would be correct, especially since I have the Touring model with 16" wheels?

 

Thanks for the really helpful info. I take a lot of comfort from your remark about experiencing great traction and handling with the original tires. Oh, I neglected to ask, "Where do you live?" I ask from the desire to compare your weather with mine in Connecticut.

 

My condo association finally relented and has allowed the owners to use studded winter tires in the heated underground parking. Previously I’ve used Dunlop Graspic DS-2 and Yokohama Ice Guard 10, both are many times better on snow and ice than my Michelin Harmony “all season†tires.

Canadian Tire had a sale on their “new†Goodyear Nordic winter tire. I found a buyer at the office for my Ice Guard tires, and had Canadian Tire stud and install the Nordic tires. This is the same tire as the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 available in Europe.

http://eu.goodyear.com/se_se/tires/dubbat_...p?page=benefits

I put them on around 3 weeks ago when we had our first blizzard here, and they are many times better than the Yokohama Ice Guard 10 on ice. On dry pavement, they’re horrible: very noisy with a loud hum, just like an old fashioned bias ply truck tire.

However, in the rain I’ve noticed the tire does a VERY good job of clearing the water from under the tread. Looking in the rearview mirror during a downpour I could see two clear lines behind me, so they’re safe if you hit standing water.

I just got back yesterday from a business trip, and timed my return to another blizzard in full force. Driving around on the icy intersections, I had no problems and could only get the “traction control†to engage if I really reamed it. The tire also works well in the one foot snow drifts I managed to find on side streets.

The nice thing about a “real†studded snow tire is that you’ll have no surprises as the tire wears down. Most sticky studless winter tires actually only equip one half the tread with the winter compound, the rest of the tread is a regular all season compound.

In essence, you’re paying full price for half a tire.

 

I must be a really aggressive driver (in a Prius??) or you're exceedingly conservative, but even with brand-new Hydroedge tires, I was occasionally able to get some wheel spin on wet surfaces before the traction control cut in, so I just cannot believe that anyone could feel that the OEM tires, which are in actual fact, extremely poor performers, would be "safe" or "confident".. While the TC and VSC can help in many situations, if you hit black ice and there is no traction to be had because of unsuitable tires, no system in the world, no matter how advanced, will save you..

I've told the story many times of how I slid through an intersection after the first snow on a set of month-old top-rated all-seasons, and how even swapping on the old, nearly worn out winter tires was like night and day in terms of winter traction.. Of course I live in Canada, and what I call winter might not apply in more southerly climes, but personally I wouldn't drive in ice or snow with anything less than dedicated winter tires..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(c4 @ Nov 29 2006, 01:21 PM) [snapback]355288[/snapback]</div>

Hehehe I'm sure you've heard the story of how on new Michelin Harmony "all season" tires I made it halfway up an outdoor parking ramp at a local mall, got stuck, and the tires refused to budge? No wheelspin, NOTHING, just sat there with my foot on the floor.

Same thing at icy intersections, especially if only one side was icy. A "real" traction control system would have applied the brake to the wheel on glare ice, allowing the wheel on pavement to pull the car away. Nope, just sat there with my foot on the floor and cars honking behind me.

That never happens now with my new studded Goodyear Nordic tires.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(spiro @ Nov 29 2006, 09:54 AM) [snapback]355193[/snapback]</div>

Same here. I drove through the worst parts of the worst storms of the last two years in the Northeast US and found the OEM tires worked fine. Winter 2004/2005 had a lot of snow and lousy weather in Boston and during the worst of it I was actually on the road looking for someplace that was open because I didn't feel like cooking dinner. Basically, everything shut down early and my girl and I did a lot of driving around uncleared streets for a while to find someplace that was still open. No major problems to speak of. Last year was a lot more mild in Boston and the surrounding areas, but there was some nasty snow and ice during a late drive back from New York. Traction was good enough that I was passing trucks (pickup and commercial) and SUVs on several inches of snow and ice going uphill on I684 and I84.

I'm looking at new tires now, but that's only because mine are at pretty much the end of their lifespan. FWIW, I'm not really taking snow and ice into consideration when selecting new ones, despite where I live. Then again, the state and cities are generally good about keeping the streets clear. The worst problem my car's ever had as a result of snow was when (I think) a snow removal truck clipped my driver's side mirror and busted the housing off. The mirror still works fine, it just looks bad from the outside.

 

I am talking about the Touring edition tires, which most seem to think far superior to the Integrities. Played in a big open snow covered parking lot tonight, and am still impressed with how good the traction is, and how well the computer manages obviously inept inputs. And no, I would never consider myself a conservative driver, but safety is first consideration. I won't be setting any mpg records driving 15 over our 75, but this car does challenge me to slow down and see what it can achieve- actually 42-50 so far (3000 miles in first month).