4WD System High Load = Tomfoolery Detected... Thoughts on the CX-9 in the snow.

I put Nokians on mine right before we got 16" of snow. My street usually only gets plowed twice, usually early on, in a storm like this so the street really doesn't clear up until it all melts. Slowing down for some of the turns and hills used to always engage the ABS. I didn't have a single problem. I was driving in about 4" of slush, ice and snow without any issues. I'm never going back to one set of tires again.

"I put Nokians on mine"
Which Nokian model?

Real snow tires give the added advantage of much better ability to get out of the way of some fool sliding toward you. My Blizzaks work as well as Dan's Hakkas.

PTguy said:

"I put Nokians on mine"
Which Nokian model?

Real snow tires give the added advantage of much better ability to get out of the way of some fool sliding toward you. My Blizzaks work as well as Dan's Hakkas.

Click to expand...

My experience with Blizzaks is that they are great when new but tend to degrade more quickly than other winter tires (I have experience with Blizzaks, Nokian Hakkas, Pirelli Scorpions, and Michelin Ice, as well as Nokian WRs). On the other hand, almost any reputable winter tire these days is good -- certainly FAR better than running on all-seasons all year.

Blizzaks still wear fast on dry pavement, but not as fast as the early versions.

We agree, any real winter tire is far safer than the best so-called All Season tire.

It's really difficult to persuade some people to invest in dedicated winter tires, but all the tests show that they make a significant difference. The best snow car I've ever had in nearly 50 years of driving was my Mini Countryman All4: a short car with wheels at the corners and AWD is really stable and not inclined to rotate. However, my daughter's Hyundai Elantra with Michelin X-Ice tires is better on inch-deep road slush and intersection ice than the Mini is on all-seasons. But put the Mini on its X-Ice shoes and it's awesome at tracking and stopping. My wife's Prius, my older daughter's CR-V, the Elantra, and my CX-9 all have winter tires.
I've had the newest Blizzaks on my 2018 CX-9 since mid December and I've only had the ABS kick in when I've deliberately slammed on the brakes to force it. I find it stable, planted, and generally confidence-inspiring (but they whine a bit on some surfaces).

TireRack shows 17" options, paired with a higher ratio tire.

PTguy said:

"I put Nokians on mine"
Which Nokian model?

Real snow tires give the added advantage of much better ability to get out of the way of some fool sliding toward you. My Blizzaks work as well as Dan's Hakkas.

Click to expand...

Nokian Nordman 7 SUV. They were $100 less per tire than the Hakkapelitta. I went with a new set of 17" alloy rims so I could swap them out myself in the spring and fall.