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- Denver, CO
Having looked at pricing, seems Blizzaks are cheaper so may just get those again.
Down side of winter tires
- Thread starter madar
- Start date
IMO: You won't be disappointed with the Blizzaks. I will measure tread-ware and mileage when I take off again this spring but these tires are seeing a lot of dry and wet pavement. Temps lately have been in the 35-45 range and some toward 50 which is definitely pushing it.
Do that and you can be completely porked too- winter tires don't save you money but they can save your ass and I'm of the ilk that in some areas of the US they should be mandated too. Mine go on Halloween/early Nov and stay on till early April pending the long range forecast. Good thing I got mine on for the 10" we got in 5hrs in early nov this year- it was an absolute s*** show many people didn't make it home- dozens of cars off the road(probably running out their old tires as I was a week or so prior) w/stories of 6/8/10+ hours to get home type s***- crazy. It was pretty rare and way under-forecasted but good thing I didn't 'save' my new shoes for the bs cpl inches they were saying at first.
Bottom line it all depends on your environment and personal situation. Even though we don't get a ton of snow down here annually- pretty much no matter what I go in, its 38 miles one way and I've got hilly terrain that starts with the driveway. That being said with good awd and ground clearance I feel something slightly less snow/ice focused and more handling/mileage minded winter (had Dunlop 3ds previous that wore and handled great but were just ok in snow) the Xi2s seem to be that sweet spot (for me) at least so far. Blizzaks are great when its bad but every other day the penalty is a bit more from dry/wet handling to mpg and wear rate- I'm generalizing here(w/various models that do better than others) but its generally the truth.
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- Fredericton Canada
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- 2018 CX-5 GT
That's why I have an AWD!! In those early winter( Nov.) light snows my all seasons still work well enough for the majority of my driving around the city. If I was doing more highway miles having my winters on early would obviously give anyone that extra layer of safety on greasy roads at speed. Don't get me wrong, I like to err on the side of safety when I have to but I am trying to get a balance between tire wear and safety. Yes, if we were to get an early big dump of snow that stays my winters immediately go on.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
It's just always risky in Cleveland. We didn't get significant snow this year until January. Last year our first big dump was 11/11. It's not worth saving a few bucks. Not to mention I like to get oil changed when I swap tires. 4 months isn't long enough.
Totally agree.... I*m only a recent winter tire convert within the last 3-4 years and regret not seeing the light earlier on the advantages. It*s far more about the safety for me as well.
Absolutely!! I've had the ability to be behind another AWD CX5 with all seasons in a horrific snow storm, and although they had to ability to navigate through the snow i could see the car struggling around turns and didn't have the traction I had pulling out from a stop and stopping. The investment in your safety is well worth it.
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- Denver, CO
I agree. I am a total convert to snow tires now.
Who? WtWhatever:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a26038430/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-tire-drive/
Seems like they get it and are looking to one up Mich in terms of non-severe livability- dry/wet handling and wear..almost like they read my post..pretty impressive turnaround guys!
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- Denver, CO
Looks like that may be my next set of snow tires.
G
Guest2019C20
Be very careful. Had Blizz on my Outback for 4 winters, then on wife's Outback for another winter AND the whole rest of the (hot summer) year, and they hadn't worn down to the wear bar yet! That first 1/3 of tread is great in cold weather, the rest is HARD.
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- Denver, CO
Agree. My WS80s are losing their effectiveness.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
LoL. Not Nelson, Monty. [emoji16]
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- Fredericton Canada
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- 2018 CX-5 GT
For some reason I thought the wear bar was where the magic was then lost in Blizzak's. If it is in fact before the wear bar is reached I may well be due for a new set sooner than expected.
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From Tire Rack:
"When the Blizzak WS70 is 50 percent worn, a tread depth indicator molded into the tread design lets the driver know that only 10 percent of the remaining tread is the Tube Multicell compound."
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- 2018 CX5
Look into the VREDESTEIN COMPTRAC 2. Its a all season rated for severe snow traction and longevity. I lived in New York before moving to FL. And we had snow/ice.
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- Fredericton Canada
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- 2018 CX-5 GT
OK...I'm not quite down to the wear bar, maybe another 1/16" so I should be good for most if not all of the rest of this winter.
