fish_fishburn Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 I am looking to purchase a new set of all season tires and would like to know what is the best available for winter conditions. I would buy snow tires if I was going to keep my car longer than 2 years. I can't justify spending a grand on new snow tires and rims unless I was keeping the car for at least another 5 yrs. The car I am driving is for work and is a 4 door Olds Alero. Any help from my fellow OFNers would be appreciated. Also let me know which tires to stay away from. Thanks in advance.
skeeter Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) BUY winter tires & rims off of kijiji i did for both my vans and it cost me $350.oo for both sets............. 1 set, goodyear nordic ice 90% tread 1 set altimax artic 90% tread also. thats 8 tires & rims =$350.oo if i sell the vans tomorrow i can resell the tires on kijiji for the same money i paid, if not more. Edited December 16, 2010 by skeeter
mercman Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 gotta do this fast before they lock it again 4 winter tires.get em they save lives.The Ontarion Gov is looking at the results from us here in Quebec, and they ar very positive.Soon the ONT Gov will be following our lead and removing the choice for you guys too. They save lives and reduce accidents .PERIOD
Billy Bob Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 gotta do this fast before they lock it again 4 winter tires.get em they save lives.The Ontarion Gov is looking at the results from us here in Quebec, and they ar very positive.Soon the ONT Gov will be following our lead and removing the choice for you guys too. They save lives and reduce accidents .PERIOD At one time we couldn't go across the boarder if we had studded snow tires.....now they are considering only winter tires during during winter...huh, I guess a LOT of Americans will not be able to spend money in Canada for ice fishing trips...
fish_fishburn Posted December 16, 2010 Author Report Posted December 16, 2010 Thanks for the info guys....but read the post.
Guest Johnny Bass Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) gotta do this fast before they lock it again 4 winter tires.get em they save lives.The Ontarion Gov is looking at the results from us here in Quebec, and they ar very positive.Soon the ONT Gov will be following our lead and removing the choice for you guys too. They save lives and reduce accidents .PERIOD You know how long I have been thinking about this in regards to tires? That safety is compromised for profits(yes Bill, that is capitalism). Snow tires(tires in general) are over priced. Maybe because they dont sell enough of them. If they sold more, then the price should come down. But shouldn't they bring the price down FIRST, so people are persuaded to buy? No they would rather make less, charge more. Just like those little Life jackets that cost over $100........ The majority of accidents on the roads are due to bad tires. Whether they are deflating(loosing air), bald(The owner cant afford new ones),ect..... I say if you can afford them, buy Snow tires. And I say they should lower the price on snow tires. How much does a set cost in America Bill? Anyways. I hear Michelin tires are good. Just remember. You get what you pay for. The more expensive they are, the better they usually are. In regards to durability, but not always for snow traction. Most A/S tires do not handle heavy snow fall, well..... This thread wont get locked unless our expert snow driver from the Sue joins in again, and tells us of his superior driving skills.LOL Edited December 16, 2010 by Johnny Bass
Cookslav Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) I Like the Continental ContiExtremeContact, Decent reviews...have a look Yup Billy, No chains or studs allowed.... But they want winter tires to be manditory on the basis they lives save lives. Apparently there are studies to confirm this....By CAA, and AAA Who sell tires, and offer storage for your All season radial safety is compromised for profits(yes Bill, that is capitalism). I'll echo that, I Guess chains don't work well enough for our governments Only expensive solluions Here Hey I won't knock them till I try them, even though I have had NO issues with my all seasons. But that being said I don't like the idea of Being Mandated to buy these tires while the Government refuses to issue a tax credit to help. Taxes go up by the day, energy is up, Gas is up, heck even water, and food is up in price, and now tires to eh? Just a bit frustrating.... Edited December 16, 2010 by Cookslav
pikehunter Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 We have far too many rules and regs for the cops and courts to deal with as it is. Adding this to the books won't help. I still maintain it's not so much the type of tread but the way one drives. Common sense and the realization that it's snowy and icy makes a world of difference as well as the cars steering and brake condition. Guess it's easier to pass a new law than it is to teach people how to drive. Not saying they don't help but common sense is always good. I drove an Aerostar, rear wheel drive only, for 13 years. Never had a snow or winter tire on it, ever. Was it tricky to drive? Sure at times but skill and awareness kept me out of dumb situations and the fact I always had decent all seasons on it and 100 pounds of sand in the rear end. Usually replaced the tires in the fall of the year when needed. The present car is a front wheel drive with new Continental all seasons on it, so far it handles fine, I may consider winters next season, I'll see, but then again so far this year the Hammer hasn't seen enough snow to complain about. The kid on the other hand needed new tires and put a set of 4 cheap winters on his front drive Cougar, he says it handles great! Mind you I've never heard of HiFly tires before, but the tire shop convinced him they were just as good as the brand name and he is happy.
Guest Johnny Bass Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) I Like the Continental ContiExtremeContact, Decent reviews...have a look Yup Billy, No chains or studs allowed.... But they want winter tires to be manditory on the basis they lives save lives. Apparently there are studies to confirm this....By CAA, and AAA Who sell tires, and offer storage for your All season radial Or is it because the chains destroy our ashphalt roads?? I'll echo that, I Guess chains don't work well enough for our governments Only expensive solluions Here Hey I won't knock them till I try them, even though I have had NO issues with my all seasons. But that being said I don't like the idea of Being Mandated to buy these tires while the Government refuses to issue a tax credit to help. Taxes go up by the day, energy is up, Gas is up, heck even water, and food is up in price, and now tires to eh? Just a bit frustrating.... I don't think the government should mandate them either, but something definitely has to be done. Too many accidents,too many people dying too early. Sure many are from careless driving. But others? I think making tires more affordable would save lives(and cause less accidents). Doesn't mater how good you think you drive. All it takes is someone behind you to rear end you and send you flying. Edited December 16, 2010 by Johnny Bass
mercman Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 I am looking to purchase a new set of all season tires and would like to know what is the best available for winter conditions. I would buy snow tires if I was going to keep my car longer than 2 years. I can't justify spending a grand on new snow tires and rims unless I was keeping the car for at least another 5 yrs. The car I am driving is for work and is a 4 door Olds Alero. Any help from my fellow OFNers would be appreciated. Also let me know which tires to stay away from. Thanks in advance. i got a good deal at CT for goodyear nordic tracks.Check them out, they have a good warranty and they will even stor your summer tires for a small fee.
danbouck Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Blizzaks are the best ones that I have had out of about 8 different kinds.
mercman Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 You know how long I have been thinking about this in regards to tires? That safety is compromised for profits(yes Bill, that is capitalism). Snow tires(tires in general) are over priced. Maybe because they dont sell enough of them. If they sold more, then the price should come down. But shouldn't they bring the price down FIRST, so people are persuaded to buy? No they would rather make less, charge more. Just like those little Life jackets that cost over $100........ The majority of accidents on the roads are due to bad tires. Whether they are deflating(loosing air), bald(The owner cant afford new ones),ect..... I say if you can afford them, buy Snow tires. And I say they should lower the price on snow tires. How much does a set cost in America Bill? Anyways. I hear Michelin tires are good. Just remember. You get what you pay for. The more expensive they are, the better they usually are. In regards to durability, but not always for snow traction. Most A/S tires do not handle heavy snow fall, well..... This thread wont get locked unless our expert snow driver from the Sue joins in again, and tells us of his superior driving skills.LOL thats like saying lower the price of gas. they would sell more then they would drop the price even more. Anything 'car' related has become a necessity in this world, so they dont have to lower the price at all. we are slaves to our vehicules. Dont get me wrong, loads of us abolutely need a car or truck to make a living, but why do people living in dowtown major cities use a car to get to work? They could walk faster then the traffic they cause doing this. in Canada, we LOVE our cars, and will defend our choices of vehicules, tires, gas, DRIVING SKILLS, and even the types of fluids they use. Like the commercials says Hold on there....this aint no romance novel. It's just a sweet potatoe !!!! A car is a car is a car. Transportation, not an extension of our peepees IMHO
bubbles Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Spend an hour here and you will have your answer. Great site, tons of reviews on the tires too. http://www.tirerack.com/ It completly depends on your car so the ones I just bought for my Expedition do not apply here but they were Michelins
dickie Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Is your life worth less than a set of new winter tires? Those people who have never tried good winter tires and say that all seasons are good enough do not know what they are talking about. I was one of those people as well. If you don't try them you'll never be a believer. As for spending the money on new tires and rims for snow tires, deal with a reputable tire shop, buy them, and if you buy a new vehicle, go back to the tire shop and they(most of them) will gladly give you trade in value for those that are only a year old, provided that there is still decent tread on them. There are always people looking for the same size tire and rim that you have on your vehicle. The nordic tire from good year is a good tire. NEVER COMPROMISE SAFETY FOR A FEW DOLLARS.
Cookslav Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Or is it because the chains destroy our ashphalt roads?? Apparently...but its ok north of the French river??? I Guess their roads are stronger I don't believe either of us are old enough to have seen the day where Chains and Studs were allowed, so I guess we've never seen the damage they cause either, but it makes sense. I just find it funny that its ok for the government to mandate a safety Product that "I" have to pay for when I'm not sold on it as being necessary while sitting here contemplateing a Cost efficient alternative. Sure it is deemed destructive by the same governmental Institution, but there are no public studies made available to suggest chains are destructive nor that Winter tires are necessary other then marketing collateral designed by companies that stand to Gain from the sale/storage of Tires. And that Tough little pill becomes even harder to swallow when the same government that wants to make it Mandatory, While not providing statistical analysis, wants to maintain the current ban on Chains, and Studs while ALSO refusing to issue a Tax credit to consumers, NOR do they have any intention to tackle the apparent price gauging....I wonder if anyone is thinking about Billy’s comment about Cross border Business? That’s not only a tough jagged pill...its down right sharp And for a guy like me who has no issues with the All season tires its just a bit much. If the government wants to make it manditory so be it, But they need to Provide assistance for Low income families, Tax credits to the average Joe. And some official studies(not branded) made avaialble for public education would be ideal. No one wants a cost rammed down their throats. Not to be an ass, but For every pro, there is an Anti... I know 2 mechanics who say the tires are ok, but between a set of BRAND NEW All seasons and Winter the difference is minimal. The real difference is when Joe Blow replaces his 4 year old radials with a brand new set of Winter tires....that will be an obvious improvment.
cram Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) To the OP -- there are apparently all-seasons that are better in snow than others. I know there's a flavour of Yokohama all seasons that are winter rated (probably due to rubber compound). I don't know how to find them, but assume google can help you out. I bought my snows off of tirerack.com. US site, US prices, and even with delivery/tax/duty I saved $400. Edited December 16, 2010 by cram
DanD Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 I’m likely bias here because I sell Goodyear tires; but the best one (in my opinion) in an all-weather tire is their “Assurance Tripletred”. It is a directional tire with (like its name) three different tred designs in one tire. This tire has the snow flake designation as well; allowing it to be used if Ontario ever does bring in the snow tire law. They also have a 130,000klm tred life warranty; plus a $60.00 mail-in rebate on a set of four tires. Dan.
skeeter Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Apparently...but its ok north of the French river??? I Guess their roads are stronger? no they are not but, the roads up there don't freeze and thaw constantly like they do down here.
fish_fishburn Posted December 16, 2010 Author Report Posted December 16, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I have been driving for 34 years and have never had an accident and only 1 ticket. I have never had snow tires before and have done pretty good with just all seasons. My..what did we do before they invented snow tires. Thanks Skeeter I will check kijiji out and see whats there. Snow tires won't save your life if you drive like a jackass. Just my opinion. Defensive driving and giving yourself more time to get to your destination in the winter will. What about the Motomaster SE someone was telling me they are a good all season tire with an agressive grip and do well in the snow?
fish_fishburn Posted December 16, 2010 Author Report Posted December 16, 2010 DanD what would a set of those run me? I need 215/60R/15.
vance Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 I had winter tires on my old truck and they were really good for the first 2 years but after that they weren't any better than the all seasons I have on my 1 month old new truck.From what I have read,after the 2nd year winter tire rubber hardens and loses its grip even though there is plenty of tread left and I can't see people replacing perfectly good snows because they are old. vance
mercman Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I have been driving for 34 years and have never had an accident and only 1 ticket. I have never had snow tires before and have done pretty good with just all seasons. My..what did we do before they invented snow tires. Thanks Skeeter I will check kijiji out and see whats there. Snow tires won't save your life if you drive like a jackass. Just my opinion. Defensive driving and giving yourself more time to get to your destination in the winter will. What about the Motomaster SE someone was telling me they are a good all season tire with an agressive grip and do well in the snow? Just remember, its not the grip of the tire thats the most important. its the tire structure.Winter tires are constructed for winter conditions specifically.Softer rubber, deeper more jagged tread patern steel belts in different configuration.All season are ok for temps above 5C.
POLLIWOGG Posted December 16, 2010 Report Posted December 16, 2010 I think studs are legal everywhere but Ontario but I might be wrong. They did studies that showed modern studs don't damage the road but the MTO can't agree on anything or admit being wr-r-r-ong.
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