New tires before next winter.

[AWDFTW]

Nope, not running these G009's for another winter, no matter how much tread is left. So it will be new tire time around September or so, before the first snow (hopefully) up here.

But I'm stuck on my last two choices. Goodyear TripleTred and Michelin Primacy MXV4. Size will be the stock 225/60/16 and staying with the H speed rating.

Needs from a tire:
Decent all-season traction. Have seen wind chills of -38F with over a foot of snow and ice all the way to 90F summer days. Living conditions prevent owning a set of dedicated winter tires, lack of storage space. So I need a tire than can deal with rain and snow, the G009's can only handle the former and that is marginal at best.

Concerns about each tire:
GYTT- this tire seems to have the slight edge in poor weather traction and the set I had (for all 500 miles before the car was totaled) rode very nice on our last car. However, GY seems to have based on the reviews, more quality control issues with balancing the tires.

MXV4- these seem to handle great in dry and wet in the 2006 OBXT I had the pleasure of driving. They are $10-$15 more per tire over the GYTT and their winter marks are slightly lower.

Tirerack reviews list the tires as follows: (bold emphasis mine, I find anything under .5 to be statistical variance)

GYTT MXV4
Would Buy Again? 7.8 8.3
Hydroplaning Resistance 8.9 8.6
Wet Traction 9.0 8.6
Cornering Stability 8.8 8.7
Dry Traction 9.2 9.1
Steering Response 8.8 8.7
Light Snow Traction 8.4 8.0
Deep Snow Traction 7.7 7.2
Ice Traction 7.6 7.4
Ride Comfort 8.2 9.1
Noise Comfort 7.7 8.9
Treadwear 8.3 9.0

So, help me decide! GYTT is cheaper and has better winter marks, MXV4 seems to have nothing against it except price and slightly lower winter marks.

[ron917]

I voted for the TripleTreds because I like them - I have them on my '07 OBW and my wife's minivan. In snow and on ice, they are better than most other all season tires.

The TTs are not snow tires - they fall far behind real snow tires in deep snow, ice, and packed snow. For the winter, the '07 OBW gets studded Winterforce (bought used) and the minivan gets Blizzaks.

If you want all seasons, Nokian WRs are better in winter weather. I ran them on my old '99 OBW before I gave it to my son, he put a new set of WRs on last fall. They really are "all that" - almost as good as dedicated snow tires in winter weather. The WRs are discontinued, and the replacement WR G2s are VERY expensive. In 17 inch size, the price difference is very close to a set of 16 inch steelies with dedicated winter tires, so that's the direction I went for the '07 OBW.

Good tires are cheaper than body work and hospital bills! Choose accordingly.

[Glennda5id]

I have heard very good things about Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

[Ruperts Trooper]

In Europe, Michelin MXV4 is a summer tyre, not an all-season tyre.

[Glennda5id]

What I really want to try ss a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS's. Unfortunately they don't make a size that fits our cars with a 16" radius :-( Guess i will just need to buy some 17" rims :-)

[AWDFTW]

Originally posted by Glennda5id
I have heard very good things about Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

Aye, but I think the Sports are overkill for my car, and it is more expensive and has a lower tread wear rating than the MXV4. Very nice looking tire though.

Originally posted by Ruperts Trooper
In Europe, Michelin MXV4 is a summer tyre, not an all-season tyre.

Aye, but that is what they are considered here. I know I'd be better off with 2 sets, but I just don't have the space to put a 2nd set of tires. Not even under the bed. Or in the closet...or...wait, out of storage places in this apartment.


I really like the look of the old Nokian WR, but they are next to impossible to find and about $40 per tire more than the Michelin's, i.e.- more than I can spend. I'm not convinced by the WR G2's yet...the asymmetrical tread pattern is not something I am a fan of.

[Waldo]

I'll be putting Nokian WR's on my Outback when its needs new tires. I had them on a piece of crap Buick Rewndevous but could still climb trees with them.

Super quiet on pavement. They roar on snow.

[Glennda5id]

I don't think Ruperts was suggesting that you get two sets of tires. I think he was pointing out that the MXV4 might not do well in snow. I have read that they are not great in the snow. Traditionally, To make a good snow tire, you need to have soft rubber. Tires like the Pilot A/S use a combination of soft and hard rubber treads to give the tire good performace all season. Regardless though, with soft rubber there is only so much mileage you can get out of the tire. The MXV4 have a long tread life. That should tell you something. You need hard rubber to get 80k out of a tire.

Things are changing a bit though and using advanced simulations and design, tire manufactures are make more advanced tread patterns that do well in the snow, rain and dry even when using longer lasting, harder rubber compounds. The Tripletreds are a good example of this, as is the Conti DWS tire.

The MXV4 is a tried and true tread pattern, that uses a long lasting rubber compound to give it long life, but I would not expect it to perform well in the snow.

[margaret]

I bought Nokian WR G2's for my 05 Outback and they have been wonderful. I don't know anything about tires; I picked them because of the recommendations in this forum. I wanted something for snow and they have been really dependable in snow and rain. Now, they need to be replaced, and my mechanic is trying to convince me to buy Firestone Affinity Touring tires. Although I don't think he's much of a snow person. Any thoughts?

[Waldo]

I can't comment on Firestones but if you are happy with the Nokians, don't switch horses in mid-stream.