It still boggles the mind that people who live in areas that experience extreme winter conditions, still think they don't need winter tires

 

With a good AWD system, dedicated-winter tires are much less important. Most AWD Subarus, for example, except for the summer-tire WRX/STI, come with Bridgestone or Goodyear all-seasons....and do just fine in harsh winter conditions, as attested by their popularity in the Northeast and Rockies.

 

AWD help you going, but it does absolutely nothing to help you stop. When you press your brakes, it doesn't matter if your car is AWD, RWD or FWD. For stopping it is all about the tires, and proper winter tires will always stop much shorter than any all seasons, regardless of AWD or not

 

The best way to stop in winter is probably with studs or tire-chains. Many jurisdiction, though, don't allow studs, and chains can vibrate and be a PITA to put on and off....especially if they are only needed for a day or so, where roads are quickly plowed / treated and melt back to bare pavement.

 

That is true, but most studless winter tires are still pretty good. At least way better than any all seasons in winter condition

 

Absolutely untrue. Even with AWD you still need winter tires in cold snowy climates. Drive one of those AWD cars on winter tires and you’d instantly realize why.

 

This times infinity. AWD with all season tires can give you a dangerous false sense of security you accelerate relatively easily on a snowy surface then later hit ice where the tires are less effective.

 

I see that all the time here in Nashville, idiots with jacked up 4WD "bro-trucks" and AWD SUV's always end up in the ditch. They are way too confident, drive way too fast for the conditions(4WD/AWD easily allows you to drive way too fast) and don't realize that it takes way way way longer to stop from 40-50mph on the snow vs the 20-30mph they should have done. Or that you can't drive through a corner in the snow at the same speed in the wet or dry. Also its way easier to stop a 3000lb car in the snow than it is a 6000lb 4wd "bro-truck". Same 3000lb car is a lot easier regain control of vs a 6000lb truck that is out of control.

 

No, that's not correct. Depends on the specific vehicle and circumstances. I went through the two-foot blizzard here in D.C. several years ago, with an all-season-equipped Outback, with no problems at all. Of course, much of the credit goes to Subie's excellent AWD system, not necessarily the tires themselves.

I do agree with all of the posts, however, about AWD not being a substitute for common sense and careful driving in bad conditions. The number of SUVs, just here in the D.C. area, that wind up in the ditch, in snowbanks, or on their sides during major storms proves that.

 

Have you ever put winter tires on any of your cars?

We put winter tires on our Matrix every season. Its the only vehicle that routinely sees long distances in the winter. I can tell you from experience that our Matrix with winter tires has better grip, stopping traction and stability compared to our two full time 4WD SUVs that have just all-season or M+S tires.

 

Mike, you are just wrong here, and that advice is actually dangerous. Because you drove through one blizzard and survived does not mean “you don’t need winter tires”. You would have been exponentially safer on winter tires, you just don’t have any experience with them and that shows here. I made it to WV one time in an emergency during a big snowstorm, in the mountains in a RWD Lexus with all season tires. Does that mean I would not have been dramatically safer with winter tires and an AWD car? Of course not. It also wasn’t 0 degrees here during that blizzard. If it were you’d be shocked how much more trouble you’d have had in your Outback. Case in point, we were in albany one year in our Jeep during a big snow, while that Jeep in allseasons was great here in the snow where temps rare oh get below the high 20s, even in a snowstorm, that morning it was 2 degrees and it was dramatically less drivable. Why? No winter tires. My family up there all run winter tires...guess what my brother in law drives? A Subaru.

Just go to YouTube and search. There are TONS of incredibly enlightening YouTube videos comparing all season tires to winter tires. The additional margins of safety are irrefutable.

“You can get through” and “you’re as safe as you can be” are different things. In a snowy cold winter climate, is rather have a RWD car with winter tires than an AWD car on allseasons. Just look at the posts here from people who live in those climates agreeing.

 

All season tires only work in areas which see very little snow and temperatures which never go below 8-10C. At 7C (or about 44F) your all season tire is nothing more than a hard rubber donut which will help your car skitter and bob around on snow and ice, not to mention give you some scary moments trying to stop. Winter tires by comparison have a softer much more sticky rubber composition which stays that way down to -40C.

We've been getting snow now where I live for three days steadily and the temps have hovered around -8C. I was intending to put on my winter tires/wheels on but never got around to it. Believe me, my three season Michelin Primacy's on a 17 inch 50 series rim are barely able to cope with conditions in my Accord. I've had to be extremely cautious. The smaller/narrower 16 inch winter wheel/tire (Michelin X-Ice) package is going on this week, post haste.

 

You are right. I think mmarshall is making the point that AWD is superior than snow tires. Not the case in my experience.

 

I think the myths about winter tires stems from several different things. The first is those of us who are old enough to remember snow tires. They sucked at everything except going through snow. They stank on dry, wet, and iced roads. They were snow tires, not winter tires. Winter tires stop better in cold weather even on dry pavement. They stop better in cold rain. Winter tires are designed for cold weather, not just snow. The next being people think winter tires are about not getting stuck. While helpful for that the real reason is about stopping and steering. Fact is you can take a much care in the world, but your car is the only one you can control. Others can do stupid things that make you need to stop quick or steer to avoid an accident. Like when someone pulls out in front of you, then stops immediately to make a left turn. Inches can mean the difference between accident or not. The last point is kind of the same as the previous. That an awd/4x4 can stop and steer just as good with a A/S tire . Again it's not about just not getting stuck, you have to stop and steer. I ran tires with the mountain snow flake on my Land Rover in the winter. Why, because it was much more sure footed. I drove many years on A/S tires through many a winter. I never got stuck with many kinds of cars fwd,rwd, big cars, and little cars. The first set of winter tires I bought were for my daughters first car. The first snow I took it out yo see how the worked. I could not believe the grip. I went through snow slush, and icy patches with much more ease. In fact the biggest fault I found was that they could make you feel over confident on grip. It felt like you could drive as though you were on dry roads, but that would be stupid. Winter tires are better anywhere it gets cold and stays cold for the winter. I still ran them when I lived in west Kansas, and they really don't get that much snow. The only place I lived where I didn't was in Houston.

 

I disagree with this statement 100%.