Winter tire time... help

The Mazda5's Toyo Proxes T1-R's are getting close to being out of tread and rainy season up here has officially started. I'd like to mount something on the factory wheels for winter use only (and buy summer tires on different wheels in the spring).

Normally I'd just buy some Hankook i-Pike's (on Mrs. Javelin's Grand Prix), but I'm torn. We don't usually get crazy snow or ice, but the last week of December / first week of January has been historically nasty up here. Normally I wouldn't care and stay home, like usual, but Javelin Jr. is due January 11th.

So do I go studded? Winter tires + chains?

I want to know that when Mrs. Javelin says "it's time", I can drive her to the hospital in the Falcon with 0 issues, no matter the weather.

Thoughts? Tires? Looking to buy between now and Thanksgiving depending on weather and tread wear so I can shop for a deal.

I vote for General Altimax Arctic (rebranded Gislaved Nordfrost 3). Studdable, cheap, and scored very high in Tirerack testing. I can't wait until mine arrive and I get to mount them up.

i second that

Seeing that I've lived in Wisconsin my whole life, and we see some snow, I've never heard anyone talk about actual studded tires for road use.

All-terrains and snow tires sure, but not studded.

I don't think out on the west coast studs would pay off. I run them, but I'm in rural, hilly part of the rust belt. Not to mention on my last snow tire thread half the post where people saying that studded tires make the Baby Jesus cry.

205/50/17? General Altimax Arctic is in your size, is studable, highly rated on TR, and the cheapest snow tire in that size on TR. I just ordered a set(no studs) for SWMBO's Accord.

Also, Hakka 5/7/R

We had the General's a few seasons ago (or maybe it was the I-Pike's and we have the General's now?), good tire.

Good to know that they are available in my size.

It's the studs vs no studs I'm waffling on. I suppose I could buy 4 studless, 2 studded, and 2 steel wheels but I'm already sitting on 24 wheels/tires around the house.

these : Pacemaker Snow Tracker

my Suby has gone anywhere in up to 14" of snow on very steep roads without even any wheel spin... (old Impreza .. no LSD )

If winter tires can't get you there, studs on a vehicle like the Mazda5 aren't going to get you there, either.

Judging from reviews, I'd be hard pressed not to just buy a set of Conti DWSes and drive them year-round.

Oh and there's no freakin' apostrophe needed in "the Generals" unless you're talking about what winter tires are on the General's car. Nor on i-Pikes, for that matter. RAGE/QUIT.

Blizzaks are the only answer. Studs are out of date.

Never heard of studs here either. That being said, I've got a set of (now discontinued) GW3 Ultragrip Goodyear HP snows, and they're tanks. Drive several other mazda products on everything from Icebears to hakkepe...whatever the hell it's spelled... all good things.

Osterkraut wrote: Judging from reviews, I'd be hard pressed not to just buy a set of Conti DWSes and drive them year-round.

Are the Conti's ( ) that good? Year round you say? My wallet and storage area would both like that answer very, very much!

Hakkas absolutely destroy (I have a set of 195-55-15's for my current beater Civic, but I've had really good luck with skinny generic stuff, too (Viking, Winterforce).

I got my wife a set of General Altimaxes (on a separate set of wheels) from Tire Rack for her 2010 Fit. They got her through last winter just fine, including a snowy ride from RI to Central-Western Maine.

I'm a New Englander with an RI to MA commute and I've never had issues with any winter tire I've had. A cheap-o winter tire will destroy any all-season in the snow.

Javelin wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Judging from reviews, I'd be hard pressed not to just buy a set of Conti DWSes and drive them year-round.

Are the Conti's ( ) that good? Year round you say? My wallet and storage area would both like that answer very, very much!

1) Go berkeley yourself.
2) Tire Rack says...

Osterkraut wrote:

Javelin wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Judging from reviews, I'd be hard pressed not to just buy a set of Conti DWSes and drive them year-round.

Are the Conti's ( ) that good? Year round you say? My wallet and storage area would both like that answer very, very much!

1) Go berkeley yourself. 2) Tire Rack says...

Hey, thanks for the help. And sorry about over-using the apostrophe's. I tend to do that and Capitalize things that don't deserve it too much.

Another General Altimax Arctic driver checking in! I have them for my MS3 and they are great in the snow, even on my overpowered FWD car. They aren't sporty tires but they grip decently in the dry and are excellent in the wet and snow. Very easy to recover when it slips, too.

DWS's or actual Snow tires? The DWSs are All-seasons.

The Conti Snows are the same price.

Javelin wrote: DWS's or actual Snow tires? The DWSs are All-seasons. The Conti Snows are the same price.

The DWS are quite good in the snow for an all season, but still about half the traction of a studless winter tire. I'll find the Tirerack link.

The shape of the curves is also interesting. Most all-seasons require very little slip (i.e. traction control.)

I haven't gotten to try my DWS in the snow yet, but they have plenty of dry and wet traction. They seem to be out of stock a lot, and going up in price. I used Continental's included road hazard warranty to get a flat replaced, and had to pay a little extra for the replacement.

Winter force is made by Firestone, I like them. Studs are cool only if you never drive on pavement.

Save a few bucks and get the Hankook Winter I-Pikes and throw some studs in them.

They are fantastic. the poor man's Hakkapeliita...

HStockSolo wrote:

Javelin wrote: DWS's or actual Snow tires? The DWSs are All-seasons. The Conti Snows are the same price.

The DWS are quite good in the snow for an all season, but still about half the traction of a studless winter tire. I'll find the Tirerack link. The shape of the curves is also interesting. Most all-seasons require very little slip (i.e. traction control.)

Can you post the links? The DWSes look close to the winter tires from how I read it.

TR All-season

TR Studless Winter

TR Studable Winter

These are all with new tires. The DWS is certainly closest to the cheap studable winter tires. The DWS snow traction might fall off fairly quickly too. I kinda wish I could have waited until fall to buy them.

Nokian WR G2 looks like a studless snow tire that they call an all-season which may be better in the snow than the DWS.

I was very happy with a cheap set of Dunlop Graspic DS-3s on my Saturns. Well they do feel awful. I have a set of Michelin X-Ices right now which feel more like an all-season, but they have noticeably less snow/ice traction.

wbjones wrote: these : Pacemaker Snow Tracker my Suby has gone anywhere in up to 14" of snow on very steep roads without even any wheel spin... (old Impreza .. no LSD )

I've got these now, and they plow through the snow as well as the Blizzaks or any other snow tire I've had, but thye wear a bit quick it you use them year round. Even with the blizzards we had last year I've never needed studs and i never missed a day of work. As long as the botttom of the car wasn't dragging too bad we churned right thrung.

Studs are great. On ice. Not on anything else.

Chains are great, but what a pain to mount. Various clip on thingies are a lot easier to mount, but don't try to drive fast with them.

Real snow tires of virtually any brand will out perform all season tires of virtually any brand, when it comes to slogging through snow.

Nothing works well when the snow is a foot deep or more.

foxtrapper wrote: Nothing works well when the snow is a foot deep or more.

Big heavy trucks with ground clearance and all terrains work just fine for only 12" of snow.*

*Check my garage