Are snow tires a disaster on dry pavement? And how about summer tires in the snow? Should you just buy all-season rubber and not worry about the weather?
These are just a few of the questions we tried to answer with our Ultimate Tire Test. From the snow fields of northern Minnesota to the test track at California Speedway, we tested three different tires in a variety of conditions. Some of the results were expected while others surprised our test team and challenged conventional thinking.
There was one tire missing from the final results. We also tested a dedicated snow tire in a slightly smaller size to see how that would affect performance. You can't order it that way from the factory, but we thought you might be interested in seeing the results anyway. See the numbers after the jump.
Ultimate Tire Test: All-Season vs. Snow vs. Summer
| Snow | Accel | Brakes | Skidpad | ||
| 0-40 | 40-0 | ||||
| Type | Model | Size | sec | ft | g |
| Summer | Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 | 215/45R17 | 41.7 | 350.6 | 0.15 |
| A/S | Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 | 215/45R17 | 14.5 | 184.0 | 0.28 |
| Winter | Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 | 215/45R17 | 11.7 | 156.2 | 0.30 |
| Winter -1 | Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 | 205/55R16 | 11.0 | 147.1 | 0.31 |
zoomzoomn says:
02:18 PM, 10/26/09
I live in the mid-Atlantic region. I run all-season tires on my car, an '03 Mazda 6 running on 18 inch wheels and modified/stiffened suspension. I agree in that I have had issues finding an all season tire that offers decent wet grip. Ultimately, I could run summer tires nearly eight months of the year and enjoy all of the performance benefits therein. Summer tires, low temps and frozen precipitation notwithstanding, do offer the best performance. The penalty when things get below about 45F, though, is quite extreme. I've pondered getting some dedicated winter tires on my spare wheels, but these, too, would be extreme for the few times a year we actually get anything frozen on the ground. Just for the record, the A/S MXM4's you used ranked third in my personal experience out of the three sets I've had on my car (they were OE on this car).
compliance says:
03:17 PM, 10/26/09
I think it's sad that this article even needs to be written, but as anyone who is a member of a sports car forum can tell you, it does. This time every year two things are posted very frequently. #1 People post to ask if they can use their stock summer tires in winter.
#2 People post about how they slid their car into a tree after the first frost.
jederino says:
04:01 PM, 10/26/09
@zoomzoom, it sounds like I have a similar situation in Seattle. Damp much of the year and summer tires are great. However, I use winter performance when the temps are consistently in the 40's. Is there an optimum temperature to switch over to winter tires for wet and dry performance, when you don't see a lot of ice and snow? I wish this article explored temperature effects, but otherwise really appreciate the topic!
roadburner says:
06:47 PM, 10/26/09
"#1 People post to ask if they can use their stock summer tires in winter. #2 People post about how they slid their car into a tree after the first frost."
You forgot:
#3 People next post comments blaming the automaker and/or complaining that they couldn't afford the proper tires.
Morons.
greenpony says:
10:44 AM, 10/27/09
This winter I'll be using my first-ever set of snow tires. Previously I've only ever used all-seasons year-round. I am looking to get the swap date just right, though, to avoid some of the detriments of snow tires in non-snowy conditions, and to avoid being caught in the snow with my limited-tread all-seasons.
persecuted says:
05:59 PM, 05/20/10
Each specific tire has a specific operational temperature, a load/inflation chart and a specific destination. Based on my experience, some of all season tires can be used in temperatures up to 20F degree. In the Snow Belt areas, where temperatures drop below 20F degrees, and stay for sometime below 0F degrees, the right snow tires make a difference. The secret is that the special compound of snow tires, keeps them pliable well below –10F degree. During normal commuting, in the wintertime, tires don’t have a chance to warm up. During testing the tread temperature, (I, M, O) with probe pyrometer, we repeat three driving, 15 minutes each in the free way. Only after the third Loop, the readings stabilize. We use a separate pyrometer for each tire.
My question is. What were ambient temperatures during the testing?