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Does anyone have recommendations on a good snow tire with the Pacifica that they have had good experience with?
Snow Tire Recommendations?
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I have Michelin Ice-X mounted on a set of 17” rims. They have performed well in a few deeps snow storms we had and on wet roads, which we have a lot in the Pacific NW in winter. They are quiet and ride well on dry roads. I think they are about 1 mpg less efficient than OEM tire.
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I don’t think you can go wrong with a Michelin , blizzack winter tire . Just make sure you define your budget , ask if they are directional and what the warranty is for them . Any super aggressive winter tires will wear pretty quick if you don’t get that much cold or snow . But I don’t think you can go wrong with Michelin xice or blizzack ws80 tire
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We had great luck with our Blizzak WS80's. Was my first time buying winter tires. While we bought them primarily to get up a steep driveway, the stopping distance improvements were noticeable.
Nokian makes winter tires with an eye toward low rolling resistance. Nokian's Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV tire is worth a look for anyone with a hybrid. Or just wants better fuel economy. And the focus on rolling resistance doesn’t seem to negatively affect winter performance.
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Low rolling resistance wouldn’t work in the winter due to snow, ice ,
Rolling resistance applies to any surface. Nokian specifically talks about it. Tesla talks about how you should buy a premium winter tire for their vehicles because of rolling resistance. And for most vehicles winter driving isn’t done through snow all the time. It’s driving in cold weather on hard packed snow, ice, and bare pavement. Not slogging through 6 inches of snow for long distances. So a tire with lower rolling resistance certainly applies to winter tires.
The vast majority of most people’s winter driving is done on dry or simply wet and cold roads. Not snow and ice. So rolling resistance most certainly applies.
I’m a Michelin fan for my summer and all-season tires, but Nokian winter tires still soundly trump them in absolute grip as well as longevity in my experience.
I’m a Michelin fan for my summer and all-season tires, but Nokian winter tires still soundly trump them in absolute grip as well as longevity in my experience.
This summer we replaced the factory Falken's on our 2017 limited with the 20" wheels. We bought Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires. They are an all-season grand touring tire with the 3 peak symbol on them. They are distinctly different from other all-season tires. My friends noticed them immediately. The aggressive tread pattern looks like would be loud on the road. We took the van on a 700 mile trip this summer. These tires are quiet on the highway. I've seen complaints that fuel economy suffers with these tires. That hasn't been the case for us. We averaged about 28MPG on our last trip. No noticeable MPG change for us.
I don't want to change from summer to winter tires twice a year. Living in Michigan, winters can be brutal or mild. This tire does it all. Paid just a hair under $1000 for them at Costco when on sale.
I don't want to change from summer to winter tires twice a year. Living in Michigan, winters can be brutal or mild. This tire does it all. Paid just a hair under $1000 for them at Costco when on sale.
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I got Blizzak WS80's mounted on separate wheels from Tire Rack several years ago. I have them mounted each fall and swapped back each spring. They’ve worked almost as well as I’d imagine AWD aside from a 19% grade in Seattle where occasionally I spin out if it’s too slick. I get good enough traction on mountain roads with the Blizzaks for me to not trade in for an AWD.
Most AWD systems are used very little if at all in normal driving, and the OEMs know that. Which is why the AWD systems aren’t built to last. The only exception might be in winter on contaminated roads with bad tires. But AWD systems really aren’t built to be used often. If you have a van or a small SUV with AWD and it’s activating a lot, you’re going to have either AWD or transmission problems a lot earlier in the vehicles life. Just get good tires that are appropriate for the season. AWD is often not worth the extra price or extra gas burnt for most people. If that’s something you know you need, then buy something with proper 4x4. It’ll last a lot longer.
My first winter tires (about 25 years ago) were Blizzaks. They worked well enough but wore very quickly. I drive about 36,000 miles a year and my winter use is about 15,000 miles. The front tires would last one season (on a Mazda 3) and the rears would last two. Blizzaks depend upon using a very soft rubber compound to achieve snow traction. You will get fewer than 6,000 miles if you left them on in the warm weather (my co-worker's grandson did that, so I know).
I switched to Nokian Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires with studs. They last more than twice as long. The first set was studded by the dealer. Don't do that. Get the factory set studs. They stay in longer and don't have the break-in like the dealer-installed studs.
Last year I switched to Nokian WRG4s. These are "all-weather" tires. That is, they meet the qualifications for a winter tire and can be used anywhere that winter tires are required. They are also wear-rated to 60,000 miles and are intended to use all year. So far, I am happy with these. The ride is good and they are quiet. I live at the highest point in town and up the steepest hill and the Pacifica had no trouble making it up the hill. I gain 164 feet of elevation in less than a quarter-mile. (The Pacifica's GPS provides very specific elevation numbers.)
If you do choose to go with the Hakkapelitta tires I recommend not having the studs installed. While they do offer an improvement on both hardpack and ice, they do not lose traction progressively. So one second you are negotiating a turn and the next you are sliding out of control. The non-studded versions are very good on hardpack and ice, but give you some warning before letting go.
I switched to Nokian Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires with studs. They last more than twice as long. The first set was studded by the dealer. Don't do that. Get the factory set studs. They stay in longer and don't have the break-in like the dealer-installed studs.
Last year I switched to Nokian WRG4s. These are "all-weather" tires. That is, they meet the qualifications for a winter tire and can be used anywhere that winter tires are required. They are also wear-rated to 60,000 miles and are intended to use all year. So far, I am happy with these. The ride is good and they are quiet. I live at the highest point in town and up the steepest hill and the Pacifica had no trouble making it up the hill. I gain 164 feet of elevation in less than a quarter-mile. (The Pacifica's GPS provides very specific elevation numbers.)
If you do choose to go with the Hakkapelitta tires I recommend not having the studs installed. While they do offer an improvement on both hardpack and ice, they do not lose traction progressively. So one second you are negotiating a turn and the next you are sliding out of control. The non-studded versions are very good on hardpack and ice, but give you some warning before letting go.
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