I do the same thing. I got a faulty tire once, Firestone discovered one was out of spec, it was out of round beyond hope. Tire Rack made good, sent a new tire to Firestone and a label to ship the defective one back and Firestone installed the replacement.

 

So not that I need new tires now, but someone I know that lives in NYC and has to drive out to Long Island frequently needs tires. What is the thinking on the new Vredestein Quatrac Pro and Michelin Cross Climate 2, both Severe Snow Service Rated Tires?

Thanks in advance.

 

I hope others will chime in, but I am a tire safety type guy. Sometimes people think that just because you are in an AWD vehicle you are somehow magically protected from skidding in snow, ice and rain. While I would never consider a car w/o AWD, I am equally concerned/fussy about my tires.They are literally where the rubber meets the road. And AWD does nothing to help in braking - that task is on the tires.

Last night driving in that snowstorm from NYC via the FDR North with only a few inches of snow (of course NYC did not pre salt the road) I saw many sedans - not SUV's with tires spinning and skidding, particularly on the inclines. I guarantee that none of them had snow tires or even an AS plus severe snow service tires like the ones you mention. As an aside there was some type of accident r truck being stuck on that approach blocking all traffic and a 24 mile/50 minute trip took me 4+ hours to get home!

My CX-5 had no trouble with spinout - as should be expected with a heavy AWD CUV and brand new tires. However, speed was limited to 20-25mph and while driving on a few inches of unpacked snow, I did not feel that this car had a solid grip on the road and felt like drifting. It did not inspire the confidence I need to travel in snow. So, back your question. Knowing that the TOYO tires are poorly rated on Tirerack was enough to have me investigate new tires. I wanted an A/S tire that excelled in wet and snowy weather and after reading the reviews and speaking with a few people at Tirerack, I decided on the Vredestein Quatrac Pro. Hopefully I will be getting them installed today. Either one of those tires - and some others in that category would offer way better driving control and safety in snow/rain/ice than other AS tires. I know I sound like a broken record, but people need to pay more attention to their tires.

 

Thank you very much f or the opinions. I am a big believer in tires, have spent too many hours researching tires.