Well I do a fair amount of driving in the winter for long stretchs. 200 plus miles about 2 times a month one way. Would I be better getting all seasons or snow tires? I would just hate to have to replace tires every season. Let me know what you tire experts think. Bill
An all wheel drive car with all season tires has less traction than a rear wheel drive car with snow tires. My personal opinion: Your car, your life, your problem if you get stuck. For me, the $400 I save on getting snow tires would make me feel positively retarded when I crash a 20thousand dollar+ investment... I know I did when I slid into a guard rail at 40MPH the first time I ever drove in snow. It only cost me a foglamp but that $180 foglamp was already over 1/4 the cost of snow tires. Plus, the amount of control you have with snow tires makes it so much fun to drive in winter: I actually look forward to snow storms and try to drive as much as I can in the snow.
Replacing/switching snow tires every season will help prevent you from reporting accidents every winter. It takes the risk away from you hitting other people (but slightly increases the risk of others hitting you from behind if they don't have snow tires and are following too closely).
I've went the all season route myslef the last couple years, and it works, if your tires are fresh, second winter all season tires are no better than any other tire. Overal I hear the difference is like high preformance tires to all season is a huge step for winter, and all season to winter tires is suppose to improve as much as the all seasons did over the high preformance. If that makes sense, that what I've heard people say. I think you can get away with all seasons, if you budget it too tight to allow for two sets of tires.
i have been running Potenza g009 high perf. all season. the first winter they were pretty dang good, i could complain accept for some ice traction stuff. the second winter they were HORRIBLE! i could believe how bad they had become after a decent amount of miles had been placed on them. i think that getting winters will be worth it. it isnt that hard to change them (20 lugs twice a year) this way i will know that i will have good tractin in the winter for several seasons. idk, all seasons can be good but you have to watch out for future use. i never thought mine would be so bad in the snow the second time around but boy was i surprised. its wasnt bad enough where you couldnt drive it was just not very fun. cough: drive back from orr :cough
