How to Buy the Best Rated Snow Tires

Your life depends on the tires on your car so when snow and ice cover the ground, you will want to have the best rated tires on your car to see you safely to wherever you are going. Here is a list of some of the best rated snow tires to buy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Michelin X-Ice Xi2 caught the attention of experts and users, though, as a relatively new product there hasn't been enough testing on durability. This snow tire showed lower rolling resistance than many competitors (which leads to better gas mileage) and handled extremely well in the Scandinavian tire tests. Quiet to drive on, it priced out at around $90.

2. The less expensive Dunlop Graspic DS2 performed well, too. And it stands up well in the durability tests. At an estimated $70 this Dunlop tire ranked very high with the Automobile Protection Association in Canada.

3. Pirelli Winter Carving, at an average cost of $90 got top reviews from consumers. In many ways it rated competitively with the pricier Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 (at $165). Both ranked well and will perform great where studded tires are permitted.

4. The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3 snow tire ranked tops with Consumer Search in the category of tires for light trucks, vans and SUVs. This one cost around $120.

5. Two more good choices, Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow (approximately $160) and Michelin's Latitude X-Ice (at around $150)also came in with satisfied consumer ratings.

6. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice also rated in high with consumers on Tirerack.com. This one has held up well Canada's snow and ice. It costs approximately $95.

7. Consumer Reports liked the Continental ContiWinterContact TS810 which costs about $80. This tire tested really well on dry and wet surfaces though some of the competition rated better in very snowy and icy conditions. This tire would be a good choice for a climate that has a variety of conditions during winter months.

8. Studded tires tend to grip better on ice than snow but they are noisier and some areas do not allow studs due to road surface damage.

9. Do your research to buy the best rated snow tires for your vehicle and driving conditions. The above suggestions should help. For more details, check the Additional Resources listed below.

Resources

• Consumer Search -- Snow Tires
• Consumer Reports
• Tirerack.com

[Quickstar]

on 1/17/2009 Super info thanks for sharing on snow tires.

[purrfect1969-2]

on 12/30/2008 Great tips. We may be needing some for our truck. Thanks.

[IcyCucky]

on 12/30/2008 Great info..I wish this was available when my tires blew out a month ago..