With winter on the way, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your vehicle. That means snow tires. If you live in a snowy area, snow tires can be the difference between making it home safely and being towed out of a snowbank. It snowed on Halloween in my area last year, so believe me when I say it isn’t too early to buy.
While most people think that so-called “all-season” tires are good enough, the reality is that these suffer from a couple of shortcomings when it comes to the snow and cold. In addition to having shallower tread, the rubber formulations of all-season tires mean that they harden in cold temperatures, which reduces grip. Snow tires, on the other hand, use softer rubber and grip better as temperatures decline. Additionally, snow tires feature deep, aggressive treads and sipes — the tiny slits throughout the surface of the tire — which help battle snowy conditions. Studded tires have metal structures protruding from the surface of the tire, which allow for traction even on ice. These advantages can improve control while turning and braking.
Before buying, you’ll need to know the size of the tires your vehicle uses. This can be found in at least one of a few places: the owner’s manual, the driver’s door jam, the glove box door, and on the sidewalls of your current tires. They all follow a similar formula and look something like this: P225/45R16 17S. The leading letter signals the application — in this case, passenger car. The first number is the width in millimeters of your tire, followed by the aspect ratio, the construction value, rim diameter, load index, and speed rating. It isn’t necessary to know what they all mean; all you need is to match your chosen tire’s size availability to this number. Finally, unless you are a trained automotive technician, we strongly suggest bringing your purchased tires to an ASE-certified mechanic for installation.
Something you’ll want to consider when choosing a snow tire is finding the right balance of traction, road noise, gas mileage, and dry road handling. Studded tires are by far the best for snow and ice, but they are louder (particularly at highway speeds) and tend to lower gas mileage. Some are more performance based and what they give up in traction, they make up for in other areas. Keep your driving style in mind when choosing a snow tire.
To derive pricing information and model availability, we chose three popular vehicles to give you an idea of common sizes — Toyota Corolla, Honda CR-V, and Ford F-150. The applicable vehicle is noted with the price of each tire. Prices and availability may vary, but this will give you an idea of where to start. Want to skip ahead? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Here’s our list of the top ten best snow tires:
1. Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter Radial Tire
(Goodyear)
This is a good all-around snow tire, the Goodyear Ultra Grip falls into third on TireRack.com’s ranking, behind the Blizzak and X-Ice. This tire offers a good mix of comfort and winter traction. Of 29 reviews on Goodyear.com, it has a 4.5 out of 5 rating. With this choice, you’ll get good snow and wet traction, although Goodyear’s rubber formulations are generally a step below rivals. Still a good option at this price.
Price: $104.32 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla, tire size 195/65R15 91T)
Buy the Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter Radial Tire here.
Find more Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter Radial Tire information and reviews here.
2. Cooper Discoverer M+S Winter Radial Tire
(Cooper)
The Discoverer M+S is an aggressive line of snow tires for trucks and SUVs. This studdable tire uses “D Squared” sipe technology, as well as biting edges on the treads to improve snow grip. The shape of the tire offers maximum stability while distributing contact to manage treadwear. These are also designed to be relatively quiet compared to other deep tread truck tires.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $143.88 (based on 2012 Ford F-150, tire size 265/70R17 115S)
Buy the Cooper Discoverer M+S Winter Radial Tire here.
Find more Cooper Discoverer M+S Winter Radial Tire information and reviews here.
3. BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI
(BF Goodrich)
BFGoodrich offers this studless winter tire with a focus on cornering. If your commute takes place along winding roads, the design of this tire may be better suited to your purpose. The rubber compound optimizes both snow and wet grip. This tire comes with a six year warranty, which will come in handy for a tires you may only use four months of the year in typically lower-mileage situations.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $108 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla, tire size 195/65R15)
Buy the BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI here.
Find more BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI information and reviews here.
4. Dunlop Winter Maxx Radial Tire
(Dunlop)
Dunlop makes use of so-called “Miura-Ori” sipes over the entire surface of the treads on this tire, which increases ice and shallow snow traction. This tire is probably best for areas that see frequent dustings of light snow on wet roads where black ice may form. The asymmetric tread is especially good for handling mixed conditions, as opposed to the more aggressive tires on our list that excel in heavy snow scenarios. This is one of the cheaper options on the list, and will certainly be better than all-season tires. These are meant to displace the Graspic DS-3 from Dunlop.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $91.10 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla, tire size 195/65R15 91T)
Buy the Dunlop Winter Maxx Radial Tire here.
Find more Dunlop Winter Maxx Radial Tire information and reviews here.
5. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire
(BF Goodrich)
This is a properly aggressive truck tire. Billed as BFGoodrich’s toughest truck tire ever, these tires are meant to be abused. In terms of snow performance, the tread is designed to move hazards to the side while exceeding the Rubber Manufacturers Association for severe snow traction. If you’re used to having the best, this tire is unlikely to disappoint and should easily provide safe passage in any snowy conditions. For some of you, the high price may make this option overkill.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $237.53 (based on 2012 Ford F-150, tire size LT265/70R17/E 121/118S)
Buy the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire here.
Find more BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire information and reviews here.
6. Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S On/Off-Road Tire
(Yokohama)
While not strictly a snow tire, the Geolandar is a good alternative for providing traction in less-than-ideal conditions. I have actually used a version of Geolandars on a 2001 GMC Jimmy and can attest to their ability to far outperform all-season tires. These come in a variety of applications, from Jeeps to full-sized pickup trucks. While the rounded edges do reduce road noise, they may also somewhat limit performance on ice.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $135.97 (based on 2012 Ford F-150, tire size 265/70R17 113S)
Buy the Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S On/Off-Road Tire here.
Find more Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S On/Off-Road Tire information and reviews here.
7. Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 Winter Radial Tire
(Bridgestone)
Probably the best bet in the studless category, the Blizzak WS80s are ranked number one on TireRack.com for passenger car snow tires. This tire was developed for cars and minivans and provides above average snow performance even without the ability to add studs. Due to its aggressive tread, road noise is higher than on some other tires, but given that these are meant for only a few months of the year, the trade-off may be worth it.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $146 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla, tire size 205/55R16 91H)
Buy the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 Winter Radial Tire here.
Find more Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 Winter Radial Tire information and reviews here.
8. Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Radial Tire
(Michelin)
With nearly double as many recorded miles according to TireRack.com, the X-Ice currently stands in second place behind the Blizzak. This tire is designed for fuel economy on passenger cars and minivans with a silica-based rubber formulation that lasts roughly 40,000 miles. This tire also offers a six year warranty and has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Michelin.com and a 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $152.92 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla, tire size 205/55R16 94H)
Buy the Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Radial Tire here.
Find more Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Radial Tire information and reviews here.
9. Continental ExtremeWinterContact
(Continental)
The lowest-priced option on our list is a great all-around winter tire. The asymmetric tread offers superior hydroplaning resistance, which is ideal for wet and slushy conditions. While not quite aggressive enough to handle heavy snow, this would nevertheless be a good choice for areas where plowing is frequent. The ride quality is above average in its bracket. I used to have Continentals on my 2010 Corolla and found them to be solid tires. This is the value option, but it should get the job done.
Need to see more options? Search for the right snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $89.88 (based on 2011 Toyota Corolla)
Buy the Continental ExtremeWinterContact here.
Find more Continental ExtremeWinterContact information and reviews here.
10. Hankook iPike RW11 Eco-Friendly Winter Tire
(Hankook)
This studdable Hankook tire features pin placement derived through computer simulation and was designed for SUVs and light trucks. It also features a wide contact area, which allows the maximum amount of grip, especially in icy conditions. This is a well-engineered tire meant for on- and off-road applications and the long tread life means that you may get several winters of use out of these if you swap them for all-seasons in the spring. Supplies have been somewhat inconsistent of late, so if this tire model is out of stock, you can search for alternate snow tires and snow chains for your car right here.
Price: $144.52 per tire (based on 2011 Honda CR-V, tire size 225/65R17 102T)
Buy the Hankook iPike RW11 Eco-Friendly Winter Tire here.
Find more Hankook iPike RW11 Eco-Friendly Winter Tire information and reviews here.