Winter Tires
- Thread starter buttercup
- Start date
Depends on who you talk to, but 5/7ºC is about right for daytime temperatures. Mid November tends to be the usual date, but don't wait until the first snow to change or buy. It'll be another madhouse like last year.
We have this discussion every year. First of all if you live in TO and never travel out of the GTA and never get caught on the road on a bad day plus never plan to drive once the temperature goes below +5C, then you're right. You don't need winter tires. At that temperature the rubber in all season tire begin to lose their effectiveness and the winter tire rubber gets better. Also the tread on winter tires are designed to kick out ice and snow from thread and keep the rubber on the road.
All season tires, if in good shape, what ever that means, do most things reasonably well, but nothing exceptionally well. They are a compromise.
Depends what you drive and the streets you take. I live in the city and I couldn't get to/from work on some days without snows on my RWD cars.
Why, are they offering a tow?Besides, if it gets really bad you can always call in the army!
If one lives in the GTA and drives on te 401 or DVP:
A) They plow and salt those like crazy
B) Traffic moves the the rate of the worst car on there
C) Snow tires won't help much, and if you can stop faster than everyone else your chances of being rear ended go up
IMHO a good deal is driving a FWD or AWD car with good all seasons and leaving lots of space between you and the car in front. Never had a GTA commuter accident in winter following my own advice.
I did try snow tires one year. They are great and you can drive faster with way more control in corners. Slow and steady also works though with all seasons if one isn't aggressive. North of Richmond Hill is where I think snow tires start to become more appealing. Just my opinion.
Note though, if one has a RWD car without traction control or limited slip differential, snow tires are your friend.
A) They plow and salt those like crazy
B) Traffic moves the the rate of the worst car on there
C) Snow tires won't help much, and if you can stop faster than everyone else your chances of being rear ended go up
IMHO a good deal is driving a FWD or AWD car with good all seasons and leaving lots of space between you and the car in front. Never had a GTA commuter accident in winter following my own advice.
I did try snow tires one year. They are great and you can drive faster with way more control in corners. Slow and steady also works though with all seasons if one isn't aggressive. North of Richmond Hill is where I think snow tires start to become more appealing. Just my opinion.
Note though, if one has a RWD car without traction control or limited slip differential, snow tires are your friend.
I wish I had a bazooka to blast away aholes like you who get stuck sideways or can't stop until they hit something , blocking streets becuz they didn't need snow tires.
Forget about the emerg. vehicles that can't get by you, since you never need them either. Yeah,yeah, we all know 'you' could never get stuck or have an accident that was your fault.
Best to wait until the first blizzard so you can call every tire shop in town and get laughed at... Just as you're sliding into the guy in front of you.
For over 25+ years I drove with premium all-season radial tires without noticing any problems; however, much of that driving was done in Edmonton and the GTA. Three years ago my SO asked me to get snow tires, following all the publicity about Quebec making snow tires mandatory. I will admit that my original position was that the tire companies were lobbying the Quebec government so that they could sell more tires (like probably 4 million more). But the SO wanted them and so I got some Michelin X-Ice tires. I am now the converted.
I noticed an immediate difference in traction, and when others were stuck in the snow, with the same model car as I had, I was still motoring along.
Snow tires are the way to go. I have already scheduled my appointment for next week to switch over.
I'm scheduled to switch over in mid Nov.
I used to ive in Mtl and I always had snow tires. Wouldn't even attempt to go without there. Even though the law in QC strikes me as very dictatorial, which I hate in spirit, I tend to agree with this one. There are so many people who think they don't need the extra traction, it's ridiculous. The winters in QC bring considerably more snow than we see in the GTA so it's a no-brainer.
I went through my first winter in TO without snowtires, but had brand new tires on the vehicle. I made with no problems, but went back to snows once the tires were a year older.
I know I can't control all the other vehicles on the road, but at least I know I've maximized the control I have over mine.
I used to ive in Mtl and I always had snow tires. Wouldn't even attempt to go without there. Even though the law in QC strikes me as very dictatorial, which I hate in spirit, I tend to agree with this one. There are so many people who think they don't need the extra traction, it's ridiculous. The winters in QC bring considerably more snow than we see in the GTA so it's a no-brainer.
I went through my first winter in TO without snowtires, but had brand new tires on the vehicle. I made with no problems, but went back to snows once the tires were a year older.
I know I can't control all the other vehicles on the road, but at least I know I've maximized the control I have over mine.
I look at it like you're buying your next set of tires now quite frankly.
By buying snows, you prolong the life of your regular tires, so really, in the end, you don't spend any more money.
BTW, I remember when I was a kid and my dad would put only 2 snow tires on his car - leaving the regular tires on the front. The snows back in the 70's had these radical treads almost like you would see on heavey equipment now. The logic was that you only needed the snows for traction of the rear wheels.
By buying snows, you prolong the life of your regular tires, so really, in the end, you don't spend any more money.
BTW, I remember when I was a kid and my dad would put only 2 snow tires on his car - leaving the regular tires on the front. The snows back in the 70's had these radical treads almost like you would see on heavey equipment now. The logic was that you only needed the snows for traction of the rear wheels.
At least you get it.
Your dad's thoughts were okay for RR drive cars but 4 would have been better. Apply the brakes in a panic stop and all four come in really handy. In Front wheel drive it's a must for 4.
The summer tire is the ultimate tire for the summer months. with all the different vehicles out there, the selection of summer tire is surprisingly limited. The extra control given by the summer tire isn't quite as dramatic as it winter counterpart, but it can make a difference. There have been other offerings in the tire market that give ultimate control in particular conditions, but they've just not caught on. Remember the rain/hydro tire, the twin tire, and the latest is the triple tread; almost, but not quite there.
