Winter Tires - Page 2 - Toyota Yaris Forums

fourbangingfun · 11-03-2014, 09:09 PM

First snow sighting this past weekend here in Southern New England! Still plan on waiting til after thanksgiving or there about to throw on the 2nd set of steelies with fresh Blizzak ws 70s.

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buda · 11-03-2014, 09:17 PM

I just got some Michelin x ice something or other. With 15" steelies. They had a rebate, and the garage will mount/dismount for free as long as I own the car.

j-san · 11-11-2014, 11:10 PM

Had our first decent snowfall of the winter. Got about 5" in my area with a decent layer of ice under the snowpack. I got a chance to drive with my Continental Extreme Contact DWS all-seasons during the storm and found them to be quite good as far as all-season tires go. They hooked up pretty well on the hardpack snow - much better than the OE Bridgestone tires. Traction control would usually activate if I put my foot down a little harder than with a feather's touch when starting from a dead stop, but once moving, the Continentals did well and felt pretty solid in turns, but did understeer predictably. Braking was pretty good and I felt I was able to predict when the ABS would kick in. If I was only looking to run a set of all-seasons, this would be my top choice. I would be curious to see how these tires do as they wear down more.

The Blizzak WS80 tires are a whole different animal. The day after I drove with the Continentals, I drove with the Blizzaks down the same road to work. The snow had compacted more and the plows had come by and removed the majority of the fluffy stuff, but the roads were generally still well covered by hardpack. Starting out from a standstill was impressive. No sign of traction control activating unless I put my foot down firmly, and even then the car moved out noticeably faster. Cornering on the hardpack felt very tight and controlled with much less understeer than the Continentals. Of course, I could induce understeer, but it felt like the car's movements were a lot more predictable in all aspects. Braking was great and I could really haul down to a stop faster than the the all-seasons. I tested it out in the parking lot where I did a stop test from 15mph with the Continentals the day before. My tire tracks were still present so I ran alongside those with the Blizzaks. It wasn't a very scientific test, but it appeared I stopped about a Yaris's length sooner.

I am sold on snow tires. I used to run the M+S rated all-terrain truck tires on my old RAV4 and felt those did well enough. Not sure if it was the tires or the AWD that really made the difference, but I could really tell a difference in the Yaris with the Blizzaks. My wife's car is a CRV with Michelin Defenders. I'll probably be looking to get a set of used steels and mount another set of Blizzaks on it before the big storms hit.

rocketyaris b3 · 11-20-2014, 03:57 PM

just out of curiousity, if I were to run on winter tires all winter long and not encounter any snow would I end up wiping out the tires? I drive about 70 miles a day (highway).

im considering getting them, but I live in NJ.
we don't have snow on the ground everyday
and the winters are becoming unpredictable, temps anywhere from 0-60 degrees.

refotsirk · 11-20-2014, 04:23 PM

Not being an expert, but I think with low temperatures, your tires will wear still, but not
as much as in summer heat. Even with no snow, but ice perhaps? Or even rain? The rubber compounds are softer at cold temps than the all season M/S types. We are on our 7th winter with our Dunlop Graspic 2's and they still have lots of deep sipe tree on them. I too wondered if the late spring without snow would wear them.
That thought aside, on the news last night up here in N. Wisconsin, a segment about wether or not to get snow tires, and the "expert" tire guy said...."they are so good, I recommend them to be used, even in summer." But..he said they would wear faster. I can't imagine running them in summer, but imagine less hydroplaning than my all seasons. Totally worth buying I would say, even if you miss a winter's snow. The initial cost was still less than our deductible if we spun out in an accident or worse. I would go for it. We are glad we did.
Still cold right? Worth it.

CoryM · 11-21-2014, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketyaris b3

just out of curiousity, if I were to run on winter tires all winter long and not encounter any snow would I end up wiping out the tires? I drive about 70 miles a day (highway).

im considering getting them, but I live in NJ.
we don't have snow on the ground everyday
and the winters are becoming unpredictable, temps anywhere from 0-60 degrees.

It depends on the temperature as well. If dry and warm, it will be pretty hard on the tires. If dry and cold, the rubber will be fine. Have you considered "All-weather" tires such as the Nokian WR G3? They may be a good option, and we sell a LOT of them here where snow is less common, but annoying when it is here (super slippery).
Cheers.

fourbangingfun · 11-21-2014, 11:28 PM

What pressure do you guys run your winter tires at? I'm curious as to what our mpg will be with a nice soft winter tread. I believe that the gripping nature of winter tires is maximized when tire pressure is low. However this should drop mpg, should it not?

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IllusionX · 11-21-2014, 11:37 PM

I run 33-34psi on my Goodyear Nordic tires...

refotsirk · 11-22-2014, 12:00 PM

We run 33-34 on our Dunlop Graspic 2's. Doesn't seem to affect gas milage much.
November through April.

rocketyaris b3 · 12-04-2014, 03:47 PM

thanks for the reply guys.

I ended up getting the nitto sn2
a near by tire distributor had them so I saved on shipping.

I guess ill just wait and see how NJ weather treat my tires.
nothing like first hand experience.

the past week temps have gone anywhere from 30-50 degrees.
ive noticed that the tires drive a lot better in the 30 degree range.

they take a while to get use to.
I don't know how people drive all year round on winter tires.
my handling has been severely affected.

fourbangingfun · 12-04-2014, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketyaris b3

thanks for the reply guys.

I ended up getting the nitto sn2

a near by tire distributor had them so I saved on shipping.

I guess ill just wait and see how NJ weather treat my tires.

nothing like first hand experience.

the past week temps have gone anywhere from 30-50 degrees.

ive noticed that the tires drive a lot better in the 30 degree range.

they take a while to get use to.

I don't know how people drive all year round on winter tires.

my handling has been severely affected.

Yup same here. It's been 15-50 degrees here in the past week in southern New England. In the sub freezing temperature the Blizzaks handle fine. But in the 40+ degree temps they are wicked soft. At highway speeds the car tends to wander a lot too.

But it is what it is. Blizzaks are practically unstoppable in fresh snow and hardpack plowed snow. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

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robbadobba82 · 02-11-2015, 03:37 PM

I'm getting the general ultimax arctic tomorrow. And doing some rallycross saturday. I'll keep you posted!

IllusionX · 02-11-2015, 06:31 PM

The general altimax are pretty good tires.

Echo86 · 02-12-2015, 12:22 AM

Sailun tires, two winters up front, all seasons in the back.

Redbat01 · 02-12-2015, 11:17 AM

I have two sets of tires and rims for my 2008 Yaris hatchback, one set for summer and one set for winter. My winter tires are Hankook Winter i-Pike RS (W419) tires. They have deep tread and so they are a bit squishy on dry pavement. You would not want to run them in an autocross. But they are wonderful in snow, which is what they are designed for. For snow, they are better than the Michelin X-Ice snow tires that I had before them.

11-21-2014, 11:37 PM	#26
IllusionX It's the illusion you see View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brossard, QC Posts: 3,888	I run 33-34psi on my Goodyear Nordic tires... __________________

02-11-2015, 06:31 PM	#31
IllusionX It's the illusion you see View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brossard, QC Posts: 3,888	The general altimax are pretty good tires. __________________

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11-03-2014, 09:09 PM	#19
fourbangingfun Drives: 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: MA Posts: 105	First snow sighting this past weekend here in Southern New England! Still plan on waiting til after thanksgiving or there about to throw on the 2nd set of steelies with fresh Blizzak ws 70s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11-03-2014, 09:17 PM	#20
buda View User's Garage Drives: 2014 Yaris SE - Manual Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 22	I just got some Michelin x ice something or other. With 15" steelies. They had a rebate, and the garage will mount/dismount for free as long as I own the car.

11-11-2014, 11:10 PM	#21
j-san Drives: 2010 5-door hatchback Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: MN Posts: 50	Had our first decent snowfall of the winter. Got about 5" in my area with a decent layer of ice under the snowpack. I got a chance to drive with my Continental Extreme Contact DWS all-seasons during the storm and found them to be quite good as far as all-season tires go. They hooked up pretty well on the hardpack snow - much better than the OE Bridgestone tires. Traction control would usually activate if I put my foot down a little harder than with a feather's touch when starting from a dead stop, but once moving, the Continentals did well and felt pretty solid in turns, but did understeer predictably. Braking was pretty good and I felt I was able to predict when the ABS would kick in. If I was only looking to run a set of all-seasons, this would be my top choice. I would be curious to see how these tires do as they wear down more. The Blizzak WS80 tires are a whole different animal. The day after I drove with the Continentals, I drove with the Blizzaks down the same road to work. The snow had compacted more and the plows had come by and removed the majority of the fluffy stuff, but the roads were generally still well covered by hardpack. Starting out from a standstill was impressive. No sign of traction control activating unless I put my foot down firmly, and even then the car moved out noticeably faster. Cornering on the hardpack felt very tight and controlled with much less understeer than the Continentals. Of course, I could induce understeer, but it felt like the car's movements were a lot more predictable in all aspects. Braking was great and I could really haul down to a stop faster than the the all-seasons. I tested it out in the parking lot where I did a stop test from 15mph with the Continentals the day before. My tire tracks were still present so I ran alongside those with the Blizzaks. It wasn't a very scientific test, but it appeared I stopped about a Yaris's length sooner. I am sold on snow tires. I used to run the M+S rated all-terrain truck tires on my old RAV4 and felt those did well enough. Not sure if it was the tires or the AWD that really made the difference, but I could really tell a difference in the Yaris with the Blizzaks. My wife's car is a CRV with Michelin Defenders. I'll probably be looking to get a set of used steels and mount another set of Blizzaks on it before the big storms hit.

11-20-2014, 03:57 PM	#22
rocketyaris b3 View User's Garage Drives: '08 Yaris 3dr Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sayreville, NJ Posts: 7	just out of curiousity, if I were to run on winter tires all winter long and not encounter any snow would I end up wiping out the tires? I drive about 70 miles a day (highway). im considering getting them, but I live in NJ. we don't have snow on the ground everyday and the winters are becoming unpredictable, temps anywhere from 0-60 degrees.

11-20-2014, 04:23 PM	#23
refotsirk Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Upper Wisconsin Posts: 17	Not being an expert, but I think with low temperatures, your tires will wear still, but not as much as in summer heat. Even with no snow, but ice perhaps? Or even rain? The rubber compounds are softer at cold temps than the all season M/S types. We are on our 7th winter with our Dunlop Graspic 2's and they still have lots of deep sipe tree on them. I too wondered if the late spring without snow would wear them. That thought aside, on the news last night up here in N. Wisconsin, a segment about wether or not to get snow tires, and the "expert" tire guy said...."they are so good, I recommend them to be used, even in summer." But..he said they would wear faster. I can't imagine running them in summer, but imagine less hydroplaning than my all seasons. Totally worth buying I would say, even if you miss a winter's snow. The initial cost was still less than our deductible if we spun out in an accident or worse. I would go for it. We are glad we did. Still cold right? Worth it.

11-21-2014, 11:28 PM	#25
fourbangingfun Drives: 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: MA Posts: 105	What pressure do you guys run your winter tires at? I'm curious as to what our mpg will be with a nice soft winter tread. I believe that the gripping nature of winter tires is maximized when tire pressure is low. However this should drop mpg, should it not? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11-22-2014, 12:00 PM	#27
refotsirk Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Upper Wisconsin Posts: 17	We run 33-34 on our Dunlop Graspic 2's. Doesn't seem to affect gas milage much. November through April.

12-04-2014, 03:47 PM	#28
rocketyaris b3 View User's Garage Drives: '08 Yaris 3dr Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sayreville, NJ Posts: 7	thanks for the reply guys. I ended up getting the nitto sn2 a near by tire distributor had them so I saved on shipping. I guess ill just wait and see how NJ weather treat my tires. nothing like first hand experience. the past week temps have gone anywhere from 30-50 degrees. ive noticed that the tires drive a lot better in the 30 degree range. they take a while to get use to. I don't know how people drive all year round on winter tires. my handling has been severely affected.

02-11-2015, 03:37 PM	#30
robbadobba82 Drives: 2007 Toyota Yaris Hatch Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 7	I'm getting the general ultimax arctic tomorrow. And doing some rallycross saturday. I'll keep you posted!

02-12-2015, 12:22 AM	#32
Echo86 Drives: 2003 Toyota Echo Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 27	Sailun tires, two winters up front, all seasons in the back.

02-12-2015, 11:17 AM	#33
Redbat01 Yaris-My All Purpose Car! Drives: 2008 Toyota Yaris 3-Door Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 16	I have two sets of tires and rims for my 2008 Yaris hatchback, one set for summer and one set for winter. My winter tires are Hankook Winter i-Pike RS (W419) tires. They have deep tread and so they are a bit squishy on dry pavement. You would not want to run them in an autocross. But they are wonderful in snow, which is what they are designed for. For snow, they are better than the Michelin X-Ice snow tires that I had before them.