As winter and the ice racing season approaches–and with the 4″ of snow we got in Boston a few days ago–all of us are switching to our snow tires. You know the Pansy Patrol has very strong opinions about snow tires. We think everyone who drives in a snowy climate should have them. Just yesterday I forced my mother to buy a set, and she drives so little that she goes a month between fill-ups on her Subaru.
In what is purely a matter of chance and coincidence, we’re going to have the opportunity to pit 3 of the best snow tires on the market against each other on the street and on the ice-racing course. Chris is bringing back his Green Diamond Icelanders from last year. Noah is sporting a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s, long the standard-bearer. To be different (well, because I waited so long that Tire Rack ran out of the WS-50), I’m giving the new Blizzak WS-60 a shot. The WS-50 is being rotated out and replaced with the 60. We’re looking forward to some head to head comparisons. We’ll find out if the WS-60 really is a step backward (as some ice racers are predicting), and we’ll find out if, when it’s all over, the Icelander beats both Blizzaks. Some preliminary notes follow (all images are from The Tire Rack):
The Blizzak WS-50:
This is the standard, ubiquitous snow tire. Big, blocky tread, good siping, compound so soft your hand almost sinks into it. The majority of SL-class ice racers use the WS-50 because of its abilities on the ice. Around town in the snow, the WS-50 has great traction. Braking and acceleration are easy and the tire sheds snow superbly. While I hope that the WS-60 proves to be equal or better, it will be hard to outdo this tire.
The Blizzak WS-60:
We’ve yet to test these in the snow, but the tread certainly looks somewhat inferior to the WS-50. The blocks are closer together and the pattern more closely resembles an all-season tire. We expect that that will improve the WS-60’s performance in the dry (something that regular drivers care about but we do not), but at what cost to its abilities in snow and ice?
The Green Diamond Icelander:
Those of you who were reading us at the beginning of the year know how much we like these tires. In my opinion, braking and acceleration are a bit better with the Icelander than they are with the WS-50. The tread pattern is great: big blocks like the WS-50, soft rubber, excellent siping. If the WS-60 really turns out to be a step backward for Bridgestone, the Icelander is going to emerge as a clear leader among these three. If that happens, we’re going to have to spring for the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi and see just how good the Icelander really is.
on December 8, 2007 at 1:04 am blusilvr wrote:
You guys should consider testing the Dunlop M2 and M3. I run a few sets of them on AWD platforms, and I got them all at low prices. The snow/slush performance is surprisingly sporty, and in the dry they outshine the WS-15s.
on December 10, 2007 at 11:44 pm Chris wrote:
Those tires are “performance” snow tires, which means they compromise outright snow and ice performance in order to work better in the dry. It’s a little like the idea of an all-season tire — the concept is to have something that’s good all-around, but it actually ends up sucking at everything instead.
on December 11, 2007 at 12:10 am Noah wrote:
I had a set of 4 Dunlop M3s on my Miata the first winter that I had it. Snow and ice performance was moderate to poor. Definitely better than an all season, but they don’t even pretend to hold a candle to Blizzaks or any other true snow tire. Dry performance was infinitely better than Blizzaks, but still very mushy and vague compared to a proper summer tire. In short, they compromised all aspects, but shifted those compromises more in favor of snow than an all-season. Personally, I now run Blizzaks on my beater in the winter, and summer tires on my Miata all year long. When it snows, I use the beater. There is NO comparison to a true snow tire.
on January 1, 2008 at 1:53 pm Mo wrote:
Agreed, wintersports can do quite well in deep snow, but alas, are not up to blizzak standards in the icy stuff.
I have only tried LM22s in the dry, and I’d love to try Vredesteins or Nokyas as those swedes know their shiite.
Dunlop also has a new M3 “3D” btw
on January 2, 2009 at 1:01 am Blizzak snow tires » Blog Archive » Blizzak snow tires Snow gauge wrote:
[...] The Pansy Patrol » Upcoming street and competition tests: the Definitely better than an all season, but they don’t even pretend to hold a candle to Blizzaks or any other true snow tire. Dry performance was infinitely [...]
on January 2, 2009 at 1:02 am Blizzak snow tires » Blog Archive » Blizzak snow tires Windrow wrote:
[...] The Pansy Patrol » Upcoming street and competition tests: the Definitely better than an all season, but they don’t even pretend to hold a candle to Blizzaks or any other true snow tire. Dry performance was infinitely Tags: blizzak, Snow, Windrow [...]