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scott43

So much better than a pro
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It's quite mesmerizing to sit and watch car after car hit an icy downslope and slide into the curb/retaining wall/fence/tree. Driver after driver after driver will do it. Even when they see chaos, they still try it! Amazing..
 
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François Pugh

Skiing the powder
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Nov 17, 2015
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7,612
Location
Great White North (Eastern side currently)
It's quite mesmerizing to sit and watch car after car hit an icy downslope and slide into the curb/retaining wall/fence/tree. Driver after driver after driver will do it. Even when they see chaos, they still try it! Amazing..
My son slid off the road into the ditch going down a long icy hill on a back road in Quebec. He got out, walked around the car -no damage! He was about to get back in and drive away, when he had to jump out of the way; a second car came along and slid off the road into his car, totalling it. Apparently he wasn't the first one to slide there either.
 
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nay

dirt heel pusher
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Colorado
This was posted from I-70 yesterday and is exactly why I’ve always maintained that the #1 requirement is to be able to get off the road and out of the way if you need to.

Basic traction is one thing, not getting crushed between semis is another. I like to solve for both.

4EE0C19A-2068-406F-A3FD-571C6B44829D.jpeg
 
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nay

nay

dirt heel pusher
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Location
Colorado
^^^ :geek: That's terrifying.

Totally. I had a similar near experience years ago - came out of the fog on the interstate with two tiny ones in the back onto ice with a semi sideways in front and one behind us.

My wife is screaming, I’m telling her to watch the semi behind us to see if it’s sliding while picking a spot to bail down an embankment where two other vehicles have already rolled. One of those informative moments where you stop thinking about perfect traction and start thinking about how you escape off pavement safely.

A lot of ugly stuff happens on interstates where getting way out of the way is the only way to stay safe.
 

Muleski

So much better than a pro
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North of Boston
This is timely for me.

Our 2003 Landcruiser needs new tires. I have owned this “cars/trucks” for 20+ years. This is our third 100.

I have run summer and winter/snow tires. Michelin LTX in the summer, which are not a very exciting/inspiring tire, but which have had great wear if on top of tire pressure.

In the winter, we have run Nokian Hakkas. No complaints, and lots of pluses. Our most recent set is now on the vehicle and they are at the end of their life...or what I am comfortable with.

I would like to set it up with a year round tire. I am planning to have a set of wheels refinished, restored and powdercoated.

We live in New England. We are no longer making the every Friday night Sunday night 225 mile drive to amd from ski country. Being old and retired has it advantages...like planning travel. We do obviously have snow, slush, sleet and ice.

This is not an offroad vehicle. 99% of driving is on pavement. Which in New England can suck in the winter. Summer, it can get hot and humid. We drive this car less than 10K miles a year. Third vehicle for us.

Stock size. Or close.

Highway? Yeah, and we don’t drive that slow. Normally 75-80mph.

Load...normally a couple of people and our “stuff.” Sometimes a bit more.

I’m less concerned about price than about getting this right. Though, like all of us, I also appreciate striking the right mix of performance and price.

Appreciate any and all ideas and recommendations.

Thanks!
 

skibob

Skiing the powder
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Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Posts
4,268
Location
Santa Rosa Fire Belt
This is timely for me.

Our 2003 Landcruiser needs new tires. I have owned this “cars/trucks” for 20+ years. This is our third 100.

I have run summer and winter/snow tires. Michelin LTX in the summer, which are not a very exciting/inspiring tire, but which have had great wear if on top of tire pressure.

In the winter, we have run Nokian Hakkas. No complaints, and lots of pluses. Our most recent set is now on the vehicle and they are at the end of their life...or what I am comfortable with.

I would like to set it up with a year round tire. I am planning to have a set of wheels refinished, restored and powdercoated.

We live in New England. We are no longer making the every Friday night Sunday night 225 mile drive to amd from ski country. Being old and retired has it advantages...like planning travel. We do obviously have snow, slush, sleet and ice.

This is not an offroad vehicle. 99% of driving is on pavement. Which in New England can suck in the winter. Summer, it can get hot and humid. We drive this car less than 10K miles a year. Third vehicle for us.

Stock size. Or close.

Highway? Yeah, and we don’t drive that slow. Normally 75-80mph.

Load...normally a couple of people and our “stuff.” Sometimes a bit more.

I’m less concerned about price than about getting this right. Though, like all of us, I also appreciate striking the right mix of performance and price.

Appreciate any and all ideas and recommendations.

Thanks!
I have had Michelin ice-x and similar in Continental. Both about equal, which is to say exceptional.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
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Feb 10, 2016
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5,775
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Denver, CO
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James

Out There
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Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,419
Appreciate any and all ideas and recommendations.
People might need more info.
What size are the tires?
Are you looking to go:
- All weather route plus a snow tire in winter.
This gives snow performance in the early and late spring.
- All season plus a snow tire.
The usual sort of.
- An all weather tire the whole year?
So all season geared to decent snow performance.

It’s my sense that many of these have strengths and weaknesses or tradeoffs. Emphasizing rain/wet may come at a cost. Rain performance doesn’t seem as important in Colorado vs Northeast.
 
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Thread Starter
TS
nay

nay

dirt heel pusher
Skier
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Posts
6,474
Location
Colorado
This is timely for me.

Our 2003 Landcruiser needs new tires. I have owned this “cars/trucks” for 20+ years. This is our third 100.

I have run summer and winter/snow tires. Michelin LTX in the summer, which are not a very exciting/inspiring tire, but which have had great wear if on top of tire pressure.

In the winter, we have run Nokian Hakkas. No complaints, and lots of pluses. Our most recent set is now on the vehicle and they are at the end of their life...or what I am comfortable with.

I would like to set it up with a year round tire. I am planning to have a set of wheels refinished, restored and powdercoated.

We live in New England. We are no longer making the every Friday night Sunday night 225 mile drive to amd from ski country. Being old and retired has it advantages...like planning travel. We do obviously have snow, slush, sleet and ice.

This is not an offroad vehicle. 99% of driving is on pavement. Which in New England can suck in the winter. Summer, it can get hot and humid. We drive this car less than 10K miles a year. Third vehicle for us.

Stock size. Or close.

Highway? Yeah, and we don’t drive that slow. Normally 75-80mph.

Load...normally a couple of people and our “stuff.” Sometimes a bit more.

I’m less concerned about price than about getting this right. Though, like all of us, I also appreciate striking the right mix of performance and price.

Appreciate any and all ideas and recommendations.

Thanks!

Best all around tire I have run is the Goodyear Ultraterrain - at 20K miles they are quiet like new and wearing incredibly, pull amazingly well in deep snow, really good on slick surfaces and and get good gas mileage and are smooth at 90 mph. Not a heavy duty offroad tire, pretty much exactly what you are looking for.

It’s one of those tires where you don’t think about the tires, but you have a lot of capability in reserve. It is a Discount Tire specific model, though.

E39B0A53-A85C-4369-8B62-CD4748342365.jpeg
6DB95330-081C-4D80-9F20-D9A9BF316686.jpeg
 

Muleski

So much better than a pro
Inactive
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
5,243
Location
North of Boston
OK,
I guess I thought that some of this was a bit more obvious. My fault.

We have had a UZJ-100 series Toyota as our primary ski car since 1999. This is number three. I bought this one, a 2003, for reasons specific to that model year, and bought it 6 years ago. Between the three, we probably put 600K miles on them. So familiar with the car.

When our kids were in their ski academy years, and before, and when racing around the country in college, we had our LC "shod" with three sets of tires. Winter {studded Hakkas}, Summer {Michelin LTX} and a variety of shoulder season tires that were "OK" in some occasional late season weather, but would not melt off the 6000 vehicle as things warmed up near Boston. Where we live "at home", and where our ski home is located is "only" 225 miles apart, but it's very different climates.

The LC's standard size tire is a 275/60/18.

I'm looking to have ONE tire that will do fairly well in snow. But nobody on my family is living for the entire winter in Carrabassett Valley, ME, let alone driving in blizzards between there and Whiteface or Quebec, to making "runs" to the Rockies.

I'm also looking for the tire to be a decent year round tire. This vehicle is a big family SUV. Back in the day it was pretty top in class in terms of a "luxury SUV." I never wanted a Lexus badge, not did my wife. But these is no off road vehicle. No. So with new tire technology, I'm asking opinions for ONE tire.

This car/truck/vehicle will be driven 10K miles a year at most. There was a time when we drove it about 600 miles a weekend EVERY weekend from Labor Day through early June. Plus about 200 miles during the week. Not now.

So having a tire that is "the best" in heavy winter weather, to just GO, is not a priority. I have had great experience on all of our cars with Hakka's for that. But no need. I also mentioned that we have a much more flexible schedule at this time of our lives. If heavy weather is forecast, we can leave early, or after it passes. BUT, when "at home", North or South we can se everything.

Reminds me of when my son was coaching a group who were coming East from CO for their first U16 Nationals. The weather report sucked. "Heavy Mixed Precipitation." Which was a new term to these kids. My son listed all of the options and explained that we had garbage bags to cover them up. Later and he and I were joking and I said that "you could have said every possible thing that could fall out of the sky, and most of which would freeze on contact." So, we have that.

I want a real all season tire, which as we al know did not exist 5 years ago. I would call them "no season tires", and I can't tell you how many I had removed the first week that I took possession of other AWD cars. The three sets of tires, mounted on three sets of wheels was the norm for at at least two of ours at the same time. Most of our Mass neighbors could not understand this.

I live 100 feet from the Ocean. This AM it's blowing a gentle 45-50mph. We have everything here for weather, and everything in the winter. Over 6" of snow happens maybe 4-5 times a winter. Of that, over a foot is a once a year, possibly two event. Heavy snow is almost ever dry. Maybe once every few years. But we get slush, packed down wet snow, if freezes to ice. @James gets it.

So.....if you were in my shoes, and were thinking on ONE tire on ONE set of wheels for the LC, what might it be.

Bonus question. One tire for a BMW 328xi wagon, with a six speed. It's a nice now that has had "some work" done to it. Any one tire that you think might do it all? I would be more inclined to keep snows on this one in the winter, than the LC. I have not been in the tire shopping game for some time. This one will not be driven a ton, either....10K miles a year these days.

One thing is that as we get older and are downsizing in terms of house, garages, barns, I'm realizing that and extra 5-6 sets of mounted tires on rims takes up a lot of space!

Thanks a lot!!!
 

skibob

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Posts
4,268
Location
Santa Rosa Fire Belt
OK,
I guess I thought that some of this was a bit more obvious. My fault.

We have had a UZJ-100 series Toyota as our primary ski car since 1999. This is number three. I bought this one, a 2003, for reasons specific to that model year, and bought it 6 years ago. Between the three, we probably put 600K miles on them. So familiar with the car.

When our kids were in their ski academy years, and before, and when racing around the country in college, we had our LC "shod" with three sets of tires. Winter {studded Hakkas}, Summer {Michelin LTX} and a variety of shoulder season tires that were "OK" in some occasional late season weather, but would not melt off the 6000 vehicle as things warmed up near Boston. Where we live "at home", and where our ski home is located is "only" 225 miles apart, but it's very different climates.

The LC's standard size tire is a 275/60/18.

I'm looking to have ONE tire that will do fairly well in snow. But nobody on my family is living for the entire winter in Carrabassett Valley, ME, let alone driving in blizzards between there and Whiteface or Quebec, to making "runs" to the Rockies.

I'm also looking for the tire to be a decent year round tire. This vehicle is a big family SUV. Back in the day it was pretty top in class in terms of a "luxury SUV." I never wanted a Lexus badge, not did my wife. But these is no off road vehicle. No. So with new tire technology, I'm asking opinions for ONE tire.

This car/truck/vehicle will be driven 10K miles a year at most. There was a time when we drove it about 600 miles a weekend EVERY weekend from Labor Day through early June. Plus about 200 miles during the week. Not now.

So having a tire that is "the best" in heavy winter weather, to just GO, is not a priority. I have had great experience on all of our cars with Hakka's for that. But no need. I also mentioned that we have a much more flexible schedule at this time of our lives. If heavy weather is forecast, we can leave early, or after it passes. BUT, when "at home", North or South we can se everything.

Reminds me of when my son was coaching a group who were coming East from CO for their first U16 Nationals. The weather report sucked. "Heavy Mixed Precipitation." Which was a new term to these kids. My son listed all of the options and explained that we had garbage bags to cover them up. Later and he and I were joking and I said that "you could have said every possible thing that could fall out of the sky, and most of which would freeze on contact." So, we have that.

I want a real all season tire, which as we al know did not exist 5 years ago. I would call them "no season tires", and I can't tell you how many I had removed the first week that I took possession of other AWD cars. The three sets of tires, mounted on three sets of wheels was the norm for at at least two of ours at the same time. Most of our Mass neighbors could not understand this.

I live 100 feet from the Ocean. This AM it's blowing a gentle 45-50mph. We have everything here for weather, and everything in the winter. Over 6" of snow happens maybe 4-5 times a winter. Of that, over a foot is a once a year, possibly two event. Heavy snow is almost ever dry. Maybe once every few years. But we get slush, packed down wet snow, if freezes to ice. @James gets it.

So.....if you were in my shoes, and were thinking on ONE tire on ONE set of wheels for the LC, what might it be.

Bonus question. One tire for a BMW 328xi wagon, with a six speed. It's a nice now that has had "some work" done to it. Any one tire that you think might do it all? I would be more inclined to keep snows on this one in the winter, than the LC. I have not been in the tire shopping game for some time. This one will not be driven a ton, either....10K miles a year these days.

One thing is that as we get older and are downsizing in terms of house, garages, barns, I'm realizing that and extra 5-6 sets of mounted tires on rims takes up a lot of space!

Thanks a lot!!!
The Michelin Ice-X and Continental Winter Contact are both winter hybrids, not extreme snow. They ride great, wear well, no vibration or snow tire noise/ride. But give "90%" of the traction and control of a true snow tire. I think they would make a great tire for the land cruiser and the bimmer too if they come in the right size.
 
Thread Starter
TS
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nay

dirt heel pusher
Skier
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Posts
6,474
Location
Colorado
OK,
I guess I thought that some of this was a bit more obvious. My fault.

We have had a UZJ-100 series Toyota as our primary ski car since 1999. This is number three. I bought this one, a 2003, for reasons specific to that model year, and bought it 6 years ago. Between the three, we probably put 600K miles on them. So familiar with the car.

When our kids were in their ski academy years, and before, and when racing around the country in college, we had our LC "shod" with three sets of tires. Winter {studded Hakkas}, Summer {Michelin LTX} and a variety of shoulder season tires that were "OK" in some occasional late season weather, but would not melt off the 6000 vehicle as things warmed up near Boston. Where we live "at home", and where our ski home is located is "only" 225 miles apart, but it's very different climates.

The LC's standard size tire is a 275/60/18.

I'm looking to have ONE tire that will do fairly well in snow. But nobody on my family is living for the entire winter in Carrabassett Valley, ME, let alone driving in blizzards between there and Whiteface or Quebec, to making "runs" to the Rockies.

I'm also looking for the tire to be a decent year round tire. This vehicle is a big family SUV. Back in the day it was pretty top in class in terms of a "luxury SUV." I never wanted a Lexus badge, not did my wife. But these is no off road vehicle. No. So with new tire technology, I'm asking opinions for ONE tire.

This car/truck/vehicle will be driven 10K miles a year at most. There was a time when we drove it about 600 miles a weekend EVERY weekend from Labor Day through early June. Plus about 200 miles during the week. Not now.

So having a tire that is "the best" in heavy winter weather, to just GO, is not a priority. I have had great experience on all of our cars with Hakka's for that. But no need. I also mentioned that we have a much more flexible schedule at this time of our lives. If heavy weather is forecast, we can leave early, or after it passes. BUT, when "at home", North or South we can se everything.

Reminds me of when my son was coaching a group who were coming East from CO for their first U16 Nationals. The weather report sucked. "Heavy Mixed Precipitation." Which was a new term to these kids. My son listed all of the options and explained that we had garbage bags to cover them up. Later and he and I were joking and I said that "you could have said every possible thing that could fall out of the sky, and most of which would freeze on contact." So, we have that.

I want a real all season tire, which as we al know did not exist 5 years ago. I would call them "no season tires", and I can't tell you how many I had removed the first week that I took possession of other AWD cars. The three sets of tires, mounted on three sets of wheels was the norm for at at least two of ours at the same time. Most of our Mass neighbors could not understand this.

I live 100 feet from the Ocean. This AM it's blowing a gentle 45-50mph. We have everything here for weather, and everything in the winter. Over 6" of snow happens maybe 4-5 times a winter. Of that, over a foot is a once a year, possibly two event. Heavy snow is almost ever dry. Maybe once every few years. But we get slush, packed down wet snow, if freezes to ice. @James gets it.

So.....if you were in my shoes, and were thinking on ONE tire on ONE set of wheels for the LC, what might it be.

Bonus question. One tire for a BMW 328xi wagon, with a six speed. It's a nice now that has had "some work" done to it. Any one tire that you think might do it all? I would be more inclined to keep snows on this one in the winter, than the LC. I have not been in the tire shopping game for some time. This one will not be driven a ton, either....10K miles a year these days.

One thing is that as we get older and are downsizing in terms of house, garages, barns, I'm realizing that and extra 5-6 sets of mounted tires on rims takes up a lot of space!

Thanks a lot!!!

Goodyear Ultraterrain. It’s a highway tire with four season capability, perfect for a heavy road truck.

That fourth Gen 4Runner is an errands and bike/ski rig that is all about comfort miles. It has a $4K stereo upgrade from the previous owner and with the refinement of the 2UZ the road feel is pretty luxury.

Not sure in your size though if you want to keep your wheels. Something like the Michelin LTX would be less “aggressive”, but I like aggressive when it doesn’t show up as NVH at all.

I get 18-22 mpg in Colorado with this tire on the non-VVTi engine. It’s really impressive and at least something to think through on the more “hybrids” end of this thread.
 

cosmoliu

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Posts
1,314
Location
Central CA Coast
Michelin CrossClimate 2.

I just put a set on my 2019 BMW X3 a month ago for a drive to Utah from Central Coast CA, and up LCC. Unfortunately (fortunately?) State Road 210 was clear both going up and coming down a week later. Just the week before the trip was that series of storms which dropped 7 feet in 7 days and interlodged Alta and Snowbird for 3+ days, so I knew I'd better come prepared. The original CrossClimate had piqued my attention, but they didn't and still don't make it in my 245/50 R19 size. More research revealed that the 235/55 R19 would be a reasonable alternative, with a 1/2" greater diameter than oem and a less than 1 mph variance in the speedometer reading. Though I haven't had a chance to try them out on snow, I've been very happy with their dry road performance in the 3,000 or so miles I've driven them, often at high speed on very curvy roads. My driving is 99+% on dry roads, but I have always made sure I put on tires that have a good reputation on snow for the 2-3 times per year that I drive up to Mammoth. And the reviews would seem to indicate that the CC2s come reasonably close to full-on snow tires. I was actually kind of looking forward to the drive up SR 210 in snow; much less so coming down in snow. I have no doubt whatever that they would be fine for the drive up to Mammoth. But LCC in a storm is another order of magnitude altogether...

If they make them in your size, I think you should give them a serious look.

Edit: I just looked at Michelin's size chart. Looks like 275/60 R18 isn't on the list. :(
 
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James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,419
Don’t think there’s that much available in 275/60/18 all weather and snow flake rated. @nay ’s Ultra Terrain doesn’t come that size.

Looks like the Yokohama Geolander A/T G015
would fit the bill.

Look at the test results compared to some others like the BFG A/T T/A KO2. (Goodness these names.) The BFG doesn't come in your size though, but it gives a sense of trade offs with that agressive tread.

I guess we’d call it mildly aggressive.

D31CE679-0153-4085-B448-D86E0DD01F30.jpeg
 
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scott43

So much better than a pro
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
13,549
Location
Great White North
If you use all-weather tires, like the CrossClimate or Kumho HA31 or the Nokian WR G4, you trade off good handling for versatility. If you can live with the noise, squishiness and somewhat stiffer sidewalls, they're a good compromise. Particularly if you don't drive big miles. Any tire is going to be crap after 4 or 5 years so if you can get miles in faster the tires will be better.

Michelin's Defender LTX is a benchmark for a reason.
 

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