The "Sonic in the snow" MASTER thread

[carsNskis]

I debated running steelies but ultimately I want 18's for summer so I went with a good winter tire on the RS wheel

The Hercules Avalanche RG2 will match up to ANY snow tire I've run (blizzak, nokian, firestone, general, you name it in 23 years of driving FWD in Colorado I've run most of them) and they ran $70ea.

I still like to have fun behind the wheel and a 15" wheel + side wall flex + tread squirm doesn't suit my needs at all.

it's not the size, it's how you drive it....

 

[gsfisher13]

I have a brand new RS, barely got 600 miles on the clock. And still got stock tires on it.
And according to all I read, my car has the worst tires in the Universe for winter driving.
Let's go see.

I gotta say, nowhere as bad as i was expecting after reading all the bad reviews.
It did slip a bit under braking, making the ABS work but I stopped on a small unplowed hill and i was able to get going again without any drama.
That was with about an inch on the ground but no previous snow or ice underneath this new snow.
Maybe once the roads are covered and it snows again it will be different but for now, it's OK.
Just cant drive like an idiot.
But I rarely do that anyway (I'm 47, got over 1.5 million miles under my belt and last time I hit the ditch in the winter, I was 17).
Unless you ask my wife, she'll say I always drive like an idiot.
Since the tires are brand new, I'll leave them on for this season but next year I might get some winter tires on.

first driving experience in my sonic on snow in Wisconsin this past week, stock Hankook tires with 37k on them. based on reading this thread I expected to wind up in the ditch. the reality, I felt more comfortable in the sonic than my old cobalt and my wife's ford freestyle. I'm sure other tires would make a difference but for me this will work until the stocks run out of tread.

 

[RaceThisLTZ]

4 Firestone winter force studded tires. Have never had an issue. Feel comfortable driving the speed limit on covered roads and have very good stopping capability. Will drive around Subarus in the snow most of the time. Just stay in high gears and brake properly for road conditions.

 

[lousypirate]

put Cooper weathermasters on the rs rims, want different ones for summer. Scampers along like a scared turtle on cocaine

 

[bluejay]

just got our first real snow fall on boxing day so i thought id take the car for a rip in the snow . i was expecting the car to be a hand full but it was fine for city diving on somewhat maintained winter roads with the stock tires . they do however suck on ice . if this winter continues to be as warm and snow free as it has been i will probably hold off on picking up steelies for my winter tires until next year or atleast until the summer . hoping for a stronger dollar so i can start buying stuff from tirerack again.

 

[The Champ]

4 Firestone winter force studded tires. Have never had an issue. Feel comfortable driving the speed limit on covered roads and have very good stopping capability.

Do you realize that studded tires are unsafe under most conditions?

The Facts – Safety

 The road damage caused by studded tires also reduces road safety for all motorists when water collects in pavement ruts caused by studded tires and creates dangerous driving conditions like hydroplaning and increased splash and spray.

 Studded tires wear out paint stripes and raised pavement markers.

 Research shows that tires with studs perform better on glare ice than non-studded tires, but are not as effective in snow, slush, or wet pavement.

Studded tires are illegal in most of the states that actually get a lot of snow and ice. MN banned them in 1971. Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin also ban them.

I'd rather be safer 98% of the time and then just slow down a little bit when conditions are bad.

I drive 1,000 miles per week just for business each week (company car used strictly for business). Add in the miles on my personal cars for evenings and weekends and I probably drive an average of 1200 miles per week, with most of those miles being in MN, IA and WI.

Never drove a car with studded tires.

 

[Palmaris]

I think there is a big difference in "unsafe" and "not as effective in snow, slush or wet pavement"

If anything, studded winter tires probably give the most consistent driving environment you can get. The grip you will get on ice is close to the grip you will get on snow and on pavement with the same tire. If you do not reach the limit of the traction on those tires (or any tires) by driving safely then you will never encounter a problem.

Now, the correct statement has probably already been mentioned above: Good winter tires will have better grip on dry or wet pavement than studded tires will provide you. As The Champ just said, that is when you do a huge percentage of your driving so it makes the most sense.

experience: Driving my Dad's car with studded tires, and years of performance Snow rallies where non-studed tires are used and the drivers still drive 100 mph.

p.s. Actually, this year they are proposing to allow DOT studded tires in a performance rally around here. This could become the ultimate test to see which tires the drivers still choose now that they will have the choice. I'll try and update later.

 

[RaceThisLTZ]

Do you realize that studded tires are unsafe under most conditions?



Studded tires are illegal in most of the states that actually get a lot of snow and ice. MN banned them in 1971. Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin also ban them.

I'd rather be safer 98% of the time and then just slow down a little bit when conditions are bad.

I drive 1,000 miles per week just for business each week (company car used strictly for business). Add in the miles on my personal cars for evenings and weekends and I probably drive an average of 1200 miles per week, with most of those miles being in MN, IA and WI.

Never drove a car with studded tires.

I bought my first set of studded tires three years ago. The winter force is still quite an aggressive snow tire and helps when the roads are snow covered. At this point the studs has zero effect.

On ice there is nothing better then a studded tire. you can actually get a bite on starts and traction for braking and turning. The studs are not spinning on the pavement so I could be wrong but don't see how they could cause grooves while traveling. If anything a minor perforation. Studs are not illegal in many states. Most have time frames they are allowed (Nov to April).

I have never noticed an issues with wet traction as well. The car is very stable on any road surface I have encountered. The only downfall I can think of is the slight vibration from the metal and the constant noise that sounds like your always on a gravel road. They drive perfectly on drive roads as well.

This is solely my opinion on the tires. And I thought this thread was about winter driving? I do apologize if you think I'm destroying the roads for you. I will not however apologize for keeping my family safe on winter road conditions.

 

[The Champ]

The studs are not spinning on the pavement so I could be wrong but don't see how they could cause grooves while traveling.

They really do.

Rubber is very forgiving to road surfaces. Carbide studs are not.

I will not however apologize for keeping my family safe on winter road conditions.

Are you implying that all residents of MN, WI, IL and Michigan don't care about there families safety?

I know you're not, so don't take offense. Just being a smart a$$.

But seriously, my Sonic is the first car I've ever put winter tires on. Always got by just fine with a good all season tire with good tread on it. But the OE Hankooks are terrible in snow so I replaced them with less than 3,000 miles of use and put a set of Goodyear Ultra Grips on. The rubber used in a winter tire along with the extra siping does an amazing job of providing better winter traction on my Sonic.

Small light cars seem to need extra traction more than larger cars. My company car is a Chevy Impala and I drove over 200 miles today in heavy wet slushy conditions and managed fine with my Continental all season tires.

On ice there is nothing better then a studded tire.

On ice, I agree with you. If I were ice racing, I'd have studded tires. Ice racing is a blast on frozen lakes!

 

[RaceThisLTZ]

They really do.

Rubber is very forgiving to road surfaces. Carbide studs are not.



Are you implying that all residents of MN, WI, IL and Michigan don't care about there families safety?

I know you're not, so don't take offense. Just being a smart a$$.

But seriously, my Sonic is the first car I've ever put winter tires on. Always got by just fine with a good all season tire with good tread on it. But the OE Hankooks are terrible in snow so I replaced them with less than 3,000 miles of use and put a set of Goodyear Ultra Grips on. The rubber used in a winter tire along with the extra siping does an amazing job of providing better winter traction on my Sonic.

Small light cars seem to need extra traction more than larger cars. My company car is a Chevy Impala and I drove over 200 miles today in heavy wet slushy conditions and managed fine with my Continental all season tires.



On ice, I agree with you. If I were ice racing, I'd have studded tires. Ice racing is a blast on frozen lakes!

Just to clear up any uncertainty. I would never imply in any fact that people don't take their own precautions to protect there families. I mean no offense and take none either. We will agree to disagree in all facts.

I have three sets of tires for my car and apply tires as need be. A set of RS wheels with winter tires on for summer.
A set of stock LTZ wheels with General Ice all track snow tires stud able (without studs)
And a set of aftermarket elbrius wheels with firestone winter force studded tires.

I change wheels per weather, summer tires in summer, normal winter tires for winter, and studded tires if I see the weather is getting bad or I'm making a trip where weather is questionable. I change tires weekly sometimes. I pay attention and change as needed.

My studded tires maybe only have 5000 in 3 years. But worth it to have the security.
I wish everyone safe driving and a blessed winter

 

[JustSonic]

Here in Utah, land of the best snow and ice according to our state, nobody I know or have met runs studs. All seasons or snow tires is it.

Chains are required for some small passes through the mountains but even a good snow tire is allowed most of the time. Studded tires are redundant and shunned down on for tearing up roads that already see a lot of abuse from salt, water, plows, heat, cold, etc.

If you absolutely need them because you live on pure ice for months, then that's your choice and it's your decision. But I recommend just a good snow tire for those up North and all seasons for our Southerners.

 

[The Champ]

I change wheels per weather, summer tires in summer, normal winter tires for winter, and studded tires if I see the weather is getting bad or I'm making a trip where weather is questionable. I change tires weekly sometimes. I pay attention and change as needed.

My studded tires maybe only have 5000 in 3 years. But worth it to have the security.
I wish everyone safe driving and a blessed winter

This is a very unusual situation. I feel somewhat better about your usage of studs with this additional info.

It appears that even you don't believe studs are the best option for the majority of winter driving though.

A simpler, less expensive and better solution (IMHO) for you would be a set of composite snow chains similar to what Michelin has available:

These will outperform studs and are quick and easy to put on when needed.

They also can be taken with you, so that you can put them on if the weather changes suddenly:

I would think these would appeal to anyone that feels the need for something better than a good all season or snow tire for the rare occasions when conditions warrant.

 

[KnucklestheRS]

Just drove in 2-3 inches of snow last night. The OEM hancooks really aren't bad. Sure I just hit 20k miles on them, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sonic did much better than my 2009 lancer gts did. Of course the gts had some oem dunlops that in comparison made the sonics hancooks feel like snow tires haha.


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[Thesd45]

first driving experience in my sonic on snow in Wisconsin this past week, stock Hankook tires with 37k on them. based on reading this thread I expected to wind up in the ditch. the reality, I felt more comfortable in the sonic than my old cobalt and my wife's ford freestyle. I'm sure other tires would make a difference but for me this will work until the stocks run out of tread.

I too was expecting the stock Hankooks to be much worse than they really were in snow, I had 13K miles on them, and I would have been ok with keeping them through the winter, especially since this one started out so warm and snowless here.

But I got some added motivation to get a set of snow tires, and a tow truck ride, from the person who left a few nails in the road the other morning.

Now that I have snow tires I'm wondering why I waited so long to get them, they really do make a big difference on the Sonic. It feels much more planted to the pavement, even in the light snowfalls we have received so far this January.

 

[JustSonic]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good a/t tire that handles the snow somewhat decently? Our roads do get snow but the plows are pretty good with cleaning it up quick.

 

[KnucklestheRS]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good a/t tire that handles the snow somewhat decently? Our roads do get snow but the plows are pretty good with cleaning it up quick.

I had Yokohama Geolander A/T-S on my Ralliart and they were beastly in every weather condition. I highly recommend them. Plus the tread wear is amazing on those tires.


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[Bike Muff]

Taking a sharp left on to an on ramp today in very slippery conditions. Maybe 10 mph and the front wheels started to push, wheels were turned but the car was going straight.. Foot off the brake, I was starting to get concerned when i heard the ABS engage and the car righted itself. Thumbs up for stability control!

 

[mitdr774]

I finally had to replace my Firestone Winterforce tires. They still have a lot of tread but last winter they did start to show their use by giving up in the snow. Still better than an all season, but worn enough that it was time for new tires. Had a set of Blizzak WS80 tires mounted on my stock 15s. Have not had much snow to test them out yet though. I was going to try and run the all seasons on Eco wheels, but the couple inches we did get were just a little much for them.

 

[rojoes]

With the stock tires mine came with Hankook Optimo H724 terrible... I replaced them with Goodyear Viva 3 and the car is excellent. It's truly a snow beast with it's traction control and anti lock brakes.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Goodyear-Viva-3-All-Season-Tire-195-65R15-91T/42353781

 

[carsNskis]

I like to drive in the snow after a single press of the TC button. I like that it allows for a little slip accelerating and around corners bit helps keep things in check if it gets hairy

it's not the size, it's how you drive it....