Looking for the Best Tires for Winter?

I have some experience with three models of Bridgestone Blizzak tires:

LM-25 (Winter Performance)
WS-50 (Studless Snow & Ice – out of production)
WS-60 (Studless Snow & Ice – replaced WS-50 & REVO1).

TireRack’s testing shows the LM-25 to be a little better in snow than the best all season tires, which given its classification, makes sense. I have LM-25s on my ‘06 Honda Civic Si, and they strike a good balance between dry/wet/snow conditions, while not dramatically degrading the sporty feel of the car. I do experience wheel spin on snow, but the LSD helps, and the tires do bite more than the Michelin all season tires I had on my ‘04 Honda Accord (similar to the OE Civic AS tire). I know a better tire size would improve the LM-25’s snow abilities (I have mine on OE 17″ wheels, but a narrower, 16″ size is recommended), but I have no complaints. Wear has been acceptable, and I’ve seen many other vehicles lose control while I’ve motored by without difficulty.

I had the retired WS-50 tires on an Accord, and while they bit ice/snow hard, they were a little louder than the OE all season tires. Dry and wet performance were acceptable, and I don’t remember any problems, with the exception of a little tramlining while on an extremely rough stretch of interstate in Colorado. I drove through a mountain blizzard at night without difficulty. Overall, a very good tire, and IIRC, the WS-50 was TireRack’s highest rated Studless Ice & Snow tire for several years. Since they’ve been discontinued, you might find a great deal on WS-50 and REVO1 tires. BTW, I’m sure they’ll work well in northern states, such as Michigan.

I’m extremely impressed with the new WS-60 on our ‘07 Honda Fit, to the point where I’ll likely put them on my Si when the Blizzak LM-25s are gone. The WS-60 builds on the excellent performance of the defunct WS-50 and REVO1 tires. On dry/wet roads, they feel fine, taking nothing from the sporty feel of the Fit, and I don’t think they’re any louder than the OE all season Dunlops. Over the last few days, a thick layer of ice has coated the roads, with some sleet dumped on top. The WS-60s are every bit as tenacious as the WS-50 tires, and though I can’t make a direct comparison, they may be a little better. Combined with a relatively light car, these tires have been impossible to break loose without some effort, both in straight line and turns. I have a significant slope to my driveway which combined with the ice, makes it difficult to walk up, but the Fit handles like it’s on dry pavement. TireRack has rated them their #1 Studless Ice & Snow tire, and from my limited experience, I agree that they are the best tires.
Studded tires might bite ice, but they tear up dry roads, don’t handle well dry or wet, and are quite noisy.  I think they’re a poor choice, especially since TireRack’s latest tests showed WS-60 tires outperforming a studded tire. Snow chains suffer some of the same limitations, and aren’t recommended for high speeds or long duration. All Blizzaks meet the tire industry’s severe snow service requirements and are branded with the snowflake-on-the-mountain symbol. Officials requiring studs or chains on mountain roads often accept this symbol as proof of a suitable alternative.

An excerpt from TireRack’s latest test states an interesting conclusion about studded snow tires. I’ve emphasized a few portions:

“At the end of this test we learned that today’s advanced tread compound and design technologies exceeded that of the traditional traction of studs on ice. Considering that only about six studs are in contact with the ice at any one time as the tire rolls across its surface, we found that the weak link is the ice itself, which chips away during contact with the studs. The ruts left on the surface of the ice showed that the studs were making contact, but the ice itself just wasn’t strong enough to be considered a good traction partner for the tires. Especially considering the unacceptable noise generated when studs contact dry and wet roads, we recommend using today’s advanced tread compound and design technologies to drive through snow and on ice in winter.”

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