AWD vs Snow tires! MUST SEE!

[stinkynuts]

Very interesting video which tested which is more effective: AWD or Snow tires?

The test conditions were:

FWD with All season tires

FWD with Snow tires

AWD with All season tires

AWD with Winter tires.


The results may surprise you. Basically, snow tires are the most important factor. AWD was useless in the snow with summer tires.

And finally ... All season tires with FWD was completely useless, and could not handle the snow at all.

AWD with snow tires was overkill, but helped, and was better than FWD with snow tires.

The moral of the story is to get winter tires, even if you have AWD.

If you are driving around in the snow with summer tires and FWD, you may not be able to handle the snow.

 

[danmand]

Who drives on snow?

 

[kid_kuh]

different strokes for different folks. Who paid for the study.

 

[t.o.leafs.fan]

Nothing new to see here. Snow tires are far superior in winter driving conditions...it's a fact. Snow tires with a 2 wheel drive are definitely superior to an all wheel drive with all seasons. I should know, I've experienced winter with both of those scenarios. Now I have an AWD with snows and that's clearly the best scenario. I grew up in a Northern snow belt and my honda civic with snows far outperformed my parents 4wd F150 with all seasons. My civic without snows was useless.

 

[Bostonmass]

I was driving with snows way before it was fashionable to, back when most cars were RWD.

Been telling people this for years.

I toada so, I fuckn toada so (Rickyism from trailerparkboys).

 

[italianguy74]

The bigger question is what brand of snow tires is best for car and trucks? And if performance improves with value.

 

[danmand]

How often do you drive on snow on the 401

 

[DanJ]

How often do you drive on snow on the 401

It's when you get off the 401 that winter tires earn their money.

 

[DanJ]

Another thing that I still see people do is put winter tires on the front wheels only. I guess they figure if they can only afford 2, that's the best spot for them. Almost every reputable tire shop recommends if only 2 (and obviously they recommend 4 but some people think that's only a sales pitch) to put them on the back, and some won't even put them on the front. The main purpose of winter tires is keeping traction and less so about actually getting you moving in snow. If you put winter tires on the front only, you risk the rear wheels locking up and sliding while the fronts keep traction. Ass end is moving faster than the front and there is only one place for it to go and you spin. That's compounded even worse if rear wheel drive.

I have an AWD SUV. The first year I had it, I thought I would get away with the all season tires. Once that nightmare season ended, I ordered my Blizzaks and have loved them. Last night as the snow fell, I had very little issue getting around, although I had to dodge the guys at lights that couldn't pull straight ahead when the light went green lol.

 

[danmand]

It's when you get off the 401 that winter tires earn their money.

Correct, I am just pointing out that most people only drive on cleared roads.

On cleared roads, snow tires will have less traction than all season tires, due to the smaller area in contact with the road. I do not know how much it matters.

 

[dirkd101]

How often do you drive on snow on the 401

I don't know about you, but I've done so on many occasions.

The video wasn't surprising to me.

I've driven with all seasons in a vehicle with 4 wheel drive. In really bad weather I used to put it in auto or 4 wheel high. I could feel it slip and slide still, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. A few years back I bought snows, because of the tires on my truck, they were still all seasons (M+S), but they were horrible in snowy conditions. With snows on I noticed a marked improvement in driving and handling. If the weather is really bad, slipping it into auto 4 wheel makes a noticeable improvement in both.

 

[DanJ]

Correct, I am just pointing out that most people only drive on cleared roads.

On cleared roads, snow tires will have less traction than all season tires, due to the smaller area in contact with the road. I do not know how much it matters.

Actually it's the other way around. Winter tires are better on dry cold roads than all season because of the softer rubber compound they are made of. All seasons get harder when they get cold and have less traction. You do pay a penalty in fuel mileage with winter tires though.

 

[danmand]

Actually it's the other way around. Winter tires are better on dry cold roads than all season because of the softer rubber compound they are made of. All seasons get harder when they get cold and have less traction. You do pay a penalty in fuel mileage with winter tires though.

As long as they are new. After a couple of years they become hard. I had some that became useless in both dry and snowy conditions.

The smaller footprint on the road must have some effect.

PS: I am fortunate to be able to stay indoor when there are snow on the road.

 

[HobbyHorse]

So need some advice: what to do... In a couple of years I plan to start commuting to Florida, leaving at end of December, returning beginning of April...

So... should I drive snowtires down and wear them out tripping around the Sunshine State or All weather or all season and white knuckle it through Ontario and the northern states like Pennslylvania?

 

[Aardvark154]

Those are bloody expensive snow tires $960 per pair!


Further they don't answer the point DanJ raises in 9. On a FWD car do you really need 4 winter tires.

 

[Aardvark154]

So need some advice: what to do... In a couple of years I plan to start commuting to Florida, leaving at end of December, returning beginning of April...

So... should I drive snowtires down and wear them out tripping around the Sunshine State or All weather or all season and white knuckle it through Ontario and the northern states like Pennslylvania?

Although I doubt this is a serious question.

Presumably you will be flexible as to when you leave, look at the weather forecasts and leave when the weather is going to be good, and drive with the all season tires. If you do get caught by snowy or icy weather hole-up up in a hotel.

 

[spraggamuffin]

The bigger question is what brand of snow tires is best for car and trucks? And if performance improves with value.

Some brands are definitely better than others but the consensus is the cheapest or any winter tire should/is better than the best summer tires and most all season tires.

All season tires are basically 3 season tires.

AWD can come in many forms depending on the Manufacturer as well.

Some are part time.

 

[DanJ]

As long as they are new. After a couple of years they become hard. I had some that became useless in both dry and snowy conditions.

The smaller footprint on the road must have some effect.

PS: I am fortunate to be able to stay indoor when there are snow on the road.

I don't know about a smaller footprint. Assuming you get the same size tires as the all seasons, then with the winter tires being softer, they should actually "spread" a bit more. However, even if the point of contact was a touch smaller, then you would think the same weight distribution over a smaller area would benefit traction.

 

[DanJ]

Further they don't answer the point DanJ raises in 9. On a FWD car do you really need 4 winter tires.

Yes, because it's braking and driving traction you need. With winter tires only on the front on a FWD, your back end has less traction during braking and turns. And I mean on curves on a road as you are driving at a traveling speed, not when you are making a right at a street corner. Most spin outs occur because the back of the car lost traction and came around on you. Here's an article on it from a few years ago.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...really-need-four-winter-tires/article6863772/

 

[danmand]

I don't know about a smaller footprint. Assuming you get the same size tires as the all seasons, then with the winter tires being softer, they should actually "spread" a bit more. However, even if the point of contact was a touch smaller, then you would think the same weight distribution over a smaller area would benefit traction.

.
Actually, I was wrong. The traction is generally independent of the surface area, only determined by = coefficient of friction X weight.

If tires are new, they are soft and have better traction, when they get older, they get harder and lose traction. As I mentioned above, I once had a pickup truck with old winter tires that had poor traction, snow or no snow.