Winter Tires? All Weather Tires?

[bmcdavis]

Just purchased 2019 Soul EV (luxury trim, 25K Kms) and wondering how well the stock tires will manage the slick roads when it snows here in Vancouver. I imagine I need winter tires. Recommendations that don't break the bank? And opinions about getting rims or not? Also would love to hear from those who have all weather tires. Appreciate all tips and comments.

 

[IanL]

I have Goodyear 4Seasons G3 on my 2018 SoulEV, replacing the two original Michelin on the rear and two never-heard-of-thems on the front. I'm very happy with improved grip in the wet, better steering and general all-round handling, but we hardly ever have snow here, so no comment on that.

 

[notfred]

Full winters on steel rims is my recommendation and what I use.

A winter tyre is not only about the tread pattern, it's about the rubber compound being soft enough to grip the cold road. Switchover time is 7 Centigrade, and with them on rims it is easy enough to do it yourself. Note that tyres are not designed to be mounted and unmounted multiple times, so just get a set of steel rims and anyway it will cost you less than swapping the tyres on and off the rims in the long run.

I currently have Michelin X-Ice 3, but I'm not that impressed with them. Recommendations that I've seen from other people are Bridgestone Blizzaks or Nokian Hakkapeliittas.

I will never cheap out on tyres. They are the only things in contact with the road, so the only things letting you brake and steer away from an accident. The EV torque also means that you need good grip to maintain control.

 

[bmcdavis]

Thanks, that makes good sense.