Ryan, As a Canadian, I advise that all genuine winter tires be mounted on genuinely cheap steel wheels. Ideally, winter rims will be downsized to add more protective sidewall in peak pothole season. Save cash by saving the nice alloy rims for spring, summer and fall. For the record, my comment was not sponsored by the Cheap Steel Wheels Association or the Sidewall Society.🤩
With 1/2 the year on Alberta being winter I prefer factory aluminum rims in the winter (and a set of aftermarkets for summer), not to mention steel rims rust ultra quick in winter with road salt 😬
As a Canadian, I can say you’re fine 99% of the time on just ATs if there’s road salt. IMO winter tires are much more necessary in a place like Colorado that does not use road salt and where you can easily encounter ice on a highway
@@montechie My cheap steel wheels get a quick spray of Krown Rustproofing every year. In their 18th winter, there is just a tiny bit of surface corrosion near the edge and no substantial air loss at all. 😁
@@maxtvtvtv8623 In Ontario I encounter ice on my driveway before I ever get to the roads. Beyond the measurable traction advantages (as seen in this video) I also avoid exposing my expensive alloys to the time of the year when potholes become craters.
For what it's worth I currently have Wintrac Pro's on my CT4-V BW this winter. It has been a game changer in terms of confidence while driving throughout the whole winter. The Wintrac Pro has been good during the dry cold days also. Hope Vredestein can expand their winter tire sizes.
I live in the highlands of Scotland and use the Wintracs on my Subaru Outback 6 months of the year. It was -10C last night, currently -7.8C just now. I live on an unclassified, hilly road that does not get ploughed or gritted and sees farm traffic. The snow tends to be rutted and packed, and if cold at night, very icey. The Wintracs are a really good tyre for those conditions. They also handle fresh snow well.
Thank you for this video. The difference in performance between the two sets of tires was obvious; however, the Forester did very well with just the stock tires on it. Given the Winters we experience here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, USA, my 2023 Forester Wilderness may not get Winter tires. Maybe I will invest in a set of high-quality chains, in case we get that once-in-a-great-while severe snowstorm.
I have the same Geolander A/Ts on my Crosstrek, and I've been contemplating getting dedicated winter tires for a few years now, but where I live we only get snow and icy conditions maybe a few days out of the year. It's difficult to justify a purchase of nearly a thousand bucks to only need them at most a week out of the year. I guess if I purchased them it'd motivate me to drive up to the mountains more often in winter, but it's still a big expense that you'll only need a very limited time--and when the A/Ts do a good enough job in most of the conditions I see.
Winter tires are fine if yu can afford two sets of wheels and tires, and can switch them out when the weather changes. If all you have are winter tires, be prepared to replace them often, because they will wear out rapidly in the summer on dry pavement. All four of my Audis with quattro AWD did just fine in snow on all-season tires. Even in the video, the all-season (all-terrain???) tires seemed to get up the hill without much effort. I credit Subaru for that. Like Audi, Subaru has a great AWD system.
The best friction winter tire is by far Nokian but still LIGHT YEARS behind studded winter tires, Michelin Ice North 4 with 230 studs!! is the best on snow/ice ahead of Nokian 10👍
Studded tires are great if you just drive on ice all the time, but you end up wearing them out between storms, at least thats what happens here in southern Idaho LOL. Haven't had enough snow to need snow tires for the past several years....I'd just get a set of non-studded winter tires myself....but in higher altitudes where the snow piles up enough that you get areas with ice and packed snow the studs would be good, but most times the roads are treated with salt so no studs needed, just a savings account to replace your rotted out car every couple years.
@@wildbill23c agree if you drive mostly on wet n salted roads. Where I live, studded tires is a no brainer for good grip on ice and hard packed snow. Cheers from me in Norway
@@bikerman6907 Definitely depends on where you live. Where I'm at in Idaho, we haven't had enough measurable snow for the past 6 years to even need a snow tire of any sort. I wouldn't go with studs as they seem to just wear off as the roads are clear 99% of the time, unless you leave for work really early in the morning or get home really late at night before the roads are plowed/treated with deicer....All seasons work just fine 99% of the time in my area.
@@wildbill23c tru dat. We have had 35 snowfalls this winter season and 5-6 periodes with weather change with Rain and wind in between which has made it really icy to say the least!! So I am happy for my Studded Nokian 9 mounted on a Subaru XV/Crosstrek👍😊
This topic brings me to ask, what scan tool would you guys recommend for changing your tires or even just a tire rotation? Mr.subaru's recommended scan tool is about $500-1000. I did my first tire rotation myself and the Forester dash went nuts. Then Subaru wanted to charge me for the TPMS reset. I find making an appointment at being charged for tire rotation/ tire pressure monitoring system reset is unacceptable. I would rather do this myself. So any recommendations would be awesome!
Ryan, very impressive, both the car and the winter tires. Question: for all around use, what do you like driving more, this Forester or your old 4Runner?
Yeah I think the 3 peak rating on AT is useless. A tire needs to only accelerate 10% better vs an all season to be 3 peak rated. I'm not even sure what all season is the test standard or how up to date it is in terms of tire tech. And other than the upfront cost, it doesn't cost more to run 2 sets of wheels/tires and will actually save you money. You will easily get 2 or more summers out of your main tires, so you will actually buy fewer tires over the life of the vehicle, not to mention money saved in potential accident avoidance or being towed out of a ditch. Plus you will recoup some if not all of the cost of the wheels when you resell them. On a side note when changing tires in unsafe conditions (no jack stands here) put the tire you take off under the car nearest to where you are working. If the jack fails and the car drops it will at least drop and stop on the wheel instead of potentially falling on you. Not that you are likely to be under the car while changing a tire but it may also save your brake rotor and hub, which of they fall and break thr vehicle is now disabled.
I find them perfect for those who need only occasional snow capability, especially if paired with a true all terrain that can get through some other moderately gnarly conditions. Obviously if you have lots of seasonal snow and ice or go often to the mountains getting a dedicated set of winter tires is appropriate. I run ATs on my truck year round and the other half swaps out all seasons for Blizzaks on the hot hatch in the winter.
The 3 peak rating just means the tire is capable of handling deep snow, it has nothing to do with traction in icy conditions...this is one misconception so many people have somehow thought up.
@@wildbill23c not sure who you are responding to but the 3PMSF rating is based on a medium packed snow acceleration test (at least for NA purposes, I think Europe has a more stringent test for the same symbol) That does not however mean they are only good for that and are generally designed to perform well enough in a variety of mild snow and ice conditions (enough so that they often meet state and federal requirements to be used when areas call for chains or traction/winter rated tires).
@@wildbill23c it is only reference to acceleration on medium packed snow - a 10% improvement vs a reference all season. You are correct is has nothing to due with ice traction, but it also has nothing to do with deep snow traction either. This goes back to my original post with the rating becoming useless as it pops up on AT and AS tires. Give me a dedicated winter tire, with proper compound, tread and siping anyday over any of these other 3 peak tire as they are designed with braking and corning in mind as well, not simply passing a test with a low bar.
Yes, yes, and yes. This is my first season running winter tires (blizzak ws90) on my Subaru and I have been mindblown by their performance, especially in deep snow and very icy conditions. They’re not even comparable to the all seasons I used to have, and are a huge step up from the geolander g015 A/T’s I’ve ran before.
I'm running the g015's right now and have blizzaks on the side. Im torn because most of the road conditions in my area only require winters maybe 10-15% of the time, and its hard to put the winters on full time cause i would just wear them down on pavement. Keeping the AT's on for now, and swap em out for sketchy touring days.
@@kjw1603 The thing is, accidents happen 0.0001% of the time and sometimes people get hurt (or worse). I've been switching winters every year now since I became a father (yes, it made me more responsible), and I've never ever regretted it. The $ costs even out in the end, and I know I would never forgive myself is something bad happened just trying to 'save' a few bucks (which, in long run isn't even so). I drive a 2017 Forester and I've never felt safer in the winter. We can't control other drivers and how prepared they are in the challenging winter roads, but we can ensure that we are as safe as possible - and dedicated winter tires are part of it..BIG time!
I have a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. I have the Konig rims with Nokian, Hakkapeliitta factory studded snow tires. They are a fantastic setup but for one problem with the rims. In prolonged deep snow driving the open design of the rims tends to allow snow to pack in through the spokes which then gives you a quite severe imbalance situation once back on cleared roads and travelling at a higher rate of speed.
Especially if the car sits for a while after driving in the deep snow. The packed snow gets heated by the brakes, sags a bit, and then freezes into, as you say, a SEVERE imbalance. I was amazed the first time I drove my 2017 Forester Touring in deep snow and had to deal with the results. Fortunately, I got to work cleaning them out with a garden hose as soon as I saw what was about to happen. That, of course, made a nice skating rink...
You WANT big open spokes. The snow will fall onto the rim from behind the wheel anyway. Driving will pack the snow hard from centripetal force. Then, the only way to get it off is to crawl under and scrape it off. With open spokes you can simply reach through and get it.
With over 20 years driving experience with Bridgestone Blizzaks I would say you’re preaching to the choir. No better way to keep our family safe in Wisconsin winters! Great video.
Nice test. Winter is over now, but I would love to see a test of a specific designed "all weather tire" like the Cross Climate 2 against the Wilderness all terrains.
Same people you see sitting in the ditches along the highways in their jacked up 4WD trucks. They got 4WD and AT tires, they can go as fast as they want...yes, usually, its the turning and stopping...rather trying to turn and trying to stop that they find out the hard way doesn't work out for them. That 4WD and AT tire may have gotten them going 75mph, but it won't help them stop or turn. AT tires suck for anything but backroads driving, their rubber compound isn't made for rain even, let alone snow/ice.
Glad to see this comparison. I have an Outback Wilderness that I picked up in early December. I live in Ottawa and have always gone with dedicated winter tires on my vehicles. I decided to risk it and just go with the 3-peak A/T tires on the Outback for this first winter. I was skeptical but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. We've had close to record snowfall this winter (the snowbanks on my street are approaching 10ft high) and it's ploughed through no problem. We've also had temps down to -35C and the tires have stayed relatively supple compared to all seasons. They aren't quite as good in terms of stopping on slick ice and my wife's Crosstrek with proper snow tires is grippier but overall I've been impressed. In fact, i plan to keep them on next winter as well.
I was between a Tacoma TRD OR and the Wilderness. For the price and space, I couldn’t justify the Tacoma. The backseat is basically useless in the Tacoma, and having 2 large dogs the Wilderness is what I went with. The headroom also played a part as well, as being 6’4 the Tacoma was a bit more snug in fit.
It would be great to compare with some all weather tires like the cross climate 2, Firestone weather grip or General Altimax 365s cuv as they're supposed to be closer to winters that ATs with 3 peak.
I have told people time and time again that it’s not about the vehicle, it’s about the tires. A 2WD car with winter tires can perform better than a 4WD with seasonal tires. It’s worth the investment if you live in a northern climate.
Snow tires with dedicated wheels, so its quick and easy to swap them at home would be the way to go for sure. Haven't had enough snow to need any winter tires the past few years though LOL.
It’s amazing how people that have never driven with dedicated snow tires on a FWD car will argue with you about it, too! In the winter, I’d rather drive a FWD car with 4 snow tires than an AWD car with all-seasons.
@@chriscon8463 People don't grasp the concept that just because they got that fancy 4x4 pickup or AWD crossover, etc. doesn't mean its going to do anything to help them stop, or control their vehicles...most drivers today are always on the verge of a major accident as they honestly don't have the driving skills at all, they rely 100% on all the electronic nannies to get them around town...they see all the TV commercials of AWD/4WD vehicles doing all these amazing things or what they deem as amazing and think they can jump in and that vehicle is going to perform exactly like those commercials...well their lack of driving skills, lack of physics education, and poor tire selection gets them in the ditch every snowstorm....some of them I swear really is every snowstorm.
I've driven on snow tires most of my life before I moved down south. I'd wouldn't go through winters without them. The worst snow tire is going to be immensely better than even the best all season. I've been pretty happy with, Michelins Xi2/3, Michelin Pilot Alpins, Hankook Icebear w300, Hankook iPikes, Yokohama Iceguard, IG20's, Blizzack WS-50, WS-60's, Blizzack DMZ3's and Nokian HakkleipeinnpiepkpiepkekkKKpkepkekekpklan. The predictability of snow tires even in ice make it worth every penny. The confidence it instills is untouchable unless you've tried them out yourself. Snow tires don't have to be that expensive, but if you live in a bad cold climate, they're worth it and then some. I was lucky enough that my job paid for my snow tires every winter so we could basically make it to work with little excuses. If there was a storm overnight I would go out in the middle of the night around 3am ish to drive around in fresh powder with the streets all to myself and I would have a blast. I moved down far enough south that there is no snow. There is a part of me that does miss driving in it because I found it fun. I don't miss the cold that much, but in a warm cozy vehicle, it was worth it. Also. I'm glad you brought attention that the way you where changing the wheels was the wrong way and dangerous. At least have one of the rims underneath if the trolley jack failed. Redundancy in safety is paramount. I've seen a leg destroyed by having a jack fail. Also while mounting, Star, Star, lower, star, circle torque. If I had mounted wheels on a hub the way you did I would have been fired from my old job. It did look like a hub centric ring suddenly appeared in red later on. I appreciate the great content and you are one of my favorite car channels.
yeah, the way he was changing it was pretty bad. Like you mentioned, the way he was mounting it was also all wrong. Besides everything else, not cross patterning could have easily led to shift and flex. more than likely it would in the long term. I suppose its okay for such a short term test, but in any normal situation it was pretty bad.
Thanks for doing the comparison! I'm sure it's difficult to set up tire comparisons, but definitely need more of these. So much info out there is based on a single study done in 2000. I would love to see a similar comparison on something like your Ranger with a true AT 3 peak like a AT3W, KO2, or ATX vs a Winter. LT ATs tend to have deeper lugs and better side knobs, but obviously not the center grip.
@@brohammer Yep, that's what I was thinking, but couldn't remember if DL had replaced them on their Tremor. I've ran the GG ATX and it's a great tire year-round, and have had it on some gnarly roads in our Montana winters. It's also one of the few ATs (maybe only?) you can do a double column of studs on each side. Most ATs only allow a single column per side if they're even studdable.
At last, a now and ice driving test on proper winter tires! But indeed, use 15-16" steel wheels and high-profile winter tires instead of mags and low-profile tires. And I am disappointed with the fact that you did not use studded tires - they would behave much better.
Awesome video! Just wished you would have tried all the trails with AT tires as well to see the difference on the hardest lines, where they start to fall short. I happen to be on my 2nd set of those same AT tires and I love them! Got 80K miles out of the 1st set and the 2nd set are doing just as well. I don’t do a lot of snow driving, and definitely no trail driving in the snow. But they have performed well in all conditions for me. Really good all around tire.
I recently grabbed a 2011 grand Cherokee Hemi, and put on some falken wildpeak AT3W with a snow rating, and they do amazing! Previously I’ve always used winter tires on past vehicles
Snow tires are a game changer. This is the 2nd season I'm running Blizzaks and I drove no problem the morning after a 14inch snow storm with snow heavily still coming down. Snow tires cannot compare to stock tires. If you are driving in wintery conditions frequently like me, I like to think of snow tires as cheap insurance. Side note, I've heard great things about Nokian Hakkepelida snow tires but I wasnt able to find a dealer near me.
I have a standard 2021 and have been using Blizzak ws90 tires on OEM rims. I'll mention I live in South Dakota and on weekends I drive hundreds of miles on the interstates, back highways, unplowed section roads, and frozen lakes. There's been snow on the ground since before Thanksgiving. I've had Blizzaks for the past four years (including 2014 Forester) and am really sold on them. Not only are they great in the snow (which we've had a LOT of this year,) but also on black ice on the highways. The tires perform well even at 30 below zero. The difference between winter tires and all season tires is just huge.
Great video as usual. I've got the Primitive skid plates on my Subaru Crosstrek and I'd be real careful using them as a jack point. On the diff in back I think it's likely fine. Up front, at least on the crosstrek, there's a lot of unsupported alluminum that I'd not trust to jack the car up from.
Yep, been using Vredesten Wintracs on my (pre X-mode) 2010 2.5l manual Outback for the last 2 winters here in Scotland. Absolutely amazing in snow. Much better than the Vredestan Alltracs which I used to keep on all year round, and were still good in snow. The Wintracs got the fully laden car up a very steep (18 degrees) forest track covered in 8 inches of virgin powder snow last winter, which still amazes me. The section of the track is so steep that rather than risk losing it we shovelled the snow off it to make braking areas before we came back down.
I use Wintracs on my 2023 Outback and my previous 2019 Outback, also in the Highlands. I use Dunlop Winter Sport 5 on my STi, and for that car, they offer more stability and traction.
Goodyear Blizzak rated snow tires on my 2WD F150. Left northern Minnesota in an ice storm and I35 was an ice rink. Biggest problem: Defrost could not keep up with the freezing precip on the windshield so I had to stop a lot to get more than 4" of viewing. The next year it was heavy snow over virgin ice - made me yearn for AWD. Otherwise; in my buddies sketchy driveway I dropped a wheel off the track and the locking rear diff, and tires, saved my bacon.
I had the Geolander G075s on my GX470 and they were excellent tires in all conditions except stopping the big SUV. I swear by winter tires and will never not have a set.
I got my subaru when I moved to hilly winter country... my 3 peak yokohamas were no match for snow and hills. Xmode was little help. On Winters I feel invincible, but I still go slow because I ain't no dummy. But Winters are night and day and is why subarus can be crowned king of snow. Assuming I'm not high center, I can out drive all those jeeps that think lockers on mud tires are invincible. My Winters helped me pull out a 4runner sport... that felt cool. I had no clue what I was doing, and was probably dangerous, but subaru pulling out a 4runner felt rad, all because of winter tires.
Love your videos, and as your neighbor to the south in PDX, you know our roads are sometimes horrendous because of ice, no salt, and probably the worst DOT and city governments in the country. What are your thoughts on studded winter tires? My property sits on a 14-degree incline and the only way I can get down it is with chains. Also, I recently purchased a 2023 Outback Wilderness Edition... thanks in part to your videos on the vehicle.
I’m in the same boat here, but really we only (so far) see maybe 1-2 days of really bad freeze conditions that would warrant anything more than good studless winter tires. I ran studs for a couple of years but due to what Ryan said would only put them on when I knew the roads had enough on them that I wasn’t hitting asphalt at all. Blizzaks have been outstanding on or FWD car and pretty decent hill during the last couple of storms. Never once had to park it up at the bottom like half the neighborhood seems to do.
Wintrac tyres are underrated. I had a winter set which were brilliant. None of the big tyre tests include uphill traction. I remember towing a car stuck in snow on a steep hill. Total satistraction !
My new Subaru Onyx 2.5 will arrive next week. I live in the Pac NW . Should I change out the new tires for a better 4 season one? Is this something a Subaru dealer would do while the tires are still brand new on delivery?
I have videos on my channel taking my stock Continental tires with just a M&S rating, up snow covered roads in Park City, stopping, then starting up again with almost no slippage. My truck is AWD, but those regular tires dig in even with all the big storms this year. Really surprised me.
Nice seeing what proper winter tires on a crossover can actually do. Many of these comparisons they're usually comparing AWD with all season vs FWD with winter tires.
Americansplaining winter tires... classic. I'm in Canada and I have a Colorado ZR2 with Goodyear DuraTrac and like any offroad tires, they are scary on ice. Nothing like a winter Ice tire like Nokian - will never beat that.
Excellent work. I've heard a number of folks say they don't need winter tires because of their ATs. I always suspected dedicated winter tires would be the safer option in winter. And its pretty clear from this video that that is the case.
Frigid temps and black ice are where winter tires really shine. I have driven either Blizzaks or Extreme Winter Contacts for 25 years. I did a long drive in icy conditions with zero driving or braking issues. When i got out of my car at a rest area I almost fell flat on my back as everything, including the car, parking lot, and sidewalks were covered with ice. Never even noticed when I drove it.
I’m using Nokian R3’s on my Elantra GT and even on a FWD car they make a huge difference. I’m hoping my next vehicle will be a Forester Wilderness and it will definitely get winters as well. At any rate thank you for the great tire comparison in this video. 👍
I would love to see a video of the" Michelin Cross Climate 2" all season tires in this same snow and hills you did versus the Stock Yokohama GEOLander GO15 tires. I have a 2023 Subaru forester limited edition and want a great all season tire that really does well in the snow and mud but rides smooth and has low road noise.
Thanks for doing these tests without using xmode, gives me confidence in the Forester AWD system. My base model doesn't have the xmode. Excellent comparison.
How safe are the regular summer/winter tires in mild off-road driving..? First of all, in terms of the danger of getting pierced, and of course - not getting stuck in dirt/mud. The car is Forester. I am actually very rarely going off-road, my driving profile is around 90/10 in the favor of on-road, maybe even 95/5, but I'd like to have the tires that I know will be okay for occasional forest and gravel roads, while also possible to use throughout the season (like Cooper AT3 Road+Trail, Bridgestone Dueler AT002 or Falken Wildpeak AT3W).
Put Vredesteins on my Prius of all things. Suddenly didn't have any problems with our PNW winters. I was amazed at the drive ability with them! Wonderful tires!
Would have been nice if he had say a Toyota Highlander or other crossover to compare the tires VS AWD system...I think Subaru's AWD is still superior, and I am not a Subaru fan, just watching Ryan's videos though might change my mind.
Winter tyres are very good in non-winter situations as well. I've deflated them a little and used them to get out of deep sand, deep mud, they got me out of everything successfully.
Its not about how well an AT compares to a winter tire. If I had Studded tires this winter, i never would have got into a stupid accident. Picture this: Its snowy AF, -8°c ish, and I come to a stop in an AWD 4runner with winter rated tires. At the moment my vehicle stops, it slides sideways, to my right three feet, into a parked car. WTF. All Season tires are not snow tires, and I learned enough about different snow this year that Studded tires are in my future forever. This argument is old and weak and incredibly outdated. Doesn't matter how good the vehicle is, All season doesn't beat snow tires, and the best snow tires are studded, no competition.
Ryan, I really like your videos, but I do need to point something out that I don't think is completely professional. At the 4:00 minute mark, you state how you "hopefully will see a difference." Now, I get that most people into cars would know that a winter tire will make a difference, but if you're doing this as a test to compare, you shouldn't "hope" that one tests better than the other. What if the ATs did better than the snow tire? Would you not have published this video? Just something I wanted to point out since you're an auto journalist and like I said, I enjoy a lot of your videos but thought I should call this out.
DeWalt impacts are hot garbage. Their newer stiff is better, but GD, what a garbage heritage. Just go with the king, Makita. King of everything, let's be honest.
A/T tires - enough, if the winter in your region is a soft. your current winter tires in the video also for a soft winter region. on my 2019 subaru forester i'm using also A/T tires - Matador ( Michelin subbrend) but nordic type of the winter tires.
We have exact same tires on 23 Forester Sport. This combo does the interstate speed limits when others do 20mph with flashers on. If you hit a too slick spot and rear end steps out - traction control steps in and straightens the Forester. The tires are cheap, the Forester has the best price tag and features in it's class.
I was trying to purchase these wheels and for some reason discount tire shows they don’t fit on their site. Is there something different between the 2022-2024 wheel size
Always good when you’re doing any testing with a Subaru. Thankfully no winter in ne Ohio this year but definitely good information for my decision for tires next year. I’ve got the three peak but this definitely gave me something to think about! You’ve got to get a Grammy for your montage 🏆😂
Another solid choice for people who don't want to deal with swapping tires every winter is buying the new "All Weather" tires like the Cross Climate 2. The CC2 tires are a year around tire that gives good gas mileage, long tread life, and 90+ % of the grip dedicated snow tires provide. Anyone with an AWD vehicle should definitely look into the CC2 and save themself the aggravation of dealing with 2 sets of tires and wheels.
Thats what i did. It goes from crazy warm to cold were i drive. If i make a 200 mile drive South i have to take the snow tires off. Got tired of playing pit crew based on where i am going. I was swaping tires every few days.
I have them too. But I really don't know the comparison with the stock tires bc I never risked it. But I did get stuck in a slightly inclined driveway after digging snow up to the hood. It was narrow so maybe I would've gained traction if I wasn't slipping sideways and didn't have a car parked right behind me. I managed to get snow cables on the front and just left them on through a 0.5 to a foot of unplowed snow until I made it out of icey/snowy road. Bought some recovery boards bc of this bc getting chains on in snow sucks. I'm not a newbie but still my experience in real snow is thin through my years.
The stock tires on the non OWB are scary in any snow. I got rid og mine at 9,000 miles. I was tired of the car losing front end in turns over 10 mph in 3 or more inches if snow.
So this is probably a stupid question but if I buy winter tires and just mount on cheap wheels do I need to buy an OEM TPMS and calibrate it? Or does any sensor work?
I live in Sweden and recently got me a Forester XT 2014. Our winters often are very shifting with no snow, snow/slush, ice, bare asphalt, well any conditionreally😊. I am contemplating changing my worn summer tires to ATs, and when my great Nokian Hakkapelitta with crystals are done get regular studded winter tires. That way I can use the ATs for all year ( living in a forest with some bad roads) except when a real winter hits my neighbourhood, then I'll just pop on my studded winters.
We had few days of snow in the south. My AWD SUV is equipped with Michelin Defender. They are comparable to 3 peak Falken All Terrain, and I had no problem driving on 4 inch snow. I just couldn't see putting All Terrain on my luxury SUV.
Good At's and Awd/4X4 are good enough. If you have Fwd or Rwd I could see going with a dedicated snow tire. But that's just my 30 years of Midwest winter driving experience.
Thank you Ryan for another super great video! Québec citizen here, I run a 2023 Crosstrek outdoor (2.5L with dual x-mode) mounted on hakkapeliitta R5 SUV... HO BOY! I got myself a tank! I'm so in love with this setup. I`ve ran 2 WRX and a BMW X-Drive (all on Nokian winter tires)before my crosstrek. I can see the step up. And yes u just showed how a proper winter tire does a BIG difference. Again, TY for your videos.
The one thing that was missing, was the mode setting on the car. Anyway, thanks for giving the temperature since "cold" alone doesn't have any significant meaning. I grew up in Florida, so 50 degrees is cold to me.
Ryan always "goes the extra mile" when doing these videos! Kudos!
For offroading with snow...I'll stick with 3 peak all terrains for the durability.
For snow/ice-covered roads...go with the winter tires.
So you're going to swap only when it's icy out? 😂😂😂
Ryan, As a Canadian, I advise that all genuine winter tires be mounted on genuinely cheap steel wheels. Ideally, winter rims will be downsized to add more protective sidewall in peak pothole season. Save cash by saving the nice alloy rims for spring, summer and fall. For the record, my comment was not sponsored by the Cheap Steel Wheels Association or the Sidewall Society.🤩
With 1/2 the year on Alberta being winter I prefer factory aluminum rims in the winter (and a set of aftermarkets for summer), not to mention steel rims rust ultra quick in winter with road salt 😬
@@James-il3tq I've seen this too where the corrosion on steelies can cause slow leaks on a dedicated set of winters.
As a Canadian, I can say you’re fine 99% of the time on just ATs if there’s road salt. IMO winter tires are much more necessary in a place like Colorado that does not use road salt and where you can easily encounter ice on a highway
@@montechie My cheap steel wheels get a quick spray of Krown Rustproofing every year. In their 18th winter, there is just a tiny bit of surface corrosion near the edge and no substantial air loss at all. 😁
@@maxtvtvtv8623 In Ontario I encounter ice on my driveway before I ever get to the roads. Beyond the measurable traction advantages (as seen in this video) I also avoid exposing my expensive alloys to the time of the year when potholes become craters.
For what it's worth I currently have Wintrac Pro's on my CT4-V BW this winter. It has been a game changer in terms of confidence while driving throughout the whole winter. The Wintrac Pro has been good during the dry cold days also. Hope Vredestein can expand their winter tire sizes.
I truly appreciate all of your time and efforts Sir. Thank you for all that do.
I live in the highlands of Scotland and use the Wintracs on my Subaru Outback 6 months of the year.
It was -10C last night, currently -7.8C just now. I live on an unclassified, hilly road that does not get ploughed or gritted and sees farm traffic. The snow tends to be rutted and packed, and if cold at night, very icey.
The Wintracs are a really good tyre for those conditions.
They also handle fresh snow well.
Thank you for this video. The difference in performance between the two sets of tires was obvious; however, the Forester did very well with just the stock tires on it. Given the Winters we experience here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, USA, my 2023 Forester Wilderness may not get Winter tires.
Maybe I will invest in a set of high-quality chains, in case we get that once-in-a-great-while severe snowstorm.
I have the same Geolander A/Ts on my Crosstrek, and I've been contemplating getting dedicated winter tires for a few years now, but where I live we only get snow and icy conditions maybe a few days out of the year. It's difficult to justify a purchase of nearly a thousand bucks to only need them at most a week out of the year. I guess if I purchased them it'd motivate me to drive up to the mountains more often in winter, but it's still a big expense that you'll only need a very limited time--and when the A/Ts do a good enough job in most of the conditions I see.
Good stuff Ryan. You are making me into a fan of the Subaru Wilderness.
Great Video.
Winter tires are fine if yu can afford two sets of wheels and tires, and can switch them out when the weather changes. If all you have are winter tires, be prepared to replace them often, because they will wear out rapidly in the summer on dry pavement. All four of my Audis with quattro AWD did just fine in snow on all-season tires. Even in the video, the all-season (all-terrain???) tires seemed to get up the hill without much effort. I credit Subaru for that. Like Audi, Subaru has a great AWD system.
The best friction winter tire is by far Nokian but still LIGHT YEARS behind studded winter tires, Michelin Ice North 4 with 230 studs!! is the best on snow/ice ahead of Nokian 10👍
Studded tires are great if you just drive on ice all the time, but you end up wearing them out between storms, at least thats what happens here in southern Idaho LOL. Haven't had enough snow to need snow tires for the past several years....I'd just get a set of non-studded winter tires myself....but in higher altitudes where the snow piles up enough that you get areas with ice and packed snow the studs would be good, but most times the roads are treated with salt so no studs needed, just a savings account to replace your rotted out car every couple years.
@@wildbill23c agree if you drive mostly on wet n salted roads. Where I live, studded tires is a no brainer for good grip on ice and hard packed snow. Cheers from me in Norway
@@bikerman6907 Definitely depends on where you live. Where I'm at in Idaho, we haven't had enough measurable snow for the past 6 years to even need a snow tire of any sort. I wouldn't go with studs as they seem to just wear off as the roads are clear 99% of the time, unless you leave for work really early in the morning or get home really late at night before the roads are plowed/treated with deicer....All seasons work just fine 99% of the time in my area.
@@wildbill23c tru dat. We have had 35 snowfalls this winter season and 5-6 periodes with weather change with Rain and wind in between which has made it really icy to say the least!! So I am happy for my Studded Nokian 9 mounted on a Subaru XV/Crosstrek👍😊
Thank you, for yours professional video’s!
This topic brings me to ask, what scan tool would you guys recommend for changing your tires or even just a tire rotation? Mr.subaru's recommended scan tool is about $500-1000.
I did my first tire rotation myself and the Forester dash went nuts. Then Subaru wanted to charge me for the TPMS reset. I find making an appointment at being charged for tire rotation/ tire pressure monitoring system reset is unacceptable. I would rather do this myself. So any recommendations would be awesome!
How much better would studded tires be?
plz try this with the new yokohama geolander cv 4s g061
Best car channel!
We have potholes year-round in Pennsylvania.
I wonder if cross climates 2 are closer to the AT or these winter tires.
"Here we have a proper winter tire"
>its a Vredestein
review immediately discarded
Ryan, very impressive, both the car and the winter tires. Question: for all around use, what do you like driving more, this Forester or your old 4Runner?
Forester gets 2x the fuel economy than a 4Runner ever would...and the Forester is much more comfortable.
Awesome setup.
I am torn, I love this wilderness forester and the WRX. I don’t know which one I want more 😂
Get both.
Always torque those lugs at least once you hit the real road.
A Wilderness for $33,495? Did I hear that right?
I'd buy one right now for that price, way higher by me.
Yeah I think the 3 peak rating on AT is useless. A tire needs to only accelerate 10% better vs an all season to be 3 peak rated. I'm not even sure what all season is the test standard or how up to date it is in terms of tire tech. And other than the upfront cost, it doesn't cost more to run 2 sets of wheels/tires and will actually save you money. You will easily get 2 or more summers out of your main tires, so you will actually buy fewer tires over the life of the vehicle, not to mention money saved in potential accident avoidance or being towed out of a ditch. Plus you will recoup some if not all of the cost of the wheels when you resell them. On a side note when changing tires in unsafe conditions (no jack stands here) put the tire you take off under the car nearest to where you are working. If the jack fails and the car drops it will at least drop and stop on the wheel instead of potentially falling on you. Not that you are likely to be under the car while changing a tire but it may also save your brake rotor and hub, which of they fall and break thr vehicle is now disabled.
I find them perfect for those who need only occasional snow capability, especially if paired with a true all terrain that can get through some other moderately gnarly conditions. Obviously if you have lots of seasonal snow and ice or go often to the mountains getting a dedicated set of winter tires is appropriate. I run ATs on my truck year round and the other half swaps out all seasons for Blizzaks on the hot hatch in the winter.
The 3 peak rating just means the tire is capable of handling deep snow, it has nothing to do with traction in icy conditions...this is one misconception so many people have somehow thought up.
@@wildbill23c not sure who you are responding to but the 3PMSF rating is based on a medium packed snow acceleration test (at least for NA purposes, I think Europe has a more stringent test for the same symbol) That does not however mean they are only good for that and are generally designed to perform well enough in a variety of mild snow and ice conditions (enough so that they often meet state and federal requirements to be used when areas call for chains or traction/winter rated tires).
@@wildbill23c it is only reference to acceleration on medium packed snow - a 10% improvement vs a reference all season. You are correct is has nothing to due with ice traction, but it also has nothing to do with deep snow traction either. This goes back to my original post with the rating becoming useless as it pops up on AT and AS tires. Give me a dedicated winter tire, with proper compound, tread and siping anyday over any of these other 3 peak tire as they are designed with braking and corning in mind as well, not simply passing a test with a low bar.
never heard of vredestien tires.maybe dont have them here in canada.
Where are you driving? It looks like Utah.
Eastern Washington.
Yes, yes, and yes. This is my first season running winter tires (blizzak ws90) on my Subaru and I have been mindblown by their performance, especially in deep snow and very icy conditions. They’re not even comparable to the all seasons I used to have, and are a huge step up from the geolander g015 A/T’s I’ve ran before.
I'm running the g015's right now and have blizzaks on the side. Im torn because most of the road conditions in my area only require winters maybe 10-15% of the time, and its hard to put the winters on full time cause i would just wear them down on pavement. Keeping the AT's on for now, and swap em out for sketchy touring days.
@@kjw1603 what you wear down on winters, saves on the Geolandars , plus added safety. win win.
@@kjw1603 The thing is, accidents happen 0.0001% of the time and sometimes people get hurt (or worse). I've been switching winters every year now since I became a father (yes, it made me more responsible), and I've never ever regretted it. The $ costs even out in the end, and I know I would never forgive myself is something bad happened just trying to 'save' a few bucks (which, in long run isn't even so). I drive a 2017 Forester and I've never felt safer in the winter. We can't control other drivers and how prepared they are in the challenging winter roads, but we can ensure that we are as safe as possible - and dedicated winter tires are part of it..BIG time!
I have those on my Subaru too. But we didn't get any snow this year. But they were great for the colder temperatures.
@@apocalypse487 lolzzzzz great for colder temps huh……😂😂
I have a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. I have the Konig rims with Nokian, Hakkapeliitta factory studded snow tires. They are a fantastic setup but for one problem with the rims. In prolonged deep snow driving the open design of the rims tends to allow snow to pack in through the spokes which then gives you a quite severe imbalance situation once back on cleared roads and travelling at a higher rate of speed.
Especially if the car sits for a while after driving in the deep snow. The packed snow gets heated by the brakes, sags a bit, and then freezes into, as you say, a SEVERE imbalance. I was amazed the first time I drove my 2017 Forester Touring in deep snow and had to deal with the results. Fortunately, I got to work cleaning them out with a garden hose as soon as I saw what was about to happen. That, of course, made a nice skating rink...
Never considered this. In life there really aren't solutions huh just compromises
You WANT big open spokes. The snow will fall onto the rim from behind the wheel anyway. Driving will pack the snow hard from centripetal force. Then, the only way to get it off is to crawl under and scrape it off. With open spokes you can simply reach through and get it.
With over 20 years driving experience with Bridgestone Blizzaks I would say you’re preaching to the choir. No better way to keep our family safe in Wisconsin winters! Great video.
Nice test. Winter is over now, but I would love to see a test of a specific designed "all weather tire" like the Cross Climate 2 against the Wilderness all terrains.
Me too.
I find if funny how people claime A/T are the same as snow/ice tires
Same people you see sitting in the ditches along the highways in their jacked up 4WD trucks. They got 4WD and AT tires, they can go as fast as they want...yes, usually, its the turning and stopping...rather trying to turn and trying to stop that they find out the hard way doesn't work out for them. That 4WD and AT tire may have gotten them going 75mph, but it won't help them stop or turn. AT tires suck for anything but backroads driving, their rubber compound isn't made for rain even, let alone snow/ice.
@wildbill23c this isn't entirely true. Lots of A/T tires are 3 peak mountain snow rated meaning you get some guaranteed baseline performance in snow.
The cheapest snow tires are better than the most expensive all terrain tires .
For some people maybe
Accurate
I love the Wilderness videos! KEEP THEM COMING!!
Glad to see this comparison. I have an Outback Wilderness that I picked up in early December. I live in Ottawa and have always gone with dedicated winter tires on my vehicles. I decided to risk it and just go with the 3-peak A/T tires on the Outback for this first winter. I was skeptical but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. We've had close to record snowfall this winter (the snowbanks on my street are approaching 10ft high) and it's ploughed through no problem. We've also had temps down to -35C and the tires have stayed relatively supple compared to all seasons. They aren't quite as good in terms of stopping on slick ice and my wife's Crosstrek with proper snow tires is grippier but overall I've been impressed. In fact, i plan to keep them on next winter as well.
I’m definitely a Toyota truck guy but I have to admit I really like that Forester Wilderness in that particular green color.
Same. I'm constantly tempted to trade in my Tacoma OR for the Wilderness.
I was between a Tacoma TRD OR and the Wilderness. For the price and space, I couldn’t justify the Tacoma. The backseat is basically useless in the Tacoma, and having 2 large dogs the Wilderness is what I went with. The headroom also played a part as well, as being 6’4 the Tacoma was a bit more snug in fit.
@@ryant939 Any issues? Do you expect similar reliability?
No issues at all. And not concerned with reliability with the Subie.
It would be great to compare with some all weather tires like the cross climate 2, Firestone weather grip or General Altimax 365s cuv as they're supposed to be closer to winters that ATs with 3 peak.
I have told people time and time again that it’s not about the vehicle, it’s about the tires. A 2WD car with winter tires can perform better than a 4WD with seasonal tires. It’s worth the investment if you live in a northern climate.
Snow tires with dedicated wheels, so its quick and easy to swap them at home would be the way to go for sure. Haven't had enough snow to need any winter tires the past few years though LOL.
It’s amazing how people that have never driven with dedicated snow tires on a FWD car will argue with you about it, too! In the winter, I’d rather drive a FWD car with 4 snow tires than an AWD car with all-seasons.
@@chriscon8463 People don't grasp the concept that just because they got that fancy 4x4 pickup or AWD crossover, etc. doesn't mean its going to do anything to help them stop, or control their vehicles...most drivers today are always on the verge of a major accident as they honestly don't have the driving skills at all, they rely 100% on all the electronic nannies to get them around town...they see all the TV commercials of AWD/4WD vehicles doing all these amazing things or what they deem as amazing and think they can jump in and that vehicle is going to perform exactly like those commercials...well their lack of driving skills, lack of physics education, and poor tire selection gets them in the ditch every snowstorm....some of them I swear really is every snowstorm.
@@wildbill23c Yes! Exactly! It’s crazy.
I love that green color on the forester, do you know what it's called? Also those rims on the snow tires look really really nice👌🏼
Autumn green metallic
Need? No. Want, yes. If you have the income to spend and you can swap these beauties on over your all seasons then why not!
I've driven on snow tires most of my life before I moved down south. I'd wouldn't go through winters without them. The worst snow tire is going to be immensely better than even the best all season. I've been pretty happy with, Michelins Xi2/3, Michelin Pilot Alpins, Hankook Icebear w300, Hankook iPikes, Yokohama Iceguard, IG20's, Blizzack WS-50, WS-60's, Blizzack DMZ3's and Nokian HakkleipeinnpiepkpiepkekkKKpkepkekekpklan. The predictability of snow tires even in ice make it worth every penny. The confidence it instills is untouchable unless you've tried them out yourself.
Snow tires don't have to be that expensive, but if you live in a bad cold climate, they're worth it and then some. I was lucky enough that my job paid for my snow tires every winter so we could basically make it to work with little excuses. If there was a storm overnight I would go out in the middle of the night around 3am ish to drive around in fresh powder with the streets all to myself and I would have a blast. I moved down far enough south that there is no snow. There is a part of me that does miss driving in it because I found it fun. I don't miss the cold that much, but in a warm cozy vehicle, it was worth it.
Also.
I'm glad you brought attention that the way you where changing the wheels was the wrong way and dangerous. At least have one of the rims underneath if the trolley jack failed. Redundancy in safety is paramount. I've seen a leg destroyed by having a jack fail.
Also while mounting,
Star, Star, lower, star, circle torque. If I had mounted wheels on a hub the way you did I would have been fired from my old job. It did look like a hub centric ring suddenly appeared in red later on.
I appreciate the great content and you are one of my favorite car channels.
yeah, the way he was changing it was pretty bad. Like you mentioned, the way he was mounting it was also all wrong. Besides everything else, not cross patterning could have easily led to shift and flex. more than likely it would in the long term. I suppose its okay for such a short term test, but in any normal situation it was pretty bad.
Thanks for doing the comparison! I'm sure it's difficult to set up tire comparisons, but definitely need more of these. So much info out there is based on a single study done in 2000. I would love to see a similar comparison on something like your Ranger with a true AT 3 peak like a AT3W, KO2, or ATX vs a Winter. LT ATs tend to have deeper lugs and better side knobs, but obviously not the center grip.
Also, those Primal Racing skids look awesome! Makes me want to get a set on my Forester Touring even though I totally don't need them. 😉
tremor comes with 3 peak legit all terrains, general grabber
@@brohammer Yep, that's what I was thinking, but couldn't remember if DL had replaced them on their Tremor. I've ran the GG ATX and it's a great tire year-round, and have had it on some gnarly roads in our Montana winters. It's also one of the few ATs (maybe only?) you can do a double column of studs on each side. Most ATs only allow a single column per side if they're even studdable.
At last, a now and ice driving test on proper winter tires!
But indeed, use 15-16" steel wheels and high-profile winter tires instead of mags and low-profile tires. And I am disappointed with the fact that you did not use studded tires - they would behave much better.
Awesome video! Just wished you would have tried all the trails with AT tires as well to see the difference on the hardest lines, where they start to fall short. I happen to be on my 2nd set of those same AT tires and I love them! Got 80K miles out of the 1st set and the 2nd set are doing just as well. I don’t do a lot of snow driving, and definitely no trail driving in the snow. But they have performed well in all conditions for me. Really good all around tire.
I recently grabbed a 2011 grand Cherokee Hemi, and put on some falken wildpeak AT3W with a snow rating, and they do amazing! Previously I’ve always used winter tires on past vehicles
Snow tires are a game changer. This is the 2nd season I'm running Blizzaks and I drove no problem the morning after a 14inch snow storm with snow heavily still coming down. Snow tires cannot compare to stock tires. If you are driving in wintery conditions frequently like me, I like to think of snow tires as cheap insurance.
Side note, I've heard great things about Nokian Hakkepelida snow tires but I wasnt able to find a dealer near me.
I have a standard 2021 and have been using Blizzak ws90 tires on OEM rims. I'll mention I live in South Dakota and on weekends I drive hundreds of miles on the interstates, back highways, unplowed section roads, and frozen lakes. There's been snow on the ground since before Thanksgiving. I've had Blizzaks for the past four years (including 2014 Forester) and am really sold on them. Not only are they great in the snow (which we've had a LOT of this year,) but also on black ice on the highways. The tires perform well even at 30 below zero. The difference between winter tires and all season tires is just huge.
Great video as usual. I've got the Primitive skid plates on my Subaru Crosstrek and I'd be real careful using them as a jack point. On the diff in back I think it's likely fine. Up front, at least on the crosstrek, there's a lot of unsupported alluminum that I'd not trust to jack the car up from.
Yeah.. I'd advise jacking from the point under thr front crossmember
I have been in love with my AT3Ws since I put them on. Wet, dry, hard launch, snow, they don't care.
Yep, been using Vredesten Wintracs on my (pre X-mode) 2010 2.5l manual Outback for the last 2 winters here in Scotland. Absolutely amazing in snow. Much better than the Vredestan Alltracs which I used to keep on all year round, and were still good in snow. The Wintracs got the fully laden car up a very steep (18 degrees) forest track covered in 8 inches of virgin powder snow last winter, which still amazes me. The section of the track is so steep that rather than risk losing it we shovelled the snow off it to make braking areas before we came back down.
I use Wintracs on my 2023 Outback and my previous 2019 Outback, also in the Highlands.
I use Dunlop Winter Sport 5 on my STi, and for that car, they offer more stability and traction.
Goodyear Blizzak rated snow tires on my 2WD F150. Left northern Minnesota in an ice storm and I35 was an ice rink. Biggest problem: Defrost could not keep up with the freezing precip on the windshield so I had to stop a lot to get more than 4" of viewing. The next year it was heavy snow over virgin ice - made me yearn for AWD. Otherwise; in my buddies sketchy driveway I dropped a wheel off the track and the locking rear diff, and tires, saved my bacon.
I had the Geolander G075s on my GX470 and they were excellent tires in all conditions except stopping the big SUV. I swear by winter tires and will never not have a set.
I will never ever not have winter tires neither.
I got my subaru when I moved to hilly winter country... my 3 peak yokohamas were no match for snow and hills. Xmode was little help. On Winters I feel invincible, but I still go slow because I ain't no dummy. But Winters are night and day and is why subarus can be crowned king of snow. Assuming I'm not high center, I can out drive all those jeeps that think lockers on mud tires are invincible. My Winters helped me pull out a 4runner sport... that felt cool. I had no clue what I was doing, and was probably dangerous, but subaru pulling out a 4runner felt rad, all because of winter tires.
Love your videos, and as your neighbor to the south in PDX, you know our roads are sometimes horrendous because of ice, no salt, and probably the worst DOT and city governments in the country. What are your thoughts on studded winter tires? My property sits on a 14-degree incline and the only way I can get down it is with chains. Also, I recently purchased a 2023 Outback Wilderness Edition... thanks in part to your videos on the vehicle.
Studs can damage road surfaces so I would try a good set of winters first.
I’m in the same boat here, but really we only (so far) see maybe 1-2 days of really bad freeze conditions that would warrant anything more than good studless winter tires. I ran studs for a couple of years but due to what Ryan said would only put them on when I knew the roads had enough on them that I wasn’t hitting asphalt at all. Blizzaks have been outstanding on or FWD car and pretty decent hill during the last couple of storms. Never once had to park it up at the bottom like half the neighborhood seems to do.
FWIW, studded tires cause about $8.5M in road surface damage annually across Oregon per ODOT.
Wintrac tyres are underrated. I had a winter set which were brilliant. None of the big tyre tests include uphill traction. I remember towing a car stuck in snow on a steep hill. Total satistraction !
My new Subaru Onyx 2.5 will arrive next week. I live in the Pac NW . Should I change out the new tires for a better 4 season one? Is this something a Subaru dealer would do while the tires are still brand new on delivery?
I have videos on my channel taking my stock Continental tires with just a M&S rating, up snow covered roads in Park City, stopping, then starting up again with almost no slippage. My truck is AWD, but those regular tires dig in even with all the big storms this year. Really surprised me.
I wonder how it would drive comparing ATs against stock? like if you fitted KO2s.
Great video
Nice seeing what proper winter tires on a crossover can actually do. Many of these comparisons they're usually comparing AWD with all season vs FWD with winter tires.
Americansplaining winter tires... classic.
I'm in Canada and I have a Colorado ZR2 with Goodyear DuraTrac and like any offroad tires, they are scary on ice. Nothing like a winter Ice tire like Nokian - will never beat that.
yes...yes Ryan you need winter tires AND a MX-5... a MX-5 on those winter tires.
Done that. Best driving experience ever.
Excellent work. I've heard a number of folks say they don't need winter tires because of their ATs. I always suspected dedicated winter tires would be the safer option in winter. And its pretty clear from this video that that is the case.
Exactly.
Frigid temps and black ice are where winter tires really shine. I have driven either Blizzaks or Extreme Winter Contacts for 25 years. I did a long drive in icy conditions with zero driving or braking issues. When i got out of my car at a rest area I almost fell flat on my back as everything, including the car, parking lot, and sidewalks were covered with ice. Never even noticed when I drove it.
Absolutely amazing video, the vehicle, wheels, tires and the skid plate. It's like a complete incomparable package.
I’m using Nokian R3’s on my Elantra GT and even on a FWD car they make a huge difference. I’m hoping my next vehicle will be a Forester Wilderness and it will definitely get winters as well. At any rate thank you for the great tire comparison in this video. 👍
I would love to see a video of the" Michelin Cross Climate 2" all season tires in this same snow and hills you did versus the Stock Yokohama GEOLander GO15 tires. I have a 2023 Subaru forester limited edition and want a great all season tire that really does well in the snow and mud but rides smooth and has low road noise.
Thanks for doing these tests without using xmode, gives me confidence in the Forester AWD system. My base model doesn't have the xmode. Excellent comparison.
How safe are the regular summer/winter tires in mild off-road driving..? First of all, in terms of the danger of getting pierced, and of course - not getting stuck in dirt/mud. The car is Forester.
I am actually very rarely going off-road, my driving profile is around 90/10 in the favor of on-road, maybe even 95/5, but I'd like to have the tires that I know will be okay for occasional forest and gravel roads, while also possible to use throughout the season (like Cooper AT3 Road+Trail, Bridgestone Dueler AT002 or Falken Wildpeak AT3W).
I upgraded to the toyo open country AT3s the day after I bought my 2022 ob wilderness, the oem tires just didn't hold up to ylthe trails I like to do.
You put a half ton of faith in that rear diff guard! 😅
Primitive makes really good Sh*t. 😉
Put Vredesteins on my Prius of all things. Suddenly didn't have any problems with our PNW winters. I was amazed at the drive ability with them! Wonderful tires!
I found that even with worse tires the Subaru performance was still better
Would have been nice if he had say a Toyota Highlander or other crossover to compare the tires VS AWD system...I think Subaru's AWD is still superior, and I am not a Subaru fan, just watching Ryan's videos though might change my mind.
My wife has a base-model ‘21 Forester & we put 4 studded-snow tires on it in the winter. It’s an absolute tank in the snow!
Winter tyres are very good in non-winter situations as well. I've deflated them a little and used them to get out of deep sand, deep mud, they got me out of everything successfully.
Its not about how well an AT compares to a winter tire. If I had Studded tires this winter, i never would have got into a stupid accident. Picture this: Its snowy AF, -8°c ish, and I come to a stop in an AWD 4runner with winter rated tires. At the moment my vehicle stops, it slides sideways, to my right three feet, into a parked car. WTF.
All Season tires are not snow tires, and I learned enough about different snow this year that Studded tires are in my future forever. This argument is old and weak and incredibly outdated. Doesn't matter how good the vehicle is, All season doesn't beat snow tires, and the best snow tires are studded, no competition.
Ryan, I really like your videos, but I do need to point something out that I don't think is completely professional. At the 4:00 minute mark, you state how you "hopefully will see a difference." Now, I get that most people into cars would know that a winter tire will make a difference, but if you're doing this as a test to compare, you shouldn't "hope" that one tests better than the other. What if the ATs did better than the snow tire? Would you not have published this video? Just something I wanted to point out since you're an auto journalist and like I said, I enjoy a lot of your videos but thought I should call this out.
DeWalt impacts are hot garbage. Their newer stiff is better, but GD, what a garbage heritage. Just go with the king, Makita. King of everything, let's be honest.
COULD YOU PLEASE 🙏 DO THE JEEP COMPASS TRAILHAWK VS TRD RAV4 ON THIS TEST SINCE THERE SSOO CLOSE (Thank you in advance)
While I don't dispute the conclusions, the second run was made in the tracks left by the first run. So the conditions were not the same
A/T tires - enough, if the winter in your region is a soft. your current winter tires in the video also for a soft winter region. on my 2019 subaru forester i'm using also A/T tires - Matador ( Michelin subbrend) but nordic type of the winter tires.
We have exact same tires on 23 Forester Sport. This combo does the interstate speed limits when others do 20mph with flashers on. If you hit a too slick spot and rear end steps out - traction control steps in and straightens the Forester. The tires are cheap, the Forester has the best price tag and features in it's class.
I was trying to purchase these wheels and for some reason discount tire shows they don’t fit on their site. Is there something different between the 2022-2024 wheel size
The difference I’ve noticed between my falken wildpeaks and true winter tires is in stopping. The wildpeaks do well enough
Firestone destination ATS out perform most for winter why I used them for my last 3 sets now. Their tread is designed for it unlike many other ATs
Always good when you’re doing any testing with a Subaru. Thankfully no winter in ne Ohio this year but definitely good information for my decision for tires next year. I’ve got the three peak but this definitely gave me something to think about! You’ve got to get a Grammy for your montage 🏆😂
You said it’s cold at 29 degrees. As a Minnesotan, that a nice warm day after the cold spell broke.
Another solid choice for people who don't want to deal with swapping tires every winter is buying the new "All Weather" tires like the Cross Climate 2. The CC2 tires are a year around tire that gives good gas mileage, long tread life, and 90+ % of the grip dedicated snow tires provide. Anyone with an AWD vehicle should definitely look into the CC2 and save themself the aggravation of dealing with 2 sets of tires and wheels.
Thats what i did. It goes from crazy warm to cold were i drive. If i make a 200 mile drive South i have to take the snow tires off. Got tired of playing pit crew based on where i am going. I was swaping tires every few days.
I have them too. But I really don't know the comparison with the stock tires bc I never risked it. But I did get stuck in a slightly inclined driveway after digging snow up to the hood. It was narrow so maybe I would've gained traction if I wasn't slipping sideways and didn't have a car parked right behind me. I managed to get snow cables on the front and just left them on through a 0.5 to a foot of unplowed snow until I made it out of icey/snowy road. Bought some recovery boards bc of this bc getting chains on in snow sucks. I'm not a newbie but still my experience in real snow is thin through my years.
The stock tires on the non OWB are scary in any snow. I got rid og mine at 9,000 miles. I was tired of the car losing front end in turns over 10 mph in 3 or more inches if snow.
I run Geolanders and carry snow socks. I can't stand winter tires on clear pavement.
Simple answer: yes
So this is probably a stupid question but if I buy winter tires and just mount on cheap wheels do I need to buy an OEM TPMS and calibrate it? Or does any sensor work?
Any TPMS should do. The tire shop can sync them up.
I live in Sweden and recently got me a Forester XT 2014. Our winters often are very shifting with no snow, snow/slush, ice, bare asphalt, well any conditionreally😊. I am contemplating changing my worn summer tires to ATs, and when my great Nokian Hakkapelitta with crystals are done get regular studded winter tires. That way I can use the ATs for all year ( living in a forest with some bad roads) except when a real winter hits my neighbourhood, then I'll just pop on my studded winters.
Its a long video, bottom line snow tires are better in the winter.
We had few days of snow in the south. My AWD SUV is equipped with Michelin Defender. They are comparable to 3 peak Falken All Terrain, and I had no problem driving on 4 inch snow. I just couldn't see putting All Terrain on my luxury SUV.
Good At's and Awd/4X4 are good enough. If you have Fwd or Rwd I could see going with a dedicated snow tire. But that's just my 30 years of Midwest winter driving experience.
Thank you Ryan for another super great video! Québec citizen here, I run a 2023 Crosstrek outdoor (2.5L with dual x-mode) mounted on hakkapeliitta R5 SUV... HO BOY! I got myself a tank! I'm so in love with this setup. I`ve ran 2 WRX and a BMW X-Drive (all on Nokian winter tires)before my crosstrek. I can see the step up. And yes u just showed how a proper winter tire does a BIG difference. Again, TY for your videos.
The one thing that was missing, was the mode setting on the car.
Anyway, thanks for giving the temperature since "cold" alone doesn't have any significant meaning. I grew up in Florida, so 50 degrees is cold to me.
Try doing something besides a Subaru.
MazdaSpeed6 on Blizzack’s was some of the most fun driving I have ever had. Thirteen inches of fresh powder at 5:00 am of the Taconic pkwy.