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, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:56:52
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For winter, you want narrow tall tires with lots of tread depth, lots of siping (+ or studs), and soft tire compounds.
how much tread depth is left on the Kumhos? What wheel diameter, what width tire? I suppose if only 5k miles you're probably within the first mm of wear. They come with 10/32 = 8mm. Maybe worn to at worst 7mm... I see the pattern has a lot of hard surface + little siping, though probably good water clearing ability... there are probably better all season tires for snow... Reviews seem to reinforce this...
This is my first winter in the 9-5. Prior to that I've only had c900s. This year I can compare the 2! Also, prior to this year, I have always run full-on Nokian hakka snow tires... This year, I'm being lazy on the 1989 and "using up" some crappy Goodyear studless snowtires (6mm left) that are getting old. I also got 1 year old (>7mm) used Michelin Primacy Alpin snow tires on 16" rims for the 9-5 as an interim winter tire. This is a "touring" winter tire, not a "performance" winter tire, or meant for as extreme winter conditions as a hakka (though Primacy Alpin does have the same initial tread depth as an XIce2, 8.5mm, with the same silica rubber compound also, the sidewalls are stiffer which is not helpful in snow - it is quiet + handles well on bare roads in winter)...
What I've noticed:
The c900's lack of tread depth is apparent in deep snow. Hydroplanes a bit switching lanes + hard to get up some hills in deep snow. I'm thinking of swapping on the hakkas for that reason. Hakkas always handle beautifully in snow unless they are virtually bald. Otherwise, the c900 is doing just fine. No slipping at intersections etc. c900's are a blast to drive in winter...
The 9-5 seems alright in a few inches on the highway etc. I am amazed at how poor the traction is at greasy intersections/hardpack snow/slush (where the c900 just stops with no drama)... it's the tires: they stink... ABS comes on frequently even with slow stops. The car makes up for it to some degree with TCS etc, but I am getting hakkas for it next year*. That said, the Primacy Alpin is probably leagues better in snow + ice than that Kumho...
(btw, Tim, if you're reading this, I am finding the behaviour of these "newest" technology Michelin compound friction tires to be inferior on ice to the unstudded studdable hakka4s on the c900s... but it is an unfair comparison to some extent because the 9-5 is heavier... jury is still out! will report back again next year when I get new tires on the 9-5!)
Impreza is great for winter driving, but only with snow tires. If you put those same kumho tires on the impreza, the awd might have got you up the hill, but awd won't help braking so you might have instead rear ended someone at some point that day (a 9-5 actually has better braking, TCS, etc)... imho, awd basically gives an unbalanced sense of security + penalizes one in terms of gas bills the other 90% of the time driving...
what I'm trying to say, is you are right: it's the tires...
* - does anyone have any experience with hakkas on 17" rims? I'd rather do 16" but I have a spare set of 17" alloys + have not found someone who wants to trade yet... partly why I got the used winter wheel set (/w steel rims), to buy time...
James...
posted by 216.59.247...
, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:56:52, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:57:11, Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:35:42
, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:35:32, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:34:44, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:12:37, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:56:43
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