Snow Tires

[Jenny Curtis <jenny@physics.spa.umn.edu>]

Hey Q-List:

I'm getting my snow shoes put on this week-end so I thought it would be a good
time to discuss this snow tire test I read about on the Nokian page:


http://www.nokiantyres.com/ptindex.html

In a Finnish test of studless snow tires (I'm a little skeptical about the
objectivity of the test, since it was posted on Nokian's web page) the Hakka Q
beat the Bridgestone Blizzak, Continental Viking, Michelin Maxi Ice and the
Pirelli Winter Ice.  The Blizzak came in first in all the initial tests, but
after they drove the tire for a few months and re-tested them, the Hakka Qs
performed better.  The testers recommended keeping snow tires for two seasons
and then wearing them out the following summer, getting new snows on the third
winter.  Doesn't sound like folks in Finland get much use out their summer
tires.  The whole point of the tests was to show that all the tires performed
pretty well brand new, but as soon as they began to wear out, and on some brands
like Michelin it happened within 10, 000 KM, they began to perform alarmingly
unevenly.    The Blizzaks were mentioned as being prone to going from stable to
skid really suddenly and they actually preferred the Pirelli which seemed to
skid all the time.  At least you would be used to skidding and ready to handle
it.  Has anyone noticed this phenomenon in their Blizzaks or is it all just
corporate-sposored hogwash?

It's snowing in North Dakota and the white stuff is on its way here.

yippee,
Jenny
4kcsQ:Eurotrash Princess