4 ms·

Out of curiosity: do you use winter tires, is that a thing in the US?

by sveme 8y ago

pitaj 8y ago
I use all-weather tires, which essentially behave the same as winter tires, but don't require a tire change for different seasons. You can, of course, buy winter tires here. However, AWD / 4WD address different problems than winter tires do. As I understand it, winter tires are useful for traction on ice or packed snow, but won't help significantly in unpacked snow, where 4WD helps immensely. Around here, it's hilly and there are many streets which won't get plowed immediately. This makes 4WD pretty vital for getting around sometimes. Plus, 4WD helps with vehicle control at speed in slick conditions.
- ams6110 8y ago
  no, all-weather tires are not the same as winter tires. Proper winter tires will make a huge difference if you have to drive in snow or ice conditions. But you won't want to use them in the summer because they will wear out rather quickly.
  - pitaj 8y ago
    Maybe you're thinking of all-season tires? There is a difference between all-weather and all-season. From the information I've been able to find, winter tires are better than all-weather, but only by 10-20%.
bradlys 8y ago
It's a thing but many people in the US are very bad at driving [in the snow]... and don't care to use snow tires. They want perfect handling and acceleration in any condition and not having to switch tires or use traction aiding devices. But, it's also a thing of, "I want it just in case..." I've seen enough off-road ready cars here that have never seen anything more intense than a puddle. This is a country that buys Jeeps en masse but they're stuck doing city duty their entire life. Something fun to read from a few years ago: http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/remembering-snowmageddon-2014-2-years-later http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/remembering-snowmageddon-201... That was from 2 inches (5cm) of snow. Americans in general don't buy what they need or will use. They buy what they want.
- pitaj 8y ago
  > It's a thing but many people in the US are very bad at driving [in the snow] Most of those people, like in the Atlanta story, never drive in more than a 1/2in of snow. > and don't care to use snow tires. Snow tires are expensive, and usually not worth the expense beyond all-weather tires, especially for people in the south. > They want perfect handling and acceleration in any condition and not having to switch tires or use traction aiding devices. Is that not something you'd like from your car? Seems like a nice feature to me, and my car isn't even close to that.

Out of curiosity: do you use winter tires, is that a thing in the US?

by sveme 8y ago

Out of curiosity: do you use winter tires, is that a thing in the US?

I use all-weather tires, which essentially behave the same as winter tires, but don't require a tire change for different seasons. You can, of course, buy winter tires here. However, AWD / 4WD address different problems than winter tires do. As I understand it, winter tires are useful for traction on ice or packed snow, but won't help significantly in unpacked snow, where 4WD helps immensely. Around here, it's hilly and there are many streets which won't get plowed immediately. This makes 4WD pretty vital for getting around sometimes. Plus, 4WD helps with vehicle control at speed in slick conditions.

ams6110 8y ago
no, all-weather tires are not the same as winter tires. Proper winter tires will make a huge difference if you have to drive in snow or ice conditions. But you won't want to use them in the summer because they will wear out rather quickly.
- pitaj 8y ago
  Maybe you're thinking of all-season tires? There is a difference between all-weather and all-season. From the information I've been able to find, winter tires are better than all-weather, but only by 10-20%.

bradlys 8y ago

It's a thing but many people in the US are very bad at driving [in the snow]... and don't care to use snow tires. They want perfect handling and acceleration in any condition and not having to switch tires or use traction aiding devices. But, it's also a thing of, "I want it just in case..." I've seen enough off-road ready cars here that have never seen anything more intense than a puddle. This is a country that buys Jeeps en masse but they're stuck doing city duty their entire life. Something fun to read from a few years ago: http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/remembering-snowmageddon-2014-2-years-later http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/remembering-snowmageddon-201... That was from 2 inches (5cm) of snow. Americans in general don't buy what they need or will use. They buy what they want.

pitaj 8y ago
> It's a thing but many people in the US are very bad at driving [in the snow] Most of those people, like in the Atlanta story, never drive in more than a 1/2in of snow. > and don't care to use snow tires. Snow tires are expensive, and usually not worth the expense beyond all-weather tires, especially for people in the south. > They want perfect handling and acceleration in any condition and not having to switch tires or use traction aiding devices. Is that not something you'd like from your car? Seems like a nice feature to me, and my car isn't even close to that.