It was been an unusual pre-season this year with almost no updated tires being released. We are also seeing many more tires and sizes than usual being discontinued or simply not being produced this season. If we have another severe winter like last year this could lead to some early shortages in some sizes.

Popular tires for moderate to low snow climates, that see more plowed roads than highways, tend to be the Blizzak LM60 and Dunlop Winter Sport 3D. Both are considered very equal to each other in snow traction and in dry road handling/cornering and were the tires of choice in this category. The redesigned LM60 moves the balance closer to the snow traction side while the Dunlop does slightly better in dry. Both an ideal choice for someone having trouble deciding between the high performance snow tires that sacrifice a lot of snow traction and the Q/R rated snow tires that trade off too much in handling and dry grip.

Persons living in more rural areas or heavy snow climates lean toward the Blizzak WS-70 or Michelin X-Ice Xi2. I've noticed when driving both that the added tread depth of the Blizzak helps deep snow traction on those early unplowed mornings. The X-Ice is a bit happier on ice surfaces and tends to handle a bit tighter on clear roads due to the 2/32nd's difference in depth compared to the Blizzak.

I would not wait too long, it's better to be proactive than reactive. Ordering early when most products are still available lets you choose what you want to buy rather than being forced to settle for what is left over. Best to be ready with products in hand before it snows so that you can put them on when you are ready rather than waiting for a shipment to arrive after the first snow. We should have most inventory available now to mid Oct. Tires and wheels purchased together are mounted and balanced at no charge to make changeover easy and we do offer the oem pressure sensors.

You can view full winter tire and wheel packages here Tire Rack Winter Packages.

Remember to mention "Neal ext 624" in the comments section of your online order. This way I can review the order and process it faster. As always you may call me direct as well

 

Hi Neal, Thanks for posting useful information.

I’m heading to the third winter-season on my Dunlop Graspic DS-2 studless snow tires. I consider these tires exceptional for winter driving, but they are becoming worn (and that is a huge liability for winter tires).

I’m in Minnesota where we have more ice than snow, so I’m considering the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 as a replacement.

--Spike