I was surprised how much difference good tires make

[JCH13]

Who is perpetuating a misunderstanding? You just confirmed the exception. I drive on fresh snow and occasionally gravel. Its not like they are surfaces nobody ever has contact with.

Soccerballtux, for one. It's an argument I've had several times on ATG.

The same people who identified this exception say that it has very little bearing on real-world driving. It's not that people don't drive on snow and gravel, many do, it's that FRESH snow and LOOSE gravel rarely exist as road surfaces. These types of surfaces are quickly compacted, presenting a different type of surface to the vehicles driving on them. Gravel is compacted as it is laid down, and snow is driven over repeatedly as it falls.

 

[NutBucket]

Back on topic, I'll never cheap out on tires. It's well worth the money to have tires that are well worn yet still have excellent wet traction.