Snow tire life span

[child of wonder]

My wife just brought my 2007 Honda Civic to the shop to get some brake work done and I had her ask them what they sold for snow tires. The guy at the shop told her if snow tires are driven year round you can only expect to get about 30,000 miles out of them. He said it's best to get a pair of summer tires and a set of snow tires and interchange them with the seasons.

Now, obviously the guy has a vested interest in selling 8 tires vs. 4 but I have never heard something like this. I'm looking at some Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires on tirerack.com and am thinking of purchasing these, but thought I would ping the AT Garage experts on this first.

Is it a good idea to purchase studless snow tires and drive them year round?

 

[Mutilator]

I would say buy 2 sets and swap them. Summer tires suck in the winter, and winter tires suck in the summer. All seasons just suck all year long.

And yes winter tires will wear out faster once it gets warm which is why you don't want to use them all year long. Summer tires get hard and lose traction once it gets cold.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

No offense, but driving with snow tires year-round is a stupid idea. They offer nowhere near the adhesion of summer or all-season tires in any weather above maybe 35 degrees. Either get a set of good all-seasons or, if you live in a climate with significant amounts of snowfall, separate summers and snows.

 

[PricklyPete]

Yes, it is typical to have two sets of tires in states where snow is prevelant. What size wheels does your Civic have? If it is 17 or over, I'd suggest getting a new set of cheap 15" or 16" wheels to house your snow tires. They may not be pretty, but they will be cheaper, your snow tires will be cheaper, and you will only have then on 4 months out of the year, so who cares.

 

[dpodblood]

Yep if you get snow where you live get the 2 sets of tires. If you are driving on winters year round I think 30,000 miles is a pretty generous estimate. It would probably be much less actually.

 

[bruceb]

Agree, in a bad winter area, two sets of tires. Regular for most of the year, snows for winter use. Buy some steel rims for the snows. You can usually get them at a salvage yard cheaply. And for snows, a little narrower than normal size tire will actually work better in snow.

 

[dpodblood]

Think of it this way: Why does it matter if you are paying twice as much for tires if you are replacing them half as often? Plus you get the added benefit of having a tread which is appropriate for the season.

 

[Zap]

Is it a good idea to purchase studless snow tires and drive them year round?

No, unless it snows year round where you live. Do like everyone else does, and have two sets of tires (one all season, one snow), each on their own set of wheels.

 

[child of wonder]

Thanks for the info. I've never purchased snow tires before so it's good to know they should not be driven year round.

 

[RedRooster]

It's a law in Quebec that you have to have snow tires, except now all these people are driving with them year around not realizing that shouldn't and are replacing them almost yearly. A summer of driving on them would sure make them useless for that second winter.

 

[kage69]

Up where I live people wait until, or slightly after, the first snows of winter hit to put their snow tires on. They're removed as soon as the spring thaw really kicks in. Keeping your snow tires for only their intended season can make them last several years - I know one guy who is on winter #5 with his, something I'm hoping to emulate. Some cheap metal wheels are also a good idea, but not crucial.


Tread life and dry surface braking performance both go right out the window if you use them in warm weather, pretty much a waste of money and a huge safety issue. Your gas mileage goes down, and the tires make more road noise.

 

[T2urtle]

Tread life is a lot diffrent in terms of snow tires i think.

i think i recalled reading something off tirerack, where generally all-season tires are thrown away at a 2/32 of tread VS snow tires where 4/32 and they are pretty much useless. Now i know a typical tire brand new has 10/32 or 11/32 but i dont know what a typical new tread depth of snow tires are.

You might be able to run snow tires on the 5th winter but all depends on how much tread is left.

i've also heard people make it like 5k in the summer with snows and they are toast, especially on highway driving where you do heat them up a LOT. Ive always been a fan of 2 sets of tires but never done it yet. My stock 17's allseasons still have too much life on them to just throw them out.

 

[Vette73]

Where do you live and how much snow?


The Cont DWS tires are all season but have a snow part to the tire. I use them on my car year round due to snow in the winter but I don;t want an extra set of tires.

 

[Jumpem]

Of course you switch tires back and forth each season.

 

[BoberFett]

Yes, it is typical to have two sets of tires in states where snow is prevelant.

Says who?

 

[jlee]

Says who?

Maybe not "typical", but definitely not uncommon.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Where do you live and how much snow?


The Cont DWS tires are all season but have a snow part to the tire. I use them on my car year round due to snow in the winter but I don;t want an extra set of tires.

That's a good strategy in some areas. My Mom has Nokian WRG-2 tires on her Civic, which have a snow tread section as well, but they're still all-season tires. They're excellent in the Pacific Northwest which is mostly wet in the winter, but occasionally gets snow.

Those tires are excellent in the rain and perform very well on the few days a year we get a bit of snow. Dedicated snow tires would be overkill here.

 

[sdifox]

My wife just brought my 2007 Honda Civic to the shop to get some brake work done and I had her ask them what they sold for snow tires. The guy at the shop told her if snow tires are driven year round you can only expect to get about 30,000 miles out of them. He said it's best to get a pair of summer tires and a set of snow tires and interchange them with the seasons.

Now, obviously the guy has a vested interest in selling 8 tires vs. 4 but I have never heard something like this. I'm looking at some Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires on tirerack.com and am thinking of purchasing these, but thought I would ping the AT Garage experts on this first.

Is it a good idea to purchase studless snow tires and drive them year round?

Snow tires cannot stand up to non winter temperatures. Do not drive winters in any season other than winter.

separate set of rims is best.

 

[BoberFett]

Maybe not "typical", but definitely not uncommon.

Depending on your definition of "not uncommon" I might be inclined to agree, but most people can't be bothered to switch tires out twice a year. If you're driving a RWD sports/muscle car that really needs great traction at all times then sure. But your average FWD commuter sedan and grocery getter is just fine on a set of all-seasons.

 

[sdifox]

Depending on your definition of "not uncommon" I might be inclined to agree, but most people can't be bothered to switch tires out twice a year. If you're driving a RWD sports/muscle car that really needs great traction at all times then sure. But your average FWD commuter sedan and grocery getter is just fine on a set of all-seasons.

I thought you guys get buried in snow?

I would never drive without winter tires in the winter.

 

[Jumpem]

Depending on your definition of "not uncommon" I might be inclined to agree, but most people can't be bothered to switch tires out twice a year. If you're driving a RWD sports/muscle car that really needs great traction at all times then sure. But your average FWD commuter sedan and grocery getter is just fine on a set of all-seasons.

Not if you get 150-200" of snow. I still put snows on my Outback.

 

[jlee]

Depending on your definition of "not uncommon" I might be inclined to agree, but most people can't be bothered to switch tires out twice a year. If you're driving a RWD sports/muscle car that really needs great traction at all times then sure. But your average FWD commuter sedan and grocery getter is just fine on a set of all-seasons.

I probably see more people driving in the summer with studded snows than I do in the winter with summer tires.

Actually the last time I remember seeing someone in a snowstorm on summer tires, they were off the road.

 

[Zap]

most people can't be bothered to switch tires out twice a year.

Just think of it as rotating the tires.

You guys do that, right? Rotate tires?

I probably see more people driving in the summer with studded snows than I do in the winter with summer tires.

Actually the last time I remember seeing someone in a snowstorm on summer tires, they were off the road.

That's why you don't see it much. First time in the snow with Summer tires is usually the last time.

It was for me. :$

 

[MJinZ]

Swapping tires costs about $60-$80 (unless you overpaid for them to begin with at the shop that offers tire swapping during winter and spring). Alternatively you can have an extra set of wheels + tires just for winter.

So it's not nearly as economical to be dropping $150 a year and have paid for another set of tires that you may or may not be able to use down the road if you damage wheels or change wheels.

Therefore, go with All Seasons or get another set of wheels for winter as well.

Unless you have an RWD car, there is no real need for snow tires here in the Northeast.

 

[MJinZ]

Just think of it as rotating the tires.

You guys do that, right? Rotate tires?



That's why you don't see it much. First time in the snow with Summer tires is usually the last time.

It was for me. :$

It's usually not a problem except for TPMSes which you would either give up (and live with the lights during winter) or buy/program new ones (expensive) just for your winters.