I recently moved to the 5th snowiest city in the US and as winter approaches I’m curious how other people approach choosing the right tire. Now my current tires are only M+S rated so no triple peak rating but I’m personally not worried. I’m very confident in the snow and got around fine through one of the biggest snow years in a first gen Prius with $50 all seasons😂. Buttttt…. I live with five women two of which have 2wd cars. I assume a lot of people who get Tacomas get them to deal with conditions like this so my question is do you guys change out for dedicated snow tires? How necessary are studs? They seem to only be helpful on the ice. Or do most of you just get a good tire and call it a day? What do you put on your significant others vehicle?
Haha, I’m all for tires in snow! Though, the ground in that picture doesn’t quite look like snow—looks a bit like volcanic cinders. Are you in Flagstaff, AZ?
If you’re driving through deep snow or dirt/mud, you might want more aggressive tires, but for mostly pavement/gravel, I’m happy with Michelin Defender M/S tires. Quiet, great handling, excellent in rain, and good in snow.
I’m in a ‘99 4WD V6 Auto, for context.
@DEONTE
Haha, not quite snow yet—I’m actually in Tahoe! You can barely make out the lake in the second pic. Glad to hear your Michelin M+S tires work well. This is my first winter season with them. I had a ‘99 CR-V with three-peak rated tires that plowed through 2.5 feet of powder. I’ve got Michelin CrossClimate 2s on my girlfriend’s car, and those have been fantastic—almost like snow tires but all-season. We’ll see how these compare.
I swap out my AT tires for Blizzak DMV2s in the winter, and my wife’s Volvo gets Michelin X-Ice. Snow tires are essential where we live, especially for getting to the ski hill in a storm.
Zaren said:
I swap out my AT tires for Blizzak DMV2s in the winter, and my wife’s Volvo gets Michelin X-Ice. Snow tires are essential where we live, especially for getting to the ski hill in a storm.
Blizzaks are awesome. Couldn’t get them last time, so I went with Yokohama IceGuards, which are okay but not as good. I had Wildpeaks on during a storm last year—they’re decent, but winter tires are way better on ice.
@Mitchelle
I had Nokian Hakkapeliittas, and they were incredible. Snow and ice felt like dry pavement.
Zaren said:
I swap out my AT tires for Blizzak DMV2s in the winter, and my wife’s Volvo gets Michelin X-Ice. Snow tires are essential where we live, especially for getting to the ski hill in a storm.
We’ve used Blizzaks every winter. They’re amazing. KO2s in winter? No thanks. Blizzaks all the way.
@Darwin
Yeah, KO2s aren’t the best unless you’re snow wheeling. But they do handle deep powder well. The new KO3s look more versatile with extra sipes.
Flynt said:
@Darwin
Yeah, KO2s aren’t the best unless you’re snow wheeling. But they do handle deep powder well. The new KO3s look more versatile with extra sipes.
I like what they did with the KO3s, but I’m not sure they’ll keep me with BFG. We’ll see.
Zaren said:
I swap out my AT tires for Blizzak DMV2s in the winter, and my wife’s Volvo gets Michelin X-Ice. Snow tires are essential where we live, especially for getting to the ski hill in a storm.
I’ve heard great things about Blizzaks; a lot of people use them here too. Have you tried the Michelin CrossClimate 2s? They’re all-seasons, but they honestly perform like snow tires.
I’m in interior BC, so I use snow tires for about six months a year. I used to run ATs year-round and thought they were fine, but winter tires make a huge difference. Studs are great if it’s icy and consistently cold; otherwise, studless is ideal for varied conditions. I’ve used Blizzak DMV1 and DMV2—they’re fantastic.
@Christie
Have you tried the CrossClimate 2s? They’re technically all-seasons, but they perform close to snow tires. My girlfriend got through Tahoe’s record-breaking snow last year with them. There’s a cool video examining them. Curious if they’d hold up in your scenario.
I run my KO2 ATs year-round in Colorado without issues.
CorollaChris4 said:
I run my KO2 ATs year-round in Colorado without issues.
Same here—no problems, even on I-70 climbs. (Knocks on wood.)
After years of AT tires in winter, I switched to studded Nokians, and it’s a game-changer. My wife was skeptical until she drove with them!
Quinn said:
After years of AT tires in winter, I switched to studded Nokians, and it’s a game-changer. My wife was skeptical until she drove with them!
Studs make a huge difference, especially when climbing gravel grades daily in North Idaho.
@Fin
I get that—I live up a logging road with 20% grades, and I switch between studded tires and 4-wheel drive depending on the hill.
You should definitely use tires in snow!
I also endorse using tires for snow travel.
Amir said:
I also endorse using tires for snow travel.
What about rocks? 