#WinterTires

Over the past few years, our northern editors have tested tires from all the major brands, but it’s been quite a while since we ran a set of Michelin X-Ice snow tires (“X-Ice Snow” is the tire name). Industry-wide shortages meant Michelin wasn’t able to get them into our hands until mid-November, which is later than we like to put them on; but because of  a very mild fall in the East we didn’t have any early winter weather to contend with.

Earlier this year Sailun launched the latest evolution of the brand’s Ice Blazer line of tires. As it’s the first new winter tire from the manufacturer in quite some time, the new Sailun Ice Blazer WSTX is a big deal. It’s also the perfect opportunity for us at AutoGuide to perform another in-depth, winter-long tire test.

Autumn is here in full swing and temperatures are starting to drop. That means it’s time to start thinking about winter tires. The good news is that eBay has some incredible deals on winter tires, so you can save money while also making your vehicle safer to drive this winter.

*Final Update Posted May 4th, 2022*

Sailun’s Terramax A/T has always been a shockingly good performer from a relatively unknown brand. Now, there’s a new winter-rated version of the Terramax A/T that’s putting the whole industry on notice.

A good set of winter tires engineered to provide dependable, solid performance no matter the conditions is hard to come by – unless you’re willing to spend an arm and a leg. But with the Blackhawk Iceprey HW06, developed specifically for SUVs and light trucks, you don’t have to.

Sailun’s Iceblazer has always been a shockingly good performer from a relatively unknown brand. The  WST2 is putting the whole industry on notice.

See if all-season tires or winter tires are right for you.

Tire manufacturers have done an amazing job at using modern rubber compounds and computer tread designs that give studless winter tires more grip than the studded tires from just 30 years ago. While that’s made studded tires less popular than they were in the past, they haven’t gone away. Why? Because some parts of the country still see winters where the snow is measured in feet, not inches. Where there is more ice on the road than there is sun in the sky for half of the year.

Just because it’s cold, wet, snowy or icy doesn’t mean you can’t drive a sporty or high-performance vehicle. The best high-performance winter tires and snow tires are designed for drivers that want enhanced dry road handling from their winter/snow tires, while sacrificing maximum snow and ice traction. But don’t get us wrong: winter tires in this category are still great for winter driving, and far better than all-season tires in low temperatures and winter conditions. While they’re among the best snow tires, we did not include any studded snow tires in this list. We’ve driven on studded tires and they’ll get you through anything, but they’re not legal everywhere and are definitely not your first choice for spirited driving.

We take a closer look at winter tires and how they can help you drive safer

Updated March 2019

You might want to drive all year long on winter tires to save money, time or both, but that you shouldn’t do it.

Those of us further north know it’s almost time for winter tires, and TireRack.com is making the snow tire hunt a little easier on the pocketbook.

Like many of you, I wasn’t always a believer in the magic of winter tires.