Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[llis]

Unlike the RFT Blizzaks I had on my last car, these snows are quiet and very stable. Driving over Vail pass etc. several days ago (snowpack, ice pack, some loose snow) and through some torrential rain later on, the tires worked like champs, always surefooted. This was especially reassuring with re the front wheels. We can take comfort in the wonderful M traction control for the rear tires, but the passive fronts still need to point you in the right direction. These have performed that fabulously so far. The rain was no problem, and I had no sense of hydroplaning, even at freeway speeds.

On dry pavement, the tires are very quiet. In most cases, you wouldn't know from sound or feel of normal driving that they are snow tires.

Conclusion so far: These are good tires if you're in an area like Colorado which can have more dry days than snow days during the season. I still have yet to face the fresh snow and slush scenarios, but so far I'm very happy with these tires.

Caveat: The 18" rims (I went with the bargain A7s for starters) and tires combine to lower the car what feels like about an inch. This was a surprise, because I thought the tires would have higher profiles than the Continentals on my ZCP rims. Ironic to be riding lower for the winter. A few times I've had to be extremely careful rolling out of gas stations etc.