Given
83%
while driving a
Honda CRV
(205/70 R15) on
a combination of roads
for 6,000
spirited miles
Purchased for the winter season in the UK. Fitted in September and removed in April during which time the car was driven 6000 miles in all conditions. Initial impressions were that the tires gave good grip but a mushy feel at the limit of
adhesion in wet and dry conditions. After the tires wore in for the first 1000 miles this mushiness went away and they
became surprisingly precise and grippy for winter tires with barely any less grip than my summer tires and better in the
wet with a really marked improvement when temperatures were around freezing. They needed very little balance weight
and have been driven many miles at very high speed including,on occasion, above their rated maximum without the
slightest problem. They can be cornered at the limit on warm dry roads without the rapid shoulder wear I was expecting.
In fact they seem to wear more slowly than normal tires in winter and a little faster in summer so that overall they could
easily be used all year round. They are quiet over bumps and coarse surfaces and have less bump harshness than my
summer tires. Like all winter tires they do make fuel consumption worse but in this case only about 5% compared to
previous winter tires which have been at least 10% worse. As to their real intended use they give very good adhesion
and predictable handling on ice and on a light layer of fresh snow you can drive as though the road is merely wet. Traction in moderate (up to 4") of snow is really impressive. In deeper snow (say over 7") they were relatively less
impressive as the car is less easy to steer precisely. Overall however I am mightily impressed, they are a great winter
tire and remarkably good in summer too. If this were a premium tire I would recommend them. Considering their budget
price they are an absolute bargain.