RJM62
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 13,157
- Location
- Upstate New York
- Display Name
Display name:
Geek on the Hill
This is a preliminary PIREP because we haven't had any snow yet. We don't usually get snow in September. October, yes, but not September. Usually.
I use dedicated studded winter tires during the coldest months of the year when ice is a factor, but that's really the only time you should use them. In other weather, they actually reduce traction. Ice isn't usually a consideration until late November and stops being a consideration around mid March, but we do occasionally have light to moderate snow as early as late September and as late as May. I decided that I wanted some extra safety during those months.
Another person in my life also wanted the tires to have the 3PMSF symbol, which basically means that they meet or exceed the minimum standards for severe winter weather and can be used as winter tires where and when required by law (such as in most of Canada in the winter, I'm told).
I'm still not sure how sold I am on the 3PMSF symbol because I'm not sure how well it's enforced, if at all. But there are very few all-season tires that have it, so I guess it means more than the meaningless "M & S" that practically every tire made seems to have nowadays.
After six months of research (seriously), I decided that the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady seemed to be the tire I wanted, based on both consumer reviews and professional testing. It's been around long enough to have some real-world results and reviews, and it seems to rank well in the categories I care about.
The next step was finding the best price, which turned out to be buying them from Goodyear and having them shipped to a local shop for mounting and balancing. That deal came with a $225.00 rebate if I agreed to accept Goodyear's credit card, making it the lowest overall price. (Amazingly, I've already received the rebate card, barely two weeks after buying the tires.)
Here are my initial impressions.
Overall Feel
As one would expect from a tire optimized more toward cold weather, these tires have a more "grippy" feel to them than a summer-optimized tire would. They ride very much like a winter tire would on dry pavement. That's fine with me, but it might bother some drivers.
Traction
No snow yet, but traction in dry-weather, wet-weather, and mud have all been excellent. I noticed no hydroplaning at all when driving through puddles at any speed. That's actually a tough thing to pull off on a tire that's winter-optimized. I'm impressed.
Cornering
Much better than expected. I've found that winter-optimized tires sometime have a tendency to slide laterally in hard cornering maneuvers, probably because the tread is optimized for starting and stopping in snow. These tires didn't slide out at all.
Noise
Probably the noisiest all-season tire I've driven on. The noise is a combination of a hum and a rumble, with a bit of a whoosh thrown in for harmony. It doesn't bother me in the least, but it might bother some people. If tire noise makes you crazy, then this probably isn't the tire for you.
Fuel Economy
It's too soon to say for sure, but my indicated MPG readings are almost 2 MPG lower than the tires that these replaced. However, those tires were worn, so the reading was high.
These tires are also heavier than the ones they replaced, so there's more unsprung weight; and their tread is more aggressive and the rubber optimized for winter, so there is more rolling resistance.
Based on calculated MPG, but after only two tanks of gas, I'm guessing that the MPG loss will be in the 1 MPG to 1.2 MPG range. That's an acceptable trade if they do well in the snow, which I expect they will based on reviews and closed-track tests.
Appearance
For those who care about such things, we have pictures:
Goodyear Credit Card Experience
I applied for and received the Goodyear credit card to get the higher rebate. Because I have my credit reports frozen and have fraud alerts on my files, I had to call Citibank to verify my identity. Then they had to call me back on the number listed in the fraud report. Then they asked me some questions about things like car loans and old addresses and phone numbers.
All in all, it was painless, and I'm actually glad they were cautious. Once the agent was certain that I was indeed me, he gave me my card number and a temporary security code over the phone so I could make the purchase online.
Typical of "store cards," there is a six-month interest-free period, after which the deferred interest calculated from day one kicks in at Shylock rates. So if you decide to go this route to get the extra rebate bucks, make sure to pay off the tires within six months.
Goodyear.com Purchase and Local Installation Experience
The purchase experience was uneventful, and the local installation was excellent. The appointment was kept on-time, the installer had the tires and all the paperwork, no money changed hands other than the tip, and the work was done well. There were no problems with the balancing at any speed, including a trip to Philadelphia this past weekend during which... Let's just say I kept up with traffic on the PA Turnpike.
Rebate Experience
As mentioned earlier, I've already received the rebate. Thorough instructions were included in the purchase confirmation email, which basically consisted of filling out a brief form and uploading a PDF of the email. Very painless, and much faster than I'd anticipated.
All in all, I'm happy with the tires and the entire purchase and installation experience. I also think they'll do well in the light-to-moderate snow for which I chose them, and probably won't get us killed even if we should encounter heavier snow. They have that winter-tire "feel" to them. I think they'll be fine. I'll report again after the first snow.
Rich
I use dedicated studded winter tires during the coldest months of the year when ice is a factor, but that's really the only time you should use them. In other weather, they actually reduce traction. Ice isn't usually a consideration until late November and stops being a consideration around mid March, but we do occasionally have light to moderate snow as early as late September and as late as May. I decided that I wanted some extra safety during those months.
Another person in my life also wanted the tires to have the 3PMSF symbol, which basically means that they meet or exceed the minimum standards for severe winter weather and can be used as winter tires where and when required by law (such as in most of Canada in the winter, I'm told).
I'm still not sure how sold I am on the 3PMSF symbol because I'm not sure how well it's enforced, if at all. But there are very few all-season tires that have it, so I guess it means more than the meaningless "M & S" that practically every tire made seems to have nowadays.
After six months of research (seriously), I decided that the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady seemed to be the tire I wanted, based on both consumer reviews and professional testing. It's been around long enough to have some real-world results and reviews, and it seems to rank well in the categories I care about.
The next step was finding the best price, which turned out to be buying them from Goodyear and having them shipped to a local shop for mounting and balancing. That deal came with a $225.00 rebate if I agreed to accept Goodyear's credit card, making it the lowest overall price. (Amazingly, I've already received the rebate card, barely two weeks after buying the tires.)
Here are my initial impressions.
Overall Feel
As one would expect from a tire optimized more toward cold weather, these tires have a more "grippy" feel to them than a summer-optimized tire would. They ride very much like a winter tire would on dry pavement. That's fine with me, but it might bother some drivers.
Traction
No snow yet, but traction in dry-weather, wet-weather, and mud have all been excellent. I noticed no hydroplaning at all when driving through puddles at any speed. That's actually a tough thing to pull off on a tire that's winter-optimized. I'm impressed.
Cornering
Much better than expected. I've found that winter-optimized tires sometime have a tendency to slide laterally in hard cornering maneuvers, probably because the tread is optimized for starting and stopping in snow. These tires didn't slide out at all.
Noise
Probably the noisiest all-season tire I've driven on. The noise is a combination of a hum and a rumble, with a bit of a whoosh thrown in for harmony. It doesn't bother me in the least, but it might bother some people. If tire noise makes you crazy, then this probably isn't the tire for you.
Fuel Economy
It's too soon to say for sure, but my indicated MPG readings are almost 2 MPG lower than the tires that these replaced. However, those tires were worn, so the reading was high.
These tires are also heavier than the ones they replaced, so there's more unsprung weight; and their tread is more aggressive and the rubber optimized for winter, so there is more rolling resistance.
Based on calculated MPG, but after only two tanks of gas, I'm guessing that the MPG loss will be in the 1 MPG to 1.2 MPG range. That's an acceptable trade if they do well in the snow, which I expect they will based on reviews and closed-track tests.
Appearance
For those who care about such things, we have pictures:
Goodyear Credit Card Experience
I applied for and received the Goodyear credit card to get the higher rebate. Because I have my credit reports frozen and have fraud alerts on my files, I had to call Citibank to verify my identity. Then they had to call me back on the number listed in the fraud report. Then they asked me some questions about things like car loans and old addresses and phone numbers.
All in all, it was painless, and I'm actually glad they were cautious. Once the agent was certain that I was indeed me, he gave me my card number and a temporary security code over the phone so I could make the purchase online.
Typical of "store cards," there is a six-month interest-free period, after which the deferred interest calculated from day one kicks in at Shylock rates. So if you decide to go this route to get the extra rebate bucks, make sure to pay off the tires within six months.
Goodyear.com Purchase and Local Installation Experience
The purchase experience was uneventful, and the local installation was excellent. The appointment was kept on-time, the installer had the tires and all the paperwork, no money changed hands other than the tip, and the work was done well. There were no problems with the balancing at any speed, including a trip to Philadelphia this past weekend during which... Let's just say I kept up with traffic on the PA Turnpike.
Rebate Experience
As mentioned earlier, I've already received the rebate. Thorough instructions were included in the purchase confirmation email, which basically consisted of filling out a brief form and uploading a PDF of the email. Very painless, and much faster than I'd anticipated.
All in all, I'm happy with the tires and the entire purchase and installation experience. I also think they'll do well in the light-to-moderate snow for which I chose them, and probably won't get us killed even if we should encounter heavier snow. They have that winter-tire "feel" to them. I think they'll be fine. I'll report again after the first snow.
Rich
