P.
Guys, if you haven't noticed yet
it's fricking winter, it's snowing.
It's icy, its (beep)every day is damning freezing
or even well blow it.
And whenever there's a bit of snow
on the road, all hell seems to break loose.
From people smashing into the back of other cars
at stoplights(beep)
Parking lot mishaps on ice
and straight up losing control on the highway
and damn near, every time that this happens,
it comes down to the user, having
the wrong tires for the conditions.
So if you really want to save money
on your insurance and double the lifespan
of your all seasons and or summer tires,
you really really need a set of dedicated winter tires.
So that's exactly what we're going to talk about today.
We're gonna go
over our most popular snow tires going into 21.
(laughs) (beep)
That'll be sure to change
your entire winter driving experience.
That was a weird pause that I did that.
What is going on guys,
and welcome back to fitment industries.
I'm Sean, Sean, Sean B.FI on Instagram.
And before we get started,
we should have browse you largest selection of wheels
tires, and suspension on the whole fricking internet.
Let's get started.
Starting with our fifth most popular selling winter tire.
Let's take a look at the Nexen Winguardsporting 2.
The Winguard sport2, is a great affordable option
for someone looking for a winter tire
with both lifespan and also spirited driving in mind.
The first thing you're gonna notice is the directional
and asymmetrical tread design itself, reminiscent
of your UHP all seasons or even summer tires.
This is going to give this tire
its performance oriented handling characteristics
which is kind of a weird thing to say, but a winter tire
but it makes sense from a tread pattern standpoint.
What the(beep)
A tread pattern of this design is aimed
at keeping its contact patch large
in order to keep more rubber
on the road, for that stability to increase responsiveness
and stability with spirited
and higher speed driving
this tread pattern choice also aides
in the tires ability to be at the top
of its class in lifespan and road noise as well,
which is extremely impressive considering
how soft a compound really has to be to remain flexible
in winter, in extremely cold weather.
And then with that, you're probably gonna notice there's
the thousands of little sipes that run
through the entire contact patch of the tire.
And what these do, is they actually pick up snow
and ice and hold it
in their sipes because contrary popular belief, snow
and ice friction on other snow
and ice is greater than that, of rubber on snow and ice.
They also allow multiple sections
of the tread block to flex.
And then that actually creates little biting edges
as they flex leading to even more grip
on that deep snow and ice.
(breathes out heavily)
Keeping performance in mind, this tire
is V speed rated, which means it's tested safe
to 149 miles an hour, and also carries an extra load rating
which means you guys with
the heavier vehicles can even take advantage
of these as well.
These are gonna be the perfect choice for you
guys rocking hot hatches, luxury sports sedans,
and even into your domestic muscle cars that are looking
for a winter tire, that's not going to handle like a noodle.
This tire is pretty average across the board
with its snow grip characteristics coming
in a little above average is it's wet grip,
a little below average with its ability to disperse water.
This tire is gonna excel in dry handling
and it has class leading lifespan.
Now lifespan isn't necessarily my main concern
with a winter tires as I've pretty well come to terms
with a snow tire, not lasting quite as long
as the summer tire, but this is gonna be a great choice
for someone looking for performance oriented and quiet tire
who would also be stacking on miles with a lot
of highway driving, a set of 4235/50/18 will run
you about $636 making it a pretty good value for the money.
Coming in at number 4 is the Continental Viking Contact 7,
what a great name for a winter tire.
The first thing that really stands out
to me about this tire is its tread pattern.
It's a bunch of diamond shaped blocks all
through the center of the tire.
It looks like a fricking rattlesnake
the design really vibes well with the name.
Anyway, these tires are packed
with continental technology before we even get
into what makes this a great winter tire choice.
Let's talk about some
of the continental technology that's packed
into most continental tires.
P, first and foremost
Conti seal is a really neat penetration safety technology.
It's a sticky yet viscous sealant layer
that's applied underneath the tread layer.
They say Conti seal can withstand 80%
of puncture scenarios, reducing a solid portion
of any risk associated with the debris
or other various sharp objects in the road.
After that, we're gonna be looking
at Continental's, self supporting run flat tire technology
in case of a puncture, especially
in a tire that doesn't have this conti seal technology.
This prevents the sidewall
from being crushed between the wheel and the road
and also the tire from slipping off the wheel
which makes spare tires obsolete not having
to carry a spare tire means a reduction in weight
which improves fuel efficiency
and adds a bunch of free space in the trunk.
(clears throat)
What the (beep)
And then a great one specifically
for a winter tire is the conti silent technology,
which is a tire noise producing system.
It's actually a layer of polyurethane foam attached
to that inner surface of the tire.
So just like a foam layer reduces interior cabin noises
inside your vehicle.
This foam is actually going to absorb vibration
and reduce noise directly associated with that tire.
Going back to that aggressive tread design
with those diamond shaped tread blocks.
The reason for this is to actually take advantage
of the directional design in order to give that tire
the stability and dry grip
that we all love or simultaneously being able
to align these channels,
in a way that can very quickly disperse water and slush.
And of course in those tread blocks are variously sized
sipes to help really maximize that grip on snow and ice
especially when breaking.
These things are available in 91 different sizes
and configurations.
The Viking Contact 7s are in the top of their class
with snow grip, great at water dispersion,
with decent lifespan.
If your climate sees deeper snow
or lots of snow covered roads, but you also want a tire
with a good tread life to stack miles on these ones for you,
and most commonly bought sizes are 245/40/18
and it's gonna cost you a little under $870
for a full set of four shipped right to your door.
Number three on the list is one
of the most recognizable winter tire names on the market.
And that's going to be the Bridgestone Blizzak.
But this one specifically is a WS90.
Bridgestone uses their newest nano pro tech.
multicell tread compound in the makeup of this tire.
That's designed to act like kind
of a sponge for lack of a better analogy.
It actually sucks up the water.
It pulls up that small thin layer of water that sits
on top of that ice or that hard packed snow, which results
in better traction on ice, covered road surfaces.
And the added benefit is
that this tire compound remains more pliable
in very cold temperatures
which means improved overall dry and wet handling.
Now this technology is actually only
in the first 55% of the tread depth
and then the remaining tread depth after that uses
their standard winter tire compounds.
I'm not entirely sure on the reasoning behind this
but if I had to guess, I'd assume
that having this technology would make
for an extremely soft compound
in order to result in a very quick wear, which
for this tire is already some of the worst in its class.
Now I don't mean that in a derogatory way though
the tread off for on snow and ice is longevity
and these tires are the best
on the market for straight up grip on snow and ice.
These tires are not something I would recommend
for somebody with a long commute
but something I would absolutely recommend
for someone who sees pretty extreme winter weather
or specifically likes to challenge the depths
of an unplowed parking lot.
These are very fun, very, very capable snow tires
and they are the most expensive of the day coming in
at $1,100 for a set of 225/60/18.
I can't call this one an overall great value
because it doesn't check multiple boxes.
However, if your goal is to get
through deep snow and heavy ice
this is undoubtedly the best tool
for conquering anything winter can throw at you.
And number two most popular winter tire is none other
than the Toyo Celsius.
I air quoted winter because this one is actually
what the industry calls a hybrid tire.
Essentially, It just combines the all weather attributes
of an all season tire with winter attributes of a snow tire.
You're looking at having an off season
with kind of a winter oriented compound
and a winter oriented tread depths
and sipes to grab snow better than
your typical all seasons would.
Now don't get it twisted.
This is not a good replacement for a snow tire if,
you live in a climate that sees above moderate snow, but
if you live somewhere that gets a cold or winter that sees
below freezing temperatures
and a mild snow, this is a fantastic alternative to
your full on winter tire without the risk
of a traditional off season.
This is gonna be a tire that performs
like any other all season would in warm, dry
and wet conditions while still providing security
in cold weather and snow without sacrificing lifespan.
These tires provide a decent amount
of value at the price point as well even
for a premium brand all season,
but $800 price tag for 235/40/18 really is getting you a lot
for the money, especially when you consider
offers these winter attributes with a 60,000 mile warranty.
And lastly is our most popular selling winter tire
for the 2021 season.
Michelin's third generation X-ice tire.
The X-I3 utilizes Michelin's flex ice silica
compound formula designed
to provide enhanced flexibility on snow and ice while
simultaneously providing the firmness needed
for predictable handling stability
and lifespan on wet or dry roads during the cold season.
Michelin has also integrated some
of their green X technology in the tread makeup
to give this tire a low rolling resistance
for better fuel efficiency as well.
But tread pattern here is full
of Michelin DNA with the asymmetrical tread pattern
and aggressively designed blocks.
You can see the extra deep tread depth between these blocks.
And then in these tread blocks, is outside
of the compound of the rubber.
that makes this a snow tire.
This tire has tons of siping
and they also have these little holes
at the rear of the outer tread blocks called micro pumps.
And what these are actually meant to do is soak
up that water, to allow the sites to work more efficiently.
So these are obviously a very serious winter tire was state
of the art winter tire technology.
But what I think really sets Michelin snow tires apart
from its competition outside of their winter ability
is how they get all of this function with zero sacrifice
to all the other things
that make us snow tire a little less desirable, like comfort
and noise and longevity.
These things are absolute rock stars.
And when you're driving them on the street,
you don't even know the difference between these
and a summer tire from a noise
and a ride quality standpoint.
I actually have a set of these on my BAAS4,
and I am madly in love with
how they perform in and out of snow.
They provide a solid value as well.
Considering these things even heavy 40,000 mile,
6 year warranty.
That's a lot considering most snow tires have
a very limited warranty, if any warranty at all.
The most popular purchase
size is a 245/40/18 XL.
And you can snag a set of these bad boys for just $880
and that is gonna be shipped to your door.
Well, so there you have it.
2021 is most popular winter tires.
What do you guys run on your rights?
Did they make the list?
Let me know when the comments.
And please tell us what you want to see us cover next.
If you want to snag yourself a set of any
of these winter tires or want to browse other options
simply head over to http://www.fitmentindustries.com
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If you've learn anything today
I'm Sean fitment industries, Seanb.fi on Instagram.
Thank you so much for watching.
Peace.
- Peace.
(horn blowing)