Tiremakers offer new tread designs and compounds for winter

When preparing your vehicle for winter, most people think about getting the battery tested, installing new wiper blades and having plenty of windshield-washer fluid on hand. Those are all good habits. But if you live in a cold-weather part of the country, installing a dedicated set of winter tires is another thing you should consider.

Unlike all-season tires, winter tires have compounds that are formulated to remain pliable in colder temperatures. They also use special tread designs to cut through the elements and to provide optimal traction.

Here's a look the some of the winter-tire offerings this season:

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70

The latest entry into Bridgestone's Winter Biter tire family is the WS70. Like past models, the WS70 features dual tread compounds with a new multicell silica top tread with RC Polymers for improved pliability and traction on snow and ice compared with its predecessor, the WS60. After that layer wears away, it reveals a standard winter compound.

The tread design includes four main grooves and deep treads to aid in cutting through snow and slush. For better performance in dry conditions, the tread blocks have new 3D sipes, which increase block stiffness.

Visit Bridgestone's Web site, www.bridgestonetire.com, for available sizes.

Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT

To cater to the SUV and light-truck market, Goodyear launched its first dedicated winter tire for the segment. Called the Ultra Grip Ice WRT (for Winter Reactive Technology), the range features two different tread designs: one for SUVs and another for light trucks. Both treads feature a mixture of 2D and 3D blades for additional biting edges for enhanced winter traction. Both versions use a directional tread design. Both tires can also be outfitted with optional studs: No. 12 studs on light-truck tires and No. 15 studs on SUV models. The Ultra Grip Ice WRT is molded from Goodyear's Winter Grip compound, which is formulated to cope with cold temperatures.

We had some first-hand experience with the Ultra Grip Ice WRT at the McKinley Climate Laboratory located on Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Inside of the largest environmental testing chamber in the world, it was 15 degrees and the ground was covered in snow. We rode shotgun in Ford F-250s--one shod with the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires and the other with a competing Bridgestone Blizzak W965 tires.

On the snow, the test drivers did quick figure eights around cones with quick steering inputs. The Bridgestone would understeer a lot during those maneuvers, while the Goodyear didn't suffer from large amounts of understeer and provided much more grip. Low-speed braking tests on ice also saw the Goodyear outperform the Bridgestone by a sizeable margin.

Outside of the climate-controlled hangar, we got behind the wheel of Chevrolet Tahoes to round an autocross course which was half wet. Once again, the Ultra Grips were noticeably better with quicker bite on turn-in, and the big SUV was less tail-happy when getting onto the throttle compared with the vehicle with the Blizzaks.

Goodyear says that prices for the Ultra Grip WRT should range from $130 to $240 per tire. Go to www.goodyeartires.com for a full listing of available sizes.

Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2

Another new winter tire aimed at SUVs and crossovers is the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2. The tread design is an evolution of the previous Xi with Cross Z-Sipes with a 3D design and micro-pumps for maximum grip. Also noteworthy is that the sipes and micro-pumps go the full depth of the tread for improved winter-weather longevity.

The new winter-flex tread compound also easily copes with subzero temperatures. Ride comfort stays intact with the computer-optimized design and manufacturing process to keep road noise and vibration down.

Go to www.michelinman.com for more information and complete size.

Michelin LTX Winter

For the commercial industry, Michelin brings the LTX Winter to the table, which is rated with a load range of E. The winter compound is more aggressive for snow and ice and is ideal for the likes of snow plows and full-size cargo vans. The tread design features 3D active sips with more than 1,000 biting edges with MaxTouch Construction for improved reliability.

Visit www.michelinman.com for more details.

By Jonathan Wong