kbroderick

As noted above, M+S is an older designation, and Tirerack has some more info:



from https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/bens-...-and-snow-tire

So most true winter tires do meet the specification for M+S tires, but the M+S designation absolutely doesn't mean that a tire is appropriate for winter use (regardless of what some states in the US claim). The 3PMSF symbol indicates some better level of winter performance, but as noted above, a true winter tire will be more optimized for actual winter performance; my summer tires are 3PMSF-rated, but they're terrifying on packed snow and ice. My winter tires, on the other hand, provide consistent grip and, more importantly, far better feedback near the edge of traction.

If you're looking for road-oriented performance in a winter tire, I'd try searching for snow tires that aren't labeled "All Terrain" or anything similar. The Blizzaks would be in that category, along with a fair few others.

ronemca

Great discussion! Let’s keep going, gents!

Ryan_2020

On my wife's edge (FWD not AWD) we run Blizzaks.

On my truck we run Duratrac's in winter (snowflake rating), which would be the minimum I would run in northern Canada.

Biggest thing is temperature, the colder it is the more I recommend a true winter tire (arguably I should run a true winter but I like the ability to drive through deep A*s snow).

shutt40

First you should consider what kind of conditions you get in the winter. Deeper wet snow or dryer icy roads. Here in northern Alberta we get more icy conditions than deep wet snow, so I run Michelin X-Ice. They have many small sipes but no large lugs so they don't perform well in deep wet snow or slush. If you have more deep wet snow then look for a winter tire with larger lugs. Either way a winter tire will outperform a MS tire all day long.

ronemca

Yeah - here in the center of the CDN universe we get wet snow and drifting. (SNOW drifting - not controlled sliding) :-)

I'm convinced that a more aggressive tread is the way to go - along with a little narrower & a little higher profile. But I'll start searching for "true" winters now.

John07

S and M mean snow and mud, however, M+S tires are usually only good in light snow unless they have a 3PMSF rating. They’re viable for all seasons, meaning great usability, especially for those who live in areas with long winters.

mass-hole

Duratracs are about the best non-snow specific tire you can run in snow. I had 4 sets over the years and was always really impressed. They replaced Blizzak DM-V2's on my Jeep Liberty and I didnt feel like it was a huge loss of snow performace.

I then switched to KO2's on both my truck and Lexus GX and they are mediocre at best in snow. The GX runs Blizzak DM-V2's in the winter and they are SOOOO much better than the KO2's.