Topic: Your Thoughts on canadian tires Goodyear Nordic?

[Jim]

Hey people was just wonder what ya guys think of this tire...i'm in quebec and really could use a set of winter tires but just gets so damn expensive when u don't really have the money.
 I've used allseasons before and am thinking of that or two winter for the front and two allseasons for the back when the others are finished regardless of what some people say i think 2 winter on the drive wheels has to be better then none. That way if my car survives the winter i can buy two more all seasons for the summer .

Anyone have any thoughts on this combination Goodyear Nordic for front and 2 Motomaster LXR for the rear for a pontiac bonneville

Ok ok maybe that sounds funny kinda doing things half way but its still a savings of about 200bucks or more as aposed to like 500 hundred bucks more next summer for summer tires

 

[articsteve]

How much are those Crappy Tire snows for your car?  Find a quality "light" snow and run 4 of them all year round.  Read down thru the threads because it has been recently discussed.

[morty]

My only thought on this is 4 winters or 4 all-seasons. You cant mix 2 winters with 2 all-seasons. This is a dangerous situation and you will be better off and safer running 4 all-seasons. If you go with winters they need to be on all 4 corners to avoid spinning out and loosing control.

[Trainman]

My only thought on this is 4 winters or 4 all-seasons. You cant mix 2 winters with 2 all-seasons. This is a dangerous situation and you will be better off and safer running 4 all-seasons. If you go with winters they need to be on all 4 corners to avoid spinning out and loosing control.

   morty has it bang on.  And in the grand scheme of things, why cheap put on the only thing between you and the road   

[weebl]

Do you understand why 4 winter tires are recommended versus 2?  I suggest you do a search on this topic, it has everything to do with stability of the vehicle on a slippery surface.  If you still insist on only 2 winter tires, please clearly mark your vehicle so the rest of us can steer clear of you on slippery days.

Good-Year Nordics, I have discovered, have the same tread pattern as Good-Year Ultra Grip 500's that are sold only in Europe.  The tires themselves are probably fine.  Based on my personal experiences, buy the tires only, put them in your trunk, and take them to a qualified and reputable tire dealer to have them mounted and balanced.

[Jim]

yes i understand why 4 winters are better then 2...but for some reason i think the danger is probably over exagerated but hey i could be wrong. Might have something to do with i have known quite a few people over the years who mis match tires and run allseasons if thats all they have or can afford at the time. I admit my knowledge on tires may not be that great and i know winters are generally better. Having two on the drive wheels will help u get up hills though. I imagine the main danger is if ur not paying atention u are more likely to lose control on the back end or in a rear wheel more of a chance of poor steering.. But Just for curiosities sake what about 2 different sets of winter tires can that have the same effect or less likely?
Some times i think just the fact that people put winters on there car makes them feel more safe and that might cause some accidents from being over confident.
 

[tortoise]

My mom had new winters on the front of her taurus and old worn ones on the rear.  I was driving it in a parking lot and it was incredibly easy to lose control.    Just by turning the wheel the car was fishtailing.

Fun in a parking lot, scary in an emergency.

As for running two types of winter tires.  Well, it's better than all seasons but still not ideal.

[Trainman]

yes i understand why 4 winters are better then 2...but for some reason i think the danger is probably over exagerated but hey i could be wrong.
 

   Tell that to the families of people who have been killed as a result of poor winter tire choices.

Seems that every winter there is one news story of someone losing control of a vehicle and the coroner recommending that it be law that 4 winter tires be installed.  Not sure how many deaths it will take before people smarten up.

[Jim]

 Speed is prolly the most common factor in most of the accidents. Wonder how many times the coroner says people should just slow down. And how many people still drive 2 fast and follow 2 close seems to me 80% use winter tires or so the pole suggests yet of that 80% i wonder  how many never speed or follow to close. ummm now how should we slap a new regulation on this got to love all those new regulations every year    

[Benhaze]

I've used allseasons before and am thinking of that or two winter for the front and two allseasons for the back when the others are finished regardless of what some people say i think 2 winter on the drive wheels has to be better then none.

If you choose to use only 2 winter tires instead of 4, they should be used only on the rear wheels, regarless if you have a FWD or RWD. The most important factor is to prevent lost of control and this means putting the winter tires on the rear axle.

[Titanium48]

If you choose to use only 2 winter tires instead of 4, they should be used only on the rear wheels, regarless if you have a FWD or RWD. The most important factor is to prevent lost of control and this means putting the winter tires on the rear axle.

Which means there isn't really much point in using 2 winter tires on a FWD car.  Go with a full set of winters or just stick with all seasons.  If you can avoid driving on highways in crummy weather and you slow down and leave lots of room in front of you in the city you should be OK on all seasons.  If you're looking for inexpensive winter tires try walmart - I got a set of 4 magnagrips (185/70R14) for just over $300 last year, balancing and all taxes included.  Just be sure to double check their work before you leave.

[Benhaze]

Two winter tires on the rear wheels are better than not having any, but obviously it's far from being the right thing to do.

Here's an extract from a CanadianDriver article. Nordics are decent winter tires and I remember seing a review of them a few years back. Just can't find it... Nordics are made by Uniroyal-Goodrich. They are certifed by Transport Canada and that is ONE OF the most important criteriaS IMO for winter driving in Quebec.

Now, all major tire companies market special compound winter tires with refined tread patterns that grip like the devil, while offering a smooth ride and competent road-holding on bare roads.

They have names like Bridgestone Blizzak, Goodyear UltraGrip, Yokohama Guardex, Canadian Tire's Nordic WinterTrac (made by the Uniroyal-Goodrich division of Michelin) and Toyo Observe (which has ground walnut shells in the tread compound to improve grip on ice).

ref.: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/cml/winter_tires.htm
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tires/wintertires/tirelist.htm

[PJungnitsch]

On my old truck I had the same issue, ie no money for two sets of tires. I went with a set of winter (ice) tires all year round and it's worked well. They also lasted quite a long time.

[blur911]

Two winter tires on the rear wheels are better than not having any, but obviously it's far from being the right thing to do.

Here's an extract from a CanadianDriver article. Nordics are decent winter tires and I remember seing a review of them a few years back. Just can't find it... Nordics are made by Uniroyal-Goodrich. They are certifed by Transport Canada and that is ONE OF the most important criteriaS IMO for winter driving in Quebec.

Now, all major tire companies market special compound winter tires with refined tread patterns that grip like the devil, while offering a smooth ride and competent road-holding on bare roads.

They have names like Bridgestone Blizzak, Goodyear UltraGrip, Yokohama Guardex, Canadian Tire's Nordic WinterTrac (made by the Uniroyal-Goodrich division of Michelin) and Toyo Observe (which has ground walnut shells in the tread compound to improve grip on ice).

ref.: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/cml/winter_tires.htm
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tires/wintertires/tirelist.htm

The Canadian Tire Nordics are no longer made by Uniroyal/Goodrich (Division of Michelin), they are now made by Goodyear, I believe in Valleyfield PQ.

[Altair 4]

yes i understand why 4 winters are better then 2...but for some reason i think the danger is probably over exagerated

This sounds like "famous last words"....

[Shnak]

Here's a question for you guys... I shopped around and here is what it comes down to for my winter tires...

- 4 Goodyear Nordic 215/70R-15" with steel wheels for about 720$ (589$ plus tax, installation, balancing... around 720$ I suppose) at Canadian Tire
- 4 Bridgestone Blizzak 215/70R-15" with steel wheels for 905$ (including taxes, installation and balancing) at my Kia dealership

Money is kind of tight, but I could get the Blizzaks if they're really worth it over the Nordics.

Basically, my question is: are the Blizzaks worth the extra ~185$? Will they have better grip on ice and snow? Will they last longer?

[mrthompson]

Based on reviews/testimonials read in last while, I believe the Blizzak would offer better grip however it will probably not last as long (multi-cellular compound wears away leaving 'normal' tread compound underneath). 

 

[weebl]

Yes, the old Nordics (Nordic WinterTrac and Nordic IceTrac) were made by Michelin-Uniroyal-Goodrich.  The WinterTrac being an exact copy of the BFG Winter Slalom except for the branding, and the IceTrac based on a now obsolete Euro market tire sold under the Michelin umbrella as a "Kelber."

The new Nordics (the two have been replaced by one) are Good-Year, based on their Euro market UltraGrip 500.

Going back to the 2 versus 4 winter tire non-debate, if anyone is familiar with the history behind the snowflake and mountain symbol now put on true winter tires, they will know it stems from a serious accident that occured on the highway between Whistler and Vancouver many years ago.  A young lady driving back home in a storm was killed.  On her FWD car were two winter tires in the front and two all-season tires in the back.  Guess what accident investigators determined?  Her loss of control of the car is directly attributed to her tire set up.  Out of that report came the recommendation for the new symbol so people could tell a true winter tire from a non-winter tire, and along with that came continued recommendations that winter tires only be installed in sets of 4, regardless of drivetrain (FWD, RWD, AWD or 4WD).  Don't believe me?  Google it for yourself.

[Trainman]

On my old truck I had the same issue, ie no money for two sets of tires. I went with a set of winter (ice) tires all year round and it's worked well. They also lasted quite a long time.

Lots of people around here do that as well.  We can get snow on the mountain passes any time of the year.

I did that initially with the Pathy but the Hankooks I used will not be a good tire this winter, so am now going the winter/summer sets.

[The Fuzz]

yes i understand why 4 winters are better then 2...but for some reason i think the danger is probably over exagerated

This sounds like "famous last words"....

Sort of like "Hey! Watch this!!!"