In the Costco thread, I mentioned that I was disappointed in their snow/slush performance, which is pretty much the reason why I buy winter tires. I want excellent snow/slush performance. These are definitely not the be-all and end-all.
So, I bought Blizzaks for the CX-3 instead. We'll see how that goes.
As for any thoughts on cheaping out/knock-off, no-name tires, I just don't get it. You're putting winter tires on to get more traction in colder/snowier/icier conditions. You're doing it for safety. You're doing it to be better off than the OEM/3-season/summer tires your car is already equipped with.
...so why would you ever consider a tire that may not perform any better? Why would you not want a top-tier tire? There are so many instrumented tests that show the cheapest winter tires perform the same or worse than 3-season tires. A little research goes a LONG way.
I just don't get it. I'll never get it.
Who said anything about cheaping out? 
The Blizzaks were installed last night. A bit earlier than usual, but I really wanted to stay ahead of the mad rush.
So far, my impression is positive. I was expecting squishy and noisy. They are not squishy (yay), but there is definitely a faint drone sound of upcoming winter fun at speed, compared to the silent Michelins on the Santa Fe. Also, I was able to eyeball the Blizzaks and the Michelins side-by-side in person at Costco. The Blizzaks definitely have a beefier tread.
I don't think that comment from No-San was referencing the Blizzaks (he was praising them earlier in the same post) but buying cheap winter tires in general.
And to that point of his - I bought a cheap set of Firestone winter tires for my Sonata - not because of cheapness, but because I left the purchase too late and didn't have time to shop all over the place and simply grabbed a ready package from the dealer.
The tires did exactly what was expected: elevate grip in all winter road conditions far beyond that of the OE all seasons. What they sucked at was squishy road feel and significant tire roar / drone in the dry - which is what drivers in sw Ontario face for most of the winter.
But for taking care of safely shepherding me and my family around in winter's worst, they did an excellent job. If someone decided to make that choice for cost saving reasons, I certainly would not be ranting and scoffing and chastising them for it.
For the Genesis, I put more thought into the choice and made dry weather performance a priority for my winter tire purchase.
