Tires MICHELIN or Continental
We run Michelin rubber, period.
I've been using the CC2s here in NE Wisconsin for the past 3 (rav4 Prime) and now 4th winter (RX 4450h+). While they won't provide nearly the same level of ice traction as a fully dedicated winter tire, the snow and ice traction is best available for any non-winter tire on the market today. The level of grip in snow, even deep snow is amazing!
I have them on my Jetta TDI sportwagon and they are fantastic! First season we got a big ice storm here in the PNW and it was a complete shitshow! I could go anywhere, I regularly passed stuck 4x4s and was completely amazed at the performance on ice! Second season we got another ice storm and while they were still good definitely not as good as when new.
They’re great tires but I will say that they are REALLY loud. Noticeably louder than the Defender 2s that they replaced. Noticeably louder than the original CrossClimates that I had on a different car.
Continental is the best, but expensive.
Or even a snow rated all season tire, like a Michelin CrossClimate 2. I have these on my AWD crossover and have been able to navigate lake effect snow with little to no issue. Maybe an occasional bit of oversteer, but very controllable.
The Michelin X-Ice Snow isn’t quite as aggressive in deep stuff, but it’s way more consistent over the years, quieter, and usually lasts noticeably longer.
My vote is for Michelin Cross Climate 2 on an all wheel drive in the Suquehanna Valley area.
Dws are loud. If you value comfort go for some touring tires
The OEM tires - Michelin EnergySaver AS - are great for efficiency and pretty bad for everything else. Went through two sets, and both were consistently bad in rain and snow. One of the tires on the second set got ripped on the *sidewall* as it hit a pothole, and I found out later that the sidewalls were indeed a bit of weakness for them.
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