So, I am down to 3 choices of entry level winter tires and am looking for opinions. All prices include mounting and balancing.

1) My chevy dealer has a Uniroyal tire (I have had bad luck with Uniroyals years ago, but they say they are made by Michelin now). They are $133 each.

2) Canadian Tire has Goodyear Nordics for $120 each.

3) Haugh Tire has GT radials (never heard of them) for $125 each.

I am leaning toward the Goodyears, but that means I have to bring my HHR into Canadian Tire and have them touch it. My car has only ever been to my dealer for everything. They treat me well and I will probably get a car wash out of it too. Haugh Tire, on the other hand (third hand?) sponsers a lot of the local drag racers who we watch all summer. We found out about them through attending races in Grand Bend, and word of mouth.

So, Opinions??

 

What size are you looking for? it's hard to compare prices/models without that info.

 

I have the Goodyear Nordics in the 195/65R15 size. They are a good basic snow tire, probably not as good as Michelins or Blizzacks on ice, but we get mostly snow and slush around here. They are noisy; I can't tell you how much compared to other winter tires but definitely a lot more than any summer/all-season.

I'm like you as I don't let CT boys touch my car, so all they ever see is me dropping off my extra set of rims when I need new tires. You should look into that: I found my 15" wheels used for 120 or so, and the tires will stay on there for 3 to 5 seasons.

The 4 tires cost me around 300 installed when they had their 25% off sale (the smaller 15" size is much cheaper too).

Yves

 

Didn't think size mattered as they are all the same between brands. I am looking at 205/60R 16 (my stock ones are the 215 firehawks, ughh). Putting them on the stock alloy rims. I hope to get new rims and tires for the summer.

 

Bridgstone has a sale on now..try tirecraft..ive been buyin Bridges for years now on all our vehicles..large trucks to the sales cars..they are inexspensive..not cheap..not too loud for a winter tire..really knobby..good water evactuation..work good in extreme cold..remember when swappin ...try to keep overall tire size the same or speedo will be out a shade

 

OK, going out today to get 4 uniroyal snow tires at the dealership. 205/60R 16, on the stock alloy rims. Time to start saving for rims and tires for the summer.

 

blizzak w60 are supposed to be the best.
i have hercules avalanche x-treme, and although they grip well, i don't have confidence in their robustness. i had a separation from a pothole last year(that also warped my rim, so it was a bad pothole. i was only going 25 mph.), and then i got a leak along the bead from reinstallation this year on a another. luckily, some bead glue was enough.

 

From my years on the Saab network, were they take their snow driving very seriously, they always raved about Gislaved snow tires
http://www.conti-online.com/generato.../index_en.html

With Blizzaks coming in a close second.

 

I just put the Blizzaks W60s on and love them so far! At least in the snow, ice and slush.

 

Got the Uniroyals on today. After about only 40 kms. on them on the highway, I can say they are no more noisy than the original Firestones. They seem to ride better (might be the 60 series instead of the 55), and handling is about the same on wet/dry pavement. We'll see what happens when the snow comes hard!