Auto123’s guide to the best winter tires for SUVS and pickup trucks in Canada in 2019-2020

It’s time to face facts. The wonderful summer we’ve enjoyed so much is behind us and wintertime is on the horizon. Its appearance is relevant particularly to vehicle owners who have to plan to have their rides equipped with winter tires. In some parts of Canada this ritual is not mandatory, but no matter where you live, automotive experts will tell you it’s a smart thing to do. After all, we’re now so many years removed from the snow grips of the past, and today’s winter tires are designed to excel on icy roads and wet surfaces, and in the extreme cold.

In Quebec

Motorists in Quebec should definitely take note of the changed deadline for having approved winter tires fitted on their vehicle this year; instead of December 15 as previously, it is now mandatory to have approved winter tires on your SUV or truck by December 1.

In certain parts of British Columbia, meanwhile, winter tires (or chains) are required as of October 1!

In both those provinces, if you’re a visitor or just passing through the province on the way somewhere else, you are not subject to the regulations in place.

The Quebec law, by the way, applies to vehicles weighing 10,000 lb or less (with maximum load). In the case of pickups, that includes Class 2 trucks like the Ford F-250 (and the E-250 and T-250 vans), Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 (including the Chevy Express and GMC Savana 2500 commercial vans), Ram 2500 (and Promaster 2500), as well as other similar models like the Mercedes-benz Sprinter 2500.

Obviously, we’re talking for these vehicles about LT (Light Truck)-type vehicles, and it would be hugely unwise to try to place P-type tires for passenger cars on these bigger, more-rugged models, the way many people actually did with pickups back in the day.

On the other hand, several recommendations found in our guide to car tires apply as well to trucks, especially to SUVS and crossovers. In these two segments, of course, many vehicles are built on platforms also used for cars, and share many of their mechanical components. You can definitely find some valid advice for tires for your utility vehicle in our car tire guide.

The tires included in this guide have been tested on press vehicles or on privately owned vehicles. Others are brand-new products that have yet to be tested but are evolutions of tires we already know well. In general, you can safely assume the new versions are superior to the models they’ve replaced.

Compromise solution

We feel it’s important to reiterate that by definition, winter tires constitute a compromise solution, which do some things extremely well but others less so. Unlike summer tires the talents of which must include handling dry pavement or wet pavement, winter tires have to be able to deal with extreme cold, warm road surfaces, snow, ice and slush, and any combination of the above.

Winter-approved “all-season” tires

As in the domain of car tires, a new configuration of winter tire is gaining traction on the market. These would be all-season tires that have been adapted to meet certification requirements for approval as winter tires. Thus these products carry the official logo for winter-approved tires.

In some cases drivers will probably be satisfied with one of these, but it’s taking a chance to try them if you live in more mountainous regions. We hope to take a closer look at this category of tires in the coming month.

Finally, take note that the tires included here are not presented in order of preference. As well, you’ll see that there are no Chinese-made tires included here; again, we hope to go into detail regarding these tires in the nearfuture once we’ve had the opportunity to evaluate them properly.

Here then is our guide to the best winter tires in Canada for 2019-2020:

French manufacturer Michelinf promised us a whole new Latitude winter tire, at the same time as it set about upgrading its plant in Nova Scotia. As of this moment, we’ve seen nothing concrete from the tire maker. Even if it stocked stores with the new product tomorrow, we wouldn’t have been able to test it in time for this early-winter buying season.

Better then to talk about the current LTX tires for pickups (with 10-ply carcass) and Latitude X-ice tires; the latter have been a bigger hit with consumers than the X-ice 3 for cars. This might be because Latitude tires are often used with all-wheel-drive vehicles or those with ondemand AWD functionality.

Available in a wide range of sizes, the Latitude X-ice tire is also known for its durability which is a good selling point for motorists. They’re less appropriate, however, on rear-wheel-drive vehicles.

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

For motorists who know even a little about winter tires, the Blizzak name speaks for itself. The DM V2 model can be fitted on a number of SUVS and crossovers and offers exceptional grip and traction… but it ain’t cheap!

Bridgestone also recently launched the Blizzak LT (as a replacement for the W965), which is tailor-made for the heaviest vehicles that often carry big loads – it also carries an E load rating. Perfect for full-size pickups…

Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT

In addition to producing Ultra Grip Ice WRT (Winter Reactive Technology) tires for cars, big American manufacturer Goodyear also makes a special series for SUVS that are heavier than cars (sold under the SUV banner, natch), and another one for pickups of different sizes and vocations. On the market for a few years now, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT has proven itself and then some.

Also worth a look from Goodyear is the Wrangler Duratrac, created originally for off-roading but also well-suited to driving in deep snow. They can be had with studs as well.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9

Less known by consumers, the nowlegendary Finnish winter-tire manufacturer Nokian offers a Hakkapeliitta 9 tire for pickups like the Chevrolet Silverado. Take note, though, that this tire comes fitted with studs out of the factory. Nokian also sells a whole range of winter tires outlined in our guide to winter tires for cars, but which are available in different sizes appropriate for many models of crossovers and SUVS. They’re a little on the expensive side, but they are considered to be highly effective by automotive journalists who have done test drives on them.

Nordman 7

Nordman is a kind-of division of Nokian that sells tires based on technologies developed for the Hakkapeliitta but now just slightly out of date. This is the case with the Nordman 7, now available for light pickup trucks with wheels up to 20 inches in diameter. This tire is another one that can receive studs, and its ideal for a number of crossover and SUV models, and even minivans like the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Dunlop Maxx SJ8

Dunlop is no less than Goodyear’s luxury brand. For years, Dunlop’s go-to winter tire was the Grandtrek SJ6, which was happily snapped up by owners of SUVS of all sizes, and even some of lightduty pickups. Dunlop recently introduced a new and improved version, the Maxx SJ8, stuffed with a bunch of new technologies. This is a winter tire worthy of serious consideration.

Yokohama Ice Guard IG52C

A few years back Japanese manufacturer Yokohama launched this tire, in fact a winterized version of the Geolander, a very popular tire for SUVS of all sizes. Sold at a relatively reasonable price, this Yokohama product is a great pick for minivans and vans.

Toyo Open Country WLT-1

Another Japanese tire maker, Toyo, has for several years now been producing Open Country truck tires made for light pickups but also great for crossovers and SUVS. However, if you’re looking for a winter tire tailor-made for a more rugged pickup like a Ford F-250 or Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 or even a Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV, the WLT-1 should be on your shortlist. For smaller SUVS check out the company’s Observe line of winter tires.

When it comes to winter tires for SUVS and pickup trucks, Hankook shouldn’t be overlooked as an option. This South Korean tire manufacturers makes quality products, some of which are offered out-of-the-factory on American pickups. That’s just one of the reasons why we have to include the Dynapro I’cept (RW 08) and the I’pike on this list of recommended winter tires. Add to those lines the RW-11 for pickups and all-terrain vehicles that are used in wintertime.

The Italian manufacturer sells a great range of winter tires for a range of uses and vehicles types, including SUVS – especially the smaller ones. Take note that the company recently introduced a new all-terrain tire for pickups, called the Scorpion All Terrain Plus; it could very well serve as a pickup truck winter tire, especially given its aggressive tread design.

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The others

Several other lower-end brands have been left off this list, first of all because there are so many of them and secondly because their products are often less effective than the ones we’ve discussed here. That’s not say that some don’t merit mention. And if your favourite brand is absent from our guide, take a minute or two to browse online for reviews or road tests. But stick to the guiding principle that a cheaper tire generally means inferior performance on snow and ice. Sometimes, far inferior…

Read more at https://www.auto123.com/en/news/guide -best-winter-tires-suvs-pickups-canada2018-2019/65207/?page=10#kpqxavaaehcx1xzc.99

(auto123.com)