Coming Soon: 2006 Real World Snow Tire Tests

Last edited by jwernerny on Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

Please see this link http://www.snowtire.info/forum/viewforum.php?f=13 for the latest results from the 2006 Real World Snow Tire Tests.

I have decided to push forward with plans to do a 2006 Real World Snow Tire Test, even though it is getting off to a late start.

The format of the test will be similar to the 2004 tests. I am hoping to do another shoot-out with some serious comparisons of summer vs. all-season vs. all-weather vs. studded vs. unstudded tires. I would also like to bring in some news-media involvement during the shoot-out, and let them have first hand experience in the difference tires make.

The vehicle line-up for this year will still maintain the RWD sedan component of the past, but may add FWD and AWD sedans. I would like to be able to do some testing of SUVs in the future, but since I don't have as much access to them.

I hope to start contacting tire manufacturers in the coming week. With a little luck, they will still have some interesting stock to test with. I will send an update when I know what tires will be tested and what vehicles.

If you have any suggestions for tires you would like to see tested, please respond to this topic.

If you live in the Rochester, NY area and would be interested in helping with any aspect of the 2006 Real World Tire Tests, please drop me an e-mail. I will be looking for drivers, cars, shops willing to do mounting & balancing, a place to do the shoot-out, and help with timing, data collection, and warm drinks at the shoot-out.

[editted: 14-Nov-2006 to add link to test log book.]

This is getting exciting. Very Happy

It looks like some of the plans are starting to come together for this year's tests. I have talked to several manufacturers, and they are enthusiastic about helping. One manufacturer has already made a verbal promise of tires, and several others are waiting for some additional information before making a final commitment.

I plan to announce the tires that will be tested by November 1st. As the tires arrive, I will get them to the testers with the hope of having them on the cars by December 1st. The tests will conclude around April 1st. (There is usually one really good, late snow fall in March around here.)

The items I still have on my "open tasks" list are

I now have verbal promises for 3 different sets of snow tires. I can't wait until I can share what tires we will be having. There is at least one surprise.

- John

Hello again,

I thought I would "leak" a few more details of the tests:

Here are the tires I am expecting:

- Nokian RSI and ?????
- Vredestein SnowTrac 2 (in my garage as I write this)
- Green Diamond Icelander

Here are some vendors I am still working with:
- Gislavid
- Hankook
- Goodyear
- Michelin
- Continental
- Toyo
- Yokohama

Here is the short list of tires I don't expect to see
- Kuhmo - they have stopped selling snow tire in the US (too bad, they were good)
- Bridgestone Revo-1 (plans fell through at the last minute. Quite a disappointment.)
- Fulda

There are other vendors out there, but I have only been able to track down some of them. If anyone has solid marketting contacts with any other manufacturers, I would love to have them.

As I have more in-house and get final commitments, I will post more information.

I just noticed that this thread doesn't have a link to the test results, so here it is:

The Real-time comments from the 2006 Real World Snow Tire Tests can be found in this thopic (http://www.snowtire.info/forum/viewforum.php?f=13).