Zippy452

So I probably already know the answer from looking around on the forum and google but what the heck.

So I have a tire dilemma. I picked up at used 09 RA. The fronts have hankook V12 tires on and the rears have kumo 4x tires on them (all from previous owner). This is my dd and everything was fine (sides that it's midly annoying to have two different types of tires)

One of the fronts (hankooks) got a bubble in the sidewall. So since money is tight I would like to replace the one front tire (all the tread depths all the way around are pretty good and the opposing front tire is almost like new; so the awd system will be fine).

My only concern is the v12 is a summer tire and isn't recommended in the winter. Does anyone have any experience running the hankooks in the snow/ice? Again I know they are not recommended in the winter but on a past car I had summer tires that a lot of reveiws said they handled fine in the winter as long as driving was conservative.

my only other option is to bite the bullet and spring from two kumos which are a all season tire and will be ok in snow and ice but I REALLY don't wanna buy two tires.

what do you guys think?

Veronica

iTrader: (2)

I ran the evo v12s all winter and they were fine. They were fine in the snow AWD FTW!
The cold does affect handling - but just degraded - not unsafe at all.

You should be fine until all four need replacing and then you may prefer an all season (or better - just get a additional winter wheel/tire set )

Zippy452

yeah once my job situation improves i hope to get a set of steelies or something with winter tires. If th V12 actually perform ok in winter, then i just may get two more of those when the kumos need replacing. I don't do any spirited driving in the winter time. As long as they are safe when one drives sensibly then i'm good with that. Just everywhere I read I heard don't use them in the winter.

Anyone else have experience using these tires in the winter?

Scootypuff86

iTrader: (3)

I have ran the v12's in the winter they are not bad at all driving around normally, just be sensible and leave stopping room just in case. I never really got a chance to push them before wearing them out the next summer
I will say that I switched to Continental DWS Extreme and they are definitely an all around great tire, great control this last winter and a little less overall grip in cornering when pushing it hard.


Hope this helps your decision a little more.

Zippy452

Ty. Keep the responses coming. The two that responded so far, what temps and how much snow/ice did u experience. I'm a bit more north lol. Anyone from the tristate area??

So far the only responses I've seen that say no to the hankook and snow are ones on Facebook that just cite all the knowledge about summer tires not being made for winter. But you guys are giving me what I asked for which is real experience with this tire in the snow. I think I may just buy the one hankook. They when the kumos wear down (which will prob happen first as they are already in the lead when I measured tread depth) I will buy two hankooks to replace them. In the winter I drive like a grandma and while I know summers are not made for snow, doesn't mean they can't get by. The same stands for my old car when it had neogens. They were not made for snow but they did fine. Just really can't afford to get more tires than I need. Once money picks up I can get a designated set of winters or go DWS all the way around. (Sides a soft side wall I have read nothing but great review from these tires)

Murdered Out

iTrader: (2)

Hell no.
Canadian winters have proved to me that is a big mistake. I wouldn't even dare use them in -40 Celsius but I did put my v12's on in April thinking winter was over... Of course not. Dropped to -15 to - 20 and snowed. long story short... Terrible traction with even worse stopping power. I even slid into a curb going 10km/h around a corner.

ramsfan6239

Blizzaks or go home. By far the best winter tire i've ever used.

Tinkles

iTrader: (1)

I ran V12s for half a NEPA winter on my old DD(2004 Volvo S60 AWD). They completely sucked in the snow/slush/cold. I noticed a huge difference when I had them swapped out for some random all season. They are great for summer, put I would never run them in the winter again.

Zippy452

well i already got the one hankook cause right now $$ doesn't say i can get two kumos. but before winter i will get two kumos or get a set of rim with winter tires. my car doesn't see too much winter driving right now so thats good.

Heliart

I have a set of blizzards for the winter in CT but there was one mild winter a few years back where I didn't out the snows on and drive with the V12s thru a snowstorm and they aren't great but the 4WD and the diffs made it drivable....was going max. 45 mph in blzzard like condition. Just drive with extra care.

My local TownFairTire always tells me that running 2 different sets of tires in the front and back is not good for the diffs on a 4WD. It's probably a good advise for the long term.

Thud Slamrod

Running different tires front to rear or side to side on AWD cars is generally bad. Tires may be marked the same size, but that doesn't mean they're the same from brand to brand. A set of tires is a lot cheaper than replacing a transfer case or diff.