Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Review: Hankook Winter iPike w409 Tires (with studs)

hankook winter ipike w409 tires subcompact culture=
Several years ago, I discovered the difference between an all-season tire and a dedicated winter tire. I was a believer; a changed driving man. I highly recommended a tread upgrade for anyone living where the snow files or where it gets cold.

My latest winter tire purchase was a set of (barely) used Hankook iPike W409 studded tires. I picked them up for $150 used, then had America's Tire install them. I've had them on for about a week and a half, and was impressed by the ride comfort and traction in the wet thus far. Like most studded winter tires, they do hum down the road much more than an all-season tire, but it's a small trade off for foul-weather traction. T0day, however, I really got to put them to good use, as my wife and I had a trip planned to the Oregon Coast, and sure enough, we got snow and ice.

Hankook Winter iPike w409 tires - Subcompact CultureConditions along the coastal and Coast Range roads ranged from wet pavement to ice-and-snow-covered roads. Temperatures varied from about 40°F last night to 25°F this morning.

I am happy to report these tires did an outstanding job. There were only minor slight yaw changes on the ice-encrusted Oregon Highway 18, but we could tell we were doing much better than other vehicles without snow tires. Braking was equally impressive, and the car's ABS never went off. Luckily, there wasn't any hard braking required, but a couple of checks to see if the road was slippery yielded a noticeable grab by the tire's studs.

I know: $150 for four barely used tires is a hell of a deal, and so for the money, these were a steal and well worth it. And thus far, I'm very impressed by these tires. After today's experience, I'd consider buying these tires new for our other vehicles, too (or used if I could find a set!).

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Aren't you worried your car is gonna get rusty from the salt on the roads?

Sorry for my ignorance in advanced; I live in Florida and hear horror stories about the rust issues after it snows.

Andy Lilienthal said...

No salt here in the Pacific Northwest! We do use gravel, though. I lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and they used salt there. And yes, it was a pain to have to deal with. Cars rust out much easier.

burnitwithfire said...

I was happy when the province of Quebec made winter tires mandatory for winter. With all the snow we get here it was only a matter of time.

Anonymous said...

After seeing youtube videos from Seattle a few days ago, I'd say you're on to something here.

Living in a place where it's cheaper to just call into work the once in a blue moon that it snows than it is to own and maintain winter tires, I must say that I'm jealous of your knobby Yaris. Driving on the snow is so much fun. Other drivers are the scary part :)

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