been following this design for a few years now. I run Hakka's now with no studs and this is my last year for this set and I can guarantee you I'll be getting the latest model Hakka's WITH studs next year. Best winter tyre I've ever owned. I hear amazing results with Mich X-ice models too.

touché. I should have said slippery snow conditions, not just ice...

but having said that, Studs are sensational upgrade to ice tires cause they REALLLLY do help stop/corner faster (as seen in the vids posted in this thread). My wife's Chev Silverado has them and they are the Pigs Tits!!!!

I had X-ices on my 90 quattro. It was so boring to drive in the snow. It had oodles of traction. The best grip I have ever had out of all my snow tires. They sucked in the dry but that isn't what they were for.

Studded tires are illegal in many areas. Other than getting through fresh snow the best choice is to slow down, plan ahead and leave a bigger gap between you and other vehicles

"All seasons are great in summers cause they handle rain/water on roads even better than many summer tires (which are basically designed for dry/bare roads)"

Many tire tests have shown "summer" tires with the right carcass/tread design perform better then the best "all season" tires on wet/standing water roads.

Allseason tires have soft carcasses (designed for low temps/irregular snow & ice surfaces), that deform when standing water collects ahead of the contact patch and hydroplaning begins. Stiff carcass summer/high speed tires maintain a flatter contact patch.

For warm/wet driving, summer tires are the best choice.

For cold/wet driving, all-season tires are better.

TiAgX5, great clarification.
I should stop thinking of just my climate in summer as we never get rain in summer, just spring fall where the temps are already cooler and summers just don't perform, but yeah in warmer climates you're correct bout the summers.

If we had Calgary summer weather the newscasters would be advising to bring your dogs inside and don't go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

When I started looking into design/geometry/material trade-offs tire designers have to deal with to optimize for climate/surfaces, I gained a whole new respect for the process. The science/physics are staggering!

QFT! If temps reach the 30's here everyone goes crazy.

But the same goes for rain... most people in TX don't replace tires until they absolutely have to. And even then it's with a used tire from Martinez Muffler & Tire. It reminds me of the quote from A Christmas Story, "My old man's spare tires were actually only tires in the academic sense. They were round, they had once been made of rubber."

So true.

I've run Michelin XGTZs/MXX3s & Conti Sport Contact 3s down to slicks in warm weather/dry seasons.

When they get worn out before the rubber gets old/dry, the grip is crazy!

Actually got caught out (leaving work) in rain on Sunset Blvd in Clearwater with slicks, had to idle the Viper in 3rd gear at around 25mph. Each touch of the throttle resulted in HUGE slides!

Co-workers who saw it were laughing about it the next day.