ericdwong

I bought some goodyear M+S snow tires from a member here last week and had the first time to test them out last night in the snow. They are about 50% worn, had 5/32nds of tread throughout, but I got an excellent deal as this included 4 wagon wheels, the pressure sensors, the center caps and the tires already mounted and balanced.

Just the past week I tried to get out with my Kumho Z rated summer tires with about the same tread and that was one of the worst experiences ever. It just spun and slid and slid. I hit a patch of blown over snow (maybe 1/4" thick) on the driveway and the car slid. I had to drive up my street which has a slight incline completely sideways spinning the entire time.

So, we got another storm last night which dumped about 3" of snow on the region. I was out late so I was traversing non-treated roads. I was quite amazed. My car actually drove without slipping or sliding! I was able to start from a complete stop on snow by taking it easy, even going up hill. Of course if I stepped on the gas or brakes a little too hard I could overpower the wheels but with careful planning and driving, taking it easy it maneuvered just fine.

The best was when I got up my driveway without even the traction control system coming on. Last week I got stuck at the end of the driveway and this is even after it was shoveled.

The only downsides is that these tires are really really expensive when new and they exhibit the same characteristics of the OEM runflat tires. They're loud, stiff sidewalled, and heavy.

While it is no 4wd vehicle, for a 2WD RWD car with a foot wide tires I think it did excellent. If the snow is more then 4" high (when ground clearance becomes an issue) then there is no reason for me to be out anyway, so this is the perfect solution to my winter driving needs. As with anything its good to know the limits.

This is yet another reason I'm impressed with the C5. I read that article on the Idavette page and it said GM did do extensive testing with the GY MS tires driving in the snow. For those who say the car doesnt perform well, I bet its because you're trying to run Z rated summer tires on the car in the snow. Very innapropriate shoe for the application.

ptdrummer54

Thanks for this post...

RedC5

Been driving the C5 in through the last 7 winters with the last three years with the M&S's. These tires rock in the snow! Can make it through about 4-5" when the ground clearance issues take over. I've driven 99% of the days to work in Michigan winters.

ericdwong

I went to a snow packed parking lot to test the limits of the car. I found that even with the traction control off, the car doesnt spin wildly out of control. When I got the rear end of the car to kick out I could still maintain where the nose was headed.

I also practiced the braking limits by getting a feel of how much braking power I had and what they felt like under ABS as well as steering while braking etc.

Then I tried to get stuck traversing up a snow covered hill from a total stop and was only able to get stuck once. But even then, I backed up about a foot, tried again and it went just fine. If my tires had even more tread on them I think the performance would be better. I'm still amazed the car was able to move despite its foot wide rear tires. I'm sure the limited slip and the 50/50 weight distribution (and my 60 lb sub) helps. I bet if someone saw me practicing my winter driving they probably would think I was on a joyride doing donuts in a parking lot haha...

Dave68

When it comes to tires, Goodyear has one of the best selections, IMO. My GSD3s are simply phenomenal in the rain and on dry roads. Goodyear also has a truck/SUV tire that blew away the competition in a recent Consumer Reports test. Here's to Goodyear tires

Vetteman Jack

Thanks for the review. I've wondered just how well the C5 would go with the M+S tires on.