On slippery surfaces, the central grooves do a great job of removing water from the contact surface, effectively channelling it away. How do I know this? More than once, on a slippery black ice-covered road, the car was able to retain some grip, enough to come to a full stop at a traffic light or make a turn. The rubber compound is a mix of silica, carbon and polymer; hi-tech stuff. The symmetrical and directional tread design work together to maintain that a maximum amount of tread always be in contact with the road surface.
The Nord*Frost 5s are designed to accept studs. This means that certain portions of the compound are slightly stiffer. Now, although this may not be ideal for some conditions, this increases the tires stability at highway speeds. The tires strong shoulders also help. Our winters not being the winters of our parents, I find this to make the tires all the more interesting.
Last winter, the car only travelled 4,500 km. Hence, the Gislaveds are still fairly new and potent. Upon inspection prior to installing them on the car, I noted that the deep grooves and strong tread blocks were still in great shape. With an out-of-the-box tread depth of 12/32 and considering that the car should not cover more distance than last winter, they should easily last another 3 cold seasons.
I have no difficulty in recommending these tires to anyone looking for durability, performance and above all, safety. On top of that, they are fairly quiet, reasonably smooth and comfortable.
In the days of an influx of new and unknown tires makes, it is always a good idea to shop around or at least find a good source for recommendations. There are no substitutes for quality and you always get what you pay for. Consider that tires are your only source of contact between your 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) vehicle and the road surface. Why would anyone go cheap here? Forget about the Michael Kors handbag or TaylorMade R9 460 driver! Get some good rubber.
As a side-note, if you live and drive in the Greater Montreal Area and find a 16' Volvo hubcap, it's mine... Damn Montreal minefields they call roads!
photo:Jupiter Images
The Nord*Frost 5s are designed to accept studs. This means that certain portions of the compound are slightly stiffer. Now, although this may not be ideal for some conditions, this increases the tires stability at highway speeds. The tires strong shoulders also help. Our winters not being the winters of our parents, I find this to make the tires all the more interesting.
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Last winter, the car only travelled 4,500 km. Hence, the Gislaveds are still fairly new and potent. Upon inspection prior to installing them on the car, I noted that the deep grooves and strong tread blocks were still in great shape. With an out-of-the-box tread depth of 12/32 and considering that the car should not cover more distance than last winter, they should easily last another 3 cold seasons.
I have no difficulty in recommending these tires to anyone looking for durability, performance and above all, safety. On top of that, they are fairly quiet, reasonably smooth and comfortable.
In the days of an influx of new and unknown tires makes, it is always a good idea to shop around or at least find a good source for recommendations. There are no substitutes for quality and you always get what you pay for. Consider that tires are your only source of contact between your 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) vehicle and the road surface. Why would anyone go cheap here? Forget about the Michael Kors handbag or TaylorMade R9 460 driver! Get some good rubber.
As a side-note, if you live and drive in the Greater Montreal Area and find a 16' Volvo hubcap, it's mine... Damn Montreal minefields they call roads!
photo:Jupiter Images