Living in central Illinois, I typically get winter wheels/tires for my SUVs (have used Bridgestone Blizzak and Michelin X-Ice over the years). I then sell the package after my lease is up. This season has been a bit different, however, because Tire Rack has been late to the game with GV70 options. I
could order wheels/tires, and then TPMS sensors from Genesis USA separately, and have the whole kit assembled at a local installer. But for whatever reason, I’m giving the all-season Primacys a go this winter…
We got a pretty decent snowfall (6 inches) on New Year’s Day. Temperatures have been consistently sub freezing since. I’ll admit the car has done VERY well so far. I‘m light on the throttle, keep it in “SNOW“ mode, and there’s been no
wheel spin from a stop. Turns have been navigated without much excitement. There‘ve been a couple of instances where some ice has led the car to get loose or shimmy a bit but the stability control nannies engaged immediately and redirected my path. One of these instances occurred unexpectedly on the interstate, and the car impressively maintained its composure.
The most obvious difference of not having winter tires is when it comes to stopping. I’m pretty conservative when the roads are bad, but the other day I was driving a side road and someone was pulling out into it from their neighborhood. I thought they’d clearly make it out in front of me, but they began to
wheel spin and lurched just far enough into my car’s trajectory. I pressed abruptly and firmly on the brakes, and the all-seasons did not bite. The ABS kicked in and it was a different pulse pattern (sort of cyclical in intensity) than in my previous cars. It worked seamlessly with my right foot pushing steadily to the floor. I stopped in enough time and the person in front of me went on their way. Thankfully no one was tailing me…
It’s early in the season, but so far so good.
TL;DR- There’s no replacement for studdless winter ice/snow tires, but the Michelin Primacy all season stocks-paired with ESC and ABS-do a very nice job when the weather gets rough.