[SOLVED] M+S tires?

"A sidewall mark of M+S (or M/S, M&S, MS) means that you have an all-season tire that has been approved for use in mud and snow by the Rubber Manufacturer's Association (RMA)." "The mountain/snowflake symbol (shown below) on the sidewall means that a tire has been approved for "severe snow service" by the RMA." M+S = Mud and Snow (aka all-season) Snowflake inside mountain icon = severe snow service Those are separate ratings.

Look at the bottom of the pic (after clicking it to enlarge). Upside down you'll see the "M+S" logo. It is small and easily missed. It's right after the snowflake+mountain icon. Outback, Forester, and other SUVs don't go off-road much. Most never leave paved roads (perhaps covered with snow but get plowed and/or salted/sanded). They're status cars hence the "sport" in SUV. You will rarely drive in the same stuff they show in the commercials and you'll notice the snow gets plowed around the car instead of driving on hard packed snow (no give) with high drifts or moguls. The "mud" in M+S ain't going to this: I just use all-season tires on my '02 Outback. Right now I've got Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max which only have the M+S logo (no snowflake + mountain logo) although it's not easy to spot without a lot of looking. They don't have as aggressive a tread as severe snow tires but then I prefer a quieter ride and less vibration for 99.999% of the use of my Subie.

Check Sam's Club and/or Costco for good prices on higher end tires.

I had great luck with Continental TrueContact tires on my older Outback. I can't swear as to whether there was an explicit M&S on the sidewall but molded into the tread wear markers on the wear surface were such letters which showed what, depending on current tread wear, the tires were suitable for -- as the tread wore down then the letters would gradually disappear -- with the 'S' requiring the deepest freshest tread. I never quite got rid of the 'S' after maybe 35-40k miles. I did rotate my tires every 5k miles when I had the oil and filter changed.

I live in the mountains with some dirt and gravel roads. When it snows it can get pretty bad. And it stays pretty bad because you cannot plow dirt and gravel roads down to the surface.

When Winter approaches I put my Bridgestone Blizzak snow ("winter") tires on my Legacy. It's a combination that cannot be beat unless you have a tracked vehicle (like a tank).

At the end of the Winter I take them off. Snow tires use a rubber formulation that stays soft in cold temperatures. Unfortunately, they get really soft in warm temperatures. Driving on them in Summer just grinds off the rubber.

The maximum recommended temperature for snow tires is 45-50 deg Fahrenheit.

All season tires don't have this problem but are not as good on snow and ice.

BF Goodrich Winter Slalom KSI are the best I've found for the slushy, wetter snow we have out east. If you live on the prairies where its snapping cold with dry snow then Michelin X Ice are excellent on hard pack, but they tend to clog up in wetter snow and pull hard in slush. Goodyear is also excellent. I have never been let down by the BFG KSI's.

Cheers

Winter tires are designed to "clog up" quickly. They grab a tread full of snow, because snow-on-snow traction is actually pretty good. The best winter boots are also designed like that, they grab a lot of snow into the treads so that you can walk easier on snow.

YOusuf Khan

I never did find clear information on either the Michelin site or a couple of tire-dealers' sites about which tires were definitely M+S, so I ended up calling a store and asking about a couple of Michelin models and was assured that they were so labeled. I ended up getting Premier LTX tires at a store that was offering a rebate on Michelins.

BTW, last week I received a letter about the airbag recall, so I just had that done. I had just checked the NHTSA website for my VIN number a week or two previously and my car wasn't there then. I don't know whether they're going by VIN numbers within model years or what.

Patty

Not quite true, the sipes on a Michelin X-ICE mimic a gecko lizard foot - increased edges = increased friction. If the snow packs between the lugs or sipes it almost instantly forms a layer of ice and you have poor grip. The wider lugs of the KSI tend to work better in my costal climate where the snow is wet and sticky and packs easily. The snow packs into the narrower X-ICE grooves and stays. I work for a major tire manufacturer - in fact the largest on the planet. The X-ICE work phenominally well on ice and dry snow, but really fall down when there is slush or wet packing snow on the grownd and that is where the KSI excells.

You may be thinking of the walnut shell additives that other manufacturers put in ther tires, which work like studs on ice, but offer nothing in wet snow. The jagged edges of a snowflake asts one rotation of a tire.

I have experimented with both types, and I sold my X-ICE after 3 weeks to purchase the KSI's. That was 11 years ago and the difference in my type of snow was so great I have not changed back.

Cheers