2017 AWD Snow Performance

[Airflow]

I had to get to the office this morning in whiteout conditions with 6 inches of snow on some roads. My 2017 3.0T Driver’s Package AWD and 19” all season tires did a fantastic job of providing grip to power through anything I came across. The best part is the car moved wth little drama of tire spin or sensations telling me systems were intervening. Very confidence inspiring. Of course, AWD does not help you stop, so drive slow and brake early.

[MKZMark]

We have a 2017 MKX AWD and I have had the same experience - no slipping in snow or any indication the system is doing anything - it just goes like it's on dry pavement.

[DeviLSh]

Had a chance to drive mine (2014) in the snow for the first time, and thought the car was terrible. I am attributing this to the tires though - Uniroyal Tigerpaw GTZ's.

 

What tires are on both your cars? I am wondering if I got some less than ideal rubber as part of my Z's CPO certification.

[Airflow]

The stock Michelin all seasons.

[ajschicago]

Interestingly, I was going to create a similar post to this albeit with a much different tone. I have a 2016 AWD 2.0 with the stock Michelin tires (245/40R 94V) and my experience in a recent snowfall was very different. There was a light cover of snow on the expressway with minor icing and and the lack of traction and overall control was alarming. Other cars of all types were passing me as I couldn't exceed 40 - 45 mph without the car fishtailing and sliding even on a straight stretch of road. It was worse then driving a RWD only vehicle. Any application of the gas and the rear end would break free and sway with no evidence of traction control working. Needless to say, I got off the expressway ASAP. 

 

Had it not been for the other vehicles clearly not struggling, I would have just written this off as just bad conditions. I am concerned and irritated by this, as I really had hoped AWD would prove itself in bad weather. Is this a known issue with these Michelin tires? A problem with the AWD system and if so, how would you troubleshoot this without replicating the conditions? 

 

Im due for a 15K check up at the dealer & I will certainly bring it up however any thoughts or experiences are appreciated. 

[Airflow]

Minor applications of throttle do not result in that sort of aggressive power delivery to the rear in these cars. I want your AWD system if that much power is being transferred to the rear. I would love a 30/70 bias front/rear.

[jimflutes]

The Michelin mxm4 that came with my 16Z have a poor snow rating. Now awd may make these better ,but on my fwd they were not good. Since I changed over to the Perilli P7 a/s PLUS both in the 18 and now 19 inch.tire,I have had no problems in snow up to 4 inches. With these I did not have to change over to snow tires for the winter, but since they are not snows I do not drive in deep snow. Check tire rack.com you will see the a/s tire ratings for the MKZ. I have posted about these tires before only because the more I drive on them the more I am impressed.

[Tipper]

The Michelin mxm4 that came with my 16Z have a poor snow rating. Now awd may make these better ,but on my fwd they were not good. Since I changed over to the Perilli P7 a/s PLUS both in the 18 and now 19 inch.tire,I have had no problems in snow up to 4 inches. With these I did not have to change over to snow tires for the winter, but since they are not snows I do not drive in deep snow. Check tire rack.com you will see the a/s tire ratings for the MKZ. I have posted about these tires before only because the more I drive on them the more I am impressed.

 

I have the MXM4's that came with the purchase of my AWD MKZ and they are horrible in heavy snow.  I live in MN and have tested them on several roads/conditions.  They handle great on dry/wet roads.  Once there's a over a few inches of snow however, they're no good.

[jimflutes]

 No all season tire is going to handle heavy snow (6 inch and over) the mxm4 seems more like a three season tire ,the Michelin Premier is a high rated a/s but only comes in an 18 inch. tire ,that is why I recommend the Preilli P7 PLUS for the MKZ with 19 inch. tires , and the fact that I have driven about 30,000 miles with both the 18 and now the 19 inch. in rain and snow conditions , but make no mistake these are not dedicated snow tires just good for light (4 inch) snow.

[Billm]

I put a set of Michelin X-Ice Xi3 on my  2014 3.7L AWD. Car came with the 19" 245-40-19 All Season. I went with 245-45-18 for the snows. Snows are on their own rims.

 

 

These are the most quiet snow tires I have ever owned. They stick to the road in heavy snow and come with a 40K mile tread life warranty which is unusual for snow tires.

 

 

My all seasons are Conti DSW's. I went with these when the factory MXM4's were done at 25K miles.  I have 20K now on the Contis and they are not quite half worn.

[jimflutes]

Billm, They are two very high rated tires , what you have done is the ideal way to insure that  you will be safe all year around ,especially up here in Mass. I did not want go through the expense and having the look of the steel wheels of the snow tires. The Preillis work very good for me in light snow conditions,and if there is heavy snow I do not drive. I will say that here in Western Mass , the town clears the roads extremely well enough that even after a heavy snow I can get out onto the major highways so I am usually driving in light snow conditions. I am originally from Philadelphia Pa. where the snow on the streets would not be cleared for a number of days after a storm ,if at all !

[Airflow]

Driving tonight in the conditions as per this photo and I felt confident and in control. Maybe it’s because my tires only have 5,000 miles or maybe because I learned to drive in snow with rear wheel drive cars, but I stand by my initial post. This car is fantastic in snow.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Airflow

[SUGAR 3.0TT AWD]

Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 245/40 R19 98Y my 2016 Lincoln AWD 3.7L V6 came with those junk tires you had the tiger paws by uniroyal. The first snowfall last year I T RIED AND TRIED to put the car in a 4 wheel spin and couldn't. Even attempted in a vacant parking lot with the wheel cracked and goosed it. It would not spin.  The to get paws first year winter 2018 I went into an uncontrollable four wheel spin I fishtailed like it was a RWD car. I tried multiple times from a dead stop and it took off as if I was on dry pavement. People complain about road noise with them but I'd rather have traction than no traction and w quiet as as mouse. The only tire noise I noticed was on newly concrete on the interstates near me I haven't hit any super smooth blacktop

 

 https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?message=singleSize&tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DWS+06&width=245%2F&ratio=40&diameter=19&autoMake=Lincoln&autoYear=2016&autoModel=MKZ+3.7L+V6+AWD&autoModClar=&minLoadRating=S&minSpeedRating=H&cameFrom=selectOE&partnum=44YR9DWS06XL

Edited September 26, 2020 by BlackBeauty
Insert pic and website to exact tires

[17MKZ3.0TT]

Good info, thanks. I've got a '2017 w/factory 19" wheels & Michelins, depending on what comb wheel/tire pkgs. Is there any reason to go with 18" taller sidewall over the current 19" size? I figure since I'll be going with all four at a time with winter only tires, there's no need to consider rotation schedules. Any thoughts? Tire Rack usually has some good deals and I'm wondering if there's some past experience with the 18" vs 19" when it comes to "snow tires". 

Edit; yes, I've read the TRack recommendations on going with the 18", but always interested in what others with the same car have to relate. Thx.

Edited October 5, 2020 by 17MKZ3.0TT

[bbf2530]

43 minutes ago, 17MKZ3.0TT said:

Good info, thanks. I've got a '2017 w/factory 19" wheels & Michelins, depending on what comb wheel/tire pkgs. I can find any reason to go with 18" taller sidewall over the current 19" size? I figure since I'll be going with all four at a time with winter only tires, there's no need to consider rotation schedules. Any thoughts? Tire Rack usually has some good deals and I'm wondering if there's some past experience with the 18" vs 19" when it comes to "snow tires". 

Edit; yes, I've read the TRack recommendations on going with the 18", but always interested in what others with the same car have to relate. Thx.

 

Hi 17MKZ. The reason Tire Rack and others will sometimes recommend a smaller snow tire wheel size (i.e. 18" versus 19"), is simply cost savings. Apples to apples, an 18" tire will cost less than the same 19" model.

 

Generally speaking, you would also want to go with a slightly narrower tread than the factory tires, since a narrower tread helps the tire sink and bite into the snow as opposed to riding on top of it. Think of wider tire acting like a snowshoe.

 

Good luck.

[17MKZ3.0TT]

THX bbf, I hadn't thought of the cost difference. Agreed on the tire width. "Back in the day" I had a rear wheel drive '76 Celica GT (could get stuck on wet leaves) and back then you could easily get retread snow tires and steel wheels for a lot of cars through the local Firestone dealer. I'd take the four US slotted aluminum wheels w/60 series BFG ATs off and put on the steel wheels w/78 series Farmer Brown's and three 80lb plastic bags of Morton water softener salt every Fall. ☺️   

Edited October 1, 2020 by 17MKZ3.0TT

[17MKZ3.0TT]

FWIW, just ordered four average-looking 5 spoke light gray painted wheels paired with 18" narrower Blizzaks for Winter use, 225/50/R18 instead of my current 245/40/R19. Not sure when I'll put them on, but I'll eventually post a pic and a review when I've been able to try them out. The current Michelin "Green X" weren't horrible or anything, but I figure that was due mainly to the AWD, and I'm sure the skinny, aggressive tread pattern will be an upgrade to braking and steering, at least that was my opinion "back in the day" with my RWD Celica.     

Edit; image from Tire Rack's "see it on your vehicle" is decidedly bland, but if I really hate them I can paint them black next year on a rainy day.

Edited October 3, 2020 by 17MKZ3.0TT

[17MKZ3.0TT]

Got good customer reviews and looks aggressive enough for an unplowed street with less snow than the ground clearance. I'm self-employed and 99% retired, so in most cases it's not like I'm gonna get fired or start crying if I have to wait for the plow to come by, just figured with still under 20k miles on the car, now is the time to get off my duff and make a commitment, not like I'll be getting a new one in a year or two unless they bring them back from the board meeting grave.   

Edited October 3, 2020 by 17MKZ3.0TT

[17MKZ3.0TT]

The gray paint on the wheels was darker than their virtual showcase looked like on the TR web page, so I'm happy enough with how they look.?

[17MKZ3.0TT]

And for the NASCAR fans, Look out bitchez, I'm coming out with four fresh sticker tires!?

[bbf2530]

On 10/3/2020 at 3:54 PM, 17MKZ3.0TT said:

FWIW, just ordered four average-looking 5 spoke light gray painted wheels paired with 18" narrower Blizzaks for Winter use, 225/50/R18 instead of my current 245/40/R19. Not sure when I'll put them on, but I'll eventually post a pic and a review when I've been able to try them out. The current Michelin "Green X" weren't horrible or anything, but I figure that was due mainly to the AWD, and I'm sure the skinny, aggressive tread pattern will be an upgrade to braking and steering, at least that was my opinion "back in the day" with my RWD Celica.     

Edit; image from Tire Rack's "see it on your vehicle" is decidedly bland, but if I really hate them I can paint them black next year on a rainy day.

 

 

 

Hi 17MKZ. Thanks for posting back with your final choices. Your information may help others in the future.

 

Let us know how they work out and good luck.

Edited October 6, 2020 by bbf2530

[17MKZ3.0TT]

Will do. It was an unseasonably warm 75° today, and hopefully the trend  will continue and I won't see a snowflake for at least a month. I'll probably lose a corner off my Man Card for not putting off installing them until the car was covered in snow, but it sure was nice working in a sunny driveway with a nice breeze instead trying to jack up car corners in a freezing garage without hitting a car or bike with the jack handle. ?

I took it out for a 15~20 minute drive to see if the TPMS would be freaking out, but so far no warning light. When I pull out from a stop sign or light, I can absolutely notice the tires being slightly louder, then in less than a minute I realize I've forgotten all about them. Expansion joints and other sharp jolts come through a little more noticeable than with the OEM 19" which surprised me, as I expected a little softer ride with the taller sidewalls. Maybe the Blizzaks have a stiffer sidewall, or maybe it'll all be different in 300~400 miles when they're broken in a little. Sometimes a few hundred miles of flexing completely changes the ride with new tires. It's also possible I've lost my perspective on tires this year. I got tired of barely being able to pull away from a stop light in even light snow with my E350 Van (in one of the above pics) so when the original Michelin tires needed replacing I stayed the OEM size, but in their most aggressive tread available in the load range needed for a 1 ton build.  

Edited October 6, 2020 by 17MKZ3.0TT

[17MKZ3.0TT]

So, no snow experience yet (and hopefully not for weeks, yet) but I've gotten some dry miles in including a mostly highway 300 mile jaunt today. They are obviously noisier than OEM, but not bad. I was surprised by the growling they make up front when pulling out from a light/stopsign in a 90° turn in an intersection. You'd swear it was bearing noise or rubbing the inner fenders, but absolutely not, and today up by my camper I pulled out in a tight turn on asphalt covered by pine needles-quiet as stock. Anyway, at least half today's miles were interstate highway running 70~80 mph (just keeping up with the flow of traffic, officer) including some fairly sharp curves at speed in S mode, and it was stable as could be, no sign of understeer or back end walking out. Not sure if it's good as stock, but I don't see how it could be with less contact area. That said, I'm not going to be doing track days and I can say they hold the road great. I can see why a few commented on reviews that they put them on the OEM wheels and were going to leave them on year round. I'm content to have them on aftermarket wheels and in 18", and put the 19"s back on in Spring.   

[CDW6212R]

You should love those Blizzaks. I loved both of the two sets I've bought, one I sold to a friend/customer when I decided to change tire size slightly. Real snow tires like those will not last as long on non snow covered roads. I had my last set for over ten years, just using them during the snow days, or a week a couple times a year. This past February I put them on because they were so old. They looked like about 90% tread then, but it took about four months to wear them out(I'm a mail carrier so that's about half the life I could get from a normal 90% tread tire).

 

Snow tires stick really well all of the time, you will appreciate the better traction in the rain or wet, and braking will improve in non dry conditions.

[17MKZ3.0TT]

Well, finally got a little snow for a test drive, and the traction is amazing compared to the OEM, but to be fair, we're also comparing NEW Blizzaks to 30k miles OEM. Steering, and braking with the front ones is everything I hoped for, and the added traction from the rear when the power shifts back makes you smile. As with any 4WD or AWD vehicle, I'll just have to use my head to remind myself I'm not Superman, ice can still beat me, and awesome traction often masks, "worse roads than I thought, officer". The only downside is the noise. Seriously, pulling out from a stop into a turn on dry pavement, you'll think you have two grinding wheel bearings to the point where I tossed the OEM fronts back on just long enough to go around the block and the front wheel bearings were suddenly healed ? Just like with my 134k mi. 1966 Fairlane-based 287 wagon in the mid '70s-use your radio for load noise abatement. Actually, I never notice it except for slow, turns with the tunes off, life is good and I'm ready for more snow (but not in a hurry, flurries in March would be fine).