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What is the best tire for wet roads and heavy rain?

11K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  LittleBokey  
#1 ·
I am looking at purchading a QUALITY tire for wet weather mostly. Not concerned with snow as I run Blizzaks.

I have used the Michelin Cross Climate 2 on my Nissan Rogue and they worked just fine. Is there anything better? Or is that pretty much the best rain tire out there?

Any experiences?
 
#5 ·
We have the CrossClimate 2 on our FWD Nissan Murano and I love them in all conditions. I live in the mid-west so have some winter snow and ice and plenty of rain. I'll be putting them on my Cruz after I get through this coming summer. I want to get a few more miles out of the original tires.
 
#7 ·
Trying to figure out where winters needing Blizzaks are then followed with needed rain treads? Spotted Florida dwellers talking about flooded out streets and rain challenges. But that's serous water. In fact, the CrossClimates do perform magic with street-river forging.

I'm in the North and spring rain season (following ice season) isn't so spooky. Never questioned wet grip with premium, three-season tires. I like Continentals with big, fat rain grooves and quiet tread blocks. They will never get the mileage suggested, but they're a nice cruising tire.

As jfetter says, TireRack is the DeFacto, go-to source. Study wet track results and go nutty.
 
#8 ·
Good info....

I'm not a fan of the Michelin Primacy that came with the Cruz...but, like most, I will wait a bit to use up some of the tread before purchasing new tires.
The Primacy is fine on a dry road, but not as sure footed as I would like in the wet/rain.
Snow? Forget it.

The Sumitomo and the Goodyear look great.
The Hankook Noble S1 looks disappointing....shame, I really liked the Hankook Ventus V12 several years back.

Ken
 
#9 ·
Good info....

I'm not a fan of the Michelin Primacy that came with the Cruz...but, like most, I will wait a bit to use up some of the tread before purchasing new tires.
The Primacy is fine on a dry road, but not as sure footed as I would like in the wet/rain.
Snow? Forget it.

The Sumitomo and the Goodyear look great.
The Hankook Noble S1 looks disappointing....shame, I really liked the Hankook Ventus V12 several years back.

Ken
To be honest, these Primacy tires that came on it haven't been that bad considering the South's most recent bout of snow and ice. I was pretty impressed, while rain conditions have never been an issue for me. That being said, I'm still swapping out for the next set. I was really impressed with the CrossClimate 2's I had on my last ride, as mentioned numerous times already. But I didn't know if that was just because my last ride weighed 900lbs less than this one. I've never had Sumitomos, but I can tell you that almost every car I've ever owned came with some form of Goodyear Eagle Sports or RSA's or something, and they've been terrible. Every single one. They squeal, they bark, they skid, they don't last. One came out of round about an hour from the nearest tire shop in my last Ford Fusion in Alabama, just straight lines for hours, no reason to do that. Goodyear can suck it.
 
#10 ·
Don't know if you ever made a decision, but I've run Continental DWS06 on several generations of vehicles now, they are an incredibly flexible all-season tire with incredibly good handling in the dry, and unbeatable in wet conditions.
Not available in 245/50/20, but is available in 255/50/20 (less than half in inch difference in width).
 
#11 ·
I put on BFG Trail Terrians, they grip great on dry and light off road surfaces. But I'm easily able to break them free on wet/rainy roads. Not to the point of losing control (AWD) and straight line driving is fine, but I'm a bit timid about throwing them into corners during rain. Look elsewhere for better wet grip. Continental or Michelin are likely better for wet. IMHO