“I’ve never intentionally gone out and purchased a set of snow tires,” he said. “Like most people, I buy all-season tires and I use them all year round. But, when I purchased my current vehicle, it turned out I also purchased a set of snow tires. That’s what was on it.”

The Hankook Ice Bears that came with his car were an eye-opening experience or, at least, they were the first time it snowed. As he explained, it was a bit of a surprise.

“Frankly, my car isn’t the off-road, heavy snow variety,” he said. “Rather than a high-ground clearance, like a Chevy Blazer or something, it hugs the road. It’s a sports car. When I say it hugs the road, I mean, it hugs the road. I feel disappointed when I drive somewhere and there aren’t any curves in the road. It’s as though I’ve been cheated.”

People who look at his car, assume that’s the case. It has a wide stance and a very low profile. 

Recently, someone was admiring the car but commented, almost sympathetically, “It’s gotta be a bit rough in the winter though, eh?” 

He admitted you would think so. That’s what he expected. Then that day came when he first drove it through the snow.

“Those Ice Bears clawed their way along as though they were just waiting for some snow to dig through,” he said. “I smiled and nodded politely as I rolled past people who were sitting in place with their tires spinning. They looked back, not so much with envy, but with shocked expressions and, maybe, just a little bit of awe.”

Unfortunately, he drove those Ice Bears all year round. The problem is that, along with their tread design, they also grab the road so well because they’re a softer tire. A harder tire sort of rides up on top of the road where a softer tire digs in. It’s a tradeoff: softer tires may wear a bit faster, too. That’s why it’s a good idea to use your snow tires in the winter and put on a more suitable set of tires in the spring.

When the time came, a little prematurely, to replace his Ice Bears, with some regret, he opted for a set of all-season tires. “I’m just not ready to pay for two sets of tires right now,” he explained. “However, my experience with those Ice Bears is not something I’ll soon forget.”

Now that he’s experienced snow tires, it’s not something he’ll easily forget.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said, “I’m used to seeing 4-Wheel-Drive vehicles in the ditch because someone overestimated their ability to drive on ice and snow. My goal is to stay out of the ditch. Once I got the feel of driving on those Ice Bears, I was careful to stay within the limits of their capacity to keep me out of trouble, as well as to get me out of trouble.”

He said he has a real nice set of tires on the car today – they’re as good as any all-season tires he’s ever driven on. But they’re not snow tires and he’s convinced that, one of these days, there is another set of snow tires in his future.