> The only caveat I offer re: these tires is that they do not
> carry the "M+S" designation. That means that they are not
>techincally rated for mud and snow by the Rubber Manufacturer's
> Association. In Maryland, this means it cannot be legally sold
> as an all season tire. Or so I'm told.

In many states it also means the vehicle that they're on cannot be legally
driven if a "snow emergency" is declared. (Here in PA they tend to "declare"
this after pretty much any significant snowfall.)  The Nexens, Yokohamas,
and Continentals are summer-only, whereas the Hankooks and Michelins are
all-season (M&S).

This is not to say that any M&S rated tire is necessarily a great snow tire.
The Hankooks are the best that I know of as far as "all-season" tires go,
but even they cannot compete with a dedicated snow tire from a quality brand
like Vredestein or Nokian.  Other M&S rated tires are downright dangerous in
the snow, as the U.S. standards for an M&S rating were basically determined
by the tire industry, and (as one might expect with self-regulation)
therefore very lax.  In fact, they are so lax that in some cases the
identical tire is marketed as "all season" in the U.S. but can only be sold
as summer-only elsewhere in the world.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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