Studded vs. non-studded winter tires... opinions?
 

Ive just ordered a set of winter tires for my N/A FC. They are the Pirelli "Winter Carving". Got them from Tirerack :

https://www.tirerack.com/images/tire...ving_ci2_l.jpg

Now, Ive driven many differnt kinds of tires on many different kinds of cars in the snow, all seasons, dedicated snow tires, chains, coils, etc.. I know snow tires make a huge difference even from good all-seasons, but Ive never had a set that were studded. These Pirellis are studdable, and Im wondering if I should get them studded? Can anyone give me the pros/cons of studded tires. Do they make a noticable difference in snow/ice, and also, how do they affect dry road handling? Thanks....

Studded tires are excellent in ice and snow but cannot be driven on paved roads without destroying the studs. They are only for use in true winter conditions.

They also tear up the road surface so states have laws about running studded tires. Better check before getting them studded. When I lived in PA I used snows with the studs removed. Studded tires aren't necessary though, I just use Bridgestone Blizzaks on steel rims on my winter driver.

Yea here in PA the law is you cant run studded tires after march. I knew they tore up the raods abit. I got those Pirellis mounted the other day, they will be fine without studs, just thought Id ask since I have no experience with studded tires.

Studded tires do in fact work incredibly well. I ran a setup with studs in the rear and front on my FB and I was amazed. That was in Oklahoma in the 1980s where it was legal. In Illinois, that is strictly illegal, today.

Now I am running a set of Dunlop Graspics on my FC as a winter daily driver. They are studless and perform equal to my old setup on the FB. That was a surprise as I thought studs were the hot way to go, but there have been some significant improvements in tire technology over the past decade. The tire wear seems to be very good on the Graspics, as we have had only two snowfalls this winter and I'm running on dry pavement most days. After 3,000 miles, I can't detect any significant wear. Probably better wear performace than the Blizzaks from what I've heard. They are cheaper, too. AS to performance, they are not inteded as performance tires. Don't do anything quick in them as they are squirmy if you hammer a corner. What is impressive, however, is that I could drive my FC through 12 inch drifts quite easily and lose no traction on ice packed highways. They are confidence builders that make my rear drive car perform as well as my wife's front wheel drive car on very expensive all-season Michelins.

By the way, I did not experience much wear with the studs while driving on clear roads in Oklahoma, which has a lot of ice in the winter but little snow. My studded tires lasted about four winters, on the average.