Given
83%
while driving a
Hyundai Accent
(225/55 R17) on
a combination of roads
for 200
spirited miles
My new car arrived 3 days before the first major snowstorm here in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I had APTs installed and was able to break them in for 100 km before the snowstorm hit on Wed. I had my set inflated 4 psi (37 psi) above placard (Hyundai recommends +3 psi winter tires if the temps are known to be dropping).
The conditions were ripe for mayhem and mayhem it was, especially in a city where 47% of people have yet to install winter tires. It was -1C and 2pm when the snow started on November 28. It kept going for the rest of the afternoon and into mid-evening at a rate of 5 cm/hr. Temps fluctuated between 1C and -1C depending on the microclimate. Traffic was gridlocked everywhere with many slipping and sliding and crashing into things. I was with my son and left his gym at 6:30pm. Got within 3 km of my place but all access routes to the top of the hill where I lived were grid-locked. Had dinner at a local mall and then by 9:30 pm decided to drive 15 km west where the traffic wasn’t as bad and spent the night at relatives. Commuters were stuck on highways past midnight. By the time I arrived at my relatives, 15 to 20 cm had fallen depending on where you were. Despite my rant it really shows the chaos that ensues here in the west when the snow does come. But it sets the stage for my actual review.
During the chaos, my set of APTs faced deep puddles, slush, powder snow, deep snow compact snow, and ice, and many hills. Quite the shakedown indeed. But in one word, confidence! I had no problems driving off on a stand-still on either level or uphills, and no problems stopping whatsoever. My car was stable and I was in complete control at all times.
As I normally use the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 in the other 3 seasons, the Outpost APT is being reviewed relative to the MPSAS4. The Outpost APT has dulled the ride significantly, obviously. That and the tall tread blocks will introduce a lot of tread squirm as well. But I purchased these tires specifically to handle winter weather AND summer limited off-road. Given the parameters I've set for the tires, I'd say the Outpost APT has fulfilled its winter requirements admirably. I'm not concerned about its summer capability as they are intended to be used off-road (when the MPSAS4s) would not work well.
Yes, the APT is considered an all-weather tire. But despite this classification, I’d have to say that they exceeded my expectations for an all-weather, and exceeded the grip and handling on my previous set of General Altimax Arctic, seriously. But I suppose this isn't a big surprise since the General Altimax Arctic is a relatively older tire model and tech has change/improved. It's hard to say how the APT would perform in much colder temps (< -5C). But for the southwest coast of Canada where snowstorms are in the +2C to -4C range, the APT as an all-weather is an ideal solution for cross-over SUVs I feel. Where the General Altimax Arctic falter is when we get the odd pineapple express +14C winter rainstorms originating from Hawaii. Under these circumstances, the Altimax would get really squirrelly and stopping distances worsen (become significantly longer) compared to my UHP set (Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4). I suspect the APT would perform much better than the Altimax during these winter temperature spikes.