TLDR: They fit and they're a great tire for those looking to have real traction in actual snow with none of the squirminess, noise, or vagueness of typical winter tires. These are highly rated and also among the most affordable winter tires in their class. Thumbs up for me.
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For those looking for winter tires; these fit. The rears are stretched a bit, but according to Vredestein's specs, 9.5" (the width of a 20" Air rear wheel) is the limit for width on these, so they are within spec.
Why square set up, you ask? Simple. I like the ability to rotate my tires for better and longer wear. Staggered tires prevent this, only allowing you to rotate tires laterally, which limits how much life you can get out of a set. Also, I like a narrower tire during the winter as generally speaking, the tire is more likely to "cut" through the snow and grip the road, rather than "float", or ride atop the snow.
For those that don't know, these tires are classified as "Performance Winter/Snow" tires, so they give up a bit of snow traction to still have some performance tire characteristics, mainly dry traction and steering response. So, they're not going to be as capable as a full-on snow tire, but they won't have the same sloppy steering response or dead on-center feel, either. Since I don't live in Buffalo, NY (anymore), this is perfectly fine. Also, I have a Rivian on 35s for the really bad stuff.
As for the tires themselves, I went with these for a few reasons. One, they're the highest rated tire in their category according to Tire Rack. Two, they're also one of the most affordable. Three, they're not made in China (made in the Netherlands), which may or may not be important to you.
I've only had them on for 200 miles or so, but during that time, they were put to the test. Here in the Denver metro, we received quite the snow storm last week. We weren't expecting it since on the front range (the easternmost range of the Rocky Mountains; essentially the foot of the Rockies before you're actually in the mountains), Oct-Dec is normally dry and mild with only a few dustings of snow, which usually disappears within a day or two due to our abundant sunshine.
This stuff however? This was like what I got when I lived in Buffalo, NY, however - wet, sloppy and heavy. Buffalonians know snow like the Inuit and the stuff we received was not like the typical dry "freezer dust" we normally get in Denver. Over a two day period, we got over 8" of slop with some places getting much more than that I'm sure. While no where near what I've experienced in a proper Buffalo blizzard (literal feet of snow that would allow you to go sledding off your two-story house's roof), it was more than enough to test a sport sedan wearing new winter tires.
I drove the Air right in the thick of it, so the tires were truly experiencing exactly what they were designed for - honest to goodness snow on unplowed streets in freezing temps.
Notes:
Overall, great tire all around and a great purchase for sport sedan drivers that see snow every year.
They allowed the Air to continue its normal feeling of superb confidence, which, as I've expressed before, approaches a feeling of near invincibility, only this time, on snow. Keep in mind, this is a relative feeling however; you're of course aware of the reduced traction but able to drive far faster than traffic to your left and right. For additional context, the conditions were such that your garden variety AWD crossovers (think RAV4s, CRVs, Rogues, etc.) would visibly slip and search for traction on their all-season tires as they lightly accelerated from lights. Once rolling, these cars would settle into a 25mph to 35mph trot on streets that normally see 55mph to 65mph speeds. The Lucid would do 55mph in these same conditions before starting to drift and weave mildly as it gradually lost traction. I was able to leave cars far, far behind me after every red light without driving irresponsibly if that helps paint the picture of confidence and capability these tires offer.
Panic stop tests in parking lots and abandoned side streets (it was 1100hrs at night on a Thursday) revealed far more traction than my eyes would leave me to believe. Even in unplowed areas with 2" or 3" of fresh wet snow (ie. no underlying road surface visible) showed almost no slipping upon applying just less than full, sudden stabs at the brake pedal (think 8/10 pressure on the brake pedal). Very impressive.
Quick movements of the wheel revealed obvious slipping, however. Deliberate turns of the wheel at speed yielded an expected loss of grip and understeer. This isn't so much a criticism, just an acknowledgement that these tires aren't magic and function according to physics. I'm sure in lesser snow conditions, this shortcoming would be lessened. That said, I found sustained, constant radius grip (such as on long, looping on and off ramps) to be more than ample allowing me to pass other traffic that was obviously struggling for traction.
All that said, none of this is surprising as you'd expect every tire in this category to provide confident traction in these conditions, especially compared to other cars wearing plebeian all-seasons. Where I put more significance is the "performance" characteristics of the tire. In this regard, I find these to be pretty damn ideal, I have to say.
I'm well versed with tires of this ilk, having used Pirelli SottoZeros, Bridgeston Blizzaks, Continental ContiWinter Contacts, etc. on past sports coupes/sedans. As any car enthusiast that lives in an area with snow can relate to, the seasonal swapping of summer tires to winter tires is a sad one. Gone are the days of free spirited romps through less-traveled country roads. Instead of aiming for fun, we settle for survival, pleading to have enough grip to avoid sliding in to a curb and rashing up our wheels. We put up with flaccid steering and having to conduct constant, if minor, corrections at the wheel during long highway drives due to squirmy winter tread compounds and patterns. Generally, winter sucks for performance cars.
Not so with this tire, however. They remain quiet, if not quite as much as the stock Michelin Pilot Sport EVs (which I learned have sound-deadening foam inside of them after the tire installer removed them). They're surprisingly responsive, too, lacking the aforementioned characteristic squirminess of other winter tires. That's huge for me, because my favorite thing about the Air is how it drives, and these dutch rollers maintain the Air's driving characters very well. In dry, normal conditions, playful stabs at the accelerator from a stop in Swift mode reveal only a bit less traction off the line compared to the PSs and have none of the typical "squeal" of non-performance tires. When pushed at the limits of adhesion, they don't protest, either - they give up traction very gradually and gently, like a good performance tire does. Simply lift gently on the accelerator and they regain traction and tuck into the intended line dutifully.
Caveats? I can't say if these are better than the present set of competitors since we live in an age where tire technology is leapfrogging like computer technology almost year to year. I wouldn't be surprised if the Michelins/Pirellis/Continentals/etc. perform pretty much similarly. Also, it's tough to say if the quietness and traction from these tires aren't being affected by the Lucid's already exemplary refinement and chassis/traction/stability tuning, respectively. There's probably some interplay, there. Jury's out on efficiency, too - it was poor during the storm, but that's to be expected. Yesterday was sunny and 60 degrees, and on my normal route, I got normal efficiency. Assuming all other variables being constant (i.e. weather/temps), I can't image these being significantly worse in terms of efficiency than the stock PSs. Each Vredestein weighs 29lbs. The front PSs weigh 26lbs and the rears weigh 29lbs, so a mild hit to efficiency should be expected. No biggie for me - we drive Airs not Leafs (Leaves?) so range anxiety isn't really a factor for me.
So, for less money than its competitors, you get a great driving winter tire that gives you all the snow traction you could reasonably want without all the normal drawbacks of a typical winter tire. They don't muffle the Air's natural driving dynamics and make you forget that you have winter tires installed at all. To me, forgetting that you're driving on winter tires is the best praise you can give a winter tire, so they're a good buy in my book.
*****************************************************************
For those looking for winter tires; these fit. The rears are stretched a bit, but according to Vredestein's specs, 9.5" (the width of a 20" Air rear wheel) is the limit for width on these, so they are within spec.
Why square set up, you ask? Simple. I like the ability to rotate my tires for better and longer wear. Staggered tires prevent this, only allowing you to rotate tires laterally, which limits how much life you can get out of a set. Also, I like a narrower tire during the winter as generally speaking, the tire is more likely to "cut" through the snow and grip the road, rather than "float", or ride atop the snow.
For those that don't know, these tires are classified as "Performance Winter/Snow" tires, so they give up a bit of snow traction to still have some performance tire characteristics, mainly dry traction and steering response. So, they're not going to be as capable as a full-on snow tire, but they won't have the same sloppy steering response or dead on-center feel, either. Since I don't live in Buffalo, NY (anymore), this is perfectly fine. Also, I have a Rivian on 35s for the really bad stuff.
As for the tires themselves, I went with these for a few reasons. One, they're the highest rated tire in their category according to Tire Rack. Two, they're also one of the most affordable. Three, they're not made in China (made in the Netherlands), which may or may not be important to you.
I've only had them on for 200 miles or so, but during that time, they were put to the test. Here in the Denver metro, we received quite the snow storm last week. We weren't expecting it since on the front range (the easternmost range of the Rocky Mountains; essentially the foot of the Rockies before you're actually in the mountains), Oct-Dec is normally dry and mild with only a few dustings of snow, which usually disappears within a day or two due to our abundant sunshine.
This stuff however? This was like what I got when I lived in Buffalo, NY, however - wet, sloppy and heavy. Buffalonians know snow like the Inuit and the stuff we received was not like the typical dry "freezer dust" we normally get in Denver. Over a two day period, we got over 8" of slop with some places getting much more than that I'm sure. While no where near what I've experienced in a proper Buffalo blizzard (literal feet of snow that would allow you to go sledding off your two-story house's roof), it was more than enough to test a sport sedan wearing new winter tires.
I drove the Air right in the thick of it, so the tires were truly experiencing exactly what they were designed for - honest to goodness snow on unplowed streets in freezing temps.
Notes:
Overall, great tire all around and a great purchase for sport sedan drivers that see snow every year.
They allowed the Air to continue its normal feeling of superb confidence, which, as I've expressed before, approaches a feeling of near invincibility, only this time, on snow. Keep in mind, this is a relative feeling however; you're of course aware of the reduced traction but able to drive far faster than traffic to your left and right. For additional context, the conditions were such that your garden variety AWD crossovers (think RAV4s, CRVs, Rogues, etc.) would visibly slip and search for traction on their all-season tires as they lightly accelerated from lights. Once rolling, these cars would settle into a 25mph to 35mph trot on streets that normally see 55mph to 65mph speeds. The Lucid would do 55mph in these same conditions before starting to drift and weave mildly as it gradually lost traction. I was able to leave cars far, far behind me after every red light without driving irresponsibly if that helps paint the picture of confidence and capability these tires offer.
Panic stop tests in parking lots and abandoned side streets (it was 1100hrs at night on a Thursday) revealed far more traction than my eyes would leave me to believe. Even in unplowed areas with 2" or 3" of fresh wet snow (ie. no underlying road surface visible) showed almost no slipping upon applying just less than full, sudden stabs at the brake pedal (think 8/10 pressure on the brake pedal). Very impressive.
Quick movements of the wheel revealed obvious slipping, however. Deliberate turns of the wheel at speed yielded an expected loss of grip and understeer. This isn't so much a criticism, just an acknowledgement that these tires aren't magic and function according to physics. I'm sure in lesser snow conditions, this shortcoming would be lessened. That said, I found sustained, constant radius grip (such as on long, looping on and off ramps) to be more than ample allowing me to pass other traffic that was obviously struggling for traction.
All that said, none of this is surprising as you'd expect every tire in this category to provide confident traction in these conditions, especially compared to other cars wearing plebeian all-seasons. Where I put more significance is the "performance" characteristics of the tire. In this regard, I find these to be pretty damn ideal, I have to say.
I'm well versed with tires of this ilk, having used Pirelli SottoZeros, Bridgeston Blizzaks, Continental ContiWinter Contacts, etc. on past sports coupes/sedans. As any car enthusiast that lives in an area with snow can relate to, the seasonal swapping of summer tires to winter tires is a sad one. Gone are the days of free spirited romps through less-traveled country roads. Instead of aiming for fun, we settle for survival, pleading to have enough grip to avoid sliding in to a curb and rashing up our wheels. We put up with flaccid steering and having to conduct constant, if minor, corrections at the wheel during long highway drives due to squirmy winter tread compounds and patterns. Generally, winter sucks for performance cars.
Not so with this tire, however. They remain quiet, if not quite as much as the stock Michelin Pilot Sport EVs (which I learned have sound-deadening foam inside of them after the tire installer removed them). They're surprisingly responsive, too, lacking the aforementioned characteristic squirminess of other winter tires. That's huge for me, because my favorite thing about the Air is how it drives, and these dutch rollers maintain the Air's driving characters very well. In dry, normal conditions, playful stabs at the accelerator from a stop in Swift mode reveal only a bit less traction off the line compared to the PSs and have none of the typical "squeal" of non-performance tires. When pushed at the limits of adhesion, they don't protest, either - they give up traction very gradually and gently, like a good performance tire does. Simply lift gently on the accelerator and they regain traction and tuck into the intended line dutifully.
Caveats? I can't say if these are better than the present set of competitors since we live in an age where tire technology is leapfrogging like computer technology almost year to year. I wouldn't be surprised if the Michelins/Pirellis/Continentals/etc. perform pretty much similarly. Also, it's tough to say if the quietness and traction from these tires aren't being affected by the Lucid's already exemplary refinement and chassis/traction/stability tuning, respectively. There's probably some interplay, there. Jury's out on efficiency, too - it was poor during the storm, but that's to be expected. Yesterday was sunny and 60 degrees, and on my normal route, I got normal efficiency. Assuming all other variables being constant (i.e. weather/temps), I can't image these being significantly worse in terms of efficiency than the stock PSs. Each Vredestein weighs 29lbs. The front PSs weigh 26lbs and the rears weigh 29lbs, so a mild hit to efficiency should be expected. No biggie for me - we drive Airs not Leafs (Leaves?) so range anxiety isn't really a factor for me.
So, for less money than its competitors, you get a great driving winter tire that gives you all the snow traction you could reasonably want without all the normal drawbacks of a typical winter tire. They don't muffle the Air's natural driving dynamics and make you forget that you have winter tires installed at all. To me, forgetting that you're driving on winter tires is the best praise you can give a winter tire, so they're a good buy in my book.
