This is my 1st 4Runner and I am finding that it sucks in the snow. I have Dunlop AT20 tires on it, factory tires, and I am sliding like crazy. I have to basically drive it in 4WD all the time just to get to where I need. It isn't that much snow that I am even going through, maybe an inch if that. I am assuming that it is my tires. I have had the Runner for almost 2 years and I have almost 18K miles on it. Many of them highway miles. I can't believe that I would need new tires yet but I looked at the tread and it isn't all that deep. The snow seems to be packing into the tread and then "blanketing" around the tire rendering my tires useless in the snow. I was looking at some new tires but unsure what to get. I was looking at highway-all season tires rather than snow tires but I want to make sure that it doesn't hurt the comfort or noise too much. Anyone have any ideas as to what brand to get? Any experiences that anyone has? I have just always heard that a Runner can make it through anything. Well, mine can't even make it up my street to my house and I am quite disappointed as you can imagine. I find that if I put the vehicle into 3rd or 2nd gear I don't slide as much. I can only assume because the engine isn't reving as much but I can't go around driving in 3rd all season. I am in NY for gods sakes, we have snow here like 5 months a year. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I bought Michelin X Radial LT from Costco. They have a sale for $60 off a set. So far I like them alot.

We don't have any Costco's here, but we do have BJ's. Do you remember ballpark what they cost each? I was looking at Michelin Cross Terrain SUV but they were $150 each... HOLY COW!!!

Your tires must suck. I've had a second and third generation 4/R. They are awesome snow vehicles. Soon as I got my third, thought the wimpy looking Goodyears were okay, then got them in the snow. Horrid, horrid tire. Went out, and immediately bought Yokohama Geolander A/T II+, which I bought before for my second generation and loved. Warrantee is 40k.

They were around $140 apiece.

I just went to a tire store in my area and he actually suggested that I try and hold out another year. He did tell me that the tires that I have are horrible tires for snow. Hopefully we are through most of the snow season in NY. But something tells me I don't think we are. Thanks everyone for all your help. He had suggested a Bridgestone tire that was more aggressive in the snow. We will have to wait and see what happens.

I just went to a tire store in my area and he actually suggested that I try and hold out another year. He did tell me that the tires that I have are horrible tires for snow. Hopefully we are through most of the snow season in NY. But something tells me I don't think we are. Thanks everyone for all your help. He had suggested a Bridgestone tire that was more aggressive in the snow. We will have to wait and see what happens.

I would get the michellans. they are the best for snow and do not have any road noises. I have 80,000 on my 99 and I still have more than 2/3 rds the tread life left.

I was looking at the Michelins but Consumer Reports didn't rate them very well. The dealer I went to didn't even recommend them and they were one of their most expensive tires at $201/each. I was quite surprised. He suggested the Bridgestone Rugged Trail. Or maybe they were BFGoodrich, it was one or teh other but they were Rugged Trail none the less. I will be waiting until fall before putting them on. No sense in wearing them out in the summer months.

I saw that Consumer Reports article before I bought my tires. Although there seems to be a large difference in scores between the top 10 or 15 tires, the ratings aren't very different in many of the tires, no matter how well they're rated.Sometimes I take CR recommendations on car stuff with a grain of salt. I like alot of their stuff on appliances and cameras and stuff, but for some reason, they don't go according to my preferences in car stuff.

I bought the Michelins for the tread pattern - looked great for water and bad weather. Also, I have never been sorry I bought Michelins, so why change? In addition, the tires I bought were not even tested, and none of the tested tires were available at Costco where I bought my tires (the sale sold me...).

Also, on dealer recommendations, I don't trust tire, appliance, etc dealers to make recommendations. I know they are supposed to know their product and give good recommendations to customers, but I have heard many times when I ask about the best quality product of some type, that a dealer's recommendations on brand are many times based on what they can get the best deal on and thus make more profit. You get a different answer if you ask someone who doesn't stand to make a profit from a sale. Ask a mechanic who doesn't sell tires about tire brands. Ask your repairman about heat pump brands when you are not in the market and he won't sell you one. That is a more reliable opinion on quality. I guess it depends on whether you trust your salesperson or not.

Many times you have to make a choice between a good buy and the best quality. Many times the additional money you spend for a high quality product does not give you a large increase in quality, only a small difference. Then you have to make the tough choice. /philosophy

The guy that I did talk to about tires is a good friend of mine. I am unsure i he would be trying to sell me crap. But sometimes people will sell their friends crap. The Michelin Cross Terrains were reviewed in the November 2004 issue. His price ws $201 and I could get them at Bj's for $178.99 each. So if he did suggest them I probably wouldn't have boughten them there anyways. I do agree with you on Consumer Reports though. I do not always take what they say as gospel. I think their reviews are very one sided and many times I don't agree with them. Check out the November 2004 CR issue. They rated many different tires. Unfortunately, there are only like 5 different tires that can go on our vehicles.

Yokahoma Geolanders AT's are one of better tires out there for snow, on-road and off road...

I did see them listed however, I don't even know where to start in the pronunciation of those words. I will look into. Thanks.

I hear those are good tires, but I'm not sure I would drive a manly truck with tires saying "Yokahoma Geolanders AT" in huge white letters on the side. :)

Turn the white letters to the inside. Leaving the black sidewall to the outside.

I thought the whole point was to advertise the tire manufacturer...

White letters look good if you constantly clean them! As for advertising...maybe if they were free......LOL!!

Black side is sexy. Kinda like black rims on a wheelin rig. The tread is what makes the Yokohama GeolandArs manly.

Something I've learned is that the tires on any car or truck are the most important element to all types of driving. Tires are one of the things that you should never go cheap on. As for the Michelins your buying the name, in my opinion there not that great. You have to remember that tires with really good traction in poor conditions are usually a rougher ride and a bit more noisey on road. The Yokohama Geolander A/T's and Pirelli Scorpion A/T's are really good on road and off-road (snow). I have heard only good things about those tires. And check out the BF Goodwrinch A/T's they are also a good tire. I'm running Goodyear MTR's on my 97 Runner and there an awesome tire but i think there a little agressive for what you want. Just remember you get what you pay for!! Good tires are not cheap and if you deal with snow alot you need something good. good luck with it

A 2003 V6 4Runner is not a cheap vehicle. Why look for cheap tires? You purchased a high-end vehicle, put the appropriate tires on it.

As for the Michelin Cross Terrain, I would not buy it. The outer ribs of the tread pattern are solid ribs, with no voids. This will not allow water to be forced out, causing hydroplaning, and they will sit-and-spin on snow or mud.

Michelin makes an excellent tire, called the XC-LT4.
Other good Michelins are: LTX-A/T, XCX/APT.
My 1088 4Runner will probably be worn out, before I need to replace the Michelins.

I do not know if any of these have ever been reviewed in Consumer Reports. The other tires mentiond by BFGoodrich, etc. are good tires.

I will be putting a set of BFG A/T's on my new 2004 4Runner, because it comes in the size I want. This has always been an excellent tire, and BFG keeps making improvements.