All-season vs winter tires — is it really worth the hassle?

AWD helps you GO in snow. It does absolutely nothing for stopping or turning. Winter tires improve all three. The rubber compound in winter tires stays soft below 45°F while all-season rubber hardens and loses grip. On ice, winter tires stop 30-40% shorter than all-seasons. I run Bridgestone Blizzak WS90s on my WRX from November to March — the difference is genuinely shocking the first time you try them.

I was skeptical too until I drove my wife's Impreza on Blizzaks vs mine on all-seasons in the same snowstorm. Hers stopped in half the distance. AWD is great but tires are where the rubber literally meets the road. In Ohio winters, it's not even close.