Apr 27, 20177 min read

SNOW SHOES FOR MATCHES - PIRELLI SOTTOZERO SERIE II

A couple years ago, I had determined I would drive Matches across the country as sort of a farewell to simple street-car services. With so many plans for track-toy development descended from years of obsessive research, testing and analysis, I wanted to say bye-bye to daily usage, and a big, sexy “hello” to NASA, SCCA and licensed competitions. I even went so far as to start hand-writing my lists of parts and their respective codes into a build-journal, and have already begun gathering my arsenal of upgrades by order of priority. In other words, 2018 can be expected to go by really, really fast. (See what I did there? :P )

While carefully mapping out my cross-country route using google maps to determine time, distance, mandatory stops, and safe hotels (based on reviews from multiple sources), I decided to first drive north through Montana, proceed around the Great Lakes to Detroit, down to Ohio to see family, then head east to Boston, from where I would drive south through to Texas before heading home. (I’ll have that journey typed up soon.) I was already bummed to learn Yellowstone would be 90% closed during my travel dates in late November, which is why I chose to travel clockwise so as to not risk facing delays due to road closures, let alone miss much of Montana or other northern states – and, I only secured two weeks to cover over 8,000 miles. Factoring this in also shelled out a reminder that, despite aiming to avoid blizzard conditions, I should still prepare for whatever nature is possible of throwing my way, as summer performance tires would obviously not be sufficient for deep snow or ice, even in addition to my glorious Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive.

Snow tires were the final, and most important prep for my trip. I’d only thought about them just two weeks before departure, and in doing so, routinely Googled “Subaru sti snow tires” (and variants) to find opinions and ratings on tire sites, tire blogs and, of course, Subaru socials. The two most mentioned were Bridgestone Blizzak WS and Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires – the latter of which, even close friends had recommended. While the Blizzaks were said to have great snow grip but curbed enthusiasm in dry conditions, the Continentals were often slated as "soft" and "noisy" in either case, and conceded to "slippage" in more than a couple inches of slush. Plenty of other brands and models were likewise cited with high or decent praise, just as some were reviewed in tandem for a conclusive assessment, and I even ventured into forums for other car brands to see how winter tires worked with their specific setups and drivetrains. (You can never have too many comparisons, right?) What I found when finally narrowing down my snow tire options on Tire Rack, however, was that Pirelli was also in on the game – oddly, a name not mentioned anywhere in the dozens of winter tire evaluations I encountered.

Enter Pirelli Sottozero Serie II Severe Snow Service tires. The directional asymmetrical tread design resembled some top-line Michelin tires while at nearly half the cost, and the boisterous siping in the blocks exuded gecko-like grip. Even more enticing, uncovering the tremendous effort Pirelli takes to support the arts and culture (I myself am an artist) nudged me even closer to choosing them, let alone their prevalence with the other flat-four. Since I typically settle on Hankook V12 Evo tires as dailies for the sake of performance per dollar – especially in the rain, and the trade-off meeting nearly midpoint with my needs for street use in Southern California – I decided to invest in something that could get me through northern snow, and still delight in southern canyon and desert drives. While the price of the Sottozero tires exceeded my desired budget at the time ($850 including mount), I took the leap, despite my uncertainty with a not so tried-and-true tire. Taking advantage of their $70 mail-in rebate, though, was an added benefit in the end.

My initial impression when driving home from the install was that they were [obviously] drastically softer than the V12s, but not what I would call “Corolla-soft.” (I equate the plush comfort of Corollas [and most other economy cars] as resembling those spring-loaded ponies at the playground when it comes to their marginal suspension and tire features.) They immediately delivered their own uniquely responsive kick on dry roads, having the comfort of all-seasons, but with markedly increased stiffness in cornering. Testing them down SoCal freeways demonstrated how smoothly and steadily they took to high speeds, standing up to above-average overpass execution, all while my exhaust drone was enough to cancel out any noise they might have emitted – although, while later cruising the highway across Idaho, they emitted a cylindrical sound that first tricked me into thinking my car was having an issue. This same sound was persistent on other combed roads around the country, but after that first nervous tick, it was never enough to be bothersome – only ever noticeable.

Pirelli claims their Interactive Brickwork Siping “increases both lateral and longitudinal stability while providing more biting edges to increase snow traction.” (TireRack, Sottozero Serie II Description, retrieved here.) I was able to fully embrace this brickwork concept on icy and snowy roads, as the tires offered summer-like rigidity with ample response while also permitting increased momentum, thanks in part to those hungry sipes gorging on the surface. The higher load rating surely attributed to the ease of some slushy triumphs, too. They suited my input regardless of the conditions, taking my orders with no restraint, and their assurance was met with full confidence as I hit the brunt of the first winter storm into Pennsylvania, all the way to the storm heading into Massachusetts from New York on the 90, where stopping for gas in nearly a foot of snow was cake (see below). Spirited – for the circumstances – albeit cautious maneuvering on freezing roads was made reliably possible, as these tires never budged in slippery scenarios, even at highway speeds, save for the few times scoring would force me into snow-grooves left behind by other cars. Blame a finer judgement, but they stopped whenever and wherever I needed them to, and had no problem changing lanes at 70mph with generous loads of slush in the divide. There were instances I would have enjoyed pushing them even further, too, if not for the fullest intention of getting my car home in the same condition as when I left. The only considerable issue I encountered was twice, on separate occasions, passing a salt truck at highway speed and the tires struggling to grab the pavement through the flowing salt. It was like running and suddenly embarking on a flowing heap of marbles. (...LOL, found them!) I had to let off the gas both times in order to regain steady traction, which took a shade longer than desired, but still left me smiling like a kid getting her ice cream fix in the summer - of course, every day of driving my Subaru is like that... Either way, I did not endure one single oh-shit moment the entire journey, and was able to maintain the legal speed limit the entire trek. Thank you, Pirelli.

Something else highly significant I must share about these tires: Pirelli says the Sottozero “internal structure enhances thermal stability and makes the tires less sensitive to road and air temperature changes.” (TireRack, Sottozero Serie II Description, retrieved here.) This is amazingly true! I kid thee, not: in all 8,123.5 miles and 27 states covered of my journey, I needn't add a single pound of air pressure (not nitrogen) to any of my tires as the pressure loss was so minimal. Serious. Matches is sitting in the garage as I type this, chillaxin’ on 30-32 psi all around, down a mere 2 pounds either way since an oil change in east Texas. (When I drove from SoCal to Seattle in December 2012 on Federal 595s, I was down almost 15psi at times.) Even so, these tires plowed through relentless elevation changes, drastic temperature drops, torrential rain, gravel roads, and random spirited canyon runs with zero complaints. I also think the compound is right, as they retained the same amenability with my input in single-digit weather as they did in 60-degree weather. These were, by far, more sturdy and sufficient for long distance and winter driving than I had anticipated.

Now, I firmly believe that a person's individual driving ability, style, and vehicle setup are what determine their experience and opinion with any tire. With that said, I am concluding, as an avid performance enthusiast, that I feel these tires [quite literally] drive a fine line between energetic summer driving and wintry reliability, especially when paired with Subaru AWD – my instinct lucked out. They're certainly not performance tires, but they yield the same enthusiasm in harsh conditions. While one of you reading this insists Pirelli sucks, and another of you is thinking, ooh, I'm sold, I must argue that I am a driver with a driven car: not a point-A-to-point-B driver; not an I’ll-pick-you-up-and-drop-you-off driver. I am a highly conscientious driver – “finesse,” as I’ve frequently been deemed by even notable professionals, and generously refined with relative safety and management techniques thanks in part to fellow dutiful drivers who so eagerly share their own legitimate experiences and expertise. As far as traveling with Matches in general goes, I look for the best of both worlds when making choices: what will make my trip really fun and memorable, but still ensure my capacity to maintain safety for myself and those around me? And, I find the Pirellis to have provided just that – the best of both worlds. They integrate the comfort of safety and confidence with the rigidity of aggression and gritty fun for their purpose with little compromise.

What perfect… symmetry. ;)