Winter tires

GT Radial IcePro offers good value

by Russ Bond

In most of Canada, snow tires are a must have for Canadian drivers in the winter, and those on a budget can look at the little known GT Radial IcePro.

GT Radial is the flagship brand of GITI Tire, a global tire manufacturer headquartered in Singapore. The company has seven plants in China that can turn out 140,000 tires per day. While many may not have heard of the GT Radial name, the company is the leading tire manufacturer in Asia and 14th largest globally, providing original equipment (OEM) tires to GM and Fiat, among others.

We had the chance to try the GT Radial IcePro against the Firestone Winterforce, both in what you would term the mid-grade level of winter tires, if you consider brands such as Bridgestone and Michelin as providing the best winter tires money can buy. The GT Radial IcePro actually offers about a 20% savings in price compared to the Firestone.

The GT Radial IcePro comes in either a studded or non-studded tire, and we had a chance to try out both variations.

The IcePro features an innovative studdable design that enhances grip and reduces noise levels. A lateral groove pattern design effectively removes slush and ice from the contact area. It also has Nano Tek Silica technology that plays a large role in the tread compound of the tire.

The non-studded test took place on an ice rink with a front wheel drive Ford Focus, and I could tell that there was slightly more grip from the IcePro than the Firestone entry…although there wasn’t much in it.

The studded IcePro test was done outside on a snow track using Toyota Rav4s, and while you could feel some difference in the tires, the traction control was left on the vehicles, so at about the time the tires were reaching their extreme limits, the traction control came on, making it difficult to tell the difference in the tires.

For the final test – a snow track with rear drive BMW 3 Series – we were allowed to turn off the DSC. With the non-studded version of the IcePro (versus the Winterforce), the BMW felt more stable; the initial turn in was much sharper and the braking seemed more precise.

There isn’t a snow tire that won’t slip at one point, so a big measure of a winter tire is how manageable it is once it does break loose. The sliding BMW was more manageable and easier to control in a slide on the IcePros – now some of that is the fact it was a BMW to begin with. I also found the IcePro, with its large grooves, much better in the deep snow sections of the track and the tracking of the tires in ruts also seemed to be a little better, especially under braking.

Although I believe tires is not an area in which you cut corners or shop simply for the lowest price, especially true in winter tires where your safety margin is much smaller, it should be noted that even the very best winter tires are only slightly better than what you would call the mid-grade tires.

In that respect, the GT Radial IcePro is a capable winter tire that features a price point that is hard to beat. Check the GT Radial website for a dealer near you.

Tags: GT Radial, IcePro, tires, winter