Best Winter/All season tires for California?

I know this question is asked a lot, I've been doing some research but can't seem to find an answer that fits my situation specifically.
I live in a beach town in California, but I'm up in our local mountains (Big Bear, Mammoth, Tahoe etc) almost every weekend in the winter. Snow can get hectic sometimes.
What are some good tires for a 2018 Tacoma 4x4 Sport that have good snow traction but also handle highways well?

 

your best bet for snow is always gonna be a dedicated snow tire, but if I had to get one tire for the entire year, I'd get the Michelin LTX A/T2

other tires to consider would be KO2s (although they apparently have pretty bad traction in wet / rain after ~30k miles and aren't great in snow to begin with) and Cooper Discoverer AT3s (which would probably be in between the Michelin LTX A/T2 and KO2s as far as on-road and off-road performance go)

my order for one-tire-does-it-all would be Michelin LTX A/T2 > Cooper Discoverer AT3s > KO2 if highway / on-road driving is the majority of what you need, but if off-road is what you need, I'd go the other way around......

some good reading here......
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...michelin-ltx-at2s.387843/page-3#post-15359919
and
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...replaced-bfg-ko2s.494945/page-5#post-19486352

good luck, let us know what you choose

 

I have Discoverer AT3 4S tires. They're an updated version of the AT3 with the severe snow rating on them. I'm very happy with them so far.

I see people seem to love those Michelins along with the MS2s, but I have a hard time believing they're that good in the snow. There has to be a reason they aren't severe snow rated and many other A/T tires are. Also worth noting that without that mountain/snowflake symbol I believe chains are required on some mountain roads out that way.

 

Wildpeak At3s !!! Makes my Coopers feel like slicks

 

that's a great point about the severe snow rating. I'm gonna update my notes.

found this thread too
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cooper-discoverer-at3-4s-review.557727/

looks like i'm changing my tune for those of us that live in snow country.......Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S > Michelin LTX A/T2 > KO2

 

thank you thank you thankkk you. This helped guide me for sure

 

UPDATE: Just bought the Wildpeak A/T3W.. woot woot

 

Goodyear Duratracs or Wrangler Authority, very aggressive for an A/T and they wear well.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/goodyear-wrangler-authority-the-rangers-review.233752/

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...89274&ef_id=XHDo6gAAAHOv-w2l:20190223063210:s

 

California r1 and r2 requires tires with the m/s rating, for which both Michelin’s are rated. SoCal CHP is more likely to close a road before it imposes chain controls anyway.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/cttravel/chain-controls.html

OP, for your use (city streets and SoCal highways, with some occasional mtn stuff) you’d be hard pressed to beat any decent set of HT’s.

More work trucks with HT’s do more off-roading everyday than 99% of Tacoma world. Unless you need the looks there is nothing a set of Michelin’s won’t do for you (within reason).

 

How'd you decide on them? Post pics!

 

The OP stated Mammoth and Tahoe, I've seen the CHP require chains and/or 4x4s with snow tires in these areas during severe snow storms. HTs do not cut it without chains and folks that run these tires in snowy and icy conditions have to drive very cautiously.

Out of safety concerns I recommend a mtn snow rated tire, you don't want to be the one being towed after an accident or the one being turned back by the CHP.

A few weeks ago in the Tahoe area. These conditions were pretty much every even as far south as Mammoth.

 

Notice i mentioned “SoCal CHP.” They are far more likely to just close a road rather than implement chain controls. Tahoe, mammoth - NOT SoCal.

I don’t understand the rationale behind your post. Rather than chain up for the 1% of driving that occurs in conditions where something like a Michelin defender wouldn’t cut it - you recommend a tire (AT) that reduces performance for the other 99% of driving (beachtown roadways) that OP mentioned?

Having driven with HT’s in mammoth, Tahoe, and up 395 (many, many times) I can assure you that EVERYONE needs to drive carefully in icy conditions - regardless of tire choice.

If anything, the mtn snowflake symbol is a false sense of security. True icy conditions are going to give blizzaks a run for their money. Thinking that the three peak symbol is going to be a magical elixir that absolves you of driving carefully is silly.

R1 and R2 conditions are doable and legal with a quality M/S tire. You can ALWAYS chain up if you feel the need (you are supposed to have them with you).

If conditions are bad enough where I’m chaining up a set of Michelin’s on my 4x4 or my wife’s outback you better believe I’d be chaining up a set of at3 4s too.

 

I ended up doing tons of research.. I was really into the Discoverer at3 4s but once I went to buy them I realized I just wasn't feeling them. The guys at Big O tried pushing me to a more expensive winter tire, but I wasn't really too down to drop $900 on tires that I'm only going to be using half the year.. (planning on going back to my stock tires once winters over to save some tread)

But a few of my friends from Colorado/Tahoe have falken's and have all said good things about them. Decided I'd trust the snow locals, plus they look cuter anyways !

 

Also - I found a set of these on Amazon for $530 total after taxes / free shipping because Prime... so I'd say that's a pretty solid steal

 

Excellent choice, and you won't have to chain up under most conditions around Tahoe and Mammoth.

I'm considering the Falken as well.

 

Crazily enough... Big bear had R3 conditions two weeks ago which means chains required no matter what. Kinda crazy hahah! But yes, very happy with my purchase. Called 4 different Falken distributors around me and they were all charging $150-$175 a tire... Went on Amazon and found them for $132 a piece! I had an Amazon giftcard from Christmas hence why my pricing was $530 total but still a killer deal.