When my trusty old Mazda5 lost its life this past fall after a little elderly driver crushed the front end into submission, I picked up a new and equally unexciting vehicle (Hyundai Tuscon) weeks before the Canadian winter came knocking. Sailun Tire reached out and asked if I wanted to test out a set of its winter tires.
Initially, I was hoping for a set of the IceBlazer WSL2 tires, as Sailun gives tires top marks for ice performance and quietness. However, they didn’t come in the size I needed, so I went with the Sailun IceBlazer WST1. This is far and away the most popular winter tire in the Sailun lineup, accounting for about 75% of sales.
What sets the Sailun IceBlazer WST1 apart is the ability to add studs. According to Sailun, the studs will provide a 20-30% performance boost on snow and ice, however, traction compared to non-studded tires on wet/dry roads could be compromised, but Sailun says the difference is minimal. Alas, studded tires are illegal where I live, so I couldn’t test this for myself. But drivers can still safely use these tires without the studs, so problem solved. You should check to see if studded tires are legal where you live before buying them.
The WST1 has a more rounded design than the WSL2. According to Sailun, the rounded design offers improved cornering consistency. WST1 tires also offer better traction in snow over the WSL2 thanks to deeper treads, but lose a little traction on the ice because of fewer sipes (the squiggly lines you see on the tread blocks) due to the stud anchors taking up extra real estate.