The RE050 which is the stock tire for the 04 is NOT an "all season" tire. It is a "summer" tire just like the S-02. If you check you will see that Tire Rack has them listed in the same category as the S-02. They are both W speed rated and have the same UTQG tread wear rating (140) rating as well. They just have a different tread pattern design which is better at channeling water.

ron

 

I've driven the 04 in the rain, heavy and light rain. Traction is good in the wet. Little tire slip when accelerating. It can slide out on curves, but it's really not bad.

I don't know what these tires will do when it's icy. I assume they won't have much grip in icy stuff.

 

We don't get all that much ice in Dallas, but we get all kinds of thunderstorms. I've found my 2004 to be slightly better at holding the road under washout conditions than my 2000 was. Of course, I had Yokohama AVS Sports on the '00. The new '04 still has the stock Bridgestones. The nice thing about the Yokes was that they gave you a lot of warning before they slipped - they started feeling loose at about 63 mph in a full downpour. When in doubt, just drop your speed to where you've got a comfortable grip.