So this whole winter driving thing is new to me, just moved to eastern WA from SoCal this summer. The weather really isn't too bad here, not much snow or ice, just damn cold. However, I'm looking to head over the hills to Seattle for a weekend or two before winter is over, and would like to be somewhat prepared if need be.

I've thought about getting some of the diagonal zig-zag Z-cable type. I've had a couple folks say they work great, and a couple others say they're crap. I guess basically I'm wondering if I should go with the Z-cable setup or a more traditional diamond pattern chain setup.

Now, if it makes a difference, this is for my Mitsubishi Mirage, a small FWD hatchback.