Best course of action: Winter tires

"coriolis" (coriolis) 09/25/2013 at 12:55 • Filed to: None

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So I need a set of winter tires in the upcoming few months. Snow isn't bad here in Toronto, but when it snows, it snows hard. Not only that, I drive out to hilly areas 3-4 times a week, and I've gotten stuck with all-seasons in my old car before. Nothing like spinning tires, burning rubber and aimlessly failing to make it up a hill. My ST comes with summer tires stock, so using those are completely out of the question.

Now, I have a few weeks before I need to commit and buy, but I have a few ideas how I should proceed. I intend to get a new set of wheels for Spring next year.

Situation 1: Buy Winter Tire set (-$850~), sell stock ST wheels($600~$800), buy OZ SuperTurismo(-$1600) = -$1850

Situation 2: Buy used 18" winter tires (-$400), mount on stock ST wheels, buy OZ SuperTurismo(-$1600) = $-$2000

Situation 3: Buy used 16" steelies on winter tires (-$600), sell ST wheels ($600-800), buy OZ SuperTurismo (-$1600).=$-1800

Situation 4: Buy winter tires (-$650-850), powdercoat ST wheels (-$500)= $1350

Either way, I'm gonna be a world of hurt this spring but I'll have awesome rims :P

RotaryLover > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 12:58

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Get Nokian tires, BEST WINTER TIRES I EVER GOTTEN!

dinobot666 > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:00

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Other option: Keep current ST wheels, mount a set of General Altimax Arctics on them and plastidip them black.

Keep them as your default winter wheels and buy another set of wheels and tires come spring. Win. (eh).

The Jevans > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:00

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Go thin and cheap when it comes to winter tires. 15-16" tires are much cheaper, so go small if you can.

Tom McParland > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:00

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Do not do situation 2. Because if you are going to go winter rubber, as you probably already know, you want it to "cut" through the snow and not float the 18's are going to be too wide. Still better than the summer compound but 16 or 17 would be better. When I had my '04 Cooper S I ran stock rims and summer rubber and "15 winter rims/tires. While the 15's gave up some dry cornering grip that little bugger was quite good in the snow.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:03

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Nokian Hakkapeliitta or Gislaved Nordfrost, all the way. The Gislaved's are better for light trucks, vans, and CUVs, and the Hakkapeliitta also accept studs. Are studs legal in ON? I'm across the lakes in MI (America's Canada) and see a lot of ON plates, but never had the chance to looks closely at their winter tires.

Bruno Martini > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:04

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Or do as I did with my mustang. I live in NY, snow is not so bad. But can be challenging at time. I kept the summer tires. Drive very carefully, and when it snows, stay home.

JEM > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:05

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I like option #3 the best, though you don't have to go with steelies (unless you want to of course). I've found that buying cheaper rims through tirerack is usually about the same price as a set of steelies, or just a few dollars more. Assuming they use road salt around you, they're going to get eaten up so I would just sell the stock rims now, especially if you know you want something different for wheels. Also, I'd suggest going with the smaller 16" size, if for no other reason that it gives you a bit more sidewall protection when you inevitably slide into a curb in the winter, which even with snow tires seems like an inevitable thing.

coriolis > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 09/25/2013 at 13:05

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Studs are illegal in Ontario except for regions further out north where polar bears and igloos may or may not reside.

JEM > JEM 09/25/2013 at 13:06

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Oh, and I've had very good like with the Firestone Winterforce or whatever brand they sell. Sure, not a high performance tire but very durable, long lasting, and excellent bit in the snow, without being too much noisier on dry pavement. They're also like 2/3 of the price of the more expensive Blizzaks and whatnot.

Victorious Secret > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 09/25/2013 at 13:10

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Nokians are so overrated it isn't even funny...

HammerheadFistpunch > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:10

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Option 3. Steelies look great in the winter

Victorious Secret > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:11

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Option 3, acquire Michelins, stay frosty.

coriolis > JEM 09/25/2013 at 13:15

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Biggest problem right now with used 16" steelies and winters are that my ST has a 5x108 bolt pattern. So finding a used set has been hard, I actually have yet to find one haha.

As for alloys, 16" alloys wont clear the ST's brake calipers, 16" steelies are pretty tight but clears. I'd have to look for 17" alloys then.

Speedmonkey > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:16

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Don't know a great deal about winter tyres, but GREAT PHOTO!

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 09/25/2013 at 13:19

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I go with a set of steelies for the winter, with a performance winter tire (Pirelli SnowControl 2, but this year I think I might step up to Sottozero 2 's or the Hakkapeliitta R2 , if I can find a local shop that stocks my size).

The reason for the steelies in the winter is that they face the greater likelihood of damage (invisible, snow-covered debris in the road, potholes opened up after months of plowing/salting, exposure to road salt/parking lot de-icer/road sand/constant water & ice) and it's not like I have a lot of opportunity for pushing my car's performance envelope during Michigan's 4+ months of winter. With a good set of snow tires, however, there is ample opportunity for Shenanigans! So no need for a performance wheel. And they are stronger than the cheapo aluminum rims a lot of people choose for the winter. Don't let your baby get bitten by a set of Rota's .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Steel wheels in plastidip don't look half bad, either!

BJ > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:20

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Option 3 - get 16" winter steelies because they're cheap and will give you good snow performance (as others have mentioned, cutting instead of floating). You will save money on the winter tires as well; have you priced out 18" winter tires? Ouch! And you can paint, plastidip, or cover them to your liking.

For tires, I've used the Gislaved Nordfrost for years now and am always impressed. Not the #1 ice tire, but superb snow performance. They do very well in warmer, slushy conditions when other tires seem to just pack up and turn into ice donuts. And they can be studded if you really want to, but it's probably illegal in Ontario.

Meatcoma > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:21

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Yea I bought the cheap set of 2010 Camaro steel factory 18" wheels (craigslist $125) for my car to put All Season tires on. I don't plan to drive it in the snow but if I get caught at work or on the way home I would like to know that I'm not gonna have to drive through 2-3 inches of snow on performance tires.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > Victorious Secret 09/25/2013 at 13:22

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I haven't had a set myself, they came on strong recommendation from a buddy in a local Subaru club in Northern MI. I run Pirelli SnowControl 2 on an Abarth on steel wheels in the winter. We have a local "premium european" service shop/money vacuum here that sells a shit ton of Nokians. I bought Gislaved NordFrost 5's from that same shop for a previous wife's CUV, and they were fantastic.

What snow tires do you like?

Victorious Secret > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 09/25/2013 at 13:24

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General Altimax when I'm feeling cheap. Michelins are also very good. Goodyears, meh.

Nokians just have marketing, not much else. Pirellis are also decent but overpriced compared to the field.

NinetyQ > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:25

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I'd just get the winter tires on steelies for now. Deal with the other wheels later, or not. Your financial situation may be different in the spring and you'll wish you hadn't blown your money on wheels you don't need (for summer).

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:26

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That is actually pretty humorous.

In MI there can be no tint on the front windshield or front windows, save for the top 4 inches. Doctors can write prescriptions, however, for side window tinting up to 5% VLT, and up to 35% VLT for windshields. I wonder if ON docs can write scripts for tire studs, because it is medically necessitated for the purposes of not getting mauled by polar bears.

crashonice > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:27

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My vote for #3: only forget the steelies and get something lighter that looks nice off of Craigslist. There are some excellent deals to be had if you have a bit of patience. Keep it to 16" and no larger, and that should open up a lot of options for good used tires. I don't remember exactly, but I'm guessing you probably could run tires off of a Suby Impreza (a lot of which get outfitted with good winter rubber). 205/60s maybe?.

Get pretty much any namebrand studless tire and you will be happy. They all excel in different situations, but the Micheline X-ice, Bridgstone Blizzak, Dunlop Graspic, etc. are going to do just fine. . .it pretty much comes down to availability.
Forget studs. Legal or not, they're just not advantageous anymore.

ColoradoTaco > dinobot666 09/25/2013 at 13:30

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I run these tires on my S4 and they rock. Mount some on the stock wheels and get your OZs come Spring time.

crashonice > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 13:45

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5x108? Maybe you could find some Volvo wheels. High likelihood for 17". . .not sure on tire size or offset, tho.

dinobot666 > ColoradoTaco 09/25/2013 at 13:47

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I suggested having the wheels 'dipped as a way to prevent corrosion from salt. I 'dipped the inside and outside of the wheels on my Impreza because they had become so pitted already. Stupid salt on the roads wrecking everything.

coriolis > crashonice 09/25/2013 at 13:50

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Yeah, Volvo and older Ford Taurus's are 5x108. Also Ferrari and Maserati ;)

Almost all of those have large sidewalls for SUVs, makes it tough :(

ColoradoTaco > dinobot666 09/25/2013 at 13:57

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No salt used here, but I am going to dip my wheels this weekend.

McMike > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 14:19

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I like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta.

I also like cheap steelies or used wheels for snow shoes.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > Victorious Secret 09/25/2013 at 14:24

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I know a good number of X5 and GLK drivers who swear by Michelin Latitude Alpine's.

Generally speaking, I've learned to loathe General tires in the past, for any type. I've had 1 set of Firestone Winterforce's, and that was 1 set too many for me. Never again. Since I love and sell small cars in a relatively snowy region, I preach snow tires all day long. Proper rubber is way more important than AWD, but a lot of the locals here still struggle with the concept. It fills me with no small amount of joy to shoot past an F-150 in a ditch with an Abarth. The All-Season tire is a myth in the north. No one here would wear an "All season shoe" because it's a tremendous compromise: too hot and heavy for summer, too cold and no traction in the winter. So why do that with your car?

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 14:36

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EDIT: This link may take you to the TireRack cart that has everything. Or it may not.

I would suggest Tire Rack. You can get a set of Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D's mounted on steel rims and balanced for $900 with TMPS sensors installed and mounted and balanced. Add in another $50 if you opt of wheel covers and its probably worth your while to get the $50ish dollar TPMS reset tool. Basically you can be all set up for around $1,000 USD.

I would suggest having a separate set of rims for winter as you'll beat the crap out of your wheels driving in winter and you'll beat them up getting tires remounted every spring and fall. Also having two sets of wheels lets you do this yourself in the yard for free instead of spending $50 or more to get the tires remounted every spring and fall. And not having the extra set of wheels doesn't save you any storage space.

JEM > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 15:19

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Oh ok, I just assumed 16" would fit. Then go 17" sure. Either way it's always recommended to go with a narrow tire and larger sidewall for winter. I'm not 100% sold on the narrow thing, I feel like the bigger the contact patch, the better, always. I understand the thinking is that a narrow cuts through the snow better.

Giles007 > coriolis 09/25/2013 at 22:16

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My ST came with 18" Michelin Pilot Alpin Sport pa3 when I picked it up. We had one of the worst winters last year here in Saskatoon, and the city was unable to keep the streets clear. I never had a problem with the wide tires, never got stuck once. The car is really fun to drive in the winter.
In the spring I must have hit a pothole and my sidewall split. The replacement cost $400. When these tires wear out, I will be getting 16" or 17" steelies. The rubber is cheaper, and more meat will protect you from those potholes.
I would go with option 3. I wish I had.

davidj210 > coriolis 09/26/2013 at 14:32

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I got a new car about a year ago. Base model Impreza, so 15" steelies. My plan is to put good winter tires on the steelies this November, then get some 17" aluminum wheels with 3-season performance tires for the spring.