I'll second the overwhelming response. Regardless of the cost, get the winter tires. IMO, with a very low powered car like yours, you do not need top of the line winter tires as stated by some in this thread.

I am not aware whether Hankook offer a tire in your size range, but their W300 and W409 series of tires are very very good, and offer the best bang for the buck, IMO.

grew up in syracuse, ny. lake effect snow country! i never thought winter tires were required - all seasons would be ok. until i drove a car with winter tires - what a difference it makes! i bought a set the next day.

i have Blizzaks WS60's on my FWD jetta:
(http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...nSpeedRating=H)

they are GREAT in the snow - 6" plus of snow on back roads one winter and not a problem at all. the tire wear is good. going into my 4th winter with the set.

i'm now living in pittsburgh and there isn't nearly as much snow here (a few inches max), but the tires are still doing great in cold, slushy, sometimes icy, sometimes snowy conditions.

bottom line: get a pair of winter tires, it makes a huge difference!!

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quote:

Originally posted by Provocative_boi + 1 I bought mine used $30/tire drove all last winter and summer and have them still on......(good Shape).

Dude, thats a reallllly bad idea. Driving in summer with winter tires on? You've worn away the most important portion of the winter tires - as they wear, their effective winter contact patch diminishes. Summer heat destroys winters - the weather compounds for each season are completely different.

I definitely recommend a decent set of winter tires, and will be getting a new set on our car by the end of the month. Remember, all seasons = mediocre performance in all seasons

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quote:

Originally posted by devnull Toyo tires are good winter tires thinkin of tires, i need to change my tires....low profile tires are no good in rain, let alone snow!!

I had Toyos for several years before this set. Satisfied.

And you bring up a good point... wider tires have less traction on weathered surfaces as they distribute the weight of the car too much.

... and a note on ABS brakes... They don't necessarily make you stop faster, but what they do is allow you to steer while slowing down. In SNOW, ABS equipped cars need a LONGER distance to stop, than regular brakes. So if you have ABS breakes, keep a bigger distance in snow. Regular braked cars use a snow plow effect to slow them down faster.

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quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie In SNOW, ABS equipped cars need a LONGER distance to stop, than regular brakes.

Agree, totally.

If you just pump the breaks like you should do in a non-ABS car (to prevent locking), I find I can usually stop shorter/quicker, than if I just pound hard on the breaks and cause the ABS to kick in...

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ALLRIGHT, now...

So, im getting snow tires for Xmas, and after all the talk above and with others, I pretty much think (at this point) its between 4 diff kinds:

1. Michelin X-Ice

2. Bridgestone Blizzaks (WS-50? WS-60?)

3. Nokians? ... the kind RJ recommended in the above (though I hear on dry pavement (ie. usually the 400 and 401 as its usually clear most the winter I find) that the treads wear really fast on them...)

4. Yokohama... the guy at the dealership really was recommending these, but i confess i know naught all about them.



As well, what Fufu said above, is it true the smaller the rim the better for winters?? IE. I should be getting them on 14"s then, not 15"s? Can anyone comment further to this?

And this brings up the next question... should I get new steelies or not. They'll run around 250$ I think maybe... but if i wanted to save that money, how much damage/wear am I doing to my current all seasons and the the new winters if im always having to have them peeled off and on. how bad does this kill their life?


RJ, re: the nokians, ive read then tend to be nosier (thuogh all winters are of course nosier than summer or all-seaons) and you hear alot of road noise. Im especially curious as my Yaris transmits a great deal of such noise...


thanks encore.

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quote:

Originally posted by Jem_hadar ALLRIGHT, now... As well, what Fufu said above, is it true the smaller the rim the better for winters?? IE. I should be getting them on 14"s then, not 15"s? Can anyone comment further to this?

IT'S SCIENCE!




You're distributing your car's weight on smaller points of contact to the road, thus exerting more pressure on the surface per square inch. Think of the opposite, a tobboggan... weight is dispersed over a large surface to make it slide.

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no expert, but had the x-ice for 4 winters now, they're perfect.

The rest of the year i put 4 seasons tires, don't want to be caught with summer tires in a snow storm.

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quote:

Originally posted by Jem_hadar Agree, totally. If you just pump the breaks like you should do in a non-ABS car (to prevent locking), I find I can usually stop shorter/quicker, than if I just pound hard on the breaks and cause the ABS to kick in...

don't pump the peddle. there is no point let the abs do its work. you're going to stop a farther distance if you pump the peddle on an abs equiped car. just give yourself some space and brake lightly.

you're in luck cause you're car has very thin tires. i put snow on the front of my vw only just because of cost reasons and im not you're average driver. i know how to handle all of my cars/trucks.


michlen x-ice are probably one of the best tires you can buy. they are our number one seller among cadillac customers as well as light truck and suv. i have nordics on my vw they work fine for me.

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Go for the X-Ice. Good traction AND they last. Haven't personally seen a better snow tire, and I've recommended them to lots of other people, none of whom have ever had a complained.

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X-Ice are the best winter tires u can buy IMO

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