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You know that white stuff is coming. My wife's Saturn needs new tires. I am debating whether to get a set of all seasons or, if last year is any indication, go with snow tires, like Blizzaks. She only has a 10 mile round trip daily drive so I am wondering if I can just leave the snow tires on year round. I've heard people do that with Blizzaks.
I used to think all-seasons were adequate until I bought a car with summer tires that necessitated a set of winter tires for cold-weather duty. I will never go back to all-seasons for as long as I live in the Snow Belt. However, we have sets of summer/winter tires and wheels for both cars that we swap out as the season dictates. Using snow tires year-round is not a good idea for two reasons: first, they will wear very quickly in summer, and second, the handling and braking ability will be very compromised in warmer weather. Snow tires and warm temperatures are almost as much of a mismatch as cold/snow and summer tires. While there's an initial up-front cost of buying a second set of rims (and TPMS sensors if necessary), the cost of a second set of tires is largely offset by spreading the tire wear out between two different sets, so each set will last roughly twice as long as if you were putting all the wear on a single set year-round.
Found out Blizzaks aren't exactly cheap and certainly are not expendable. I really don't want to swap tires or go with ugly steel rims. May be I should go with an all-season that is good in snow. There are no issues with up to 4" of snow. It is 6" and above that taking out a sedan gives you pause, mostly on account of clearance.
If you're going out and clearance is a problem then snow tires won't help much when you get the car sandbagged.
If you're going out and clearance is a problem then snow tires won't help much when you get the car sandbagged.
That may or may not be true. Obviously if you're hopelessly high-centered, the best snow tires in the world are not going to help you out. But if the snow is not densely packed and is only a few inches above the car's ground clearance, snow tires could be the difference between whether you have enough traction to plow through it or not. Having snow tires has frequently made the difference between me being able to pull right out of a snowed-in and/or plowed-in on-street parking space versus those with all-seasons who had to shovel out or get pushed out.
Pulling out of a snowed in driveway, yes. Going down the road plowing snow with the bumper/undercarriage will get you into trouble eventually. Been there, done that.
Pulling out of a snowed in driveway, yes. Going down the road plowing snow with the bumper/undercarriage will get you into trouble eventually. Been there, done that.
Especially when you try to do it with all-seasons.
Would getting bigger tires help with the clearance problem? Maybe you could get lucky and get some on clearance. I've never driven in snow so deep as to be a clearance problem. What is it like? What does it do to the car and to the driving?
One time I was parked for a few day and the snow had frozen over into ice. I was too lazy to remove all of it before pulling out of my parking space. The snow/ice lifted my car off the ground. The fuel tank had a big dent in it and the part of the exhaust came off it's hangers.
I didn't need to get a new gas tank, but the fuel gauge was always off.
This was on a 92 Accord which sat low to the ground. And young kids get these older Accords dropped even lower!
92 was a great Accord, but it did sit too low to the ground making in uncomfortable to get in and out of. Of course the bent gas tank is my fault for being lazy.
IMO, "all season" tires are at best a joke, and at worst downright dangerous (they give drivers false confidence)!
I run M&S rated tires year round on my truck.
When my car needs tires, it will get a set of mild M&S tires (mild as in not as aggressive a tread as those on the truck).
For snow and ice, IMO you need TRACTION to be safe. A good snow tread will give you that.
I say go with REAL snow tires!
Another addition to the endless discussions involving snow tires, which typically take the form of 'do i need them'; 'are all seasons good enough'; 'are they really better than _____' , etc. Other popular related topics include variations of 'is FWD better than AWD or 4WD / with without snows'. Endless debate for the car guys...never actually giving the OP the answer to 'do i need ____?'. The 'correct' answer will only be known after they have implemented and tested what they've decide under real conditions.
Eventually it all comes down to the driver(s), the vehicle, exactly where they live, drive, and park (down to the neighborhood...and even driveway/plowman), frequency and need to go in various local and distant snowy situations... including time of day and distance, their penchant for safety/risk, shoveling, and more. Only the OP knows these variables and their situation.
If the OP is interested in a plethora() of info and opinion as input into HIS/HER ultimate decision, they can view the over 100 threads (not posts..threads) currently on C-D and then decide. If the following search remains usable just click...else, do an advanced search using 'snow tires' on all forums...or narrow down (e.g. to local or automotive forums) ...or expand (search on the text in the posts, by the time this is exhausted it will be spring).
You know that white stuff is coming. My wife's Saturn needs new tires. I am debating whether to get a set of all seasons or, if last year is any indication, go with snow tires, like Blizzaks. She only has a 10 mile round trip daily drive so I am wondering if I can just leave the snow tires on year round. I've heard people do that with Blizzaks.
For the amount of snow we get I think the all seasons are more than sufficient. I live at a higher elevation and I never bother with snow tires. I have a lot of experience driving though and those donuts in the parking lot when I was teenager has been put to good use. :P
I agree that every situation is different. Our biggest challenge is getting out of the driveway and getting back. I can never clean the driveway in a timely fashion so snow and ice pile up. Add to that what snowplows do during the day. I can drive my truck right over it but a sedan is another story. Roads are generally fine unless you leave early in the morning after a heavy snow at night.
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) of info and opinion as input into HIS/HER ultimate decision, they can view the over 100 threads (not posts..threads) currently on C-D and then decide. If the following search remains usable just click...else, do an advanced search using 'snow tires' on all forums...or narrow down (e.g. to local or automotive forums) ...or expand (search on the text in the posts, by the time this is exhausted it will be spring). 
. I probably will too. 
