Re: HCHII Winter Wheels
Ok, a little text to go with the pics.
I really never considered steel wheels because of the weight and the low price of 15" wheels (compared with typical aftermarket wheel sizes). I also never considered not having snow tires, especially considering the fact that the HCHII does not have traction control.
The wheels are nice. They look fairly stock and only weigh a pound more than the stock wheels each). I was very lucky to get them for $67 each on a Tirerack closeout sale.
Of course, the Blizzaks help tremendously in the snow. I've had them on for a couple of weeks in snow, rain, and dry. Never did I feel that I was not in complete control of the car.
I even attempted a "harder" stop in the snow at a deserted 4-way stop to assess the traction limit. ABS kicked in and I did not slide one bit. I cannot recommend the Blizzacks enough. BTW, they are LRR.
It's hard to tell their impact on FE. I am not a hypermiler by any means. I am only averaging about 40 mpg. Unfortunately, I think my engine broke-in just as the temps turned south.
With a warmed up car, after refueling, in the rain, I got 58mpg over about 7 miles. Two short, cold trips brought that way down to 34mpg. I have just this morning nursed it back to 39 this morning. I think I'll prob be averaging 40 over the winter.
Okay, that's it!
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