I just bought a 2006 HCH on Wednesday, alaba (silver) exterior with a dark blue interior. It was the demo (2,313km. or 1,437mi.), driven home everyday by the manager of the dealership. At least it's being broken in properly. I didn't want to wait 4-6 weeks for a new one. In return for buying the demo, I got all the options ($2,099.00cdn. worth) and freight tax ($1,225.00cdn.) taken off the original base price of $25,800.00 cdn. I'm having the dealership install a block heater for $146.00 incl. labour. The car will be ready for me on Monday.

Any recommendations for snow tires?

Hybridwannabe now a Hybrid owner.

Congrats, hope you will enjoy your new car for many years to come. :-)

The blizzaks have a great rep.

Everybody seems to like the blizzaks. But don't go by me. I haven't owned a set of snow's since 1977 and I live in boston area where we have had the snowiest winters since who knows when. Too much aggrevation mounting/balancing and unmounting/rebalancing them every year. If you do get them, make sure to buy the rims (big bucks) and keep them mounted in the off season. On my 4th honda now but all previous vehicles were 4wd because I liked to ski in NH every weekend. If you don't push the road conditions, you probably won't need them.

As far as rims go it might be good to buy a set of steelies for the winter that way you also save your nice aluminum rims from damage and pitting.

I'm in Chicago where the snow isn't as bad as in the NE and I'm riding on the stock 03 tires which are very bad. Good snow tires are nice, but if you know how to drive in snow and what to expect you can get by without them.

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

I have a set of Blizzacks WS-50 mounted on 14" Honda Civic HX rims. I just tried them out today for the first time this season. They worked just as good as the last 2 seasons. I have used Blizzacks on other cars in the the past and have had really good luck with them.

Today's snow btw, is the worst kind, when compressed on the road it's ice underneath. So it's not the slushy/crunchy kind of snow which is the easiest to drive on.

I have also lived in New England for the past 15 years and have really never needed snow tires. I guess you just need to know how to drive in the snow and not depend on your tires too much. I bet snow tires gives one a false sense of security? Only one of my cars in a 4wd and that is not all the time as it is a CR-V.

Well as in everything, you can be your own worst enemy when it comes to driving. If I drive without snow tires, I drive a lot slower and allow for longer stops. I slow down in corners and it takes longer to get up to speed. Approaching hills, all about momentum and timing. The problem is the average driver doesn't have a clue about driving in the snow.

As for false sense of security? Again, if you drive like an idiot then expect the worst.... but, if you don't. You can drive faster without comprimising safety, you can get up hills without any issues, you can slow down a lot quicker, everything is better. So if you are a safe driver, then snow tires just makes life easier. Just ask all the people that I wave as I go by them. ;-)

Agreed.

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

mikeyt758 said: "snow tires gives one a false sense of security?" Good snow tires provide real security; stopping distances are shorter and spinning out happens at higher speeds. 4 wheel drive contributes to a false sense of security -- it will get you moving in very slippery conditions, but doesn't decrease stopping distance much and most 4WD vehicles handle badly compared to a fwd car.

I highly recommend Blizzaks. I've also used Nokians (Finnish), and they worked well also, but wore unevenly and off balance. If conditions where you live are suitable, studded snow tires (or chains!) are also very good on ice and snow, but not as good as Blizzaks on bare roads. Use snow tires on all 4 wheels on fwd cars.
--Walter