I say wait. Best case you save money, worst case you get stuck once and then buy snow tires.

I was kind of being tongue-in-cheek about the global warming, but our annual snowfall here in the Chicago area is down a lot. When I was a kid we always had so many snow days from school, built snowmen, igloos, etc. Nowadays we only get about one to three heavy snows a season.

 

I agree, wait and see. I was skeptical at first but ended up being impressed with this vehicle's abilities on ice even with the ECO+.

Of course, it's hard to compare your area to mine (CO) because we have very dry air and 300+ days of sun per year. It's so dry and sunny that snow doesn't normally stay on roads for more than a day or three. Few long time Coloradoans use snow tires even in the mtns.

For several years after college I went out from Denver every weekend to ski, driving my RWD Datsun 210 over Loveland Pass, Vail Pass and many others with no problems. Then I moved to the Pacific Northwest and discovered real ice. It was totally different. The Datsun had to get parked after I got stuck or spun out a few times. Many mountain roads stayed completely covered in bumpy ice for weeks, even months. Chains were mandatory on most passes.

Maybe it's all that humidity, I don't know, but the mtns in WA OR and NV were absolutely treacherous compared to here. Maybe that's similar to your weather in PA.

 

Yea I fully expected that, you seem to have an arrogant response to just about any topic where someone doesn't agree with you..........

I will put my driving skills against your anyday (I have been driving over 30 years & never had an accident in either a car on on a motorcycle), but it's really easier just to ignore half your ignorant responses.

~John

 

Pa is not known for sunshine during the winter months and this contributes to increased difficulty with winter traction. The cost of four new snow tires and wheels is significant and that is one reason why I am hesitating and looking for feedback on this possible addition. I will wait a couple more days for feedback and then close this thread.

 

And just a guess, but probably the stock tires will do better the first 40,000 miles, than the last 40,000 miles of their lifetime. So maybe snow tires are a better idea in a couple years?

And to John Morton, I only made a logical deduction from your posts. I wasn't really all serious.
Billy, no matter the tires, I'm sure you are going to LOVE this vehicle.
-John

 

Making a deduction (drawing a conclusion, really) about another person's skills is fine. Could be right, could be wrong, who can say? It doesn't matter, because it's an opinion and not a fact. As such, it should remain as a thought in one's head and not said out loud unless requested.

Stating it out loud in this manner, as if it is fact, is tactless IMO.

I'm sure we all have our opinions about certain posts. These are not facts, they are opinions. Keeping some of our opinions to ourselves is what makes us civilized. That self awareness, that ability to not share, is what separates us from animals. And trolls.

 

People who have known me ( or known of me & my posts ) for a long time knew I was not serious in post #6. Let's move on without further comment. You can always send a PM to me if something bothers you. Thanks.

 

I have 30,000 miles on my Bridgestone REVO's and I have been very happy with the performance in both rain and snow. I replaced the stock tires the week I took delivery on the vehicle, but I have driven many FEH's with stock tires and I can really see the difference. A bit more noise at highway speeds... but worth it, given the extra traction I get in mud, snow, and rain. Still lots of tread left... and very little MPG loss. btw, I went one size larger than stock (245x70) so my mileage/odo is reported slightly less than 'normal' by a couple percent.

 

So does everyone think just a good year around tire is the way to go, or should I get more of a 'winter' type of tire, and then have the factory ones put back on in the early spring?

I just purchased the FWD so I could get the better tax credit and the better mileage. I guess I am still a little worried about dealing with our lovely Indiana winters.

 

I think folks need to think carefully about what conditions they're dealing with before deciding to get or not get special tires. A lot of people take the term "snow tires" too literally......snow, in and of itself, is not that much of a challenge. Places that get cold and stay cold are not that difficult to drive on. Places that get cold briefly and then warm back up may present an issue just a few days of the year. Places that get cold for long periods but get blasts of warm air will experiance "wet ice" and nothing really works very well on that except studs.

If you travel civilized roads that get plowed and sanded, I expect the stock tires will do you well.......it is a more balanced than most vehicle, and the tires stick well enough. If you're a little more remote and have to plow through a foot or two to get to work a few times a year, you want to balance that need with the cost of a few "weather days". If it's dry snow, snow tires or all season treads will do a good job.

I suspect Pa is more "continental" in its weather. Anchorage is coastal, and we can have ground that's 20 with packed ice, and get 50 degree winds. One day in the parking lot with a warm wind, cars without studs litterally started sliding while the owners were inside. Cars with studs were there to keep them from sliding too far. 8>(

Terrain is also an issue. Here, folks that live in the main part of the town can do fine with summer tires. Folks in the hilly part of town are a hazard without studs.

You really have to look at what the special tires get you, and if that matters. I run studs for 7 months out of the year....maybe 6 if it's a dry fall. I figure the studs really only matter about 10 to 15 days a year through the winter, but it's that "not sliding into someone's back end" just one time that made it all worthwhile.

If you only occasionally get big bouts of snow, consider 4 mounted studs. You can switch them out in under an hour, and you'll ride like you're on rails.