Known it for a long time ever since an insider told me that many tires on sale are so because they're at least over a year old and beginning to deteriorate.
snow tires
- Thread starter ILOVETHIS
- Start date
Reality check alert! Reality check alert!! Woody is agreeing with Papa, the world must be waiting to end soon!!!!!!!
"snow" tires are designed for more than simply snow. The rubber compound is different, so that even in the GTA with the lack of snow, the compound is going to give you better braking and handling. And it will give you better traction when there is slush/snow on the roads.
As for the money issue, it is really a nonissue. Having two sets of tires means that they wear at half the rate, extending the time between replacement. And you should be rotating tires very three months anyway, so this just ensures that you have rotated them at least twice of year, again extending the useful life of the tire.
Always put 4 tires of the same brand/model on the vehicle. It is dangerous to "mix and match" tires. Why do you think that they suggest never going over 80Km/h with a spare?
Why would you not use the right tires when it does not cost you any extra and gives you a margin of safety?+1 !!!
Have to laugh a bit at this thread....
Also another Buffalo area resident reporting in, who has NOT used snow tires in over 25 yrs. The burbs out here plow the roads well. Have no need for snows at all. Decent good tires have served me well to date.
FWIW prior to moving back to the burbs I did use snows while living inside the Buffalo city limits for the few years living there. Buffalo city does not plow their side streets well and snows were a necessity then.
BTW in all that time have NOT had a single snow related accident...
Yeah Woody would only use the right tires if it was subsidized by the government. Might not have them for his volkswagon minivan
Wouldn't that depend on whether you keep the vehicle long enough to use up both sets of tires? Back in 2008 bought a new car, tried the all-seasons the first winter and wasn't happy with them. So for last winter bought a new set of winter tires w/rims. Got the opportunity this fall to trade in the car for a new 2010. New car doesn't take the same tires as the last one. Not getting my money's worth out of the winters as it's unlikely I can sell them for true value.
So this winter I will be just using the new all-seasons. I feel I can do this because I walk to work so there is no real time that I HAVE to drive. If the roads are bad, I stay home.
I agree that winter tires give you improved driving in cold weather. But for me to notice a 25% improvement that would imply that I am driving my car within 75% of maximum tolerances on the all-seasons to start with. Since I perform gradual starts and stops and don't try to corner at anything approaching a tire-squealing speed, for the majority of the time I likely wouldn't even notice the differnce between the two.
So because I have good name brand new all-seasons and don't have to drive if I don't want to I'm forgoing the winter tires for this winter. Next fall I'll likely pick up a set as now the all-seasons will have had a year on them.
And of course if between now and then things change and I have to start commuting to Toronto for example, I'll buy winter tires.
B
burt-oh-my!
I have snows, but I can assure they most certainly DO cost you more money. They wear out at LEAST twice as fast, And my experience is that they wear out quite more 'unevenly' than regular tires do. the cost of changing over twice a year is an extra, or, if you have dedicated rims, the cost of those rims.
I don't think they are a necessity. I have them, I like them, but they aren't necessary. Just better.
Why is it that some people seem to think that just because something is safer it is therefore dumb not to have it? You want safety, wear a helmet in the car - guarantee you that that will save a lot of lives.
How a person drives is far far more important than having snows.
I don't think they are a necessity. I have them, I like them, but they aren't necessary. Just better.
Why is it that some people seem to think that just because something is safer it is therefore dumb not to have it? You want safety, wear a helmet in the car - guarantee you that that will save a lot of lives.
How a person drives is far far more important than having snows.
yes you need to keep the car at least 100K km...but you can still sell them on craigslist and get some $$ back.
Rims are only about $200...amortized over the cost of a car... it is 2 tanks of gas.. Snows only wear fast when you put them on too early and take them of late.. they do not like heat....Also, certain snows like Blizaaks are really not great for GTA type weather as they have a very soft outer layer for ice. Those will only last 2 seasons tops... like anything you need to do your research.
Burt everything you've brought has been discussed in this thread and put in perspective.
Yes, the winter tires wear a little quicker, they're softer, but you've only got them on for Nov to April, 5 months at most. If they're wearing too fast you might be keeping them on too long. I didn't put mine on this year until two weeks ago when the temperature reached 7C in the day time. They probably wear too unevenly for your tastes because you don't balance/rotate your tires periodically.
The tire rotations have to be done anyways, so putting the winter on then taking them off are just the same as rotation, no extra cost.
There are very few vehicles that can have steel wheels and you're forced to buy mags. I don't drive one, so it doesn't bother, but if you are then you can afford another set because they're expensive cars. A set of steel wheels should cost around $200, I paid $120, and if you think $200 is too much to spend every few years then you really cheap. Save some money and buy another car that takes the same wheel or sell them to someone.
Your safety factor comment is just stupid. If you want to die, feel free. The worse thing to happen is that someone else is killed. Your driving habits may be ok, but you can't count on other drivers.
Did you read the thread at all or just the first and last part?
You and Moraff may be very careful drivers, but there are 100s out there who are not. Then add kids, jaywalkers and seniors. I can't count the number of times I've had drivers blow red light, stop signs or pull out into traffic very badly and missed me by that much. Moraff's 25/75 thinking is flawed. Even at school zone speed with reaction time and mechanical stopping distance that an improvement of ~20 feet. At highway speeds it's ~75 feet.
Did you ever think of getting value from the dealers for your winter. I've had that 'what if' discussion with dealer and if they really want your business they'll deal.
The real question here is what price you put on your own safety and that of others on the road.
Your tires are the most important single safety item on your car because they are your connection and contact with the road. I drove high power sports cars on race tracks -- which are ideal driving conditions -- and you would be surprised what a difference the right tire makes... in all conditions at all times!
Even if you assume snow tires cost more (they don't!) is your increased safety and security worth $100-200 per year?
No? Then go ahead. And save some more money by buying the cheapest possible tire during the rest of the year, too!
Perry
Your tires are the most important single safety item on your car because they are your connection and contact with the road. I drove high power sports cars on race tracks -- which are ideal driving conditions -- and you would be surprised what a difference the right tire makes... in all conditions at all times!
Even if you assume snow tires cost more (they don't!) is your increased safety and security worth $100-200 per year?
No? Then go ahead. And save some more money by buying the cheapest possible tire during the rest of the year, too!
Perry
I love working car salesman and have the weapons/knowledge to do it. The best one being the ability to get up and leave. They just hate that. I have friends who see me work the staff and see the deals I get. They even ask me to help do the same for them.
Every thing you say is true, but I've come by my experience from another direction, ; the vehicle and parts manufacturers as well as the repair/body shop business point of view. We all don't have to be car salesman to know something about selling cars. I have a pretty good idea what they paid for the car (not a big secret), I'm familiar with the sales bonus programs inside dealerships, and incentives from the manufacturers to the dealers. The dealerships are going to make good money from my service, not from the sale of the car. There's no trickery involved at all.
I run with Nokian all weather tires 12 months a year. I do rotate them every six months. I've never had to re-balance...
Vredestein are also offering some true 4 season tires like the Nokian WR, model name is "Quadtrac".
http://www.vredestein.com/Banden_Bandtypes.asp?UsersessionID=48755389&BandgroepID=3&BandtypeID=66
http://www.vredestein.com/Banden_Bandtypes.asp?UsersessionID=48755389&BandgroepID=3&BandtypeID=66
dittoI run with Nokian all weather tires 12 months a year. I do rotate them every six months. I've never had to re-balance...
these are the bet as they have a snowflake winter rating but can be worn year round.
used to have nokian haakepellita's and a guy in pickering used to screw studs in for me. this was on a maxima...and that car used to track and brake better in winter than anything else i ever owned including better than an Outback that i owned at the time
Everyone thinks that they are great drivers, including me. I drive about 60,000 km a year for work and pleasure. What I can tell you is that there are a lot of really bad drivers out there, and they're getting worse... texting, eating, drinking, applying makeup, reading the newspaper.... You see this everyday.
If having the right tires on your car will stop you 2 feet faster than the wrong tires, they just might save your life, or someone elses.
And as I said earlier, they don't really even cost anything, other than the cost of changing them every year.
