Hi again,
After my questions on upgrading to summer tires (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123647243) got out of control, I thought I would start a new thread for my winter tire questions.
1) Since the focus of my tire threads is on matching the tires to driving needs and getting good value for the money, are winter tires necessary in the Boston metro area? I have no doubt that winter tires are an improvement over "all-seasons," and are necessary if I decide to use summer tires for the other spring/summer/fall; however, the roads are typically cleared in a timely manner. My commute is 30 miles round trip (90% highway), and I am concerned about treadwear if I find myself mostly driving on cleared roads. How many seasons are winter tires likely to last if I use them from Nov 1 to Mar 15, for example?
2) What is more important in a winter tire, the quality of the tire or the size of the tire? After researching this topic, it is my understanding that a smaller, narrower tire is preferable for winter conditions; however, the tire selection in the stock size sucks, to be kind. Would moving up to a 205/50/16 (Blizzak LM-25) actually be in improvemnt over a tire with lower ratings in the stock size (Pirelli Winter 210 Snowsport)? This is all assuming I buy new wheels for the summer and use the stock wheels for the winter...
3) If I decide to skip new wheels and just buy summer tires that fit the stock wheels, that means I will probably be in the market for some steelies for the winter. Does anyone have pics of four steel wheels on their cars? I've become accustomed to the 16" wheels and don't know if I can bear it...
After all this, I guess the point to my babbling can be summarized with this question - Is switching to performance tires for three seasons and then mounting winter tires when appropriate going to rejuvinate my car, or would I be pissing away money given the driving conditions near Boston with no planned autocrossing?
After my questions on upgrading to summer tires (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123647243) got out of control, I thought I would start a new thread for my winter tire questions.
1) Since the focus of my tire threads is on matching the tires to driving needs and getting good value for the money, are winter tires necessary in the Boston metro area? I have no doubt that winter tires are an improvement over "all-seasons," and are necessary if I decide to use summer tires for the other spring/summer/fall; however, the roads are typically cleared in a timely manner. My commute is 30 miles round trip (90% highway), and I am concerned about treadwear if I find myself mostly driving on cleared roads. How many seasons are winter tires likely to last if I use them from Nov 1 to Mar 15, for example?
2) What is more important in a winter tire, the quality of the tire or the size of the tire? After researching this topic, it is my understanding that a smaller, narrower tire is preferable for winter conditions; however, the tire selection in the stock size sucks, to be kind. Would moving up to a 205/50/16 (Blizzak LM-25) actually be in improvemnt over a tire with lower ratings in the stock size (Pirelli Winter 210 Snowsport)? This is all assuming I buy new wheels for the summer and use the stock wheels for the winter...
3) If I decide to skip new wheels and just buy summer tires that fit the stock wheels, that means I will probably be in the market for some steelies for the winter. Does anyone have pics of four steel wheels on their cars? I've become accustomed to the 16" wheels and don't know if I can bear it...
After all this, I guess the point to my babbling can be summarized with this question - Is switching to performance tires for three seasons and then mounting winter tires when appropriate going to rejuvinate my car, or would I be pissing away money given the driving conditions near Boston with no planned autocrossing?