215/45R17 a/s tires for 2009 Vibe with upgraded wheels

[ssampier]

I have a 09 Vibe with upgraded wheels. The vehicle has the stock Goodyear Eagle RS-A with one exception. Shortly after buying the vehicle, I hit a curb and blew a tire. In desperation, I replaced the blown tire with a Falken ze 329 (from the Big O dealer where I was vacationing).The reviews on TireRack really concern me. I really want to replace the stock tires with some decent, all-weather set of tires. I am probably looking at spending $100-$150 per tire before installation. This rules out expensive brands like Michelin. I have avoided Bridgestone/Firestone generally in the past.I have looked at both Discount Tire, Tirerack, and Treadepot. I haven't seen any tire in my size that really stands out for me. A few that I have considered:Bfgoodrich g-force supersport a/sToyo Proxes 4Or, I can put 3 more Falken ze 329 on the vehicle. That is not my favorite option since the tire is difficult to find outside of Big O and its parent companies.My driving is mostly street with snow and ice in the winter. I try to avoid traveling far in the winter if I can help it. In the summer, I enjoy trips several hundred miles from home.

[ssampier]

I called and visited my car tire place today. I was asking about Falken tires and BFgoodrich tires. The BFgoodrich supersport was $180 each; a little rich for my blood. The Falken ze 912 was $148 each. The salesperson was really adamant he could get me a good tire for much less. He suggested an "off-brand" called Capitol made by Nexen. It seemed decent and the price is right ($112 each). I'm a hypocrite, I know. We'll see if I change my tune and desperately want a better tire soon.

[AKLGT]

you will not find good a/s tires that will do well in the snow and ice. I would suggest some blizzaks. i ran those in the winter time with the LGT, same size tires. They do well in snow, so-so in winter and they are studless. I have found using A/S just didn't cut it so went back to summer/winter tires.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by AKLGT »you will not find good a/s tires that will do well in the snow and ice. I would suggest some blizzaks. i ran those in the winter time with the LGT, same size tires. They do well in snow, so-so in winter and they are studless. I have found using A/S just didn't cut it so went back to summer/winter tires.Yeah man, considering where you live, you sould get snows for that... I go on and on about this a LOT in here... Once you go with summer/winter tire, you wil never go back.. Also, you will spend LESS for a good summer tire, and it will almost offset the cost of a decent set of winter tires.. Fund a set of used steel wheels and you don't have to worry about ruining your nice summer wheels AND you will have HUGE amounts of traction over ANY A/S tire, both summer and winter.. Last year, I ran "Winterforce" snows on my Vibe and it did comendibly on some of the cheapest snow tires I found, the Winterforce..(they had been on my AWD Subaru, so "good" wasn't needed, they still did very well and are STUDABLE) So, I guess it's up to you to make the final call on what you want to do, IF you decide to go with winters/summers, I can make a few recomendations on both if you like.. (Falken FK452, and Kumho SPT come to mind for summers, I run the 452's on my subie, pictured below)

[ssampier]

The biggest problem with summer/winter tires is storage. I live in a tiny apartment. Where would I store my summer/winter wheels and tires?As I mentioned I don't travel much in the winter time, just around town.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by ssampier »The biggest problem with summer/winter tires is storage. I live in a tiny apartment. Where would I store my summer/winter wheels and tires?As I mentioned I don't travel much in the winter time, just around town.it's not that bad. find a closet. We lived in a tiny condo and still had summer/winter tires. Now we have 3 sets of tires/rims per car and an extra set for a car we don't have along with another set of tires. Don't they give you some kind of little storage closet? most apts and places I lived at did.

[bull77]

Quote, originally posted by ssampier »The biggest problem with summer/winter tires is storage. I live in a tiny apartment. Where would I store my summer/winter wheels and tires?As I mentioned I don't travel much in the winter time, just around town.if you can --- the parents garage/basement are cheap storage options i find city driving is when I need my winter tires the most -- stop and go at lights and pushing my way through snow banks

[ssampier]

Our closets are stuffed to the rafters already (with boxes of 'stuff'). And no, we do not get any storage. None of my immediate family lives close. My non-immediate family would probably 'lose' my wheels and tires.

[AKLGT]

I honestly don't believe you will find any tire that will be GOOD for winter driving in snow AND ice as well as dry pavement. closest will be studless Blizzaks imo. Good luck on your search!

[DavidPIL]

Hey ssampier,My local tire shop will actually store winter and/or summer tires for their customers for free. I found this to be a surprise. But maybe your tire place does the same?Dave

[ssampier]

Thanks for all your advice everyone. I realize all-season tires are a compromise; but they are convenient. I picked up my Nexen tires today (not Capitol as I previously thought). Now I have a Falken ze 329 I don't need.