Tire question for Vibe Experts

[emailman]

Hello,New Vibe owner here, we got a 2009 with the "mag" wheels (17") and the low profile goodyear tires. Does anyone have experience with them in the rain and snow I would have here in Michigan? I would rather not have 2 sets of wheels for this car...Also, are they durable, the dealer wanted me to buy the tire/wheel insurance. My mechanic buddies told me if may be a good idea due to our roads in MI. Any thoughts would be appreicated.ThanksDave

[bull77]

welcome to the site!theres a whole bunch of threads about the RSA's --- general consensus --> they suck. I wouldn't drive them in snow/slushhttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=37180http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=26061

[BlueCrush]

:waiting for Sublimwind's reply regarding snow tires:

[kowell]

I had to drive a 2009 FWD with 17 inches RS-A in the snow last year. I received the car in March and since it was all new, the dealer couldn't get me steel wheels for the 2.4L model so I couldn't install 16 inches winter tires. I was speechless. I couldn't even get up my driveway without a good swing when there was only 3 inches of snow in it. It was like having a pair of ski under the car. I was expecting it to be bad but I never imagine it would be THAT bad.

[vibolista]

Until Sublime shows up, the only good thing I can say about Goodyear RS-A's is they are round. As tires go, that would be a good thing. I found the RS-A to be scary in rain and the very soft sidewalls tended to make the car wander a bit. I ran them at several pressures just to see if I could find a sweet spot. Didn't even want to try them in snow.Got rid of them, under 1000 miles. Sublimewind will fill you in on the specifics of summer/winter tires and how the twain shall never meet.

[Sublimewind]

You guys... lol... Yeah, so i'm the advocate for summer/winter combos.. Besides the space they take while you aren't using them, there REALLY is no drawback to having both sets of wheels, only benefits... As the guys mentioned, the RS-A is a pile of warm crap... decent on the pavement, but that's about it.. Auto companies buy the biggest bulk of the cheapest tire they can find and use them.. (on our level of car at least) In the winter, you'd be playing with your life, if you could get anywhere to endanger your life.. lol.. Now, the cheapest set of snow tires out there is STILL going to be better than a GOOD set of all season tires, in the snow, period.... If you consider your insurance deductible, what is it? 500$-1000$.. The average set of snow tires AND steel wheels, from a place like TireRack, is about 550.. give or take.. but, quite a bit less if you are crafty.. So yeah, I him and haw a lot here (Welcome to GV BTW..lol) about tires.... But really, all I want is to keep my peoples safe out on the roads... Tires happen to be one of the things that people ALWAYS cheap out on, yet put confidence and trust in said purchase for 30-40-50-60-70kmi, with little regard to the contents of the car.. Just that they got a decent tire on the car (most people don't know what "decent" is either, no offense)It's sillyYou bought a nice, new, safe car.... buy some snow tires to go with it man, trust us(me) you'll thank us for helping you with the decision.... I've spent a lot of time on the roads in the winter, much of it over in BUffalo NY... There are times when you wouldn't/couldn't go anywhere for days if it weren't for snow tires...

[emailman]

Thanks for the thoughts. I caved and bought the warranty - I wonder if I have a cooling off period on this? Can I use a regular profile 17" tire on this OEM mag wheel? It would probably be cheaper to get a new set of tires than keep the warranty.ThanksDave

[Kamikaze]

Quote, originally posted by emailman »Can I use a regular profile 17" tire on this OEM mag wheel? You're going to change the height of the wheel and throw everything off if you do (speedo mileage ect.)If you want a taller profile, you will need to go to a smaller rim.Here is a tire size calculator that you can use:http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html(as a side note, if you were to get a taller profile 17, the width of the tire would need to be dramatically less to keep the overall diameter the same... i don't think they make a 185/60/17)

[Whelan]

Should have bought an AWD if you were worried that much about the snow. Of course Sub will say a good set of snows will do just as much as an AWD in this category. But an AWD with snows would be the optimal option. Of course I didnt listen to him completely and got a good set of tires. The General tires are really really great in all weather.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »Should have bought an AWD if you were worried that much about the snow. Of course Sub will say a good set of snows will do just as much as an AWD in this category. But an AWD with snows would be the optimal option. Of course I didnt listen to him completely and got a good set of tires. The General tires are really really great in all weather.You make good points Sir, I don't discount anything here.. AWD does amazing things, but you know as well as I, that FWD can be a nightmare in the snow if caught on the wrong tires... Heck, I've been caught in 4" of snow in the Subaru, on the summer tires... Wanna talk about debilitating a vehicle.... Try spinning all 4 and NOT getting anywhere, but closer to the ditch..!!! Most people now a day get through life on All-season tires and some do rather well... but really, for 5-600$ you could remove a LOT of that worry and install that large amount of confidence.. Remember, it's not so much about GOING, it's much more to do with the STOPPING... Snows do both well Stops and go, in the snow. A/S tires do neither well in the snow.. it's a compromise.. one that i'm not willing to trust my family to... They are worth the money.. if it's just for moneys sake.. snows are cheap insurance.. Most of have seen the amazing things one can do with AWD and snow tires.. I've been in some CRAZY situations in the snow.. (Buffalo Blizzard of 00'... 25" in 5hrs)Needless to say, I have my favorite pics on hand..

[Whelan]

I love the hay bail towing pic. It never gets old. I will say that going from a stop is not a problem, stopping is not so bad, but once going watching speed is crucial cause a little slip can send you off the road.My 02 Civic was a nightmare, it would have done better with skis on the wheels. It took me 4 attempts to get up a hill one winter in it. I would get stuck halfway up. The worst is trying to turn around and not slide down. I put snows on it and it helped immensely but the Civic was such a light car it was hard to keep planted. I still slide here and there in the Matrix, but I will add the additional point that it is also the driver that plays a huge role when driving in weather. Just because an SUV is high up does not mean he can go 40 through a foot of water.

[Sublimewind]

Did I ever mention when I tried doing 40 through 4" of water... lol... Lets just say, even with "sealed" systems, the car limped around for a good bit.. I got something REALLY wet.. lol.. Never failed me though..

[Houston]

I completely agree with you. After making it through three Michigan winters with the stock tires and frequently wondering if I was going reach my destination, switching to GoodYear winter tires recommended by Consumer Reports made all the difference in the world. First thing I did after buying the '09 2.4L was to get those snow tires mounted on new wheels that fit it.

[Sublimewind]

Thanks for the input..