Best winter tires for the money

robdog · Post by **robdog** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:46 pm

I have 17" summer tires on the vibe now, they will be like four sleds in the snow. The old oem tires on the old rims are worn so I need some winter tires. Any opinions on oem size 16" tires that are very good for the money and good in the snow????

sensfanrk · Post by **sensfanrk** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:06 pm

Hey Robdog! I have aluminum 16 inches on my Vibe. I just bought 15" steelies for the winter. I ordered 4 Uniroyal Tiger Paw Ice & Snow winters for the wheels. The tires are sized 195/65/15, with an overall diameter difference of 0.1 inches compared to my original 16" size. Also, I'm saving close to $150CDN by swtiching to 15's for the winter. I worked at a garage for 3 years, and I learned that skinnier tires work best in snow for traction. If you're looking for snow tires, make sure they meet severe snow ratings. Up here in Canada, they are rated as meeting or exceeding the "RAC" (Rubber Association of Canada) severe snow conditions standard. The tires I am getting meet those standards, so they should do well. I'm not sure what the US has in the way of those standards, but check out the Tire companies' Canadian sites to see if they meet the rating.Good snow tires have lots of "lateral biting edges" or those little squiggly lines in the lugs of the tires. Also, the more spacing between the lugs means that the snow will fall out of the tread quicker, and won't tend to stick to the tire. The more space will cause more road noise, but personally I care more about keeping my car on the road than the noise it makes. lol. I was thinking about getting the new Michelin X-Ice's but the parts guy at my dealer said that Michelin claimed that last year's Alpin snow tires were the best and newest, and now they've kind of disappeared, so basically, will the X-Ice's be a "one year wonder" just like the Alpins? I decided to save myself about $250CDN and go with the Uniroyals. They've been on the market for 3 or 4 years, so they're tried and tested. If you aren't blind from reading my winter tire novel, I hope that helps!!P.S. Have you considered picking up some 15" steelies to save some money? I found listings for '03 Toy Matrixes with 15" steelies. Also, if you need to compare stock to new tires sizes, check out this website... http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

robdog · Post by **robdog** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 9:32 pm

Here in Pennsylvania, we don't get hammered too much like Canada but it does happen. I think with the tires I have that even 2 inches would be very bad news for the tires I have. I found some kumho (sp) winter tires with some aggressive tread and very good reviews and ratings on tirerack.com. They were only like 60 bucks a piece and rated a best seller. These tires will only be on from like december to February, that is when most of the bad weather happens here when it does happen. Thanks for your input, I am going to look into your tires you suggested as well.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 1:50 am

I just ordered some Green Diamonds. Supposed to be the best, but I'll let you know for sure after the first snow!

vibe-04 · Post by **vibe-04** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:44 am

Hey sensfanrk,Just did the same thing here in Ottawa I went fopr the X-Ice because it had an aggressive pattern for deep snow. My dealer wouldn't listen to me when I said 195/65 R15s would work. My cost savings for rims and tires was more than $300 CDN (money kept in my pocket) My wife's car (Accord) has the Alpins and to be honest, they never insipired any more driving confidence than good all seasons. I'll be changing them this Wed. so I'll post back about road noise.l8tr

Best winter tires for the money

Best winter tires for the money

Re: Best winter tires for the money (robdog)

Re: Best winter tires for the money (sensfanrk)