GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

hi all, want to get set up for ski season well ahead of time - can I just install snow tires on the factory rims and switch back at the end of winter? tire rack has 3 snow tires listed for the P215/45R18 - has anyone driven any of them? (Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22, Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozero, and Michelin X-Ice) any help appreciated thanks!

You can install winter tires on your rims but those tires will be costly and if your municipality uses salt on icy roads it can damage your alloys in the long run. If you also get heavy snow falls snow will go through the wheels and block the brake for a while which is a major annoyance.I have the 17 inches aluminium alloy on my 09 and it was cheaper to get 4 x 16 inches camry steel wheels at the local toyota dealer and 4 x 16 inches tires than buying an equally good set of 17 inches winter tires. If you get a lot of snow, downsizing your tires in the winter will also be more efficient.

Thanks for the reply. Would there be any issues with using 16" wheels instead of 18", other then speedometer/odometer miscalibration, such as poor handling, etc.?

Hi,I posted on this topic on - matrixowners. Hope you find some useful info.http://matrixowners.com/?showtopic=72991Regards,Bruce County

In snowy conditions, a smaller tire will give you better handling and grip.

I am new here but in most cases you would be better off with the steel wheels used for the P205/55 R16 size that comes standard on the base model FWD and AWD models, this is also a readily available size for most snow tire applications. That way the size would be similar to stock in overall diameter ( within the normally allowable 3 percent difference) and would not affect your vehicle computer systems, just an idea. It actually seems to work better for the 17 inch sizes as then it is within 2 percent size wise. Hope it helps.

Quote, originally posted by vintagegz »I am new here but in most cases you would be better off with the steel wheels used for the P205/55 R16 size that comes standard on the base model FWD and AWD models, this is also a readily available size for most snow tire applications. That way the size would be similar to stock in overall diameter ( within the normally allowable 3 percent difference) and would not affect your vehicle computer systems, just an idea. It actually seems to work better for the 17 inch sizes as then it is within 2 percent size wise. Hope it helps.+1you are far better off, using a steel wheel that is smaller, giving you more tire.. the thing about snow driving is, you don't want lightning fast response in handling, you want smooth progressives movements.. If thing happen quickly and abruptly, you are much more likely to cause a skid.. besides that, the steel wheels will allow you to keep the alloys looking nice longer.. every time you have a tire mounted, you run the risk of dammaging the wheel.. the less you dismount/mount a tire, the less opportitunity for this to happen..

thanks for all replies! looks like going with 16" steel wheels is the consensus, regards