Do we really need snows?

[koolracer]

This may have been covered here already, but please bear with me.

I just bought my P5 3 weeks ago, and now I am reading a ton of stuff about what snow tires to buy. I exen got a mailing already from the dealer offering a 'special' package on steelies and snows.

How many have had their car long enough to tell me how bad it was last year in the snow?

I really have not budgetted getting snows so soon after getting the car, and hope to put it off.

By the way, the group buy price looks real good comapred to the offer that my dealer sent.

[ENVD P5]

Dude.... the tries your car comes with are not meant for snow. Many of us drove on stock past winter and thats why so mnay now are looking for winter tires. You can drive on stock but..... avoid steep ramps... deeper snow.. and so and so on.... best bet get some winter tires/wheels.

[MP5Navy]

I didn't find the stock tires that bad on snow. Since the car's chassis is very well balanced the car still felt predictable and I could tell right away is correction in steering or power was needed. I snowboard and did a trip to Tremblant with no problems or complaints. I also made ~15-20 trips to Blue Mountain without incident. I have a summer set of wheels so I am considering outfitting my stock rims with some winter treads, otherwise I would have ridden on the stock rubber again this year (even though the tires have ~33,000km on them).

[markque]

Hello Marc from Kitchener, this is Mark from Waterloo. Welcome aboard! I assume you made your recent purchase thru Kieswetter, and if so, good deal. Tell them you're online with the TO Protege club and enjoy 15% off parts and service.
Yes, they have winter wheel & tire packages. Last year I picked up the Michelin Pilot Alpin 195/55/15, steelies, and caps for $869 + tax. Could not get a better deal at that time anywhere locally. If you check a recent thread under "Ask Raymond", you will see very helpful info and excellent pricing on decent tires.
As for your question, in my opinion, the winter tires are easily justified. I haven't driven in snow with mediocre all-season tires since 1993 and haven't regretted the extra expense. If you plan to keep your car a long time, you will also appreciate the stock wheels not getting eaten alive by the nasty salt and general winter road conditions. If you plan to replace your wheels, as so many of the guys do, then that may not be a concern for you, but finding 16" snow tires may be tricky.
Certain winter tires perform better than others. You can browse websites to find this info. I can say the Michelins are very sporty and not as good in snow as the Blizzak WS-15s but they don't make the 15" steely size we need.
Feel free to ask away but I'll be on vacation after today for a week. However, there are lots of people around the board to help out.
(Damn, thought I was the first to respond then two of you beat me!http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Cheers, Mark  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[YP5 Toronto]

The biggest reason I have for chaning over to winter tires is safety. Winter tires will always add better handling when dealing with snow, slush and icy conditions. I have been switching over to winters every year for the past 10 years. You'll brake quicker, hold turns better and reduce the amount of "floating" that sometimes occurs.

Granted, its requires you shelling out more money, but in the long run it is worth it.

[ALS-protege]

Even though I didn't start this thread..
I am now convinced that I will be loking for Winter tires...
If I get rims, i will most likely use my Stock rims with Winter Rubbers...

Last Winter wasn't so bad...I thought the stock rubber worked well in the snow that we did have...But another year has gone and my stock rubber is starting to wear n tear..So I think it's time...I can get Winter Rubbers for these Stock Rims right?

We'll see...Thanks Everyone for the Education...

[Silvermp5]

Last winter I drove on my stock dunlops, it was fine but considering the kind of winter we had, it was almost no snow at all and most people already had summer rims and tires by march. Well this time around, I need winter tires cause I don't have the stock wheels anymore, just summer wheels and tires. Also winter tires give you better traction on snow or ice and easy to stop on. I skided a few times last winter and my abs help me stop. Those were some close calls so I do not want that this year.

[CarDemon]

I'm no expert, but from my ghetto street knowledge!
The P5 factory rubber, despite what the manufacturer says is not really an all season compond tire.

First of all, the profile is way too low to competently handle slushy and moderate to deep snow conditions. Yes, it is adequate

2nd it is the compound which is the determining factor of are seemingly late spring summer touring like tire. That is why our cars handle so well and are so responsive to the road on dry to slightly damp weather roads. I find a bit of uncertainty in moderate to heavy rainfall, except when two people are in the car for weight. But that is just me.

Also with regards to the compound the specialized softer compound for cold weather grip and subzero temperatures is the main feature along with the aggressive tread design in the tire itself.

I wish this could have been a bargaining point of when I purchased the car back in May. Also, to protect our nice alloys in years to come it is recommended to just use the steelies as the harsher conditions can pound away freely at it.

I am on a ghetto budget and I may by the rims first then shop for some adequate winters later before the nasty snowfall sets in and they start to ice the roads.

Just some thoughts...,
Once again, if you have never driven with winter tires you may not know what you are missing or not missing.

http://www.tirerack.com

[frankied]

I have Dunlop 5000s on not just my wifey's P5, but  for a  year on my '97 Acura EL.
I would call them much better than average in snow considering they are performance all-season tires.   Other people seem to agree, like at this review site (http://www.carreview.com/Tires/Dunlop,SP,Sport,5000/PRD_14795_1577crx.aspx)

[323F~SW]

I've got a beef with these 5000Ms.

About 2 months ago, I must've picked up a nail on the highway in my drivers side rear tire. I had the hole plugged. About a month later, the plug came out and I had to have the tire replaced. Yada yada, but they don't make 'em anymore, so the dealer makes you pay through the teeth for them. Actually I got a $100 break on the cost, so it only ran me $200 installed.

So today, I finish my classes, and head out to my car. I see that the SAME tire is soft again. I head over to the nearest gas station to pump it up, and all seems fine. I get on the 407 to head home, and the car starts pulling to the right, and suddenly, I can hear the sidewall making an awful noise beneath me. I pull over. The son of a gun is flat.

What is with that tire!? Does it pick stuff up easily? Why is at always the same tire?

I'm kinda annoyed, because I'm not in the mood to keep having the SAME tire replaced!

But that's just my opinion. I'm a poor student, what can I say...

[ChopstickHero]

The very first day it snowed, I was telling myself that my P5 can handle it. I was wrong. I couldn't even get up this mild incline at a plaza near my house. I later checked the Dunlops and they were classified as Ultra High Performance All Season Tires. I now understand why they don't perform well in the white stuff. Luckily, there wasn't much snow last year so it wasn't to harsh. However, this year, I will be getting a set of winters, mainly for safety reasons plus the fact that i have been running on the Dunlops for almost 30,000km, so the tread has been worn down. koolracer: since you just got your car, the only way you'll know is by driving it in the winter.

[feedb4ck]

I'm thinking that winters here arent' too bad, and if you just got the car and aren't gonna be driving it to guam and back, the tires should be OK for the winter... (of course, OK isn't necessairily all that special)

I'm most likely getting winters this year cuz the wife just learned to drive, and anything I can do to make it safer for her is totally worth it... plus, she's the one buying them...

I was toying with the idea of getting winter rubber for the stocks, and then just getting a nice summer set... but it's still pretty up in the air at this point... partially cuz i'm unemployed, partially cuz I'm lazy, and partially cuz I know nothing about cars in general.... I mean, would I get 16" 17" and all the different stuff that goes into wheel purchases....

enough rambling... did I even make a point?

[Gen1GT]

You just can't beat winter tires for the winter, and performance tires for the summer....us lazy ass North Americans and our mediocre all-seasons. All-season tire:jack of all trades, master of none.