Hey all, I am having problems finding winter tires for my S-Lites. I have tried Discount Tire, Tire Rack, Sears, and Mr. Tire. Either they have tires for near $200 ea or none at all and cannot see spending near $1000 for them. Any suggestions

 

Its too early. The sun is like

Wait till the Fall and Tirerack always has deals, like for blizzaks

 

I have a set of S-Lites that I put winter tires on. I chose the 205/45-17 Pirelli Winter 240 SnowSport RFTs (i.e. runflats) - they are $173 each from Tire Rack. The non-runflat version is a bit cheaper, at $142 each. That's a total of $692 for a set of the runflat version, or $568 for the non-runflats. (obviously not including mounting & balancing).

The tires are fantastic in the snow. Their dry pavement performance is pretty good too. I feel they are the best snow tire for the DC area, because of this balance. Some winter tires will outperform them in snow (like the Bridgestone Blizzaks), but they tend to use much softer rubber compounds, that wear out much faster. Also, the dry performance is compromised even more with the design.

Since in DC our snows tend to be short-lived and stretched apart, I think the Pirellis are the best suited for the job. If we lived in the snow belt, with snow on the ground throughout the entire winter, I would be singing the praises of Blizzaks all day.

Keep in mind that the money you spend on a set of these will last for MULTIPLE years, since you're only using them for a few months a year. It makes it a bit easier to swallow the cost.

 

I was hoping that I could find tires for winter for less

 

Well, you said you couldn't see spending near $1000 for them... and my example wasn't near $1000!

Snow tires are a specialized tire, they will usually cost more than generic all-seasons. Also, larger sizes such as the 17" ones for the S-Lites will cost more.

Since you have the stock brakes, have you considered just buying 15" steel wheels and snow tires? It will probably be cheaper...

 

I have lived in this area all my life and I don't see a need for dedicated snow tires. The amount of snow that we do get does not justify the need in my opinion. If the roads are really that bad...should you even be out there? When they call for snow...what do we usually get? Rain! or I would have taken sleet or freezing rain as correct answers.

I say get a good set of all-season performance tires and motor away during those chilly months.

 

Hemi... I agree with you 100%... IF you are willing to run on all-seasons, all year around.

However, some of us really want to run on summer performance tires - I'm one of those people. The added grip is always appreciated. For people like that, snow tires are the obvious alternative... why buy all-seasons for just the winter?

It's a personal choice. I love driving on 495 in heavy snow, motoring along just fine past all of the cars (especially SUVs with all-season tires, who have forgotten that 4WD doesn't improve your braking performance!) that are abandoned on the side of the road. There's just a "freeing" feeling about running the right kind of tire for the right condition - whether that be summer or winter.

 

I agree as well, but according MINIUSA, the tires that come on the JCW's cannot be used below 40 degrees Since I have the S-Lites, might as well use them.

Edge, are wheel bags necessary? We are going to store the tires inside and I was wondering if the bags will also help with blocking the smell

 

I would go with the wheel bags maybe just for the simple fact that tires are dirty. Its true that the summer performance tires get very hard when the ambient temp dips below 50 or so. I plan on swapping my summers for all seasons when the winter months roll in and and then swapping back to summers when you guessed it...summer comes knocking.

 

Oh...was at LDG not too long ago and John and I were talking tires and he had some all seasons on hand that he highly recomends but I am drawing a blank on the brand. They did have a triple A rating for heat, wear and traction. They were 17"s. Not sure of the pricing or anything.

 

hankooks

 

That's because they are performance tires, not all-seasons. Well, I currently use trash bags, and they do the job just fine... but I have seriously considered buying a set of wheel bags, because they are just so much nicer, and they make it easier to move the wheels around too.
Hemi - if you currently HAVE all seasons around (e.g. if they came with your MINI), of course... it makes sense to use them for winter tires in DC. However, once they wear out, why would you buy another set of all-seasons? Why not buy snows instead, if you have summer performance tires for the rest of the year. The question then comes down to WHICH snow tires... and I already explained why I think the Pirelli SnowControls are a perfect match for the DC area.

 

Well, we couldn't find any of those. So we ended up ordering the ones Edge suggested. They will be here sometime this week. Probably Friday or Saturday. Then we just have to go get them put on the darn wheels.
So, I guess problem partially solved.
Now we just have to figure out how bad they will smell up our office..since I think that is where we are going to have to store them. Storage units are just toooooooo expensive in Germantown, so Im going to just store them in our condo...:impatient

 

i'd just watch the wheels for sale part of this forum
for someone getting rid of their winter wheels.

i picked up a set of dunlop m3 snows already mounted on 16" monza wheels
for a song from someone who had installed a BBK last year.

 

I currently have the OEM Pirelli Summer performance tires on the car...runflats. So I think the all-seasons make sense for winter application for me.

If they happen to be calling for snow that day chances are I will drive my HEMI. I am not worried about my skills in the bad weather its the other idiots I am worried about.

 

The Snows v All season decision is also a Summer Performance Tire v
All Season discussion. I ordered the all season runflats on the MINI but purchased Dunlop M3s for our Saab 9-5 Aero, since we bought it used and it had performance summer tires on it. The all seasons can't touch the Saabs Michelin performance tires in the summer and can hardly be driven in snow compared to the Saab's M3s. Certainly you can get from point A to point B in all seasons . . . but the MINI is more about point WWWWW. I'm running summer performance tires (non runflat) on the MINI now and sure enjoy cooking them! I might ease through the winter on my all seasons . . . or maybe you'll see them for sale here.

 

I had Pirelli P-Zero Neros on my 05 MCS - fantastic All Season tires and honestly worked with the same amount of grip as the stock performance run-craps. I miss em.

 

I got Toyo Proxes 4, Ultra-High performance all seasons. Awesome tire. Good to me on the street, track, and did fine during the winter. I tend to agree with most that a winter tire is not needed here in DC. If there's over an inch of snow on the ground, we probably won't be driving our Minis until the roads are plowed. Winter/snow tires would make a lot more sense if we were in Philly or north where the snow sticks to the ground longer.

http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_lines/sports_car/

 

Hankook Ventus H105s
I see then every time I stop by there. I have a set on my car too. They're pretty nice.

 

Thanks bud

 

Speak for yourself, I'll drive now in almost ANY snowy DC weather. There have been some occasions in the past (with my Mustang - one of the worst cars in snow... RWD, all the weight in the front, V8 torque) where I was basically "stranded" at my office because it snowed while I was at work. Never again. Now, to me... an inch is nothing.

 

I live on the edge of rural maryland, where we did the Mini's by the Bay run. When it snows, I take my F150 supercrew off-road 4x4.

 

A couple of points here

All-seasons are a compromise that do well in very light snow and temps from 20 - 50 degrees. I agree, you want performance tires buy them. However ...

If you got the OEM all-seasons, and I have asked this in another thread, virtually everyone said they wait until the first set of tires is bald and THEN go buy whatever ... There really is no valid reason for throwing $800 of tires away.

especially SUVs with all-season tires, who have forgotten that 4WD doesn't improve your braking performance!

Here we go ...

I too have been here a few years (maybe a few too many) and can count on one hand the number of times we have had "serious" snow. 83 and another storm in 85 (one when the plane went down on the 14th st bridge). Then the two blizzards of 1996 and 2003 (huge snow falls).

Coming from Boston, I always considered DC snow storms as mostly annoying maybe 4". As to SUVs on the side of the road ....

The first snow storm I saw, back in the 70s ... I saw TONS of cars abandoned on the side of the road. So many I was amazed with maybe 6" on the ground. From then, it happens all the time. It has nothing (mostly) to do with the vehicle but rather the poor winter drivers here. The best reasoning I have heard is because:

1. The area is transient. ppl come and go with administrations and the military
2. The area only gets serious storms every 10 years or so and ppl forget

I really do not think it has anything to do with what is driven.

During the two blizzars, the snow plows NEVER came to our street. NEVER. Nobody got out including my neighbor in his Jeep who thought he was going to make it The fact is then when the snow is higher than the bottom of the car, your not going anywhere. For a MINI that is about 4". Try driving down the street in 8" of snow and your not going anywhere. Try it in most SUVs and you will simply because of the clearance. I really dont think anyone wants their MINI to try to become a snowplow

My analysis is that the abandoned cars are nothing more than people who cannot or will not drive in the snow. In fact, even with the "talk" of snow ... many ppl stay home or leave work early.

Now ICE is worse. No car is going to drive on ICE and lots of ppl dont understand that ...

Finally ... I learned my lesson a long time ago about driving in DC snow storms ... In 1983 I had a Porsche 944 (RWD) set up for Xcross. A LOT of money (aftermarket) parts sunk into that thing. Normally the wife took it to work. Just after that big storm in 83, with the streets plowed but totally covered in snow I took it to work and she just took the day off ... I was driving slow (yes, not on snow tires nor allseason but serious performance tires) and at 30 MPH hit a patch of ice and went into a snow bank. Serious front end damage just hitting snow and ice.

Bottom line ... save your vacation days ... big storm comes, just start up the fireplace, make some cocoa, bundle under some blankets and watch the rest of the ppl fight the storm while your nice and warm by the fire

 

Stacey will have to drive in whatever weather conditions. Since she is a nurse, there are times that she HAS to go to work no matter what. We do have an Element that is 4X4, but it handles the snow about as good as the MINI. Bottom line, snow or no, she goes to work and I want her to be as safe as possible.

 

Dodge Power Wagon baby! Bring it on....