Stuck with the stock options for now, and I'm certain I'll be back in a few months looking at upgrades. But for now I need to address just the new car choices on the standard S rib-spoke alum wheels. Mid-Atlantic/NE US driving environment can mean snow with which I will likely need to contend. So factory-installed stock rf tires or the factory-installed all season rf's (no price difference)?

 

Depends on how fast you will change them....
the all season is a UHP if i remember right....good for LIGHT snow...and cold temps, but if it gets,messy, a uhp is pretty bad...but if you expect to get atleast one winter with stock rims/tires...that is what you need. The max performance summer tire option is ok to about 40 degrees...below that, the rubber is about as hard as a frozen hockey puck....and grips ss good.
So pick the one that suits how fast you plan on getting the second set of rims.
Then, what many folks do is use the heavy, strong factory rims for winter or agressive all season tread, and pretty aftermarket for the summer fun tires....

 

That was my thinking; I spec'd my March-delivery 2012 MCS with factory all-seasons; that would either get me through this first upcoming winter (they've been mild in STL the last two years) or, funds allowing, I'd buy real winter tires (Nokians, Blizzaks, something) and mount on the factory Rib Spokes. Then buy some zoomy 17's with summer tires in Spring 2013.

My experience with OEM all-seasons (Bridgestone and Toyo, on two Mazdas) has been...they're very marginal for snow use, barely acceptable. But I didn't want to chance being forced to run OEM summer tires this winter...that would have to be worse.