Snow tires in the Pacific Northwest
 

Good morning,

I've spent some time reading about snow tires here and a number of manufacturer/dealer sites and had just about decided on a set of Blizzaks for my 2013 Roadster - until I reached the $560 total. Yikes. I'm just not sure I can justify the price right now.

I work a swing shift, live in a rural area, and work in a city so I'm driving home around midnight most days. Oregon doesn't use salt and my county is huge and the road department is only able to de-ice the major roads. My road rarely gets treated. In northwest Oregon, we don't get a ton of snow but I'm often seeing wet roads that are around 30-45F when I'm driving home. The trend seems to be some snow in November, mostly rain and 30-40F in December, some snow in January, then rain until May. We did get a couple of very nasty ice storms in November and January last winter. When it's actually ice, I can call off work but when it's just crap weather, I have to go in.

My husband hasn't looked at snow tires since studs were all the rage and so can't advise on studless. I guess my question is are there Pacific Northwest people around here who feel snow tires are worth it? Between the job I'm sick of, the slippery roads, plenty of deer in my area, and the fact that deer + roadster = totaled, I have a lot of stress around my commute. I'm willing to throw some money towards peace of mind. But $560 is a chunk of change.

Thanks in advance!

For me it isn't a big deal since I can stay home if the roads are bad. My wife insists on Winter studless snow tires on her F55. She bought the Pirelli RF's that the dealer had on sale last year. They work very well.

$560 is a lot of money for many people, sliding off the road or into another car, etc. is going to cost you a heck of a lot more than $560. Injury or death?

Lots of folks on NAM talk about all season tires working on the MINI during the winter. No it really doesn't work all that well in the PNW area I'm in. NW Portland and lots of hills.

I grew up in the Seattle area, and lived in Marysville, Pullman, Bellevue, and Redmond. M+S All Seasons were good enough for me with FWD, AWD, and FT4WD. Now I live in New England (Boston area) and I am new to MINIs, so I'm going to try out the stock run flat All seasons this winter.

That said, Blizzaks are supposed to kick ass in winter conditions. If you can swing it, $560 peace of mind is really priceless. I dropped $2,000 on a set for my last Jeep right before I sold it, but the safety and peace of mind were again...priceless.

Good luck on your decision.

Your price is very, very good for Blizzaks. That's money well-spent for peace of mind and safety.

I have never needed snow tires in the PNW. Good 4 season tires have always did the job for me.

However, MINI doesn't come out in bad weather. That is what the X-Drive is for which has regular all seasons.

If I were you, I would have a dedicated set based on your commute and where you live.

Blizzaks are great tires, and the price doesn't seem bad to me. Can't say personally how a MINI performs with all seasons or snow tires in snow or ice, I take the Jeep when that time comes around. But I guarantee the Blizzaks will be better than any all season in the snow.

Thank you everyone for your input. Still deciding but definitely leaning towards the peace of mind cost.
Cheers!

I live in Western Washington and have never had snow tires, just good all-season tires. I drive slower in the snow and ice is all.

I run Continental Extreme Contact DWS on my 2006 R53 - but when there's much/any snow on the ground I'm driving my F250 crew cab with BFG's on it :)

I grew up in Everett and lived many years in Aberdeen...and I currently live on Cape Cod. I put on winter tires every year....even on my wife's Countryman All4. I bought an extra set of wheels on CL, mounted winter tires, and just swap them out before winter. A side benefit is that I can replace the All Season's when they wear out with some summer tires....I can justify that because they offer a little better traction in hot temperatures..... I was involved in a multi-car pileup on I-5 many years ago and I want every advantage in an emergency stop situation.

All Season tires are great, but they're designed for a wide temperature range. Winter tires will give you better traction when it's cold - even if it's not frozen. This is esp important when the temperature drops unexpectedly during your shift.

You've probably checked Tire Rack, just want to highlight that they are a good source of information.

Many local tire shops will match Tire Rack prices (including shipping) if you ask.

If you can’t afford a new set buy a used set. CL is a great source but you may have other options locally. Do your homework and learn all about lug patterns and center bore dimension. If you’re lucky you can find snows already mounted on the correct wheels for small money. If you cannot grasp the whole learning experience then plan to buy a new set. Discount tire direct has a great sale black fri wkend and are very helpful over the phone.