Snow/winter tire experience?

[Aimless1]

driver caution doesn't help in an evasive maneuver. it's always safer to have more traction.

Interesting POV. I've been driving for 41 years, beginning in February 1969. In all those years ... my wild teens, my crazy 20s, my too fast 30s, etc I have had all of 2 evasive maneuvers. One of the best driving gifts my father passed on to me was the importance of vision - look 1/4 mile down the road, check your peripheral vision, anticipate driver actions and so on. Passed on to my daughters as well. The oldest has never had to make an evasive maneuver. The youngest had to learn the importance of vision the hard way.

I've driven with and without snow tires, with and without 4-wheel drive, with and without all wheel drive, front wheel drive only, rear wheel drive only. I've driven white outs, blizzards, wet snow, dry snow, ice. It has always been my opinion that if you have to make an evasive maneuver you failed as a driver to have sufficient vision and control. Snow tires, front wheel drive, 4-wheel drive and all wheel drive will NOT make you a better driver, and I've seen no evidence that they help to prevent accidents. We'll have to disagree on this one Dan.

Case in point. Many years ago I had the fuel pump ripped out of my vehicle when I ran over something in the roadway on a black rainy 4:00 a.m fall morning. I got a rental car, a Ford T-bird with rear wheel drive. Coming back home along the lakeshore we got one of those November snowstorms that dumped 6 inches of lake effect snow and continued snowing at 1" per hour. I passed just about every vehicle on the road, no matter front wheel, 4-wheel, all wheel, what ever. I successfully avoided several spin outs and was never in danger of being involved in an accident. I don't consider myself particularly skilled as a driver, but I am very aware of my limitations, road conditions and what is going on around me. I believe that has more to do with safe driving than equipment, gear, accessories or what ever.

[Dusty Chalk]

driver caution doesn't help in an evasive maneuver.

I think you're overstating things -- driver caution helps very much up to a certain point, E.G. not driving to fast for the conditions, I.E. not putting yourself in the situation and/or avoiding the situation in which you need the extra traction.

[aerius]

I plan on pick up snow tire/wheel combos for the MDX soon, probably from tire rack. The stock wheels are 19" and stepping down to 17" and getting a tire/wheel combo is the same price as just getting the 19" tires. It then saves having to have them swapped and rebalanced every time they are swapped. Won't look as nice but it's only a couple months during the winter. I plan on doing the same thing when I get my new car.

Check the brake clearance first to make sure the smaller wheels will fit over the brakes. Some vehicles these days barely have any space between the brake calipers & the wheels so moving down in wheels size can be a problem.

[grawk]

All I'm saying is any driver is better off with snow tires than without. More traction is always better than less. If you don't think you need them, that's fine. For me, I'll take them when I can. I'd rather be driving a car with more traction than one with less.

[Nebby]

All I'm saying is any driver is better off with snow tires than without. More traction is always better than less. If you don't think you need them, that's fine. For me, I'll take them when I can. I'd rather be driving a car with more traction than one with less.

I agree with this, having more traction is not a bad thing

[naamanf]

Check the brake clearance first to make sure the smaller wheels will fit over the brakes. Some vehicles these days barely have any space between the brake calipers & the wheels so moving down in wheels size can be a problem.

Check. Tirerack does a pretty good job of having combos that fit right.

As for the need for winter tires, I have also done plenty of winter driving on regular tires with high torque RWD vehicles without indecent. But now that there is a little more riding on it and I have the means I think it's money well spent if it does prevent an accident down the line.

[jvlgato]

All I'm saying is any driver is better off with snow tires than without. More traction is always better than less. If you don't think you need them, that's fine. For me, I'll take them when I can. I'd rather be driving a car with more traction than one with less.

x2.I'll take both driver caution AND better traction.

All you need is once to possibly save a life or injury. And tread used by the winter tires is tread saved on the other tires. So why not?

[n_maher]

After having them I would not drive a 2wd car in NH without them. Actually, the ones we got for my wife's car (non-studded) are quiet enough that we just run them year round right now.