Snow tires - when and what to get?

I have the same question!

Discount Tires is currently have their sale until monday where you can get some nice rebates on tires and wheels.... I need 4 of each!

From what I am reading on this forum, it looks like people are getting the Bridgestone Blizzak or Michelin X-ICE for tires and getting wheels for them...

When I called Discount Tires they recommended General Altimax arctic 195/65R-15 tires, but when I look online, their website says it is not a tire that fits our Prius V. Discount Tires also said I had to get the TMPS sensors. But if I buy everything from them, they will do the tire swaps from snow, to regular, and vice versa, for free forever??

So, I have the same questions as you plus some more...
What make and model do people recommend?
Do I need to get the TMPS Sensors? (discount tires quoted me $59 PER TIRE for the sensors??)
Most importantly, what size snow tires are people getting?

 

When purchasing snow tires, I'd get on it a little early, that year, don't leave it so late supply is starting to dry up. To each their own, but what worked for me:

Michelin X-Ice, on separate rims, without tpms. In my case there was a Corolla steel rim that matched; I believe there's a Camry steel rim that compatible with the Prius v. Or get aftermarket alloys?

The Michelins are very smooth/quiet, decent RR, doubly so for a snow tire. Our oem was 215/45R17, but 195/65R15 (roughly the same od, and the stock size for other Prius models) worked fine with the Corolla rims.

I also got plain, open-ended galvanized nuts. They look a little more harmonious with steel rims, and it keeps the chromed oem lug nuts out of winter's worst.

I believe some tire places are now balking at not installing tpms if your oem have them, hope this doesn't catch on...

 

Since neither the OP, nor the 2nd post show their LOCATION (location - location) one can't adequately give advice. Example - use in light / seasonal dusting up in some vacation resort? Deep freeze Canada where in some cases ice won't form on the roads because it's not even warm enough for the snow to melt? Ultra deep snow of the Rockies? Melt & refreeze every night as it does in other areas? Studs allowable as in Montana? . . . . etc. More info please.
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I purchased Firestone Winterhawk snows w/o the TPMS from Tire Rack last year and was very happy with their performance on my wife's V. Put them on alloy rims I has left over from her RAV4 and they fit perfectly. Excellent traction and relatively quiet ride. I liked the look of the car with them on it vs. the regular rims.

 

Here in northern lower Michigan I went through last winter with original Michlins. I had no problems with snow or ice. However I did not try to be a snowplow. I even made a trip to Ontonagon,MI in December with no problems. The tires plus the front wheel drive got me everywher I wanted to go.

 

Located in CT.

 

Take a look at Tire Rack. They are a great company and you can buy tires already mounted to wheels. If you live near a warehouse you can pick them up saving on the pretty significant freight. In CT I believe they are in Windsor.

As for the time to buy to get the best deal - you already missed it. Spring is the best time as they want to clear out inventory that will otherwise sit for months. I got a killer deal on a set of snows from tire rack in May for my wife's Acura SUV- the rims and tires are big - I paid less for her tires and rims than I did for just a set of tires for my Prius. That being said, look around now for the best deal for the upcoming winter - I bet there are still a few deals to be had.

 

+1
Agreed. - that's what we do for our lexus SUV hybrid - because changing out wheels and tires together as a unit is a whole lot less grief. We got our junkie steel wheels and studs at Big O - which also has great prices. When winter rolls around they change them out for free.
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How much are you going to pay over 4 years to unmount and remount and balance the snow tires to a single set of rims (8 cycles of lug the tires to the tire shop, unmount, mount and balance and lug the tires home to store)? How much of your time are you willing to spend to drop it off or wait to get it done? (always occurs when the weather turns and there is a huge wait because everyone else is doing it) I preferred to have 'em in the garage all mounted and I invested in a floor jack that enabled me to change 'em on the driveway when I wanted to and when the weather was good. Took far less time (less than 30 minutes for 4 tires) than driving to a tire store let alone waiting there.

Will you keep a gauge around and use it to monitor tire pressure? I have had delamination (total tire failure) happen in the cold because I didn't monitor my tire pressures. Cost me two good tread snow tires. And I had a full size spare that enabled me to limp to a tire dealer once I had changed it in the wet and blinding snow.

I don't save money on safety items. They may save my life.

 

I believe that tire shops are required by law to make sure that you have TPMS when they sell you tires and wheels, but you can choose not to worry about it which is what I do. With Tire Rack i think that they get around the issue by selling them mounted with the understaning that a local shop will add tpms sensors - i wonder if anyone actually does that? After a few weeks you do not even notice the light anymore, but if it is a problem just tape over it.

 

You really need to get rims and tires (and maybe TPMS) together. Add into that mounting and balancing, lug nuts (maybe) and a place to store tires with maybe a rack for garage? Tire changing is not cheap, unfortunately. The peace of mind, however, is very nice to have with winter tires and you will save wear on your off-season tires. And you can have a seasonal "wardrobe change" with new rims.

I would go to Discount Tire and ask them to price match Tire Rack. Since there are no Discount Tire's in PA it is not possible. You could still use Tire Rack.

Michelin Xice3 in your size are on sale for $113. ea with a $70 rebate card (comes in about 4 weeks) at Tire Rack. Birdgestone Blizzak are $104 and no rebate now. The Bridgestone & Michelin rebate cards are usually on for a month and off for a month.

Costco can be good too but usually a bit pricier and they do not stock a lot of tires. They do have a great road hazard warranty.

You can put together a package and save some $ with balancing, etc. You can call them and they are very helpful to people with little experience.
Good luck!

 

I'm thinking of getting the Xice3 on the standard steel wheels at Tire Rack without TPMS. I'll just put them on myself, so no worry about a shop insisting on TPMS to install.

I'm just still on the fence to get them at all. I know they are advantageous in 40 and below weather, even without snow or ice. And my concern is always "what is out there" when I leave for my commute at 5am. They stink at treating roads here. I felt safer driving in Upstate NY on all seasons when it snowed 6" overnight than in this area when there was some snow melt the previous day and it went down to 32 overnight.

 

Well snow tires is something I do know a fair amount about. Being in Vermont, and having a long commute, I've gone through many different snow tires over the years.

Having had a set of the Michelin Ice 2 snow tires, no way. Yes, they are quiet and handle well. But they wore quicker than any tire I've ever had, and are terrible in any kind of real snow/slush. They slide if turning in snow, which really is the point? Worst snow tire I've had in 30 years. If you live in areas where moderate to flurry type of snow exists, maybe you don;t need snow tires anyway.

Bridgestone Blizzak. Fantastic, truly a snow tire.

I will be ordering a set of General Altimax Arctic for my new V. I had them on two cars already, and they were fantastic in all conditions. They don;t float as much as the Blizzaks, and I feel they are equals on snow and ice. Also, $320 at Tire Rack, $270 after discount. WOW

I've been through the extra set of rims and keeping the tires mounted. Big problem is weight and storage. And Never will I drive around in the colder months with an ugly set of black rims with or without wheel covers. Sometimes ugly can be too much.
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Not a fan of tire wreck
Am a fan of studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, wow, excellent, quiet, long lasting
So new rims and tires and you can go anywhere, studs make a front wheel drive a winter beast

 

Our Nokian's are an earlier model. Love 'm ... Gottem on all four wheels ... But make no mistake ... even with studs, you can still end up in a ditch if you go through a 90° turn too quick on black ice. Ooops.
Even if our hybrid wasn't all-wheel-drive, we'd still have studs on all 4 rims. btw, the OP said they're in CT, & IIRC, they're one of the majority states not allowing studs.
One last thing what ever winter treads you choose - prepare to take a hit on mpg's. That's the nature of the beast - just plowing thru snow, much less cold weather. Mix that combo with non-hi rolling resistance treads and your mpg's get hosed. But at least you are safer while getting hosed
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I have the Michelin X-Ice3. I ski 30 days a year. The top rated new snows (Xice, Blizzaks, see TireRack.com for ratings or Consumer Reports) are great all around tires. I get a new pair about every 18 months (45 miles). I get them early December, run them through 1 winter, 1 summer and 1 winter and the put on a new set. That leaves enough tread and silica in the tread for the 2nd winter.

You can be thrifty, order when there's a new (early Fall) get the tire store to keep them December, have them put them on and bag or store your summer tires. Then both sets will last at least 40K.

 

Funny you mention this. We replaced to poor wearing Bridgestone LRR tires in our Camry Hybrid with Yokaham Avid Envigors. Mileage didn't change at all. For winters, we used the General Altimac Artics, and it still did very well. Most of the "hit" was in warming up the batteries. On a lengthy winter trip with them, we still averaged 36/37 after 450 miles.

I will never replace the limited treadwear LRR tires with LRR's, I will immediately replace them with decent ties with a tread wear life of 500 or greater. The LRR tires are hardly "Green" with such limited treadwear.

Forgot to add, the TCH has averaged 1 mpg better overall since we took the LRR's off.

 

In 38 years living in NOVA studded tires were never needed. Some winters we got nothing in the way of snow or ice, others we got a few snows but they seldom lasted. I was always the first one into work with good conventional snows or good all-seasons and I lived on a cul-de-sac that only got plowed the 3rd day if we were lucky. I recall one snow where the drift covered my one story house, studs wouldn't help at all in that scenario. If it ices, wait for them to sand or salt. Even with studs you don't want to be out on that surface because of the other guy.