Snow tires

We put four Michelin X-ice Xi3's on our 2011 last winter and they've worked out very well.
I bought them mounted from Tire Rack on their cheapest allow wheels (which are actually quite attractive and worthwhile).
I also got a second set of sensors installed in the new wheels but most here don't do this.
In my case I also invested in a $150 device to introduce the car to whichever set of sensors it's dealing with at the time.

The sensor system on these cars is vastly inferior to just about any other I can think of. The car has to be programmed to recognize each sensor even though it doesn't care which tire location it's at.

Front-only winter tires on a FWD car is generally discouraged, as it can make the car 'tail happy'.

 

Getting separate rims allows you to put on the snow tires yourself. Around here when the first snow fall, the garages are backed
up for hours with people trying to get their snow tires remounted. I also heard that mounting tires a lot does not do the tire bead
any good. Tire rack also sells steel rims. Not sure how much cheaper they are compared to the alloy. Finally, certain sensors
can be cloned. You clone one to match your existing sensor and then when you change tires, the car doesn't know the difference.

 

If you've managed just fine with all-seasons in past winters, then why invest in snow tires? Personally, I feel better with snow tires during the winter in Iowa. I mounted Michelin X-Ice's on separate rims, with no TPMS. In my part of Iowa, tire places charge about $20/tire for a changeover. Instead of spending $160/year on changing back and forth, I thought it wiser to have a different set of wheels, so I can do it myself. As css28 points out, you definitely want 4 tires, not 2.

Another option would be to consider "all-weather tires" (e.g. Nokian WRG3). These are LRR tires that are rated for snow, but can stay on year-round. I just put the Nokians on my other car and am trying it out for the first time this winter.

 

This is what I'm using, works fine:

snow tire: Michelin X-Ice 195/65R15
Corolla steel rim, part no: 42611-02471 (2008 model year?)
steel rim lug nuts: 90942-01007 (plain, open-ended, galvanized)

The Corolla rims were $70 apiece, brand new through the dealership. The lug nuts about $1 apiece, same source. You can use the regular lug nuts, but they look weird.

I didn't get TPMS. I'd advise if it's at all possible, to avoid the extra TPMS: it's a big extra expense, and either ties you to the dealership to initiate the damn things every time, or forces you to even more outlay, for your own electronics to deal with them.

 

I got closed end lug nuts from Advanced Auto. The closed end keeps the salt etc from rusting the wheel studs.

 

Nokian hakkapeliitta 8 studded, good for 5-6 winters, get steel rims, just switch wheels, sensors are easily installed, why take a chance, studs will stop you, it's not going it's stopping that counts.

 

[Sorry--wrong thread]

 

I like studded snow tires too (in fact I have 4 studded winterforce tires). But when I drive 65 on the highway and there is a cross wind, the
prius gets blown around a lot ! It is almost to the point of being scary. This is the first car I've had that does this. Driving around town
or back roads are fine. Also looks like studded snow tires are legal in Iowa from Nov 1 through Apr 1. Searching the web, it looks like
Iowa wanted to outlaw studded snow tires, but they didn't do it.

 

IAboy: I'm north of you in Minnesota - and I/we probably get more snow than you "southerners" . I will "go against the grain" here and say that I have never had any issues by only having snow tires on the front of my Prius. When we had our first Prius (2005) - I bought a set of clean/used stock Prius wheels on eBay - put a set of Michelin snow tires on them and then each Fall I would swap tires myself and then swap back in the Spring. When we bought our 2010 Prius - I continued to do the same process with the same wheels. No, the snow tires do not have sensors, but that little orange light doesn't concern me at all. Anybody who drives a Prius in snow soon realizes that is the "depth" of snow that is critical - I don't care if you have all 4 snow tires - if you try driving in 6" or more of un-plowed snow with your Prius, you're asking for trouble. Obviously, common sense needs to apply here as far as driving in any snow conditions.

 

Actually it depends on the car how well it does with just snows on the front. The only car I had a problem with was a VW rabbit. I put 4
snows on the Prius because of the anti-lock brakes. Since I couldn't lock up the wheels anymore to stop, I figured I would need all the
help (and traction) I could get.

 

I would get 4, def not 2.

I've heard good things about the General Altimax and they can be studded by Tirerack or not. Looking at ~$580 for 4 with steel tires mounted and balanced without TPMS. If you're going to run them just in winter and you check the pressures on a regular basis I don't see the need for the added expense but its all personal preference.

 

Verdict for the WRG3's after the recent snows in Iowa are fairly predictable, given their tire classification. Mind you, my other car is not a Prius, but an Accord. That said, having driven both cars in the snow, the Michelin X-Ice is definitely the better winter tire. The Michelin's grip the road much better than the Nokian's. But, the Nokian's are a huge improvement over all-season tires. My wife, who drives the Honda, feels a lot more confident with the Nokian's than she did with the Michelin Primacy all-seasons that they replaced.

 

I've just ordered 4 Blizzak WS-80s to go onto my spare set of 15" steel rims for my 2009 Gen II Prius (Touring with 16" rims) - I bought them based on recommendations at the last 2GoB4 here in the NE, last year, and the reviews on TireRack.com - I'll let you know how they do after the snow arrives, so watch this space!

 

I'm going with the Blizzak WS80's and black steel wheels from Tire Rack (no TPMS) for Denver this year. A set of chains will be in the trunk as required. Will be my first snow winter.

 

I left the original Michelin Energy Savers (which came with the car) on throughout last winter, and several times in February (snow! snow! snow!) when I visited friends living at the top of a steep hill I had to turn around and reverse up the hill (about ½ mile) to their house. When I attempted driving up forwards, the driving-wheels started slipping, and the system shut down to protect the innards from over-speeding, and once I stopped, there was absolutely no way of getting going again! That damned Sir Isaac Newton was right, yet again!!!

 

BTW Kudos to the guys I spoke with at 2GoB4, and I purchased my steel rims from TireRack, and I'll put a small piece of black tape over the TPMS warning light!

 

WilDavis,
Backing up the hill ? I never thought of that. I was in the same situation only I had 4 studded winterforce tires on at
the time. Long steep hill+deep snow = traction control light and no go.