Landshark

just saw his location says "Charlotte". NC? do they even get "snow", and by snow, i mean more than a dusting?

CottageLifer

LMAO! Average annual snowfall for CHarlotte is only 4 INCHES. (That's what she said...) Of course I guess the OP could be driving up to the Appalacians etc. I used to laugh how some folks in Houston put winter tires on their cars. Yeesh...

Landshark

unless the OP drives north or up in the mountains, id say get some Conti Extreme Contacts (Ultra high performance all-season tire). good in the summer, and in light snow, too.

CottageLifer

As long as they are NOTHING like the Conti Cross Contact LX - OEM on my Nissan. One of the worst tires I have ever had.

Landshark

nah, check the reviews - good stuff. had them on the wife's Forester, and still have them on the Evo.

AWCAWD

In general, I am a big advocate for winter tires if necessary, so my post has two parts. Assess the need of winter tires for Charlotte, NC and a comment in general. First, not only snow fall would call for the use of winter tires but the drop of temperature as well. Thread pattern in tires is only one element for better traction. The composition is equally important. All season tires begin to lose traction as temperature drops. For Charlotte, NC, the average daily low temperature nearly never goes below the freezing mark.

http://www.currentresults.com/Weathe...th-average.php
This means that not only due to luck of substantial snow fall but also the lack of sufficiently low temperatures would make the use of winter tires not only impractical but also unnecessary.
Now, for folks north of Maryland the situation is different. Especially for those, who call themselves enthusiasts and want to maximize control. Many of them install items like strut bars, tuned suspensions, wider wheels, lower side profile tires etc. to achieve "better handling" but fail to install winter tires for colder months to maximize traction.
Yes, I know, life is full of compromise but this is what the manufacturers are doing (softer suspensions to balance handling and comfort; narrower tires to offset fuel consumption and cornering ability, etc.). Enthusiasts do not want to compromise. Why not extend this virtue to maximize traction for colder months? For some odd reason I do not see this strive among enthusiasts in general.

CottageLifer

Snows are mandatory in QC though. So you are a fan whether you like it or not. Funnest thing is watching people drive rental cars w/o snows in the Rockies. Why the rental cos are allowed to do that is beyond me.

AWCAWD

You are right but to my defense I used winter tires long before it became mandatory here. Plus, it is only required by law between December 15 and March 15. I have them on for two weeks already.

CottageLifer

Go to Vancouver when there is snow on the ground. Hilarious.

Landshark

good point, but i was pretty sure Charlotte doesn't even see temps that would require snow tires.

freak snow storm on occasion? sure, but then the entire city shuts down, so snow tires don't matter. my parents lived in Atlanta for a few years - they got a 1/2" of snow once, and everything just stopped like it was a zombie apocalypse.

AWCAWD

Yes, this is exactly why I suggested to the OP not to install winter tires

I personally experienced a similar case in Athens, GA. The snow barely blanketed the ground and all public transportation came to a halt, offices, shops and even the university were shut down for the entire day.

AWCAWD

Is your set up something like this? I found this image on Carid website.

AWCAWD

With all due respect it is hard to believe.
Here are few posts from our sister forum, ASX Owners Club:
See post #12137:http://www.asxownersclub.com/forum/4...eels-your-pics
See post #11438: http://www.asxownersclub.com/forum/4...polished-black

Also, why would the engineers for the BMW i3 (electric car) design 155 mm wide tires if not to extend the range (lower energy consumption)?

Check them out here:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=BMW+i...IVwtQeCh1QhAk0

I have experienced worse fuel economy just by swapping all seasons to softer winter tires (same size, same aspect, comparable wheel mass, etc.) I compared very recent fuel consumptions (no significant drop in temperature here yet).

CottageLifer

But if you are hooning around any way, the original mileage is crappy so I suspect that it might not make that much diff.

mRVRsport

Are them 'tires'...?



or wagon wheels!