Hey y'all, I know this gets asked and answered a ton, but I'm really just looking for some advice on a secondary set of wheels and tires for winter weather. Right now my '14 STi is sitting on the stock Dunlops and the 18" BBS wheels (since it's a limited). I'm under the impression that dropping down to 17's will improve my tire selection. Plus I wouldn't mind a little more sidewall for wintry conditions; to a layman such as myself, it seems like a taller tire will perform better. Anyway, these aren't going to be DD'ed and are staying packed up in my garage. They're only going on in case of and/or during winter conditions. They may also go on for a small road trip (~800mi round trip) at the beginning of next year...maybe. For tires I was thinking Blizzaks but are those really the best for driving not-on-snow/ice? I wouldn't want to destroy the integrity of the tires by driving 800mi on dry pavement. Where I'm going (mountains of KY), though, there's a good chance of there being a foot or two of snowfall and/or ice on the road. For wheels, this is where I'm kind of lost. I know all the measurements and such but trying to find something cheap that will fit the car (and also matching the tires up) seems daunting. This is where I really need the most help. Ultimately, I'm looking for cheap steelies that are basically disposable. I don't see the point in buying nice wheels just so they can sit/get damaged. TL;DR: Need tire/wheel combo suggestions. Want cheap (17" hopefully) wheels and good tires for snow/ice and that can manage at least one road trip without being completely destroyed. Thanks!!
If you are going to go through the trouble of buying a set of wheels and tires for the winter, just run them all winter. http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/videos/a5604/winter-tires-track-tested/
you just need a good set of all season tires and you shouldn't have any issues. michelin pilot sport a/s3 is what I run
Well, that kind-of defeats my purpose in doing it. I'd like to have dedicated tires for summer and winter.
I have heard the continentals work really well too. During snowmageddon I had summer tires on and was truley impressed at the capability the AWD system. I able able to drive all over (and then find a nice big parking lot for fun time :wiggle I agree with Matt, not sure there is enough snow here for a dedicated set...spend that money on designated track set up! Teehee
You really dont need snow tires unless there is snow on the ground. Get some high performance all-seasons and run them in the winter. Conti DWS has worked well in the winter in my experience. Potenza S03 wasnt even that bad in the snow and ice a few years back.
and let's be real here. In Atlanta, it rains, ices over, then snows... so just about ANY tire on a wrx is pointless here.
Only reason to buy snow tires in the south is if you plan to run rallyx or planning a winter road trip to Canada