One girl two cars

[troutman]

I thought this thread might be about something else.

[an_album_cover]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Whats the best set of tires to purchase for a sporty car that has virtually no weight in the back? I live in a condo so I dont have room to store an extra set of tires. Currently I have been purchasing winter tires and driving them year round and replacing them every 3 years or so.

What kind of "sporty" car are you talking about? I drive a 3 series BMW that I would consider as kind of sporty. It's pretty much 50/50 weight distribution and RWD and the tires that I used during the winter are perfect. As mentioned already, they are Nokian WR G2s.

They're considered an all weather tire (some sites describe them as high performance all weather), and have anywhere from a 80k-90k tread life, depending on what site you're getting your info from. In that sense, they're better than all-seasons by FAR in the winter, and better than pure winters in the summer. Good news for you is that you won't have to worry about swapping out every year.

I do run summer tires, however, due to laziness I have used the Nokians during warmer months and in the rain. They're still very good in these conditions, however, where they really shine is during the winters that we have here, where we get anything from pure ice one day, to a foot of snow the next, to slush, etc. IMO, this tire is what all-seasons SHOULD be; very versatile.

[Incinerator]

my 2 cents:

1. tell her to trade the Versa in for an AWD Rogue

or

2. Get her a set of Goodyear Assurance TripleTred - not ComfortTred (not sure if they still sell this but I got my set from Fountain tire, best all-seasons I've ever owned, it's like I have winters on when it snows)

or

3. Dump her for the lifeguard

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by psicodude

I am not a tire expert, so I will let someone else comment on which tires to purchase. I am fairly certain, however, that driving winter tires all year long is not only a big waste of money, but can actually be unsafe. I have read that most winter tires are not designed for hot summer roads, and can melt slightly which can lead to a loss of control.

You should really find a buddy with a garage.

So far its worked fine, no issues at all. I know its not the most economical but it saves me in the winter, and yes I wear them down alot in the summer due to the rubber being softer and not made for summer driving. In the winter I pack the trunk with 2 30Kg deicer buckets from Costco for weight but it still spins occasionally in the winter.

The only people I know in this area live in condos with parking stalls that cost 10k plus. If it wasnt for this damn economic climate I would have got a Ford Edge last year. Now my cash is just sitting in the bank it calls to me, 52" plasma isnt big enough, get a new tv even though you dont need one.

I have been here 5 years, last year winter was the worst by far. I even slipped a bit going up centre street from downtown. Likely casuse I force myself to go the gym on the weekends in the early morning and the storm had just ended around 10amish when I left.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

I would never drive without winter tires...ever. For a car like the Versa you could probably get a second set of rims and decent winter tires for under $500.

Maybe show her this thread?

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I agree . . . . on all weather tires as well.

Get her a rear-wheel drive car and then she'd be squealing legitimately. Those things are horrible in the winter.

Also Wookie, I have the suspicion if you told to her to go out and do whatever she wants WITH HER OWN MONEY but with the suggestion of winter tires, that she'd probably drop the second vehicle thing in a heartbeat and get winter tires. And maybe drop the winter tires thing too.

Access to your wallet might be the problem.

Cowperson

Nope, it's all her money. She's got more savings and less debt than I do. I'll give her that! But not letting her waste a large chunk of money on this venture.

Winter tires it is. I think we won her over!

I can't let her read the thread after the lifeguard comment though - I still go to the pool quite a bit and don't need the haha.

So, whens the best date to put on winter tires... Stupid calgary weather.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I drive a Mazda 3 and it probably comes with worse all season tires than the Verza does. I've not made it up hills a couple times in the winter and I get stuck at lights with a slight slope when its icy. They are awful, awful tires. So I want to buy winter tires this year.

When is the best time to buy in terms of getting the best deal or catching a sale?

And once you buy those winter tires you'll wonder why you never bought some before. I had a Mazda 3 and it took about a month of winter to put winter tires on and when I did it was good to go.

People really really really need to buy winter tires if you are in a part of the continent that gets winter. They aren't just better on snow or ice but also better on clear, dry, COLD roads. Now when winter is over take those winter tires off and put on the summer tires. The performance of the car will be better.

Even if you have an AWD you will notice a pretty darn big difference with winter tires...just likely not as big as a Versa or other small car.