How do you choose tires for a car? August 19, 2008   Subscribe How do you choose tires for a car? In particular, what is the best deal on all-season long lasting tires for a 2004 Toyota Matrix XR Front Wheel Drive, size 215/50/R17 in Southern Ontario. So, my Mom needs new tires. The original equipment tires were some kind of performance compound type which have a wear rating of 200. She wants something that will last much longer, and perform well in winter weather (that is, cheapest possible tire per km driven, while not sacrificing utility in Canadian winters). Problem is, she has been told by at least a couple of local shops that she has to replace the tires with similar performance compound type models. The local shops say that handling will be effected by any change, and they won't do it (or at least they don't want to). This seems insane to me (Note: I've never driven, but I am technically minded). Sure, soft tires are going to handle better in ideal conditions, that's the whole point, but that doesn't seem relevant to my Mom's driving, or safety, or to anything other than up-selling an old lady.

So, this whole 'replace with similar' issue may have been solved, because she has been shopping around and found places who are suggesting (or at least accepting her choice - whatever) a couple of relatively long wear tires. However, that doesn't really address the important question - what is the best value available. Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread, at $195 each installed (and balanced, although why you'd quote an installation without it being a complete and proper installation is a mystery to me). Homes For Sale South San Francisco RedfinThese have an apparently extraordinary wear rating (according to tirerack) of 740!Morkie Puppies For Sale Pets4homes Falken ZE-912, at $150 each installed. Sears Tire Center Stockton Ca

These have a wear rating of 480. Better deals around S. Ontario? Will the Goodyears really last 1.5x better than the Falkens? Remember that these have to be good in snow.With snow now blanketing much of the U.S., we wonder “What do you do with your electric car now that winter’s white stuff is falling upon us?” Are you, like BMW i3 owner Tom Moloughney, equipping your electric car with snow tires? Do you put away your cherished electric ride until spring? Do you tempt fate by driving on summer tires throughout the winter? Is your car equipped with those all-around-compromised “all-season” tires and you view those as capable of handling winter? Or do you live in a climate where winter is just a word, but not a bone-chilling, white-powder-filled experience that you can relate to? Tell us in comments what you do with your electric car now that winter is approaching. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. Next-Generation BMW i8 To Crank Out 750 HP?

FTC Approves SolarCity Acquisition By Tesla BMW’s EV Sales “Exceed Expectations” In July, New 7 and 3 Series Now Sold Out For Year Tesla Model X Struck By GMC Yukon – All 6 Tesla Occupants Unharmed 1 posts, read 67,034 times Does anyone have experience driving a Honda Fit in the snow? I live in Maine and test drove one today and loved it, but wonder how the car does in the snow. Will the tires be important? My next choice is a pre-09 Toyota Matrix, manual, but don't think the mileage would be as good because it's bigger. Any news on that? 4,489 posts, read 9,741,930 times 5,661 posts, read 21,378,258 times 12,114 posts, read 27,809,479 times 26 posts, read 176,588 times Originally Posted by louisebourne Tires are the single biggest factor on snow and ice. Proper snow tires will allow you to drive in snow as long as your car has the clearance for deep snow. I highly recommend Hankook IPike snow tires. I equipped two of my vehicle with them at the beginning of the season, and for the price, they perform amazingly.

All wheel drive is the easiest to control, followed by front wheel drive, followed by rear wheel drive, but having rear wheel drive will not exclude a vehicle from driving in the snow. My Toyota pickup with snow tires does just fine in 2WD mode. It's not until the snow gets deep that I need to engage 4WD. Also, ignore cb at sea's advice on putting weight in the trunk of a FWD car. That will be counter-productive and unless the weight is forward of the rear wheels, it will actually take weight off of the drive tires and make it worse in snow. Is traction control available on the Fit? That will help you get going if you are inexperienced with winter driving. I assume it has ABS. 12,982 posts, read 10,156,339 times Honda Fit in the snow? Turn it upside down and snowboard! 1 posts, read 64,168 timesOops... an error has occurred We can't find the page you're looking for, or it no longer exists. Let's give it another shot Double-check the web page address

Shop our site from the Home page Use the Search above If it keeps happening, tell usWhich tires do I put snow chains/cables on? Refer to your Owner's Manual for vehicle specific information. In general, tire chains or cables should be installed on the "drive" wheels of the vehicle. This means they would be installed on the front wheels of a front wheel drive vehicle or on the rear wheels of a rear wheel drive vehicle. On a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle, the chains or cables are generally used on the rear wheels.As we saw this past week, snow and ice can be quite a drag when you need to get somewhere—especially when half the country does at the same time. With Winter Storm Boreas hitting just in time for the Thanksgiving travel rush, we got to thinking about just which cars we’d prefer to take out in extreme winter conditions. Some of them are practical, some are sensible, and others are downright nuts—but they’re all cars we’d love to be in when the white stuff starts falling.

A great winter car should have many attributes: all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive, an engine in the front and heated seats are a good start (okay, that last one isn’t really a necessity, but it certainly takes off the edge on a cold winter’s day). However, all that technology will not automatically make the car perform well on a slick road. Winter tires are also hugely important and can help many cars perform quite well in snow (and will make the cars on this list perform even better). When you package all this up, you have the recipe for a car that should be able to get you to the mountain and back safely and comfortably. 10. Kicking off our list is an industry giant (in more ways than one): the Chevrolet Suburban. Put into production in 1934, the Suburban is one of Chevrolet’s most famous nameplates and has gained a reputation as a bulletproof SUV, capable of hauling almost anything almost anywhere. Weighing in at a staggering 5,820 pounds and getting power from a 5.3-liter V8, the Suburban just laughs as the snow starts to accumulate.

While there are definitely other cars we’d prefer to drive in light snow, when inches start turning into feet, there are few we’d rather be in than the Suburban. 9. Next up is a relative newcomer to our lists: the Acura MDX. Redesigned for 2014, the new MDX is a huge improvement over the outgoing model and appears poised to shine as it approaches its first winter. Available with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the MDX does a great job of staying glued to the road in adverse conditions while offering a smooth and luxurious ride during fair-weathered commutes. Add to that the plethora of luxury options that Acura offers and you’re likely to be too satisfied to even notice the snow coming down. 8. In at number 8 is a shocker even we didn’t expect: the Ford Fusion. We’ll admit it, we had no idea the Fusion was a beast in snow—but that’s exactly what Fusion owners say. It makes sense—the Fusion is available with all-wheel drive and a few different engine choices, all of which (with the exception of the hybrid) seem to make Fusion owners more than at ease in the snow.

While we’re taking Fusion owners’ word for it now (it helps when they said things about the Fusion like, “I think this is the happiest I have been (really love this car) owning a car in a long time“), we’d love to get the chance to see just how much the Fusion really “is a tank in the snow.” 7. If you live in a remote area that sees several feet of snow every year, you probably don’t need to look much further than the Toyota 4Runner. One of the last truck-based SUVs, the 4Runner has been in production for 20 years and has earned a rock-solid reputation over that time. One of the most off-road-capable SUVs on the market today, the 4Runner has steadily built up a (much deserved) reputation as being both extremely reliable and able to go anywhere. Buy the 4-wheel-drive version and you should have no trouble pushing through more than a few inches of the white stuff. That being said, the reason we can’t rank the 4Runner higher is that it does particularly well only in deep snow at slower speeds (and preferably off-road).

On snowy roads you would likely be better off with some of our other picks. 6. Our next pick comes from a country almost synonymous with winter: the Volvo XC90. Built in Sweden, one would hope that the XC90 knows a thing or two about performing in sub-zero conditions, and it certainly does. With a low center of gravity and lots of ground clearance, the XC90 is an excellent all-around bet for winter. A smooth ride, seating for 7 and plenty of room for cargo make the XC90 a great choice for a winter road trip, whether it be down to the Keys or up to brave the mountains of British Columbia. 5. When you think of the Jeep Wrangler, what do you think of in terms of limitations? If you answered “None,” we’re with you. The Wrangler is simply an awesome vehicle capable of conquering almost any terrain. In the summer it’ll have no problem charging up a sand dune, and in the winter it won’t even bat an eye at plowing through a snowdrift. While the Wrangler may be lacking in the comfort category, it is more than capable of handling whatever mother nature can throw at it after the leaves fall.

4. Batting cleanup is a car that is has recently returned to the U.S.: the Audi Allroad. Based on the Audi A4, the Allroad gains a few inches of ground clearance and comes in a wagon style, meaning it can get you more places than the A4 and haul more stuff while you’re getting there. Equipped with Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive, the Allroad does a good job of staying stuck to the road. While you won’t necessarily be able to tackle a mountain trail, the Allroad should get you and your gear to the top of any mountain with a paved road. 3. While the Mercedes-Benz G-Class may now be more commonly associated with bankers and rap stars, there was a time when it was known only for its extreme durability and ability to shine in horrendous conditions. Originally designed as a military vehicle, the G-Class made a transition to civilian life in 1979 and hasn’t looked back since. That being said, the car is still a favorite of many world militaries, and just this summer it was selected as the new off-road vehicle of the Swiss Armed Forces.

Given the incredible terrain of the Swiss Alps (especially in winter), we can’t imagine a better endorsement of the G-Class’ abilities in winter. 2. What seats 4, has 4-wheel drive and goes from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds? The Ferrari FF. Equipped with 6.3-liter V12 pushing out 651 hp, the FF is nothing short of a blast in the snow. In fact, the car is so great in the snow that Ferrari had World Rally Champion Markku Alen unleash it on a snow-covered track in Sweden. While most Ferrari owners would never dream of doing the things Alen does with the FF, the fact remains that driving an FF in the snow would bring most of us plain, simple and pure joy. 1. How do you top a Ferrari? The answer is simple: with a Subaru, almost any Subaru. Take a trip around New England, Colorado or the Northwest, and you’ll be hard-pressed to turn around without seeing the Pleiades. What do these regions all have in common? Snow, snow and more snow. With a lineup featuring almost exclusively all-wheel-drive cars (the lone exception being the BRZ), Subaru has carved a niche for itself as the go-to brand for anyone looking for a safe, reliable car that will excel at winter driving.