If the temperature in your area regularly drops below 40°F (5°C) you need winter or snow tires. (Not all winter tires are good in snow). Both have a different rubber formula for low temperature durability. Winter tires are less aggressive, are better on ice and slippery pavement and generally quieter. Snow tires have more pronounced lugs, are better in deeper snow and generally are noisier.I have a 2015 EX, my first AWD vehicle. I live in New England and was wondering if I should think of snow tires or are the all season tires good for this vehicle?
I try to get mine on seperate rims. That way I can change them myself and I don't pay the $120 mounting and rebalancing fee twice a year. It's a higher up front cost obviously but if you keep the car you save money in the long term. I buy my tires / rims from Criagslist and I've always gotten great deals and never had issues with quality as long as I look everything over well first.Thank you all for the input. Now my next question, sorry, do you put the winter tires on the existing rims or do you buy separate wheels for the winter tires?
Different tires on the same rim would effect the balance right? I'm not a mechanic but I would assume anytime a tire comes off and they aren't sure where exactly it was positioned on the rim it needs to be re balanced. I don't know if you can even go to a tire shop and ask them to mount a set of tires on your rims WITHOUT balancing them.Whenever someone says you need to balance tires anyway every time you mount them - no. Once they're balanced you're good as long as the weights are intact.
Mount them on inexpensive black steel rims (cheaper to buy, easier to maintain and cheaper to switch). Keep them free of snow and ice buildup. If you notice a shimmy or vibration while driving check for snow / ice on rims. Do not mount hubcaps or covers as they will trap snow and slush.Thank you all for the input, I really appreciate it. Now my next question, sorry, is do you put the winter tires on the existing rims or do you buy separate wheels for the winter tires?