ron3.7

2013 Acura TL SH AWD with 18"s . I know I need to go down to a 17 inch rim. Question what is a really good snow tire for my car I live in New Hampshire. I drive back roads to work in the winter about 30 miles a day.

WhyteLegend

Bridgestone blizzak , Michelin ice, Toyo observe Garit KX, Nokian Hakkapeliitta , I have used them all and whichever u can get for the cheapest will work .

Duct_Taper

You don't necessarily *have* to go down to a 17" rim for winter tires - there are plenty of options in the 18" size. It's worth having a second set of wheels to avoid paying for tire change-overs twice a year though, so if you're looking for a second set of wheels the 17" size is definitely cheaper and will likely perform slightly better due to the larger sidewall.

That said, I chose to go the other way and get a set of 19s for the summer and will put winter tires on the OEM 18s. If you go for the 225/50R18 size it's only marginally more expensive than the 17" tire option(s).

As for tires, I've driven on both Blizzak and Michelin X-Ice and both are excellent. I've had very good experience with Nokian Hakkas as well but they are typically a bit more difficult to find.

jim_c

Is there another thread for Summer Snow Tires?

sonny@tirerack

Bets tire for the worst conditions IMO is the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, followed closely by the Michelin X-ice Xi3. The Michelin is just a step behind in snow and ice, but would provide a little better dry road handling and a bit more longevity.

BDoggPrelude

The WS80's are definitely one of, if not the best studless tires for snow and ice traction. That said, they wear FAST...faster than any winter tire I've ever seen. We were shocked at how quickly they were wearing out when customers started coming in to have them changed out for their summer tires. I bet most people will just barely get two full winters out of them.

theok

Picked up a set of the Michelin Xice3 from Tire Rack with OZ wheels in a 17" setup last winter and couldn't be happier. Great traction and decent ride overall. Doesn't handle as well as the stock 18" obviously but for that you would have to spend for performance snows with 18" wheels. I'm in Toronto and we had a fairly bad winter so I had the opportunity to test out under fairly extreme conditions. (2012 TL SH-AWD)

CruzanTLSH-AWD

My winter tires are the OEM 19" Blizzak and they work fine. You don't need to go down rims size. Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, followed closely by the Michelin X-ice Xi3 as stated earlier are good. Also the Conti