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I thought I would share my experiences with putting snow tires on my RLX:
- I saved my snow tires from my '05 RL with the hope of using them on my RLX. The 17" OEM rims and tires fit fine, but the '05 TPMS sensors are NOT compatible with the 2014 RLX software resulting in a Christmas tree worth of warning lights and AcuraLink notices. Replacing the TPMS sensors was estimated to cost $350. With that in mind and considering that the old rims had lived through 10 years of salt and sand and gravel and the tires had 5 seasons of wear...I chose to move on to a whole new set. Fortunately, the Sales Manager that I bought my Sport Hybrid from managed to track down the fellow who purchased my '05 RL from them and I sold him the old set for $400. That is a great deal for him (6mm tread depth left on the snow tires) and a quick easy way to get them out of my garage.
- The dealership had a "snow package" of tires and wheels on sale and after some grinding, I purchased the set for $2100 (Canadian) including the TPMS sensors and mounting/balancing. The non-OEM rims stocked by the dealership for their "snow packages" are made by RWC (I think it stands for Replica Wheel Company). The model with the correct sizing, lug spacing and offset for the RLX were the AC95. Attached is a pic of the rims. The styling looked decent, the price was a fraction of OEM and the Parts manager was very positive in his reviews of past history with the brand.
- I chose the Michelin X-ice xi3 for tires in the 245/45/18 size. I went down one size from the stock 19's in hope of having a bit more give in the tires for the nasty winter potholes around here. The Michelins won out over the Nokian Hakkapellitta R2's that I was planning to buy based on reviews of the Michelin's road manners. I decided that I coveted comfort and quietness over absolute maximum deep snow traction. The local weather here features a lot of small dumps of snow, but big, big blizzards are relatively rare and so ice traction and road manners took precedence for me.
- Thus far I am very impressed by the xi3's. We had about 6 inches of snow this week and getting around was completely uneventful and the Michelin's performance on cleared roads was very, very smooth and quiet.
- I'll attribute at least some of the great traction in snow to the Sport Hybrid's wonderful SHAWD. This week was my first real driving in snow with the Sport Hybrid and I would rate it even higher than my beloved RL's system. You just steer where you want to go and the SHAWD always makes sure that is exactly where you end up no matter how slippery and icy the roads are. I got "cocky" on several occasions taking corners a lot faster than I should have and the RLX didn't blink and eye and seemed to drive like it was the middle of summer. 10/10 rating from me across the board for the Sport Hybrid's winter driving capabilities.
That's all for now...just thought I'd pass on my experience in case others were facing the same decisions.
AWD + snow tires are good in getting the car going in the snow/ice, but when it comes to braking performance, they are no better than other modern snow-tire equipped 2wd cars with stability control assistance.
Pardon stupid question #1, but where do you put the snow tires - on the front or rear wheels?
While I won't be putting on snow tires here in So. Cal., I do plan several ski trips and need to carry chains. I imagine the chains go on the same wheels as the snow tires. On my RL I put the chains on the front wheels but I wondered with the electric motors on the SH if there is any difference.
Pardon stupid question #1, but where do you put the snow tires - on the front or rear wheels?
While I won't be putting on snow tires here in So. Cal., I do plan several ski trips and need to carry chains. I imagine the chains go on the same wheels as the snow tires. On my RL I put the chains on the front wheels but I wondered with the electric motors on the SH if there is any difference.
Snow tires go on ALL THE WHEELS.
On cars I've used chains on for serious non-highway mountain roads, they also go on...ALL THE WHEELS.
AWD + snow tires are good in getting the car going in the snow/ice, but when it comes to braking performance, they are no better than other modern snow-tire equipped 2wd cars with stability control assistance.
Very sound advice, EdwardTLS.
I've lived in Edmonton my whole life, so I have 40 years of driving experience in a city with snow/ice on the roads 7 or 8 months of the year and so I've seen plenty of accidents caused by people getting carried away with their 4wd/AWD vehicles on the ice. That said, the RLX Sport Hybrid with the Michelin X-ice xi3's is the most in control that I have felt on winter roads, ever.
Pardon stupid question #1, but where do you put the snow tires - on the front or rear wheels?
While I won't be putting on snow tires here in So. Cal., I do plan several ski trips and need to carry chains. I imagine the chains go on the same wheels as the snow tires. On my RL I put the chains on the front wheels but I wondered with the electric motors on the SH if there is any difference.
+1 to YoungTL's response, Malibu Flyer.
The rationale behind equipping all 4 tires with the same traction level is so you have consistent grip in all situations. With more traction on the front wheels of a FWD car, you can accelerate faster and you feel more confidence starting a turn, but you are more likely to lose the back end and oversteer because the same grip is not available in the rear. This is also an extension of EdwardTLS's advice...snow tires on the drive wheels can certainly help with acceleration, but you will lose the non-drive wheels control in braking and cornering.
I've lived in Edmonton my whole life, so I have 40 years of driving experience in a city with snow/ice on the roads 7 or 8 months of the year and so I've seen plenty of accidents caused by people getting carried away with their 4wd/AWD vehicles on the ice. That said, the RLX Sport Hybrid with the Michelin X-ice xi3's is the most in control that I have felt on winter roads, ever.
Was the car drivable without the TPMS working? Did everything function? I too have snow tires and wheels from the RL, but without sensors. I lived without the sensors in the RL, the only thing it affected was the notification light on the dash and it inhibited the ability to turn off stability control.
^^The car was driveable, but several warning lights came on every time I started the car and I got a new AcuraLink message every time I started the car.
It is more of an annoyance than anything, but I prefer to have the tire pressure information anyway, so I bought the new set with the sensors. I park in a heated garage and the temperature here can reach -40 degrees in winter, so I can get some pretty severe tire pressure changes due to temperature and it is nice to be able to monitor the pressure in real time.
The manual states that the LKAS and ACC will be disabled with a spare mounted. So, I mounted a 17" winter from the RL on the rear without tpms and all systems worked, no warning lights.
I plan on mounting the winter set just before a storm and holding out to the spring before replacing the stock tires for some Bridgestone S-04s.
If no compatible TPMS sensors are present, the TPMS will simply read "blank" until you go above 50 mph for the first time and then the warning lights may begin. This was my experience and the 50 mph threshold was confirmed by the service manager at the dealership. If you've already exceeded that speed without warnings, then your system settings must be different than the Canadian-spec Sport Hybrid I'm driving.
The Hakkapeliitta r2's are an excellent choice and should provide outstanding grip. Please report back on the ride difference you notice between the 18's and stock 19's.
The Hakkapeliitta r2's are an excellent choice and should provide outstanding grip. Please report back on the ride difference you notice between the 18's and stock 19's.
Thank you hondamore! Preliminary.....i have driven about 50 miles with these on, and the car rides much softer than the 19s. I can't really feel the small imperfections-broken pavement almost at all. It might also be that these tires are really soft......
I will update further, when i have driven some more.
Is the Sport Hybrid able to downsize on winter tires to 225-55R17?
Yes, that is what is pictured, but I wouldn't recommend it. I was in a rush and compromised on the set. I am now shopping for a wider tires as thees have a few seasons on them. I would like 245s, but there are only limited options. I am considering Blizzak DM-V2 or WS80 in 235/55R17.
11-27-2015, 04:19 PM
