elkski

we got this car for my wife about 2 weeks ago and we have over 1600 miles..
Anyway this thread is about needing snow tires or not.
We are in the middle of a three day snow storm and this is the second day that I had my wife leave the car home because I want to test it out on slick roads first to be sure it is safe..

It has the Pilot HXMSM4's P235/45 R17's on it.... they look like they would be good in rain but snow???
We live in UTah and this traction was a big concern as we left a Volvo XC that was stellar in snow!!!!! and my wife goes sking about 7-10 times /year... I am not sure what I am going to have her do for chain or snow tire required days going sking at Alta.. but we have two AWD SUv's she could drive...

SO I am asking do I need some Mich X-ice or blizzacks for the front or all 4 or what?
And maybe you could suggest some cables that I might throw in the trunk but She will never put them on but someone might help her.

or should we just park this car on storm days.???? but sometimes they just happen ??

erdoc48

I think you should get snows if you live in the snow belt:
-they should be on all 4 wheels
-there are plenty of less expensive tires available that are very good in the snow. I'm using Mastercraft Glacier Grip II's- they were $77.60 each from tires-easy.com.
-they come in the 225/45/17 size (just a bit smaller than the factory tire), so the speedometer will be off by ~1.5 mph at 65 mph.

Actuary

I had that MXM4 on my TL. I'm getting snows for mine.

elkski

can't be to safe for the wife... What was we thinking going to a sporty 2wd car??

We have a snow test track here today...
Whats the trick on picking up some spare rims at a decent price?
What other cars would the dealer have a lot of OEM new cast offs rims for?
While I am going the spare rims route any thoughts on if I should go more narrow and maybe 16" so I could use a taller tire?

erdoc48

I got my rims from an Acurazine member by looking in the Black Market. You can also check eBay. One additional option is to buy a tire and wheel package from an online vendor such as the tirerack.com (they will sell a minus 1 size, so 16" wheel and 225 mm width). The vendors I have seen are:
www.tirerack.com
www.tire-easy.com
www.tiresavings.com
www.vulcantire.com
www.mavistire.com

I personally wanted the OEM rims because of the tire pressure monitors, which I know will fit on the OEM rims. I bought a set of these on eBay for $75. I went 10 mm less in width, and have a 225/45 size tire on 17" rims. I would have gone with a 50 series tire, but there aren't too many choices. My speedometer error is only off a little bit. Also, make sure the load rating of whatever tire you choose is best for your car (I believe for the TL, it's supposed to be at least 94).

It's a little up front expense when you first do this, but then you have a set of dedicated snow tires/wheels and next winter, it's simply a bolt on task. I've always had snows, and trust me, there is a world of difference in handling in the snow with the right tires.

leedogg

I just purchased the continental contiextremes from tirerack. I'll probably stick them on my stock rims, as I'll likely be purchasing new rims along with performance tires come spring/summer.

Actuary

I ahve the extremecontact. As with all tires, it does good except on ICE. Also it will harden at -20F and give no traction but that's just how all season is.

leedogg

Hopefully the DC area is never subjected to -20F temperatures

VT06TL

I live in Vermont and looking at the original Michalins tires on my 06 TL I do not trust them in the snow and I spent too much on the car to take chances. So I am putting 4 Blizzicks on the original wheels. In the spring I will get rims and performance summer tires to put on in the warmer weather.
Probably for the most part the original tires will get me through but it is the few times when the plows are slow to go through or I get into deep snow parking and get stuck that I am concerned about. Plus the fact that the vehicle I traded in on the TL was a 4 wheel drive truck.

Adobeman

I would recommend snow tires. I also know many "converts" that would never go back to not using snow tires once they got them. All season tires are good for all seasons except winter.

My wife used to dread driving in the snow until I talked her into snow tires. She now respects but does not fear the snow. Her increase in confidence and resultant decrease in fear are all really important factors in safe winter driving that can not be overlooked. When you aren't scared or nervous it makes a big difference in how you drive. She's also become a bit of a monster often saying "what the hell is wrong with all those idiots slipping around. It really wasn't that bad out..." Most of those idiots are out on 3/4 or more worn all seasons complaining that their cars suck in the winter

BTW - Blizzak WS-50s are my families choice for our cars. Some say they are dated in design, which may be true, but they are a bona fide performer with a good track record for many years. A "known quantity" so to say.

SmokeTL

If you do go with a different rim, make sure they clear the brembos...that are on all Type-s's.

elkski

I took it out today to see how it would do in about 4-5" of light snow and slippery road under... Not so good... If I stopped on this one hill (I guess about 7-10% Grade) I could actually slide backwards. I also took it into a virgin parking lot. On the flat surface it was not that bad but actually hard to accelerate without spinning.

leedogg

Blizzaks are def nice, but they were about 60 more per tire for me. My area doesnt see enough snow to really require that. The conti extreme contacts have recieved pretty good reviews here and the ratings have been good enough for me

Adobeman

Sounds like snow tires would help. You can cause any tire to spin in the snow but snow tires will be much easier to control and more predictable. Never forget how big a role they will play in getting you stopped as well. Slip means the ABS kicks in. That can lead to longer stops. Less slip will enable shorter stops. There simply is no technology substitute for grip. TCS, ABS, VSA, blah ,blah, blah only enhance the grip you start with.

Actuary

I'm getting Goodyear Nordic for better value. I looked at X-ice and all that.

Mark - Detroit

I know I will get blasted for this question - but, Why do you really need snows on all 4 wheels? Any bad experiences from folks that have done that or is it just the tire mfg's way of selling more tires?
Ok, I know for a rear wheel drive car it is essential. For TL with front wheel drive, stability control so spinout is less likely, ABS, a heavy front end and a tendency to understeer, is it going to affect handling that much?
It would be easier to store in the summer and half the price. I know, don't be cheap, you bought a $30k car. But is that the only reason?

Thanks,
Mark

erdoc48

I've only had 4 wheel snows, so I can't comment on whether or not snows on the drive wheels is sufficient- maybe I bowed to sales pressure.

Adobeman

No blasting...just an honest account of the one time, long ago, when I (my dads car at the time) had a FWD car with snow tires only on the front. The first slightly "panicked" stop I did put me 180 around backwards. It was sudden and pretty much without warning. Granted I was much younger and less experienced but when the grip levels are so different between the back and the front you really screw up the stability of the car. Once that's so far out of whack anything can happen. I've seen many people only get snow tires for the front but I have never done it since my "180" and alwas tell my friends that it is not a sales tactic when the tire guy says you need 4 snows. It makes good sense.

Analogies I've heard are"would you want a boot on one foot and a bowling shoe on the other while walking in snow"? How stable or predictable in your traction would you be running down the sidewalk?

jupitersolo

Look at it another way. Why would more than one? Only one tire gets power. It's all about balance and control.

S PAW 1

It is unfortunate to see Acura, once again, putting a POS tire on an otherwise excellent machine. The Bridgestone RE's that they dupped the buying public on with the earlier 3G, and now these Michelin's. Neither are rated a performance tire. They are semi-obsolete TOURING tires. Check out Tirerack.com. These Michelins are rated low for snow and ice traction also.
For Ohio winters (albeit mild for several years), Michelin Pilot A/S have served me well. For nearly 80,000 miles on my retired '01 CL type "S", and now 44,000 on my '05 TL 6MT. I had dealer replace the shitstones before taking delivery.
I can't say concerning your winters, but I feel confident in saying that your existing Michelins MXM's won't due.
Happy Trails

S PAW 1

Mark, the stability control and ABS are "tuned" to a particular tire size and combination. If you play with tire sizes that differ much from the norm, safety could be an issue. Stick with same size/type tire on all corners.
The terms Acura, and balance, are synonomous. You will find your TL to be a very well rounded car for nearly anything mother nature can throw at it. Just don't mess with the basics that made this car so good, and loved by many on this site.

leedogg

That makes sense. If you think about it, its not just about power being applied to the front, its also about braking. If only the front tires stop, the rear will pivot around the stopped tires.

ndx2

Mark, if you put snow tires in the front and neglect the rear, you could actually spin out more...

Say you're making a turn (in snowy condition) - when you enter the turn, your snow tires in the front would have enough traction to grip and go in the direction, but the all seasons in the rear might not and break loose... and you won't feel it until you're half way into the turn. Since there's no active power going to the rear, and no traction, there's no way to control it right away.... say you had 4 all seasons instead; then you would notice the front wheels slipping and understeering and would reduce speed, which is when the ABS would kick in and help out.

This is the same logic behind putting newer/better tires in the rear if you decide to replace 2 tires instead of all 4.

death

What he said... it's actually illegal to sell only 2 snows in MA & NH for the reasons listed above. Granted you can convince a shop to do it but it's not recommended. Pick up 4 and you should be set.

CometVR4

Actualy for ABS, Traction/Stability Control to be effective they need to actually grip the surface your tires are riding on..