So, I'm thinking of getting a set of Michelin X-Ice after getting stuck in the snow this winter. Should I just stick to the stock width or can I cheap out a bit with a narrower tire? Ex. 225/45/17 compared to 235/45/17 - what would the disadvantages be?

 

Narrower ought to give more traction in deep snow situations. You have an lot of snow in Vancouver this year. Will you have the winter tires mounted on rims or have a tire shop remount the tires to your car each winter?

 

Narrower is good, but you want a 225/50/17 or 225/55/17" so they arent too short. When you make the tire narrower it also gets shorter. I suggest 225/50/17" minimum height. Maybe 225/55/17" if you can find that size???

 

225/45/17= 225 is width, 45 is the percentage of width, so a 235/45/17" is taller then a 225/45/17". A 225/50 or 55/17" would be best.

 

I'd stick with the stock size to avoid messing up the speedo/odometer as well as your ABS, traction control sensors, on board MPG calculation, distance to empty, etc. Have a look at a tire size calculator too see what kind of error various sizes will introduce.

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

For example, using the sizes that JD recommended: