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I thought I'd share my experience on snow tires, regarding the debate of performance winter tires vs winter tires.

A few years back I had the chance to drive a brand new Focus RS on stock OEM winter performance tires on a private circuit on ice, as part of a local marketing event. Although this car was very fun to drive, the traction on smooth ice was quite poor. I was able to do some very nice drifts, but acceleration / turning / bracking wasn't very fast. After my turn, I asked if I could do the same course with my own car, a modest Suzuki SX4 with some half worn studded Hakka 9 tires. It was night and day - I was able to go much faster and had better control. I also had a similar experience with an Audi RS4 which I had for about a year (before selling it because the maintenance fees were crazy). It was equipped with performance Pirelli Sottozero tires. On dry pavement, the grip was astonishing, even better than other cars I had with summer tires! However, in real snow or on ice, the traction was quite poor.

There is no "best" winter tire, it depends on where you live and what you prioritize. If you live somewhere where it doesn't snow often and you want good handling, then a performance winter tire would probably be best for you. If you have regular snow over several months a year (like where I live), and the temperature often oscillates above and below freezing, creating patches of ice (sometimes hidden under a thin layer of snow), then a good winter tire will provide much better traction, at the expense of dry handling. For even greater traction on pure ice, studded tires are the best, the variation in traction between various road conditions is much less pronounced.
 
I thought I'd share my experience on snow tires, regarding the debate of performance winter tires vs winter tires.

A few years back I had the chance to drive a brand new Focus RS on stock OEM winter performance tires on a private circuit on ice, as part of a local marketing event. Although this car was very fun to drive, the traction on smooth ice was quite poor. I was able to do some very nice drifts, but acceleration / turning / bracking wasn't very fast. After my turn, I asked if I could do the same course with my own car, a modest Suzuki SX4 with some half worn studded Hakka 9 tires. It was night and day - I was able to go much faster and had better control. I also had a similar experience with an Audi RS4 which I had for about a year (before selling it because the maintenance fees were crazy). It was equipped with performance Pirelli Sottozero tires. On dry pavement, the grip was astonishing, even better than other cars I had with summer tires! However, in real snow or on ice, the traction was quite poor.

There is no "best" winter tire, it depends on where you live and what you prioritize. If you live somewhere where it doesn't snow often and you want good handling, then a performance winter tire would probably be best for you. If you have regular snow over several months a year (like where I live), and the temperature often oscillates above and below freezing, creating patches of ice (sometimes hidden under a thin layer of snow), then a good winter tire will provide much better traction, at the expense of dry handling. For even greater traction on pure ice, studded tires are the best, the variation in traction between various road conditions is much less pronounced.
You should also check your local laws as not all places allow studded tires on roads.
 
I thought I'd share my experience on snow tires, regarding the debate of performance winter tires vs winter tires.

A few years back I had the chance to drive a brand new Focus RS on stock OEM winter performance tires on a private circuit on ice, as part of a local marketing event. Although this car was very fun to drive, the traction on smooth ice was quite poor. I was able to do some very nice drifts, but acceleration / turning / bracking wasn't very fast. After my turn, I asked if I could do the same course with my own car, a modest Suzuki SX4 with some half worn studded Hakka 9 tires. It was night and day - I was able to go much faster and had better control. I also had a similar experience with an Audi RS4 which I had for about a year (before selling it because the maintenance fees were crazy). It was equipped with performance Pirelli Sottozero tires. On dry pavement, the grip was astonishing, even better than other cars I had with summer tires! However, in real snow or on ice, the traction was quite poor.

There is no "best" winter tire, it depends on where you live and what you prioritize. If you live somewhere where it doesn't snow often and you want good handling, then a performance winter tire would probably be best for you. If you have regular snow over several months a year (like where I live), and the temperature often oscillates above and below freezing, creating patches of ice (sometimes hidden under a thin layer of snow), then a good winter tire will provide much better traction, at the expense of dry handling. For even greater traction on pure ice, studded tires are the best, the variation in traction between various road conditions is much less pronounced.
On pure ice a studded tire will perform best but they are not legal in many places. Studless winter tires can perform very well in most conditions and ice is usually rough on the road with snow mixed into it giving decent traction if driven at a proper speed. I've never had traction issues getting around in any winter condition with quality studless winter tires.
 
IF he has 17" wheels that clear the calipers the tires will fit, but overall they are a little small in diameter. The proper diameter tire is 25.4" and that 215/45R17 is only 24.6" diameter. The 215/50R17 is better at 25.5" diameter.
Is there really an issue with downsizing though? Your speedo will be off by a negligible amount but maybe there's a bigger issue I'm unaware of? I would definitely go 215/50R17 as that's what I'll be going with since it's the same diameter but skinnier.
 
Is there really an issue with downsizing though? Your speedo will be off by a negligible amount but maybe there's a bigger issue I'm unaware of? I would definitely go 215/50R17 as that's what I'll be going with since it's the same diameter but skinnier.
You also lose a little bit of ground clearance.
 
Is there really an issue with downsizing though? Your speedo will be off by a negligible amount but maybe there's a bigger issue I'm unaware of? I would definitely go 215/50R17 as that's what I'll be going with since it's the same diameter but skinnier.
For any tire I like to keep the diameter correct to keep the speedometer and odometer correct. Why add mileage at a faster rate with a smaller tire? The added benefit of going to a 17" wheel for a winter tire is to have more sidewall with a narrower tire, but with this tire you also give up that added sidewall. You also give up a little ground clearance which could make a difference! 😉

Is it life or death? No, of course not, I just like to use the proper size and not cut corners. 😀
 
Seems like most folks on here are planning on using the stock wheels for winter and upgrading to a lighter wheel for summer.

I have a decent working knowledge of tire tech, but I've never gotten into the aftermarket wheel thing too much. I was an off-road guy 15 years - the only aftermarket wheels I've bought were very base level wheels for use on an S4 and a CX-5. Each time, I kinda just bought a set that was JUST above the bottom on price. Nothing fancy.

I'm thinking I'll use my stock wheels for summer and get a winter set, but I certainly don't want to take the "not cheapest but almost" approach that I've done before. Any advice on how to start narrowing it down to a decent value, good quality wheel for winter? I'll end up putting either Blizzaks or Michelin Alpins on them.

Or.... from what I know, decent forged wheels are prohibitively expensive for me. BUT, is there a lightweight wheel of good quality that would end up being roughly the same price as a decent winter set? And be light enough for me to notice the different in unsprung mass in spirited driving in summer? This is a big blind spot for me, so I want to make sure I don't pay for a winter set roughly what I would have paid for a really good, lightweight summer alternative (using the stock wheels for winter like the rest of y'all are doing...)
 
Seems like most folks on here are planning on using the stock wheels for winter and upgrading to a lighter wheel for summer.

I have a decent working knowledge of tire tech, but I've never gotten into the aftermarket wheel thing too much. I was an off-road guy 15 years - the only aftermarket wheels I've bought were very base level wheels for use on an S4 and a CX-5. Each time, I kinda just bought a set that was JUST above the bottom on price. Nothing fancy.

I'm thinking I'll use my stock wheels for summer and get a winter set, but I certainly don't want to take the "not cheapest but almost" approach that I've done before. Any advice on how to start narrowing it down to a decent value, good quality wheel for winter? I'll end up putting either Blizzaks or Michelin Alpins on them.

Or.... from what I know, decent forged wheels are prohibitively expensive for me. BUT, is there a lightweight wheel of good quality that would end up being roughly the same price as a decent winter set? And be light enough for me to notice the different in unsprung mass in spirited driving in summer? This is a big blind spot for me, so I want to make sure I don't pay for a winter set roughly what I would have paid for a really good, lightweight summer alternative (using the stock wheels for winter like the rest of y'all are doing...)
I think I might just get a second set of the stock wheels for winter to be honest. I shopped around looking at rims and I tend to gravitate towards something that looks very similar to the stock wheel when I search so... might as well just get another set.
 
Seems like most folks on here are planning on using the stock wheels for winter and upgrading to a lighter wheel for summer.

I have a decent working knowledge of tire tech, but I've never gotten into the aftermarket wheel thing too much. I was an off-road guy 15 years - the only aftermarket wheels I've bought were very base level wheels for use on an S4 and a CX-5. Each time, I kinda just bought a set that was JUST above the bottom on price. Nothing fancy.

I'm thinking I'll use my stock wheels for summer and get a winter set, but I certainly don't want to take the "not cheapest but almost" approach that I've done before. Any advice on how to start narrowing it down to a decent value, good quality wheel for winter? I'll end up putting either Blizzaks or Michelin Alpins on them.

Or.... from what I know, decent forged wheels are prohibitively expensive for me. BUT, is there a lightweight wheel of good quality that would end up being roughly the same price as a decent winter set? And be light enough for me to notice the different in unsprung mass in spirited driving in summer? This is a big blind spot for me, so I want to make sure I don't pay for a winter set roughly what I would have paid for a really good, lightweight summer alternative (using the stock wheels for winter like the rest of y'all are doing...)
OZ, Method, Sparco, Fifteen52, Enkei, MSW, Motegi are all good wheel choices without spending crazy amounts. You can look at wheels on TireRack to see the weight of each one. Enkei RPF1's are a very common lightweight option for not a lot of money.
 
Seems like most folks on here are planning on using the stock wheels for winter and upgrading to a lighter wheel for summer.

I have a decent working knowledge of tire tech, but I've never gotten into the aftermarket wheel thing too much. I was an off-road guy 15 years - the only aftermarket wheels I've bought were very base level wheels for use on an S4 and a CX-5. Each time, I kinda just bought a set that was JUST above the bottom on price. Nothing fancy.

I'm thinking I'll use my stock wheels for summer and get a winter set, but I certainly don't want to take the "not cheapest but almost" approach that I've done before. Any advice on how to start narrowing it down to a decent value, good quality wheel for winter? I'll end up putting either Blizzaks or Michelin Alpins on them.

Or.... from what I know, decent forged wheels are prohibitively expensive for me. BUT, is there a lightweight wheel of good quality that would end up being roughly the same price as a decent winter set? And be light enough for me to notice the different in unsprung mass in spirited driving in summer? This is a big blind spot for me, so I want to make sure I don't pay for a winter set roughly what I would have paid for a really good, lightweight summer alternative (using the stock wheels for winter like the rest of y'all are doing...)
I think you're putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.
The likelihood of you getting a GRC and needing snow tires for this winter is highly unlikely unless your daddy owns a Toyota dealership. 😉
My advice......CHILL. ❄
 
I think you're putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.
The likelihood of you getting a GRC and needing snow tires for this winter is highly unlikely unless your daddy owns a Toyota dealership. 😉
My advice......CHILL. ❄
By that logic, this whole thread is cart before the horse! I mean… the whole forum even.
Arguably 80% of the internet, really. :D
 
Looks like from the SEMA build 17x8 OZ Rally Racing will fit, though they used 0 offsets that stick out a bit. They used 215/60R17 for their size which I found interesting
 
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