Winter-specific rims and tires or no, what sayest thou?

[nOOky]

I just picked up a new leftover 2019 Ford Edge ST. It came with the 20" wheels and Hankook Ventus 2 Noble tires. I've used these tires before and while they were okay, they certainly aren't stellar in the snow and ice. It would be about $1,300 for rims/tires and the sensors and I could change them every spring/fall myself. I'm just wondering how much difference I would really get versus just slowing down and driving cautiously. I don't drive like a maniac in the winter, I just don't want to end up in a ditch, or get stuck somewhere that a good set of winter tires would be able to dig me out of. Right now I'm just browsing online and thinking about it. Thoughts?

 

[Viper GTS]

Where do you live?

In a mild place that sees a day or two of snow a year that melts the same day I probably wouldn't bother. I never did when I lived in the PNW.

Anywhere that sees serious cold and snow/ice it's a must. With AWD, snow tires, and ground clearance you will be nearly unstoppable. It's great fun driving around stuck cars like the snow is not even there.

Also great fun? Being able to stop.

Keep in mind most of that $1300 is tires. You'll be diverting wear to a likely cheaper tire so ignoring the durable part (wheels) your per mile costs may likely be lower during the winter. Regardless, if you can afford to buy an Edge ST you can afford to buy snow tires.

Viper GTS

 

[snoopy7548]

In the Northeast, I can certainly get by with FWD and good all-seasons. You just have to know how to drive in the snow and know your limitations. I've blown past people in AWD SUVs in my little Nissan Versa on crappy all-seasons many times before I gave in and got winter tires.

But I've been using a dedicated set of winter tires/rims for the past six years and I would never go back to just running all-seasons, especially since I like to go snowboarding.

I recently bought a new car with larger 17" wheels, and I ended up paying ~$900 for a full set of 16" Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3s mounted on steel wheels, so $1.3k for a 20" setup isn't bad at all - you might want to look into minus-sizing so you can get 19" wheels/rims for a cheaper price.

BTW, you don't need TPMS for your winter wheels. Just be sure to check your tire pressure every couple of weeks or something.

Check out DiscountTireDirect. They generally have good prices and will price-match any store, as well as give you free mounting/balancing and shipping. TireRack is another good option, but I've been able to get better deals with DTD.

 

[herm0016]

yep. separate wheels and winter tires, totally worth it. we live in Colorado.

 

[nOOky]

Forgot to mention we live in Wisconsin where we get enough snow and cold, but actually not many people have dedicated winter rims from what I've seen over the years. The $1300 was for 18" rims, I know I just have to size the tire so it is the same as the diameter of what's on there now. We have a long gravel driveway that's probably the worst part of my 30 minute commute every day lol

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I live in Wisconsin and have a set of dedicated Winter / Snows. Do we need them? No. But on the bad days the extra stopping confidence it gives is worth it to us.

For our Impreza, it came with 17" "Sport" wheels from the factory. We got a set of base model 15" Steelies from a wrecked totaled Impreza at a salvage yard and bought winter tires for that. Substantially cheaper tires of the same quality, and a bit more "oops safety" with the extra rubber if we were to hit or bump something in the ice.

For my old Intrigue, we simply had winters that we would swap on the same rims (because it wasn't going to last much longer, and we couldn't put smaller wheels on than the 16" it came with).

For our Tesla, we went ahead and ordered the Winter Wheel / Tire Set with the car.

As others said, keep in mind that while the wheels are an investment, the tires you use during winter are absorbing the hard miles you would have been putting on your all seasons. I believe also a the new generation Ford Edge ST might be able to get by with an 18" wheel. You still have to what your offset of course. But it would be a lot cheaper to put tires on than a 20" wheel.

 

[killster1]

i just bought some snow tires and rims, tires cost 115$ each michellin ice-x 17" and the rims 75$ used on craigslist for the 4. im not sure what sensors you would need, to tell you if its a flat tire? thats not to important for me as they are brand new tires and will just be used for driving in teh ice / snow. (live in california and will just swap them out each season for the snow driving in the hills, if you never drive in actual ice / snow and wait for a plow i guess u can get away with it but the wife really likes to drive in teh heavy snow and snow plows dont go 24/7)

 

[thedarkwolf]

Try looking used first. People buy sets of snow tires and wheels use them one winter and then trade/sell the car and the next owner/dealer doesn't want the extra wheels so they sell them cheap really cheap. As long as your car has a common bolt spacing and back spacing it isn't usually hard to find some. I picked up a set of 1 year old blizzaks, steel rims, chrome lugs, TPS sensors, and the TPS sensor tool for $200 a couple years ago for my focus. I don't even really need snow tires but for $200 I didn't care.

 

[olds]

When I lived in snow country, I always had separate wheels/tires for winter.

I am moving to ice country next year and will be setting up my vehicle like that again. Probably going with Blizzak's on factory wheels.

 

[someone16]

I live in Vancouver, Canada, and I have winter tires on all my vehicles. Never knew it made such a big difference until I actually got them. The weather is mild most of the time but it's definitely worth it for the week or so that gets snow/ice.

An alternative is to swap the all-season for "all-weather" tires, as they provide better performance in the winter while still being able to drive it year round. It'll save you the cost of rims/sensors and you can probably get a bit of money back selling the all-seasons.

 

[skyking]

AS mentioned look for a used set for a while.
I have a set of studs on alloys for my MKIV TDI's, they cost me less than 300.
I got a set of studs for the truck bare for 300, and had extra stock rims to put them on. It is well worth the time to set up if you keep your cars/trucks a good while. I have used the extra capability to avoid a wreck. Shit went haywire, and even if I had been able to stop I would have been hit from behind. I was able to maneuver into what ever space I could find and avoid trading any paint, while cars slid all around. It's great to have most of your dry braking and your steering available.

 

[Arkaign]

20" is nutty for an Edge lol. That overhuge wheel + rubber band tire trend hotwheels style has gone too far. Makes me think of people putting 26" donks on $150,000 AMG G Wagon 4WDs. 100% 8 year old boy looks, zero practical reasoning.

Luckily you can get 17" OEM or aftermarket for it, which for winter/inclement weather is much better. Particularly if you lower the PSI down to ~24-28 when things get really bad.

 

[skyking]

^what he said, taller tire profile helps out tremendously when looking for extra traction, or a comfortable ride.
Those alloys for the beetle are 45r17 and do not ride as nice as the stock 16, but they are about new. I could not pass them up
The truck is on stock 70r17's and if I really need it I drop a lot of air out.

 

[nOOky]

20" is nutty for an Edge lol. That overhuge wheel + rubber band tire trend hotwheels style has gone too far. Makes me think of people putting 26" donks on $150,000 AMG G Wagon 4WDs. 100% 8 year old boy looks, zero practical reasoning.

Luckily you can get 17" OEM or aftermarket for it, which for winter/inclement weather is much better. Particularly if you lower the PSI down to ~24-28 when things get really bad.

I am looking for 18" rims not 20" for sure for winter tires. There is a 21" wheel package for the Edge btw, but it comes with summer only tires, not for me. I'm going to call my local small town garage this week for tires, they usually can save $25 per tire or so, then I'll look for the rims used or try to find take-offs.

 

[skyking]

I find rims and tires on craigslist. Here is an example for my truck, only it is older and does not use the TPMS.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/wto/d/renton-17-ram-wheels-and-tires-r17/7025421042.html

 

[nOOky]

I check Craiglist there's nothing within 300 miles that I've even seen come close for rims.

 

[ondma]

I think it depends on the type of driving you do. I live in Minnesota, and have gotten by with FWD or AWD cars with all seasons for many, many years. In over 20 years of driving, I have gotten stuck only once(eventually dug out without a tow) and not had any weather related accidents. OTOH, in live in the city, where roads are usually treated/plowed relatively quickly, the terrain is flat, and I dont have to drive on the freeway or in heavy traffic. If I had to drive in any of those cases, I would be more inclined to say winter tires are a "necessity". I also dont have a convenient place to store an extra set of tires/rims, so that factors in.

 

[Muadib]

Did you check Tire Rack? They have winter tire & rim packages for the Edge ST.

 

[nOOky]

Yea that's where the $1300 came from.

 

[Muadib]

Yea that's where the $1300 came from.

Yikes! That's nuts.

 

[WackyDan]

When I lived in central NY I ran snows on the rear of my truck... Huge difference in traction... Should have ran them on the front too. You can have the best all season tires and they are still crappy compared to the modern snow tires we have available to us today.

 

[snoopy7548]

That sucks, man. It even looks like your basic steel wheels will be over $100/ea. for 18".

If your all-seasons are in good shape, I would probably just deal with those for now and be on the lookout for a good deal on a set of winter tires/wheels for next season.

 

[Arkaign]

That sucks, man. It even looks like your basic steel wheels will be over $100/ea. for 18".

If your all-seasons are in good shape, I would probably just deal with those for now and be on the lookout for a good deal on a set of winter tires/wheels for next season.

Yeah true true, I think the best deals on winter wheels and tires seem to be seasonal.

Best time to snag them is springtime to summer.

On the flip side, now is a helluva time to basically steal a used motorcycle in the northern states. Prices are often dirt cheap while people can't ride.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'm on year #2 with my junkyard wheels and Nitto "Winter" tires. (A step below full-on Snow Tires, but way better than A/S.)

I like being able to start. And stop. And not fishtail all over the place every time I go around a corner.

Because I was able to get 7" wide rims as my winter set, instead of 8" wide rims (car is 8x17 stock) I was also able to buy tires that cost $600 instead of tires that cost $1100.

Ride quality and dry traction do suffer, though. So be prepared to drive in a less... umm... "spirited" fashion.

 

[Chapbass]

Another "yes" vote. I'm in Chicago, and it was hilarious being able to drive right past SUV's in my RWD G35 when I had it several years ago. I have a Ford Fusion now (AWD) and its ookkkaayyyy without winters, but now that I actually have a garage again, I'm thinking about springing for them this year.