with stock wheels
205 55 r16 I assume
Would 195 60 r16 be as good or better, or are they too narrow?
205 55 r16 I assume
Would 195 60 r16 be as good or better, or are they too narrow?
snow tire size
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if i remember it correctly stock is 215/55/16. you can go narrower 205/60/16 or even 195/65/16 or 195/60/16. if i had to choose i would stay either 215/55/16 or 205/60/16. rule of thumb is to go one number narrower for winter tires, so if stock is 215 then you can go 205. with this logic 195 would be even better, but 195 seem kind of narrow for your wheel to me.
1010tires has a tool that compares tire sizing. take a look. And i disagree with the previous poster. Winter tires have softer compounds that increase traction in winter. Sure 4matic with all seasons would beat RWD with all seasons but buying snows will make your drive safer and extend the life of your summer tires to boot.
Tire Size Calculator
They have a slider that you adjust for different sizes after you input your stock tire size. Yes snows help a lot. Our now gone E39 with Blizzaks was better than my 4-Matic, with OEM Michelin's; particularly with straight line tracking thru 2+" on the ground.
They have a slider that you adjust for different sizes after you input your stock tire size. Yes snows help a lot. Our now gone E39 with Blizzaks was better than my 4-Matic, with OEM Michelin's; particularly with straight line tracking thru 2+" on the ground.
I called tirerack and was told that for my vehicle, to maintain load capacity, etc, I can go narrower than stock (215/55/r16) I'm sure some people have done it successfully, but according to tirerack, who's expertise I trust, this is not advisable. Hope you all find this helpful.
I have heard about the narrower is better thinking too, but if I were to buy snow tires I'd stick to the original size and load/speed rating. Then it's just a question of which brand to buy. TireRack has a neat feature where you can search customer reviews by selecting car/tire combinations.
I used to have a subaru and, although i may not have needed snow tires, I had them and loved them! I could go down roads that only snowmobiles could normally use, and pulled a few 4wd pickups out when they were stuck. It's been a few years, but i hope to be somewhat as well off with this car.
Disagree with what? I never said snow tires don't increase traction. I just suggested the OP wait and see what he thinks of the 4matic and regular tires before spending all the extra money on mounting snows or buying a new set of rims for the snows. If you want snow tires, go ahead and use them but I've been through many MN winters with only All-Season Michelins on my 84 300SD RWD and did just fine. In fact I've never had snows on my cars ever in all my winters except last year. I only had snows on my wagon last winter because it came with them. I didn't think they were anything special.
Saying snow tires will extend the life of your summer tires is like saying I'm going to buy a new car and drive it to park my old car and make my old car last longer. Of course it will since your only using the summer tires part time, but it costs alot more and only you can determine if it is worth it for yourself. In my opinion on an AWD it is not necessary.
It is a matter of personal preference. I am a fan of snow tires because of the increased traction, but what i think makes them most important is the decreased stopping distance--my recollection (from several years ago when i researched it) is that this is decreased by as much as 1/2 compared to all-seasons. So me me they are easily justifiable if they save me or my family from one accident.
But it is true that a lot of people sell their cars and are stuck with an extra set of snow tires and rims they have to get rid of cheap on craigslist--that's where I try to get them!
But it is true that a lot of people sell their cars and are stuck with an extra set of snow tires and rims they have to get rid of cheap on craigslist--that's where I try to get them!
Speaking of stopping distances
I think it was TireRack that had a couple of videos of snow vs. all seasons and IIRC cornering was significantly better too. If it's not up now, wait a couple of months until they are pushing their winter wheel/tire packages.
BTW I don't have a dog in this fight since my MB never experiences winter conditions. The 2 FWD daily beaters w/all seasons see all of that action.
I think it was TireRack that had a couple of videos of snow vs. all seasons and IIRC cornering was significantly better too. If it's not up now, wait a couple of months until they are pushing their winter wheel/tire packages.
BTW I don't have a dog in this fight since my MB never experiences winter conditions. The 2 FWD daily beaters w/all seasons see all of that action.
I agree that snow tires will outperform all seasons in winter conditions. I'm planning on putting them on my E430 since it is RWD but not planning on doing anything with my 4matic wagon.
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