Snow Tires

[Red Dog]

Bought this car a few months ago.

1) I'm getting different information on the tire size. Some dealers say use the factory specs, which are different sizes for front and rear. Other dealers say the front and rear tires should be the same for snow tires.

2) Bridgestone Blizzak WS 80 or Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3? Recommendations?

Thanks

[VBdenny]

Firestone Winterforce. Half the cost and excellent performance. Look on tire rack. Your car should have directional, staggered tires which means they must stay on that corner of the car for the life of the tires. They can not be rotated. For snow tires, they also should be staggered although I doubt this is a very good car for snow. Can't see ruining a $40 something thousand car by driving in salt. I myself, use a "winter rat" during the season.

[tex2670]

Firestone Winterforce. Half the cost and excellent performance. Look on tire rack. Your car should have directional, staggered tires which means they must stay on that corner of the car for the life of the tires. They can not be rotated. For snow tires, they also should be staggered although I doubt this is a very good car for snow. Can't see ruining a $40 something thousand car by driving in salt. I myself, use a "winter rat" during the season.

It's not 1985 anymore. You won't ruin your car by driving it in the winter due to salt on the roads; modern cars will not rust away. I have had my car 8 years, including some nasty winters, and there's not a speck of rust anywhere.

I have AWD with all seasons, but have read plenty of posts by RWD owners that use winter tires. Some say that's a better setup than AWD with all seasons. Unfortunately, I can't help you on sizing. Good help on tirerack.com though.

[VBdenny]

I suggest you look under a 10 year old car from a heavy road salt area, then look under a 10 year old car (or 20 for that matter) from the south and you will see. Sure the sheet metal doesn't corrode though as quickly, but it still does. I have lived in both climates.

Regarding the snow tires, sounds like an AWD car with snow tires is the way to go.

[LEX-SV]

Thankfully factory rustproofing has advanced very significantly in last decades. And many people in western U.S. live in Mediterranean climate that does not destroy even the older and pre-80's rust prone cars quickly.

I don't see myself living in a harsh climate, and not just because of my car(s).

[VBdenny]

Rustproofing of car has come a century in a few decades. While in Syracuse last week I saw cars less than 10 years old with obvious rust. The undersides are destroyed by salt making it torch time to do anything underneath. I lived in Oswego New York for 3 years and there was nearly 40 feet of snow the last year I lived there. Of course by that point, I had had it with snow, cold, gray and booked down to Virginia Beach.

No more rusted cars. No more fighting with rusted,deteriorated parts to do anything. Having worked as a petroleum byproduct distribution engineer (pump jockey) and basic mechanic on rusty, dripping, salty crap underneath cars to earn money while in college, I know exactly what salt does to all the things under your car. Yes, cars are much better designed than in the past. Now you can drive one and salt it up good for 10 years, but then it is done.

The 1990 LS400 I sold to my neighbor is perfect. Paint, underneath, exhaust all rust free. Drive a car in Syracuse for 25 years and see what happens.

[LEX-SV]

Fortunately OP drives a 8 year old modern Lexus in MA and needs help with snow/winter tires, anybody else had success with some...

Those running square setups in winter usually have an extra set of wheels for winter only (matched 4, 17x8 or 18x8).

[VBdenny]

Yes, best practice is snow tires mounted in a second set of rims. Toyota kills you with their TPS alignment practice which they charge for. We run our 2013 RAV4 AWD in the winter near Boston with all season tires that came on the car. It does okay but compared to snow tires, you depend on electronics as opposed to actual traction found with winter tires.