Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I'd start by saying " I take care of all this crap in the summer, I just can't be bothered to lie in the snow and do my own oil change in the winter"

It's definitely annoying, especially if they're pushing it pretty hard.

[tooscoops]

swapped to the hard top.... set up appointments for both cars to put winters on. always sad... my jeep goes from rugged looking convertible, to a subdued hard top just with the tire swap and roof change.

[Arthur Dent]

I hate the way cars drive with winter tires on them. Soggy and noisy. Ugh. The Acura does not rock the steelie look well. 

[tortoise]

What winter tires?

[Weels]

I hate the way cars drive with winter tires on them. Soggy and noisy. Ugh. The Acura does not rock the steelie look well. 

Get some sport winters. The sports winters I had on my TL were a huge improvement over the usual sog and noise.

^ I suspect that with Arthur's ah, frugal nature that's probably not happening.   

[Arthur Dent]

Not until I've squeezed every bit of tread out of the current ones. 

[mlin32]

I hate the way cars drive with winter tires on them. Soggy and noisy. Ugh. The Acura does not rock the steelie look well. 

Get some sport winters. The sports winters I had on my TL were a huge improvement over the usual sog and noise.

I've only ever used the "performance winters" category of tires and never found them unduly soggy or noisy (currently on Pirelli Sottozero III). Okay, >13-15° they're a bit out of their element, but I never mind swapping over to the winters as they're nearly as quiet as the summers and handle fine.

[tortoise]

Yeah, but your car has AWD.  That makes a big difference in how one perceives a set of winter tires.  If you were spinning everywhere in FWD (or RWD) car you'd probably prefer a non-performance winter.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

 

[mlin32]

Yeah, but your car has AWD.  That makes a big difference in how one perceives a set of winter tires.  If you were spinning everywhere in FWD (or RWD) car you'd probably prefer a non-performance winter.

The performance winters work fine for unplowed roads. I can't think of a situation where I'd prefer a chunky deep-snow kind of winter tire. Sure, studded might be lovely for ice but that's a whole 'nother story.

Really, ground clearance is more the limiting factor than type of winter tire. So better off getting tires that are more highway-oriented.

[tortoise]

We regularly get some big dumps.  And I'm usually trying to get to the ski hill during them.  With a FWD car I will take all the traction I can get. 

I've definitely driven in conditions where I've wanted the extra traction.  Besides, it's not like the WS-80's are giant beach balls.

Really, I should have bought an AWD car.

[OliverD]

Yeah, but your car has AWD.  That makes a big difference in how one perceives a set of winter tires.  If you were spinning everywhere in FWD (or RWD) car you'd probably prefer a non-performance winter.

The performance winters work fine for unplowed roads. I can't think of a situation where I'd prefer a chunky deep-snow kind of winter tire. Sure, studded might be lovely for ice but that's a whole 'nother story.

Really, ground clearance is more the limiting factor than type of winter tire. So better off getting tires that are more highway-oriented.

I dunno, I've never really found ground clearance to be much of a limiting factor. I took my GTI through some fairly deep snow on unplowed roads without issues.

[Fobroader]

Yeah, but your car has AWD.  That makes a big difference in how one perceives a set of winter tires.  If you were spinning everywhere in FWD (or RWD) car you'd probably prefer a non-performance winter.

The performance winters work fine for unplowed roads. I can't think of a situation where I'd prefer a chunky deep-snow kind of winter tire. Sure, studded might be lovely for ice but that's a whole 'nother story.

Really, ground clearance is more the limiting factor than type of winter tire. So better off getting tires that are more highway-oriented.

I dunno, I've never really found ground clearance to be much of a limiting factor. I took my GTI through some fairly deep snow on unplowed roads without issues.

Around here ground clearance keeps your vulnerable bits from being dragged across frozen ice ruts.

[Gurgie]

We regularly get some big dumps.  And I'm usually trying to get to the ski hill during them.  With a FWD car I will take all the traction I can get. 

I've definitely driven in conditions where I've wanted the extra traction.  Besides, it's not like the WS-80's are giant beach balls.

Really, I should have bought an AWD car.

If my GF could get around in the deep stuff in the Mini, you'll be fine in the Golf Wagon 

[draghon]

Yeah, but your car has AWD.  That makes a big difference in how one perceives a set of winter tires.  If you were spinning everywhere in FWD (or RWD) car you'd probably prefer a non-performance winter.

The performance winters work fine for unplowed roads. I can't think of a situation where I'd prefer a chunky deep-snow kind of winter tire. Sure, studded might be lovely for ice but that's a whole 'nother story.

Really, ground clearance is more the limiting factor than type of winter tire. So better off getting tires that are more highway-oriented.

I dunno, I've never really found ground clearance to be much of a limiting factor. I took my GTI through some fairly deep snow on unplowed roads without issues.

I've high centered on a few occasions where the only way out was to get pulled out by a truck... Happened when the snow was not only deep but also hardpacked from the wind. If it was light fluffly stuff I'm sure it would've been fine and I could've kept plowing though.

[Jaeger]

It's that time again.  Winter: your move.

[Firm]

Performance winters are all I've needed as well. My favorite set of tires ever were a set of Pirelli SnoSports I had on the Firebird....Got 6 winters out of them; tons of unplowed backroad driving in those days and the tires never missed a beat. Quiet, handled well, wore well, and I only ever got stuck once when I high-centered the differential on an ice rut.
I replaced those with a set of WS-70's, which are 'better' on ice, but I preferred the sportier Pirelli's in just about every other situation. Still tons of life on the WS-70's though, so they're be around a long time.

[rrocket]

I want this steering wheel...

[Fobroader]

It's that time again.  Winter: your move.

Facccckkkk....nice pic man. 

[rrocket]

I'd just get the wheel badges..(winter tires after all)

Usually about $10.