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Winter Tire Package for '18 Touring

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  gordonwd 
#1 ·
Well, the OEM tires were just OK in the snow last winter, but now they're worn enough even with only 16K miles that they really won't do, and instead of just replacing them with a new set of all-seasons, I'm considering a full set of winter tires, which we've done for many years on our other FWD and RWD cars. The only way this makes sense to me is to go with a full wheel & tire package, so I'm wondering if there is a tire selection that would let me go with 17" wheels with about the same o/s diameter to be a good substitute for the 225/60-18s that the car came with. I've done this on the other cars (smaller diameter with taller profile tires) since a taller, skinnier tire also works better in the snow than a low & wide profile in addition to being a bit cheaper and more widely available.

What is the recommended tire size for this application?
 
#2 ·
I will be getting a set of 225/65/17s for our Outback. From a cost perspective, the dealership is offering Continental Viking Contact 7s with free wheel alignment very competitively. But I just saw Costco will be offering a significant instant rebate for the X-Ice XI2s next week. Since these are the only ones with some tread warranty (something is better than nothing), I'm less motivated to consider Falken Eurowinter or Generals although the latter has been well-loved by many.
Good luck with your search and decisions.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
I have the same car/model as you with similar mileage and the same thoughts about this winter. I bought tires and wheels from tirerack along with TPMS for each and an Autel tool. You are correct in that you want a higher profile tire for the snow. Here's what I bought:

225/65R17 Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
Moda 17x7.5 wheels
Thanks. I was also looking on TireRack since I've bought winter packages from them before. But I'll admit that I forgot about the TPMS and its complications. Our Mazda has the TPM system that monitors wheel speed and doesn't have sensors, and on an older car with basic sensors we just left them out on the winter wheels and put a piece of black tape over the tire pressure warning light ?.

I'm also in the situation where, even though I did my own swaps 10-20 years ago, I'm at an age where it's difficult if not dangerous for my back to be manhandling tires to get them in and out of the basement, etc., so I depend on a local tire store chain to store the alternate sets and swap them twice a year. I think they'll do this even if I don't buy the tires from them, but will have to check if they're competitive with TireRack (they often are when you consider the cost of shipping, etc.).

Considering the added cost of wheels and TPMS sensors, I'll also have to figure the break-even point on doing what stonepa suggests and just swap a set of tires (costs more each time due to mounting and balancing).
 
#4 ·
You could just buy a set of 225/60-18s tires and have a local tire dealer swap them over on your existing wheels in the spring and fall. That's what we have been doing with all our cars for the last 30 years and it ends up saving money over buying extra wheels and TPMS sensors, at least for us.

The 18s for a winter tire size will do just fine in the snow. No reason to mess around with different tire sizes unless you just like to do that. The resulting capability will be the same.
 
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