Do you downsize for winter and is it really worth it performance wise?

[Dragos]

Hello everybody,

I recently bought a brand new black 2012 SI which I absolutely love. I live in Canada so this means soon enough I will have to start shopping around for winter tires and steel rims, yet I am not sure if to downsize or not. I did a lot of research on the subject but I never tried downsizing tires myself so I have no real experience to base my decision upon. Lots of sites say downsizing will handle better in snow and ice due to smaller footprint and more ease to plow through snow, but i wonder how big is the difference and what others that have actually tried it think about it. They also mention better reliability and less possible flats due to shocks.
Considering a second set of tires and rims is an added cost anyways i do not want to cheap out on the savings from 17 to 16 if it is really not giving me the best handling and reliability. I am not considering swapping tires each season on the stock rims.
I enjoy spirited driving so my preference is the better handling on ice and snow even if it costs a bit more. Winter here is either snow and ice, or bone dry cold roads with some icy surprises depending on the day.

So here are my questions:

Have you downsized your winter tires on your SIs or other low profile tire cars, and if yes how much of a difference compared to using the stock size did you notice?

I am concerned with steel rim sizes for 16 which I read that they barely fit, i would hate to damage my breaks for a bit more stability on ice or cheaper tires. Do you guys have 16 steel rims and if yes what kind and where did you get them? Canadian info would be best, Ottawa, ON even better

Is the low profile of the stock tires a problem in winter? I never drove 45s in winter so really not sure if they're so problem prone as some people say? City driving only means ice and fresh snow not so much ditches, hardened ice or anything that will shock the tire too much and possibly give you a flat. My main concern is not the skidding but the possibility of a flat. Am I wrong, are 45s more likely to go flat versus a 55 in winter?

Thanks!

Dragos

 

[JonnyRotten]

Dragos, I'm in a similar situation. I live in Toronto so I have to look forward to the snow and cold as well although I'm hoping that any snow intended for Toronto keeps moving along and gets dumped on Ottawa
I'm going to go with a 16" rim and the equivalent tire size to match the overall size of my 215/45/R17's mainly because a higher profile tire is a little less expensive and I'm not going to be flying around corners in snow tires and chewing them all up. The rubber on snows is significantly softer to keep them flexible in the cold temperatures. I don't want to pay for a low profile tire that I'm not going to benefit from.
I'm a fan of the Michelin X-ice. Great snow tire!

 

[TeeEyeVany]

I live in Newfoundland and I bought my 2012 SI coupe just over a year ago...I'm running 17 inch steels and the same size winter tire as the summers...I didn't find any problem with it

I bought the tires and rims at Costco (they had to special order the tires cause they were a different size compared to most winter tires people buy) The tires ran me almost $1200 and I think the wheels were around $400 for the set (on sale)

The only problem I found were that two of my tires were pretty much worn out by the end of the winter (note: I did not spin my wheels to wear them out) I took the traction control off twice the entire winter and even then the tires weren't spining on pavement just in half deep snow so I could get out.

 

[JonnyRotten]

I live in Newfoundland and I bought my 2012 SI coupe just over a year ago...I'm running 17 inch steels and the same size winter tire as the summers...I didn't find any problem with it

I bought the tires and rims at Costco (they had to special order the tires cause they were a different size compared to most winter tires people buy) The tires ran me almost $1200 and I think the wheels were around $400 for the set (on sale)

The only problem I found were that two of my tires were pretty much worn out by the end of the winter (note: I did not spin my wheels to wear them out) I took the traction control off twice the entire winter and even then the tires weren't spining on pavement just in half deep snow so I could get out.

TeeEyeVany, what did you do to wear out the tires in one season? I definitely change my driving habits when I have snows on, they're a lot softer compound than summers. I've also read many times that you should not run snows when the temperature is above 7degrees Celsius.

 

[TeeEyeVany]

I have no idea....I mean I know that winter tires are a lot softer than summers...and I read that the tires that I bought are more for driving on ice constantly as oppose to pavement with snow....but I still don't understand how only two wore out...safe to say I was pretty pisssed

 

[Dragos]

Dragos, I'm in a similar situation. I live in Toronto so I have to look forward to the snow and cold as well although I'm hoping that any snow intended for Toronto keeps moving along and gets dumped on Ottawa
I'm going to go with a 16" rim and the equivalent tire size to match the overall size of my 215/45/R17's mainly because a higher profile tire is a little less expensive and I'm not going to be flying around corners in snow tires and chewing them all up. The rubber on snows is significantly softer to keep them flexible in the cold temperatures. I don't want to pay for a low profile tire that I'm not going to benefit from.
I'm a fan of the Michelin X-ice. Great snow tire!

Hey there and thanks to everybody for their replies, keep them coming

I will welcome snow since I actually love driving in snow, not so much on ice with other cars around but no choice there

What rim did you use for your 16s? I read accord steelies do the job well but it is just a post i saw on other forums not widely spread information.

X Ice are indeed very good on the weather we get here i used them before and since then stayed with them, grip on ice is pretty impressive i found.

 

[Dragos]

I live in Newfoundland and I bought my 2012 SI coupe just over a year ago...I'm running 17 inch steels and the same size winter tire as the summers...I didn't find any problem with it

I bought the tires and rims at Costco (they had to special order the tires cause they were a different size compared to most winter tires people buy) The tires ran me almost $1200 and I think the wheels were around $400 for the set (on sale)

The only problem I found were that two of my tires were pretty much worn out by the end of the winter (note: I did not spin my wheels to wear them out) I took the traction control off twice the entire winter and even then the tires weren't spining on pavement just in half deep snow so I could get out.

What brand you got? Some of them are great performance but they last 1 to 2 seasons. I had a Goodyear few years back which lasted me a season and i really did not push the car a lot, just a regular sedan, the tires were nice when good but very short life span.

 

[Dragos]

What brand you got? Some of them are great performance but they last 1 to 2 seasons. I had a Goodyear few years back which lasted me a season and i really did not push the car a lot, just a regular sedan, the tires were nice when good but very short life span.

Forgot to mention that I get 4 seasons out of X Ice tires with as much driving pleasure the weather allows.

 

[TeeEyeVany]

I got Blizzak studless snow tires

 

[Monk]

I have no idea....I mean I know that winter tires are a lot softer than summers...and I read that the tires that I bought are more for driving on ice constantly as oppose to pavement with snow....but I still don't understand how only two wore out...safe to say I was pretty pisssed

Was it your Drive tyres that wore out?

 

[Dragos]

I got Blizzak studless snow tires

Eppinions reviews are full of people saying they wear out fast on dry pavement, but that also means they have good grip, better than X Ice. Just not the most economical choice. X Ice they complain about less handling, noise and other things but not so much about fast wear. I was fancying to go for the Sottozeros II from Pirelli but I do have a feeling they suffer of the same fast tread wearout, though I read a lot of happy reviews for them

I would also go for a 1k rotation if I get softer winters just to even out the wear. I do it myself so it is easier faster and cheaper.

 

[TeeEyeVany]

Can't remember if they were my drive ones or not...(I'm an idiot and was ina rush and forgot to mark them when I did the switch...I'm going to assume they were) I'm hoping that when I take them out for the switch again in the next couple months that I can get away with them on the back for this winter and then use the other two on the front

 

[Dragos]

So finally decided to downsize for 205 55 16s Hakka Rs, no snow yet on the ground but I will post opinions once I can experience what is the difference between my stock size tires and these. I am kind of waiting for snow now

 

[webby]

Well, I've now been in two stores playing nothing but christmas music. "Let it snow" was playing when I left the last one. Maybe it'll snow for you

 

[Dragos]

Well, I've now been in two stores playing nothing but christmas music. "Let it snow" was playing when I left the last one. Maybe it'll snow for you

That would be nice

Xmas songs wise though it kind of drives me crazy that everywhere you go it is like a surreal horror movie where you only hear the same songs played on repeat forever

 

[Dragos]

So i finally mounted the winters on yesterday since with a bit of luck we'll have snow before next weekend, yay So here is my review.

Overall I cannot say I see a major difference between the 17 and 16 for daily driving or even for having a bit of fun.
Surprisingly the off the line seems a bit faster initially except for a higher RPM loose of traction if driving it like it has 17 all seasons. Less aggressive throttle is needed after 3.5k or TC will kick in.
Ride is smoother, not surprising not sure if it is a plus.
I can feel a bit of torque steer if pushing it more often due to the bigger grip tires and maybe narrower tires.
Lateral maneuvering is obviously a bit decreased but in winter the fun lies in playing with the balance of the car more than hard cornering so I am ok
Road feedback is decreased dramatically, I would say this is the biggest difference and annoyance with them. The car feels like it has softer suspensions due to the higher profile tires.
The front calipers clear the custom fit rim quite well, closer to them but still at a safe distance so all is good from that regard as long as one goes with model specific rims.

I did not test anything over 120 Km/h due to lack of places to do so, plus the winters are softer and feel bad about leaving them on the road with crazy maneuvers not to mention it is not ok to go too fast on public roads.

Not very important but the hakkas have a great looking thread pattern Overall look of the car has lost a bit of it's charm due to the higher profile and wheel covers I decided to put on the rims but given the winters we have here and it is one of my daily drivers for me and my family I can live with that.

 

[webby]

winters use significantly softer rubber as well, so some of the road feel difference is going to be due to that as well as being on a 16" versus 17". Looking forward to see how you like them once they get to bite into fresh snow

 

[Dragos]

winters use significantly softer rubber as well, so some of the road feel difference is going to be due to that as well as being on a 16" versus 17". Looking forward to see how you like them once they get to bite into fresh snow

Believe me, me as well! Forecast has changed though, no snow until 29th, but when it comes it will be here to stay, eventually at least

 

[SgtMecca]

here is my winter 2012 setup, 16" steelies

 

[Dragos]

^ Love the black and white look! What do you have for summers as rims, you must have something that goes well with the combo you have.