We don't get huge snowfalls on Cape Cod very often, but we do get snow and I do live on a very steep hill. So the stock tires are obviously not a year round option. I've searched the board and read all the winter tire threads I could find. And I also looked in the tire/wheel section at everyone's photos to try to come to a decision on a tire/wheel package. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a Kazera KZ-S for the wheels. They're 18x7 with 50mm offset, and the price is good at $149 each.
Tires are another issue. I don't really want to go with a full snow because typically I probably only need to drive in measurable snow at most 10 times a year. I think all-season radials will do fine and I suspect that there's less of a dry/rain performance dropoff than with Blizzaks, for example. Problem is, the PZero Neros look like they'd be terrible in the snow. They must barely qualify for an M&S rating. In fact, a friend put his A4 Quattro in a ditch on those last year - could have been his driving, but its still a poor endorsement. So I'd like to go with something with a little more agressive tread pattern, like Continental Extreme Contacts. I know a few people with these on FWD cars who love them. But they don't come in 215/45-18, only 225/45-18. I know it makes for a larger circumference and alters the speedo readout, but the difference is probably negligible enough not to matter - roughly the equivalent of the difference between a new tire and a worn tire.
What I want to know is, does anyone out there have a combination like this? I know there are plenty of folks with aftermarket wheels with a similar size/offset, and probably some running 225/45s. Anybody running both? Any issues specific to this setup?
Thanks.
Tires are another issue. I don't really want to go with a full snow because typically I probably only need to drive in measurable snow at most 10 times a year. I think all-season radials will do fine and I suspect that there's less of a dry/rain performance dropoff than with Blizzaks, for example. Problem is, the PZero Neros look like they'd be terrible in the snow. They must barely qualify for an M&S rating. In fact, a friend put his A4 Quattro in a ditch on those last year - could have been his driving, but its still a poor endorsement. So I'd like to go with something with a little more agressive tread pattern, like Continental Extreme Contacts. I know a few people with these on FWD cars who love them. But they don't come in 215/45-18, only 225/45-18. I know it makes for a larger circumference and alters the speedo readout, but the difference is probably negligible enough not to matter - roughly the equivalent of the difference between a new tire and a worn tire.
What I want to know is, does anyone out there have a combination like this? I know there are plenty of folks with aftermarket wheels with a similar size/offset, and probably some running 225/45s. Anybody running both? Any issues specific to this setup?
Thanks.
(Drove those "all-seasons" in the snow a couple times and wasn't impressed)
