Stock tires usage in winter?
 

Does anybody know how well our stock "Prius" tires will work in winter temperatures? I will not drive in the snow unless I get caught out so worst case is driving with a light coating of snow. I'm hoping I can just save my stock wheels and tires for the winter and then get a set of aftermarket wheels and tires for the summer. Thanks.

They'll get very hard and very slick as the rubber is designed for traction when warm. They're not really Prius tires as we know them, they're a summer tire that's available on a special option package on the Prius in Japan. Sell the stock tires and buy winter tires or one of the better all seasons. I'm on the fence for all seasons or winter tires... if it snows here I just work from home <shrug>.

Come winter though they'll be plenty of people claiming they work fine. Then one day they won't, and we won't hear from them again unless someone finds their facebook posting of their car in a ditch.

I've been driving with extreme summer performance tires on my rear wheel drive cars for years and it can get real scary. The tires basically turned into hard plastic. Now I have a set of winter tires on one of my car during the winter and I don't think I can go back. Was hoping our stock tires will at least stay a little bit soft for the winter but I think you are right that I should just get a set of winter tires.

A dedicated winter tire set will beat any other tire in snow, rain, slush, and even ice. Though that last one really depends on which snow tires you do get. If you've driven an All-Season in winter, a true snow tire will blow your mind.

One good thing about moving south... our last winter the stock tires would have held up fine. When it actually snows or ices (which it didn't last year), I don't leave the house!

Back up north I always had a set of cheap wheels or steelies with Nokian Hakkas.

I'm holding off on my decision of what to buy until I see what this winter is like.... so far with as brutal as the summer has been with my luck winter will give us a blizzard in kentucky :) Our climate here is usually about as far north as you'd want an all-season in winter, at least in the city. If I lived in the hills... yeah real winter tire.

cold temperatues you should be fine, just deflate your tires a bit and slow down your tempo compared to summer driving

but if there is snow on the ground for considerable amount of time where you are i would swtich to dedicated winters

Agreed.

Say we do opt for winter tires, when would be the time to put them on? First snowfall? Towards the beginning of Fall? And if we do put them on, will they be badly worn if it doesn't snow? Any help is appreciated.

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I think it's less about snowfall and more about temperature.

I'd switch when it gets cold enough that IF there were precipitation it would be snow.

Not long after you start seeing frost in the mornings is probably best.

I'm leaning towards winter tires myself, or just driving my other car (Accord) with all seasons. The problem is that I'm in CT and we may or may not get a lot of snow or cold temperature. I'd rather not drive on my winter tires when it's warm out.

Yeah I'm definitely running snow tires, even though here in toronto, we had barely any snow last two season. More worry about the temperature and first time driving rwd, better be safe then sorry IMHO.

I already pulled the stock tires and threw them on my 17x8 wheels that were my dedicated summer tires for the car I just traded-in, a AWD Forester. I drove during the winter here in Chicago with dedicated snow tires on the Forester and will definately be throwing some Snow Tires on the stock 17x7 wheels for the FRS. They even made a huge difference.....

I usually put them on when the temps hold steady under 55 deg. Snow tires have better traction than all seasons at that temp. Here in Chicago its usually last week of October - 2nd week of November.