So we all know that the HP Primacy tires are crap in the snow. Honestly I'd have more traction running on skis than those tires. I went through a couple of snow falls and just barely managed. I had been shopping for some used tires since November, but had not committed.
Then a few weeks ago, as I tried to make it up my long and steep driveway, my car's tail kicked out ever so slightly and rolled back into some garden rocks. I scraped my rear bumper on the driver's side a little and the damage is limited to repainting that part of the rear bumper.
BUT, I'd had enough. I invested $170 on some used Dunlop 3D snow tires and had them mounted and installed by my good friends of AZP Installs in Kenilworth, NJ (go to them for anything, they are fantastic!!!) The tires came off an Outback and had been used for a few seasons- but the tread had excellent depth so I wasn't concerned.
Last night, it snowed a lot. And the drive home from the train station was awesome. Coupled with the traction control, the car was really very controllable, manageable, and stable. Accelerating still takes a light foot, but honestly it was night and day from the Primacy's. More importantly, waaaay more importantly was how well the car braked and how it cornered. If it started to let go, you could catch it easily. I live in the 2nd highest house in my town and the car made it up all the hills, and even up the driveway (she's slept in the garage last night.
Moral of the story is, snow tires make a huge difference, especially on a car like this. The fact that very limited miles per year means that this investment lasts a good number of years. Next year I plan on getting some even knobbier tires and either getting steelies, or keeping them on the stock wheels while getting some decent summer tires and wheels (I'm thinking RPF1's).