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Originally Posted by Spektyr
Funny, because it was this very forum that insisted driving summer tires below the glass transition temperature would significantly damage them, complete with supporting evidence.
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I assume you're referencing this thread
here, that itself links to the Tire Rack article
here?
The operative phrase in the Tire Rack article is "High Performance Summer Tire". The Primacies are not high performance tires. Yes, they're summer tires, and yes, they are not meant for driving at or near freezing all winter long. But they are not going to be damaged on the drive home from the dealer. Here is what Michelin says:
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Summer tires are designed for year round usage but should not be used during the winter season where temperatures are colder and approach freezing consistently as their performance would be less than optimal.
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So yeah - once your Kansas winter fully sets in, they are not the right tires to use. But the interweb shows average Kansas temps in October range from highs of 70 to lows of mid-40.
I guess when you said in your first post that you hoped to drive the car a bit before winter hit, it sounded like this was going to be a second/weekend vehicle. If it's going to be your daily, then you'd want winter tires regardless of what it came with. If the plan was to AutoX or track it, you'd want different tires regardless. If the plan was to buy the car, tool around a bit for the tail end of Fall and then put it away until Spring? You'll be fine.
Lastly, complaining about the tires Toyota puts on their entry-level sports car is kind of silly. Porsches come with PS4s; those aren't great in the winter either, but it is what it is. Even then, early on Toyota did switch over to Bridgestone All-seasons in northern markets for the winter season - I don't know if that's something that has continued in recent years though, maybe someone can chime in.