• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
My financial situation is different these days, but I don't want to cheap out on tires. I do want to anticipate the cost.

My winter tires are X-Ices; I bought the current ones in November. I typically run winter tires roughly late October to mid May (ie, when Loveland/A Basin open to Mother's Day).

Currently, my 2018 Outback has the tires that came with it. They're sub par, but I'm going to run them until they wear down, I guess.

Anyway, it looks like we paid about $550 for the X-Ices at Discount Tire, plus some additional fees - some of which were for wheels and sensors, which I'll already have for future purchases.

Would decent all seasons be about the same cost? We're talking primarily commuting about 15 miles each way with some traffic, some in-town driving, and of course a drive up I-70 every two or three weeks. Very rarely, there might be a dirt road section. My expectation would be that I'd need to drive in rain, but snow would be unexpected.

I feel like I bought new winter tires every 3 years or so; does that sound right? Yearly mileage (across both sets of tires) would be 16-20k.
 

Talisman

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Posts
906
Location
Gallatin County
My winter tires are X-Ices; I bought the current ones in November.

Currently, my 2018 Outback has the tires that came with it. They're sub par, but I'm going to run them until they wear down, I guess.

Anyway, it looks like we paid about $550 for the X-Ices at Discount Tire, plus some additional fees - some of which were for wheels and sensors, which I'll already have for future purchases.

Would decent all seasons be about the same cost?.

X-ices are great winter tires and I use them on my Outback in MT. Does the $550 you paid include the rims? I usually check prices with Tirerack on line for mounted snow/ice tires with the TPMS installed and $550 is high if rims weren't included. Remember November & December is when tire dealers get a premium on winter tires. You run your winter tires longer than I do as my summer tires go on in April.

I am not a believer in "all season" tires for winter driving in the mountains and have used mounted snow/ice tires on 4wd or awd vehicles for the past 15 years or so. Between warm state tourist and large animals (bighorn, elk, moose & bison) on the roads in snow storms I rarely think "I wish I had saved $500 on tires" when I need to take evasive action. If I don't drive in warm/hot weather with my winter tires I get at least 4 seasons out of them driving the same type of annual miles you are driving.

The stock tires on my Outback were terrible in snow. If you lived closer I would let you try my tires out on a snowy day.
 

graham418

Skiing the powder
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2016
Posts
3,460
Location
Toronto
All-season tires are really 3 season tires at best. Keep your winter tires for winter, the softer compound performs better in the colder temperatures.
I always spend the money and get the best tires I can afford. My days of changing a flat tire on the side of the road are long past.! Do your research online, read the reviews and determine the best tire for your situation. In America you guys have much better options for getting tires online than we do.so you can shop around online and get the best deal.
 

Novaloafah

Should've paid attention to that lesson.
Skier
Joined
Sep 6, 2017
Posts
238
Location
Halifax NS Canada
Have X ICE on my Mazda 3 and have driven to go skiing up in Gaspésie, and into Maine/QC from Halifax NS. Good tires and paid around 600$ at Costco installed. There are better rated tires out there but I haven't found them lacking on hard pack snow/ice on the roads. Reduce the speed and you will get through under control.

All seasons are just not the same in winter, maybe if they are new coming into a winter but even then if the tread is OK, the rubber compound is not as soft and grippy as a winter tire. I get 3-4 winters out of my winter tires depending on mileage.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
Discount Tire usually has a tire deal over Labor Day and Thanksgiving and it ranges from $100 and up off. Since you know you need tires, I would suggest the Labor day sale when the selection is the best.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
I think I miscommunicated. I will still be running X Ices in winter. I'm just not sure about budgeting for all seasons.

I'll check the rim size. $550 was the tire line item - I don't think install was included, but I'll try to verify.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
I must have asked my question wrong - is there an answer to "What is a reasonable price to expect to pay for all seasons?" Or am I asking a dumb question that I should just research by browsing through online inventory?

I will drive I-70 in rough conditions, so I would not drive my all seasons through the winter, even if they weren't the crappy stock tires. Anyway, it's not like keeping all seasons on for the winter saves you in the long run, as long as you have storage space.

Does the $550 you paid include the rims? I usually check prices with Tirerack on line for mounted snow/ice tires with the TPMS installed and $550 is high if rims weren't included. Remember November & December is when tire dealers get a premium on winter tires.

Last November, I had just bought my new Outback. One patch of ice convinced me not to use its stock tires in the winter, so not much choice there. Except maybe for @Philpug 's suggestion of a Discount Tire Thanksgiving sale - dunno if that would include winter tires.

It looks like the rims were separate. (the TPMS system they sold me couldn't yet sync with the 2018 Outback - I was probably the first person in the country to request it, I'm guessing. But there was a fair amount of confusion and repeat visits. So they refunded me for sensors, put the winter tires on the stock wheels, and now I have the stock tires mounted on the after-market wheels. They gave me a significant discount on the sensors in the spring, which is when I had the after-market sensors installed on the after-market wheels.)

Code:
34559 NRM 4 225 /60 R18 100H SL BSW .00 139.00 556.00
MCH X-ICE XI3
WARRANTY: MILEAGE- 40,000 SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR WARRANTY DETAILS
COMMENT: TIRES COMING FROM MICHELIN WHEELS IN STOCK
COMMENT: BUILD WHEN IN CALL CUST.
COMMENT: BOLT PATTERN: 5-114.3
COMMENT: INFLATION F:35 R:33
80017 NRM 4 CERTIFICATES FOR REFUND, REPLACEMENT .00 19.50 78.00
80075 NRM 4 STATE REQUIRED ENVIRONMENTAL FEE - UNITS .00 1.50 6.00
80219 NRM 4 INSTALLATION & LIFETIME SPIN BALANCING .00 16.00 64.00
86666 NRM 4 LIFETIME ROTATION REPAIRS INCLUDED .00 .00 .00
20750 NRM 4 18 X8 5-114.30 40 SLMEXX .00 116.00 464.00
VIS CROSS II 73.10
WARRANTY: LIFETIME STRUCTURAL AND 1 YEAR FINISH
80244 NRM 1 GOR 12X1.25 SD 1.36" CL ZN 6L ZINC .00 45.00 45.00
HDWARE LUG LUG KIT 21124ZD
81912 NRM 1 GOR 73-56.1 BLACK .00 5.00 5.00
HUB RING PLASTIC 73-5615
82703 NRM 4 SCH 33500 TQ12 T10 DB-EZ SENSOR .00 60.00 240.00
TPMS SENS SNAP IN 33500D

What size are the second set wheels you have?

The above is the second set of wheels - 18" ... Is that what you mean?

Discount Tire usually has a tire deal over Labor Day and Thanksgiving and it ranges from $100 and up off. Since you know you need tires, I would suggest the Labor day sale when the selection is the best.

Thank you. I do like working with them because they do free and easy wheel swaps, regardless of where you bought the tires and wheels. And they know me and treat me well, which then makes me favorably inclined to go ahead and buy stuff from them ... but now that money is more of an issue, I might shop around more and then see if they can price match, or at least come close.

How long can one leave a tire sitting around without a wheel before the rubber degrades? This would be in an uninsulated garage. I can't remember how long I would run each set of tires, and I no longer have the service records for either the vehicles with history - I handed those off when I sold them. I remember looking at the tire warranty at some point, but it would have been invalidated anyway by driving the winter tires through May. Perhaps something to consider for the future.

My average over 10 years was just over 16k a year on the last car ... but I have about 12k now after buying in early November, so I must be driving a lot more than that (or the average was misleading because my I-70 travel has greatly increased over the last few years).
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
As far as what to budget? $600 should about cover it. If you are over that, Ramen for a week or so, if under....sushi. ;)
 
Thread Starter
TS
Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
As far as what to budget? $600 should about cover it. If you are over that, Ramen for a week or so, if under....sushi. ;)

Excellent! Thanks, that was what I was looking for :) (I guess I could have guessed that from one tire purchase, but I didn't know how much to generalize)
 

surfsnowgirl

Instructor
Skier
Joined
May 12, 2016
Posts
5,768
Location
Magic Mountain, Vermont
My duratracs which are technically an all season tire but are studdable and extreme weather tested cost about $1000 for 5 tires. If I were keeping it I'd just need 4 tires this time around since the spare doesn't need replacing and the cost should be around $800. However, I live in expensive land. I got 3 years and 2 winters out of these. I definitely could have gotten cheaper tires but these were what I wanted. More expensive too because they are truck tires.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
Not much difference in price between good winter tires and good no-season tires. High-performance summer rubber might run a little more, but that's an option for you decide on. I think you could get 4 seasons out of the X-ice tires.

I hear ya - would true summer tires be trustworthy in rain, on occasional dirt / rocky roads, and if I run into a snow storm (and icy roads) in the mountains? All of those are possible in the months I run all seasons.

More to the point, though, I'm much more concerned about tread depth on my X-Ice tires than on my all seasons. When my winter tires are low enough, I leave them on for the summer.

My duratracs which are technically an all season tire but are studdable and extreme weather tested cost about $1000 for 5 tires. If I were keeping it I'd just need 4 tires this time around since the spare doesn't need replacing and the cost should be around $800. However, I live in expensive land. I got 3 years and 2 winters out of these. I definitely could have gotten cheaper tires but these were what I wanted. More expensive too because they are truck tires.

Yeah, I'm glad I'm not paying for truck tires.

You know, I should call Discount Tire. They have my tire history. Dur.

I think probably "2 winters + 1 summer" is my history with winter tires, but I'm not sure. Then probably "3 summers" with my all seasons, but they'd stretch across 4 summers because of the occasional summer use of my winters. LOL.
 

JohnnyG

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Posts
274
Location
Ottawa, ON
I had a quick peek on discount tires site, and they do offer 6 month financing, which means you may be able to get the tires now, and have them before the winter tire rush comes. Although, I'm not sure there's a rush quite like there is up here.
 

Corgski

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Posts
375
Location
Southern NH
I think you could get 4 seasons out of the X-ice tires.

Probably. Some time back I drove Bridgestone Blizzaks in the New Orleans area for a year, I was almost expecting to leave a trail of molten rubber behind me. I did not find the wear to be that bad, however braking performance is supposedly less. Not anything I noticed though. So in general, using a winter tire in summer is probably OK, even if not recommended, but many times better than using an all season in winter.

The Nokian WR G3 is a real winter tire that you can drive all year round, pondering trying that on my Outback this winter.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO
I think I miscommunicated. I will still be running X Ices in winter. I'm just not sure about budgeting for all seasons.

I'll check the rim size. $550 was the tire line item - I don't think install was included, but I'll try to verify.

Unless they are horrible I would keep the stock tires for all non winter use unless you want more serious off road capability. I kept the stock Bridgestones on our 2017 Forester. They are quiet, good enough for non winter use and provide good milage. Treadwear is ok.
 

scott43

So much better than a pro
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
13,552
Location
Great White North
I mean, if you intend to keep your vehicle, the cost of winters is not significant in my opinion. You'll get 4 seasons out of the winters and summers I suspect.maybe more..so really you're paying for 8 tires but you would be anyway with normal wear on either winters or all seasons if you ran them year round. So you're really only paying for the rim cost. And you can forego the TPMS for the Outback likely (not all cars will let you do this but the Outback does I believe..the 2013 does..) and just check you tire pressure every once in a while.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
I had a quick peek on discount tires site, and they do offer 6 month financing, which means you may be able to get the tires now, and have them before the winter tire rush comes. Although, I'm not sure there's a rush quite like there is up here.

I don't need financing - but this could be useful for future searchers and visitors!

Unless they are horrible I would keep the stock tires for all non winter use unless you want more serious off road capability. I kept the stock Bridgestones on our 2017 Forester. They are quiet, good enough for non winter use and provide good milage. Treadwear is ok.

Oh, yeah. I will run the stock tires for non-winter until they're worn down enough to warrant new tires. I'm just trying to look ahead. I still find them subpar, but not dangerously so (except on ice, if you're accustomed to cold weather compounds!).

I mean, if you intend to keep your vehicle, the cost of winters is not significant in my opinion. You'll get 4 seasons out of the winters and summers I suspect.maybe more..so really you're paying for 8 tires but you would be anyway with normal wear on either winters or all seasons if you ran them year round. So you're really only paying for the rim cost. And you can forego the TPMS for the Outback likely (not all cars will let you do this but the Outback does I believe..the 2013 does..) and just check you tire pressure every once in a while.

I agree totally with the bolded part. As long as you have the storage space, you might as well have an appropriate tire for the season.

TPMS has saved my bacon by notifying me of a rapidly deflating tire. Prior to TPMS, I damaged a rim. For me personally - I'd rather have it. With TPMS, I see the current tire pressure while flipping through other displays (how many miles till I run out of gas, current speed limit, etc). On my 2008, it just put up a warning when it sensed tire pressure issues.

When TPMS flakes out, which I've had happen, it's really obnoxious. I'll grant that. I had a malfunctioning sensor in my 2008, and since it didn't display individual tire pressure, I didn't know which one was messed up. Every time I changed altitude or temperature significantly, it would flash the warning. Ultimately, I replaced all four sensors.
 

silverback

Talking a lot about less and less
Skier
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Posts
1,416
Location
Wasatch
Skip the "all-season" tires. You already have good cold weather tires. Get summer tires. There are parallels with skiing. Think a groomer ski and a soft snow ski, not an all-mountain ski and a powder ski. Lessons and track time are similarly parallel.

The increase in performance in summer is like the increase in winter. It is easy to justify, what is your insurance deductable? How is your physical safety worth?

We have all had "close calls" were a panic stop or maneuver just barely avoided an accident. If you avoided that car in front of you by a foot with your all-seasons, you might have avoided it by 10 feet with summer tires. If you hit the car or slid off the road and totaled the car with all seasons, you might have just driven away with grippy summer tires.

The contact patch is about the size of your hand. Anything you can to do to make those four hands more effective is money in the bank.
 

Sponsor

Top