| davebrengelmann |
#1: We will be taking our 04 MDX up skiing every weekend. Please recommend a source for studded snow tires and wheels. We haven't had much luck with Les Schwab or Discount Tire Co.]
#2: Do the stock tires handle well enough w/o studs? |
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| KES |
Stock tires - Goodyears are lousy in the snow. Last year I almost wrapped my MDX around a pole in 1/2 inch of snow (and I was going slow). The Michelin Cross Terrains maybe okay. However, if you are going into snow country I would recommend snow tires. My thoughts. over the life of your vehicle you are going to have to buy several sets of tires. Might as well make one set a set of snows and not worry in the winter.
I just bought Mastercraft Courser MSR snow tires which can be studded. I have not tired then in the snow but they have been excellent on wet pavement.
I would also recommend getting the snows mounted on separate rims. The entire package I purchased consisting of the four tires, new alloy rims, mount, balance, alignment and balance the summer stock tires that came plus CT sales tax totaled $1016. The only problem that I have had so far is the I have gotten so many compliments on the new rims that I don't want to put the stock wheels back on. You may want to use the stock wheels for the snows and buy new rims for the summer tires. |
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| evoge |
If you have Cross-Terrains, they can handle a lot of snow and slush. Studs might be overkill if you have to drive on dry pavement at all--they really don't handle or stop as well!
The Tire Rack has a package deal for real winter tires (Michelin Arctic Alpins) on 16" alloy wheels for about $800. You can also get the Pilot tire package on steel wheels for about $550. Winter tires are probably 99% as good as studs unless you're on a lot of ice all winter. |
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| mystMDX |
SNOW TIRES: NOKIAN WR XL 235/65R17 108V
Summary:
The Nokian WR carries a "mountain/snowflake" designation, which means it has passed the industry testing for severe winter driving and so it is officially a winter tire. But with a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty, and luxurious quiet ride.
NOKIAN WR XL 235/65R17 108V
For those who missed some of the previous posts on this Nokian WR Snow tire.
I'd like to summarize by saying these are GREAT snow tires with excellent traction and handling. The tread is rated for 50,000 miles for speeds up to 140MPH. They are the identical tire size as the Michelins and GoodYears that come with the MDX (235/65R17).
I purchased these tires after extensive research. I then found a wholesale tire dealer Meadow Creek out of Colorado.
http://www.meadowcreektire.com/nokian/index.htm
phone#800-222-7360 (out of Colorado)
Pricing from last year Dec 2002:
Nokian WR 235/65-R17 rated V (140 MPH- 50,000 mile tread warranty)
$133.95/tire X 4= $535.80
+ S/H Fedex Ground $60.36
For a Total of: $596.16
I picked up Acura MDX OEM rims off of eBay
Driving in the Snow has been significantly enhanced with these tires from Finland.
Others on this forum seem to be equally enthralled.
From Nokian's site:
The Nokian WR is the next generation of "All Weather Plus" tires, replacing the wildly popular Nokian NRW .
Nokian testing shows the WR offers significant improvements over the NRW in areas such as snow traction, slush-planning, and especially wet braking, without sacrificing the ride comfort and long tread life that Nokiancustomers have enjoyed for years.
The Nokian WR carries a "mountain/snowflake" designation, which means it has passed the industry testing for severe winter driving and so it is officially a winter tire. But with a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty, and luxurious quiet ride, many of our customers drive the tire year round, saving themselves the expense and hassle of changing over their snow tires each year.
Due to the exceptional snow and ice traction provided by the WR's unique tread compound and tread design, these tires must be used in sets of four to help ensure proper vehicle control.
mystMDX has attached this image:The Nokian WR carries a "mountain/snowflake" designation, which means it has passed the industry testing for severe winter driving and so it is officially a winter tire. But with a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty, and luxurious quiet ride,
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