| onlymdx |
Hi all,
Alright, who's running what on their MDX's for the winter. I'm specifically interested in winter tires.
I have an 07 MDL Elite & have the 255/55R/18 Michelin All Season, which I plan on keeping for the summer months.
I was considering going a minus size as in 245/65R/17's to save a few bucks but from the research I've done there doesn't appear to be a big difference in price to warrant downsizing and buying new rims etc.
What brands have you tried and would you recommend them or not and why.
Also has anyone run into any issues using your stock rims over a few winters? Are they damaged badly, corroded etc.?
Thanks! |
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| XbynorthX |
I'm getting my local tire guy to set me up with a similar wheel/tire package as what's on TireRack's site.
Preferred Package
First winter for the X, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Unless our wonderful province decides to use less salt or something different in the winter corrosion is inevitable on any alloy wheel. Another option would be to use steelies instead of alloys but I'm not sure if they are available in 17" and correct offset. If you choose the alloy wheel route, don't get something painted/powdercoated. I made this mistake on the winter set-up on my benz - after two winters paint was bubbling/chipping.
Search the forum on further discussions around winter tire suggestions. IMO any winter tire is good (I've used Dunlop Graspics and Pirelli Scorpions) and $$$ will depend on speed rating. |
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| Honda Bob |
| I live in canada and for my winter rims i am using my oe rims and a set of Toyo winter tires. in summer I switch to summer tires and my summer wheels. works just great for me. |
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| derbyr |
| I think you'll find that the consensus choice on the forum for MDX winter tires is the Nokian WR. I have had them on two MDX's and drive to Northern Maine every weekend. They are great in all conditions. What I like is that they are great on dry pavement as well as the deep stuff. Here in New England, I often drive from totally dry pavement to 6+ inches of ice and snow The Nokians handle it all. |
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| dory |
We had the Nokian WR's on our last SUV, and they honestly weren't good enough for Canadian prairie winters. Not enough stopping power on ice and too much sliding on corners. They are a heck of a lot better than typical all seasons, and good value since they can be used all year, but we were wanting more traction with the MDX. They were decent in fluffy snow though, but you can definitely tell the difference between them on ice compared to a true winter tire.
This year, we bought a set of Nokian Hakka 5's http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=...apeliitta+5+SUV installed on a 2nd set of sport rims. Haven't tried them yet as there's no snow here at this time (and I hope it won't be here for awhile!) but I've read lots of good things about them.
I don't know what your winter weather is like, so hard to say what might work for you. |
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| onlymdx |
Hmm,
I'm in Ottawa but will be travelling a lot into Quebec where the roads are usually a little more ice covered than at home. I hadn't considered studs.
What is the wear like on studded tires? I'm imagining that the effectiveness of the studs must drop drastically when you're driving on dry pavement a lot (in the winter I mean, well plowed and salted (yuk) roads, I'm not talking about summer use). What kind of mileage can you expect?
Thanks! |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by onlymdx
Hmm,
I'm in Ottawa but will be travelling a lot into Quebec where the roads are usually a little more ice covered than at home. I hadn't considered studs.
What is the wear like on studded tires? I'm imagining that the effectiveness of the studs must drop drastically when you're driving on dry pavement a lot (in the winter I mean, well plowed and salted (yuk) roads, I'm not talking about summer use). What kind of mileage can you expect?
Thanks!
Wear on the tires is the same as a high quality winter tire. The studs are designed to wear with the tread, so in theory, as the tread wears, you should always have some stud. Worst case scenario, if you do lots of dry pavement highway driving, maybe your studs wear sooner, but you'd still get a bunch of seasons with the studs and then essentially have a studless tire for a few seasons. The biggest killer on a winter tire is using it in too warm of temperatures. So, as long as you are not putting them on too soon and not taking them off too soon, dry pavement in general won't put a lot of extra wear on them. As long as that pavement is cold.
This will be our first season with those tires so I can't speak for gas mileage. I talked to my dad who is running studded tires in the winter and he gets 10% less in the city, and 5-8% less on the highway. His vehicle is lighter than an MDX though, so I guess I will see how the mileage pans out this winter. Having driven his vehicle in the winter though, I am amazed how it just cruises through anything in the winter. I used to drive a similar sized/weight vehicle as him and I was stuck multiple times every winter.
If you're considering studs, make sure check if you're allowed to have them in Ottawa. According to this list http://www.tirecraft.com/PLT%20Wint...tuddedtires.asp they seem to only be allowed in Northern Ontario (every other province in Canada allows them though). I can't speak for the accuracy of this list though, so I'd check to be sure. |
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| onlymdx |
Looks like I'm good to go. I will definately check these out and give them serious consideration for the winter.
Just curious, what made you choose these? Are there many different options in a studded tire out there? As for price, are they comparable to a good winter tire?
Thanks!!
Mario |
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| dory |
There are a few studdable options out there. I actually chose these back in January when we bought the MDX but there wasn't anything left in our size, so had to wait to purchase until this season. Pirelli Winter Carvings were another option, but I've owned other Pirellis and didn't like how fast they wore (okay, my others weren't winter tires, but it was the only experience I had with Pirelli). My mind is blanking on the other brands I checked into. I had a strong preference for the Nokians, because even though I didn't like my WRs for ice and cornering, I did think it was a decent tire. Also, Nokian focuses on areas with Nordic conditions; they design for snow (think Finland and Russia).
As for price, they are essentially the same as the price I was quoted for Latitude Alpin HPs from Costco or Blizzak LM-25 4x4's. So, yes, very comparable price to other high quality winter tires. I'm getting them from Kal-Tire (you might have one near you?) as I've had good service from them over the last 5 years or so and they always fix any tire leaks or nail holes for free which not all tire shops are doing nowadays. I think they are on sale until the end of month at Kal-Tire, although its not a huge saving.
Make sure update with what you decide to go with. |
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| HwyRogue |
We generally get PLENTY of snow here in Regina and I bought the Pirelli Scorpios last winter - I just had them put on again this past weekend (we already had some snow) and am absolutely 110% satisfied. They have excellent traction in the snow, low noise, tread wear was minimal for me, they perform well in slush and dry pavement... my $0.05 worth (inflation) is to hit the Pirelli Scorpios. :4:
Kal-Tire, at least here in Regina, is amongst the most expensive places to get tires. When I was looking for my tires and called 8 or so places and from one end of the city to the other, I saved $80/tire.. yes, $80 PER tire (Graham's Tire in Regina - best price for me :)) |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by HwyRogue
We generally get PLENTY of snow here in Regina and I bought the Pirelli Scorpios last winter - I just had them put on again this past weekend (we already had some snow) and am absolutely 110% satisfied. They have excellent traction in the snow, low noise, tread wear was minimal for me, they perform well in slush and dry pavement... my $0.05 worth (inflation) is to hit the Pirelli Scorpios. :4:
How are they on ice?
quote:
Originally posted by HwyRogue
Kal-Tire, at least here in Regina, is amongst the most expensive places to get tires. When I was looking for my tires and called 8 or so places and from one end of the city to the other, I saved $80/tire.. yes, $80 PER tire (Graham's Tire in Regina - best price for me :))
If you wait for a sale at Kal-Tire, prices are usually comparable. That in combo with the fact that they'll swap your tires each season for free (which I often don't have the time to do myself due to work and kids), and do any road hazard repairs for free for the life of the tires and anywhere in Canada has always made it worth it for me. The other tire places flat out told me that the tire manufacturers no longer provided road hazard warranty and neither did they so just fixing a leak in one tire alone was $25-$50. We were actually in Regina last Christmas and the whole drive there we had a horrible shake at 100km/hr (didn't have the MDX yet). Seemed we had an alignment issue. Kal-Tire in Regina did our alignment for free because we bought our tires at another Kal-Tire in Canada.
Not saying anyone should buy at Kal-Tire, just saying that a person might find shopping there is worth it depending on their needs. Plus, for me, it's the only place around here that carries Nokian! |
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| HwyRogue |
quote:
Originally posted by dory
How are they on ice?
They're an excellent overall tire - I have nothing but praise for these boots :-) |
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| onlymdx |
Not sure if any of you have experienced this but one of the reasons I'm looking into getting some winter rims as well is that the 18" (Elite) rims are horrible in the snow.
Not sure if you've experienced this or not but after a large snowfall, a bit of drifting snow while the car is parked, or if you should happen to get the rims into some deep snow, the shape of the openings seems to "catch" and hold the snow, resulting in some temporary balancing issues resulting in a lot of shaking!
In over 30 years of winter driving I've never had this issue, but with these rims, I often had to go to a pressure wash to clean out the rims after exposure to large amounts of snow... anyone else? |
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| onlymdx |
Hi all,
Thanks for your feedback and input.
Since I will be doing a lot of driving in remote areas of Quebec which = snow/ice covered roads, I have decided to go with the Hakka 5's.
I ordered them (Kal Tire tires were a little more but rims were a little less so overall they were the cheapest!) and they should be in next week. I may wait til mid November to put them on. No TPMS though. I'll live with the display for $200!
Later this winter I'll update the forum on how they work out.
Cheers |
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| steve-0101 |
I just had Saxon Snowblazers installed (these are Cooper Discoverer M+S for reference). They are pinned for studs, though I can't use them here, and have deep sipes. They have really transformed the X into a truck, definitely one of the more agressive winter tires I've run.
Looking forward to seeing how they behave in the snow. I'll report back when the white stuff arrives. |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by onlymdx
Hi all,
Thanks for your feedback and input.
Since I will be doing a lot of driving in remote areas of Quebec which = snow/ice covered roads, I have decided to go with the Hakka 5's.
I ordered them (Kal Tire tires were a little more but rims were a little less so overall they were the cheapest!) and they should be in next week. I may wait til mid November to put them on. No TPMS though. I'll live with the display for $200!
Later this winter I'll update the forum on how they work out.
Cheers
I'd love to hear what you think of them, so please do report back. I'll do the same after we've had a chance to use ours. |
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| onlymdx |
Well,
A little more research and a chat with a friend who has been on the force for 30 years and I'm pulling back from the studded tires. 8^(
I was aware of the $110 fine and was willing to live with that and hopefully be able to tak my way out of it on occassion however, my cop friend advised me that the fine could be as much as $1K!
Therefore (ouch!) I am going with the Gislaved Nordfrost 5. I would of went with the Hakka 5's non studded but they are completly sold out.
I've read a lot of good info on these tires as well.
Will report back later this winter, but first off to Jamaica!:1: |
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