Originally Posted By: geeman789
Originally Posted By: sicko
Originally Posted By: Picky1
I am actually in the market for new tires for my 2012 Legacy. I live in Connecticut so I need something that will handle the snow. NO I don't run winter tires on this car as it is not driven a lot and we use my spouses minivan the most which has snow tires.
As I mentioned above, I have the Michelin Premier A/S and just had them put on my Subaru about two weeks back...
...Plus I hope the Subaru AWD would help improve the snow/ice handling if I ever needed it.
You guys... SUBARU and all seasons... sorry, but why...?
Now you can accelerate good BECAUSE of the all wheel drive... but once up to speed, you are now relying 110% on your tires to STOP and TURN...
AWD and marginal tires is a recipe for disaster. Every winter, the majority of the vehicles in the ditch or worse are trucks and SUVs with AWD (4WD) and 1/2 worn oem all season tires...
People are so worried about getting stuck... but being stuck doesn't usually hurt you. Not being able to stop or turn after getting going too fast, and too quickly, courtesy of AWD, often does..
My SUBARU on studless winter tires is FANTASTIC in terrible winter conditions. But I can tell you that the tires have saved my bacon numerous times when other drivers have lost control, or slid into the intersection etc., and I have had to avoid them. And AWD had nothing to do with that... the TIRES did...!
I completely see your point, but there are other factors at play here as well. The thread I was replying to said that although they live in Connecticut they rarely drive their Legacy in the winter, so they don't put snow tires on it but do put snow tires on their other car.
I go with all season tires because I live in the mid-atlantic, where there really isn't a need for snow tires. We're just as likely to get snow/ice 3-4 times as we are to get nothing all winter long. Our snow storms aren't much either, usually less than 6 inches, and even then we get the option to work from home. So even when it snows, it doesn't mean I'll be driving in it.
I completely agree with your comment about getting stuck versus not being able to stop or turn b/c you were going too fast. I'm always surprised at the number of SUVs I see in ditches on the side of the road when it snows. I used to take a winding road to my previous job, and on many occasions I would have a vehicle pass me when it was snowing, only for me to pass them a moment later b/c they were stuck in a ditch after trying to take a turn too fast.
If I lived in a place that could consistently support winter tires, I'd have no problem putting them on my vehicle every year for the extra safety. However, where I live it's really not needed, so I go with all season tires and just use common sense if I have to drive when there's snow or ice out.