I currently have Continental ContiTouringContact CV95 in the fronts and Falken Ziex ZE-912 in the rear. The Continentals will spin in the summer with rain. I didn't want the Falkens in the front since it's an UHP all season tire. I got the Falkens since two Continentals blowout on me. In NJ we don't have very bad snow storms, but from time to time the roads have 4-6 inches of snow and slush. And lots of potholes. My biggest problem is getting up our driveway.
Winter tires and Rims
- Thread starter gunia
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Originally Posted By: gunia
My biggest problem is getting up our driveway.
Another case for dedicated winter tires.
My biggest problem is getting up our driveway.
Another case for dedicated winter tires.
gunia, when you go from summer or all-season tires to dedicated snows, you WILL affect the handling/balance of the car. That's OK, that's what's supposed to happen. What works well in the snow is the exact opposite of what works on dry pavement. If you are not making a radical change, you're doping something wrong.
Getting a slightly more aggressive 4-season snow tire in 17" is just not worth the trouble, IMHO.
And when you have the snows on the car, corner more gently/smoothly/slowly so as to preserve the tread. This time of year in the northern third of the States, you should be driving more conservatively anyway. Adapting to a different car set-up and driving more consciously will make you a better driver overall.
So, I would go with the 16s and serious, dedicated snow tires ... just use the Miata Garage calculator to make sure the width and sidewall you select most closely matches the overall circumference of the stock wheels/tires.
Years ago, I had a Nissan Sentra Spec-V. Stock tires/wheels were 215/45R17s. For snows, I went with 185/65R15s (-2) and they were fantastic when the weather turned foul.
Getting a slightly more aggressive 4-season snow tire in 17" is just not worth the trouble, IMHO.
And when you have the snows on the car, corner more gently/smoothly/slowly so as to preserve the tread. This time of year in the northern third of the States, you should be driving more conservatively anyway. Adapting to a different car set-up and driving more consciously will make you a better driver overall.
So, I would go with the 16s and serious, dedicated snow tires ... just use the Miata Garage calculator to make sure the width and sidewall you select most closely matches the overall circumference of the stock wheels/tires.
Years ago, I had a Nissan Sentra Spec-V. Stock tires/wheels were 215/45R17s. For snows, I went with 185/65R15s (-2) and they were fantastic when the weather turned foul.
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