Snow Tires - Ouch!

We decided to put snow tires on both cars this year, and suffice it to say that it wasn't pretty on the pocketbook. In fact, it was downright ugly, but you just can't put a price on safety and peace of mind. Driving in the winter is always a sketchy proposition, but with a new driver in the house, we felt like we couldn't mess around and put money over safety. Last year mom went with just her all seasons, while I had snow tires that were on year 3, which was really pushing my luck, but it sure was nice saving that wad of dough. Mom benefitted from brand new all-seasons at the beginning of winter, and it went pretty smoothly. When the weather got really bad, we just didn't drive.

I, on the other hand, had older snow tires that were high end when they were brand new, but again, 3 years is a lot to ask for a snow tire. In my defense, in the spring when I switched out my winter tires for summers, the tire store said I could get another year out of them. However, in the winter when I put them back on, the same tire store said I would probably be better of with the all-seasons because they had more tread (the all seasons were new). This information, which was delivered to me at the zero hour when I was sitting in the lobby, inflamed my OCD and fueled my neurosis. I literally sat there quaking in my boots trying to decide what to do. Finally I said to just put the winter tires on because they were probably going to charge me for the labor, anyway, so at least I'd have something to show for it. How's that for stupid, twisted logic.

Fast forward to this year, and with A now driving, we figured the time to mess around was over. Of course I shopped around and did some research, and decided to go with Sumitomo Ice Guards. In the past I've always gotten the Nokians, which are amazing tires, but a little pricier. Those Scandinavian engineers know how to manufacture quality cold weather equipment. I figured that since mom did fine with all season tires, buying the best snow tires probably wasn't necessary. Then again, I didn't want to buy the cheapest ones, either.

The Fit has a small and unusual tire size, so our choices were somewhat limited. Our all season tires are Yokohamas, which are good quality, and Yokohama make a good snow tire. Plus, I trust Japanese quality. I wasn't prepared to go cheap with Nexens, which are made in China (also, not much of a track record). In the end, the Sumitomos were a good compromise, and I later learned they were made in Finland, which gave me the Scandinavian connection. Say no more. They have an aggressive tread like the Bridgestone Blizzaks, which I've purchased in the past - great tire in the winter, though they don't last long.

So far our Sumitomos have been fine. We haven't been hit with a major storm just yet, but we did get some snow and they handled well. It helps when you drive as slowly as I do. In the end I was bummed at dropping all that cash on 8 new tires, but I'm also glad we did, because money isn't everything, right? Fortunately I'd been saving up for just this occasion, so despite the pain, I was ready.

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Becky Blake for the pic.