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Most drivers don’t realize that wheels and tires are seasonal, just like fashion. Every spring, style-makers put away their light threads and pastel colors—and unpack cold-weather dark boots and wool jackets. Drivers should do the same thing by having separate rims for winter tires and summer ones.
Having two complete tire-and-rim combos allows you to optimize both summer style and another for winter survival. The weather will soon get a little cooler, so it’s time to think about making a seasonal swap.
The Twice-a-Year Tire Swap
I tell everybody I know about the importance of swapping tires in the summer and winter. But I also share the most helpful hint when it comes to making the swap-out as easy as possible.
The trick is to have a set of all-season tires mounted on your coolest-looking rims—and to have a second set of higher-profile winter tires mounted on the factory rims. Then, as the weather changes, the swap to the right wheel-tire combination is pure and fitting. When the mercury drops, your set winter tires is ready to go. No tire mounting is necessary with separate rims for each type of seasonal tire.
For winter wheels, get something that’s not too expensive. I’d suggest not spending more than $150 and $220 per rim for your winter needs. Stick with the stock wheels or possibly a hydro-forged wheel if you want something lighter. When it comes to winter wheels and tires, durability takes precedence over style.
Another suggestion is to buy winter wires in the spring. That’s when sellers start reducing prices to clear out winter inventory.
The Lesson of Good Winter Tires
You should know that I love German all-wheel-drive SUVs—whether it’s a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC, a BMW xDrive, or an Audi quattro. So it’s a source of comfort these past few winter months knowing that my wife was driving a quattro AWD engineered Audi Q8 sitting on factory 22s with plenty of traction due to their wider contact patch.
The importance of traction in cold weather driving became even more apparent a few years ago. Here’s what happened.
As December approached the DC area, I put a set of Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires on my wife’s 2016 Audi Q7. And then, out of nowhere, when we were running shopping errands, we got hit with a major snowstorm. Within two hours, suddenly, there were nearly 10 inches of snow on the road—and more was falling.
Shop now for Pirelli winter tires
On the way home everybody is slipping and sliding. But we have quattro with those Incredible Scorpion tires—and cut through the snow like plows, with no slippage whatsoever. Ever since then, we’ve been Pirelli Scorpion fans. Winter weather in Washington, our hometown, can be unpredictable. Now, every year when fall hits, my wife asks, “When are you going to put the winter tires on?”
Here’s the short answer: when the temperature drops below 45 degrees.
The Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires were tailor-made for premium SUVs. For other sport-utes, I’d suggest a set of Blizzak DM-V2 tires from Bridgestone. They are designed for flexibility in harsh, cold temperatures. If you’re driving a passenger car or minivan, consider going with the premium Yokohama iceGUARD iG53 winter tire. They use a newfangled directional tread pattern with zig-zag-shaped grooves, a wide center rib, and 3-D triple sipes.
From braking distance and wet traction to performance, your tires are one of the essential components of your ride.
Think Ahead to Dedicated Spring Rims
Separate rims for summer tires mean you don’t have to sacrifice style for winter safety. The best stylish rims for vehicles like my 2022 black Audi Q8 Prestige are 22-inch multi-spoked forged alloy wheels finished in black. These are my top three choices for spring tire rims:
For warm weather, I dress my stylish rims with Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4S performance rubber. Those are often found on popular sports cars, like the Corvette and BMW M cars. The Pilot Sport’s multi-compound technology utilizes various rubber compounds on each tread segment for optimal performance from cornering to braking.
Some drivers like an all-season tire, which provides advanced wet traction for slippery roads. The Yokohama Geolander X-CV delivers profound confidence. The contact patch distributes weight evenly. And you can’t beat the 65,000-mile limited tread wear warranty Yokohama packages with this tire. Another option is the Michelin CrossClimate2. With 56 sizes to choose from, the Michelin CrossClimate2 all-seasons fit a whopping 76 percent of the best-selling crossovers and cars in today’s market.
I hope some of these suggestions for dedicated rim and tire sets will help you roll through the year with safety at the forefront. And to be ready with the perfect year-round style that defines your personality.
