Tires

He does have one redeeming feature... likes animals, feeds the birds.

Good to hear

Good to see you again, too. Yep, retirement's going fine, thanks. At the end of the summer it's sort of like summer vacation just keeps a-going, except eventually the weather no longer cooperates. ;-) There are still some things I rather miss about work, but overall, there are more things I

*don't* miss. The SED with its tests (parts of which are always invalid/poorly written, which is mega-annoying!!) & - which keep morphing, the discipline aspect of teaching, etc., etc. I waited beyond full retirement age until the scale had definitely tipped to ~65/35 before deciding to retire, so I knew I was doing the right thing w/out second-guessing myself. Have been taking non-credit courses through a program affiliated with a local SUNY college, which is fun & interesting. Very little subbing (lousy pay, for one thing - comes out to ~$7.50/hr. net, which is absurd!), but did regional scoring of the NYS Gr. 3 - 6 Math tests @ BOCES last spring, which pays triple what subbing pays. :-)

Sort of... am west of Albany, where lake effect snows - usually off Ontario - still reach quite often.

Blizzacks gave me excellent

Thanks. The Blizzaks were in the running - they came out 3rd on my list of dedicated snows when I did a spreadsheet sort of comparison for all of the individual ratrings. I'll take another look at them in case they wind up being far less expensive than the other two snow tires. The only potential problem (or maybe advantage, price-wise, re: possibly on sale!) I see there is that apparently the Blizzaks that have been around ("60", IIRC?) are now being discontinued & they're coming out with the next generation of them (70?) which have no ratings, so far. I noticed a Pirelli tire listed while doing searches. I loved studded snows back when I had them in the 70's (& early-mid 80's? - can't remember any longer!), but now you *have* to get them changed out by 'x' date, or else risk a ticket. So I'd rather stick with great all-seasons or studless snows.

Thanks again.

Cathy

My Corollas used to come with Bridgestone Integrity tires, & I hated them as much as I can't stand these Avid S33s! Always wound up buying a new set of tires to replace the Integrities - they simply felt unsafe. They didn't hold the road well in dry weather & were awful in snow. I always thought the Integrity tires were grossly misnamed.

I've considered that my MPG may well go down by switching out the Avid S33s, but at this point I don't care - I'd rather have good traction & lose a few MPGs, than to spend another winter sliding around on the roads. I'm *still* going to be getting great mileage compared with most other vehicles, anyway. ;-)

Thanks for answering -

Cathy

Any gasoline operated vehicle can get better FE/MPG by using non-ethanol blended gas, however, but service stations that sell

100% gasoline is becoming increasingly rare. Usually these non ethanol gas stations donot exist in metro areas. To find a gas station in your region/state that sells *real* gasoline goto....

I found that the mileage on my 2010 Prius III using the OEM Yokohama Avid S33 improved when I increased the tire pressure from 35 psi to 44 psi for the front tires and from 33 psi to 42 psi for the rear tires. My overall MPG increased from a top 58 mpg to a top of 66 mpg. The higher psi lowers the rolling resistance. I have to monitor the tire pressure constantly because the Yokohamas Avid S33 seems to loose one or two pounds of air pressure every week ( the Avid S33 maximum designed/ rated tire pressure is 44 psi ). The lower tire rolling resistance makes it easier for the MG/ICE to drive the Prius but more importantly the LRR improvements extends the Prius's ability to *coast* downhill ( where it seems to have the most significant effect on the FE). On the down side, the weekly resetting of the tires at these higher pressure appears to have caused my tire foot pump to fail prematurely(9_9)

Thanks for your inpout. If I wind up buying dedicated snow tires & using the Avid S33s during the summers, I'll keep this in mind. Although, I have to say, I don't like the way they handle on dry roads, either - so am very tempted to jettison them altogether, even if they're only a little over a year old!

Cathy

Walter Lee

2010 Toyota Prius III, Blue Ribbon/Dark Grey Yokohama Avid S33 (front 44 psi, rear 42 psi) Scangauge II (AVG, RPM, MPG, FWT), Garmin 265WT, OEM floor mats Washington DC Metro Area

Hypermiler in Training. :-P

+6000 miles, computed overal fuel efficiency =60 mpg. Worst tank FE = 54 mpg computed Best tank FE = 66 mpg computed Last tank FE = 58 mpg computed

LOL - after driving with them last winter, if your driveway has *any* degree of slope, I'm not surprised. ;-P Thank goodness I have a flat driveway! (Otherwise, I wouold've done this tire search last December or January!)

so I

Yeah, TAK mentioned the Blizzaks, too.

That's a good deal if he'll switch them out for free each fall & spring. I assume that's because you purchased the extra set of rims?

Thanks for replying.

Cathy

I'd love to help you out here, but I don't think I've ever actually seen a winter tire, and I know I have never experienced winter.

Hello

I have a 2007 Corolla. After a white knuckle experience while Christmas shopping, I committed myself to getting a dedicated set of snow tires for the following winter.

I did a lot of checking around for the "right" kind of tire too. I settled for Michelin X-Ice 2 for three reasons.

1. Very good performance reviews.
2. A good tire dealer who was also a Michelin warranty rep situated very nearby my home.
3. The endless tire ads on TV.

I have no regrets -- the winter snow tires made a huge difference, but they are by no means perfect. I don't think that any winter snow tire could satisfy everyone's needs. Driving on glare ice in January is still extremely daunting; but going through snow is no problem.

When it comes time for another set of snow tires, I would seriously consider getting studded next time around. I have been watching reviews for General Altimax Winter Tires.( by Continental Tire )

The price/performance ratio is good, and they are also backed by a dealer close-by my home. They also accept studs.

Before buying my snow tires I asked around, and just like the responses to your post, there are many people who won't bother getting them. I've noticed that cars are getting so very expensive to repair now. A good set of winter snow tires is relatively cheap insurance when you spread the cost out over 5 years or so. Once you have them on, you wonder how you managed without them for so long.

Fair enough. ;-)

My convertible is in the garage with the top down waiting for the rain to stop...

Rub it in somn more, why don't ya? ;-)

It's 35ºF here right now... but a brisk wind, so feels colder...

Sorry for gloating, but it's so good to be me.

I think we will hit 35 in a few more weeks, at 3 o'clock in the morning.

Driving on ice is a nightmare, no matter what tires one has. I just want ones that ar reliable in snow. And if possible, also very good in dry conditions. I know it's a trade-off: the best all-seasons are excellent in snow, but not superior. And the dedicated snows are excellent on dry roads, but not superior.

Although I liked driving with studded snows years ago, kind of want to stay away form this at this point.

Thank you for replying.

Cathy

Reminds me the answer to a test question, " The frosty nights of October".

LOL - after driving with them last winter, if your driveway has *any* degree of slope, I'm not surprised. ;-P Thank goodness I have a flat driveway! (Otherwise, I wouold've done this tire search last December or January!)

so I

Yeah, TAK mentioned the Blizzaks, too.

That's a good deal if he'll switch them out for free each fall & spring. I assume that's because you purchased the extra set of rims?

Thanks for replying.

Cathy

It was a package deal. About $500.00 for the tires mounted/balanced on alloy wheels. The extra set of rims lets me get the full life out of the OEM's which, half worn, are useless on snow and ice.

When it comes time for another set of snow tires, I would seriously consider getting studded next time around.

Check your local laws. They were outlawed in Minnesota after doing a few hundred million dollars of damage to our roads.

Last I knew, they're allowed here (NYS), but need to be put on after "x" date & taken off by "y" date. For that reason, I'd prefer avoiding studded snows.

The gasoline quality is always less in the winter? Really? No other seasonal factors affect mileage?

Do you have references for that?