Snow Tires Nissan Versa (Worth the Price)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
702
Location
Ilinois
My wife drives a nissan versa 30 miles round trip to work. Typically when it snows she takes our Jeep. I found a decent set of snow tires (Continential) with 5k on them (9/32 of tread left) on them mounted and balanced on wheels that would fit our Versa on craigslist for $350.

Since I would be driving the car in the snow I thought I would ask if the snow tires make a big differnce? The stock tires on the Versa now have just about 40k and are at 1/2 tread left. I know they won't make my Versa perform like the jeep but are they worth the investment?
 
Snow tires are a great investment. Peace of mind when the weather gets bad. The rubber is very sticky and worth their weight in gold. Everyone I know who has them LOVES them. Cheapo insurance to avoid an accident.
 
A couple years ago, I put the best budget snow tires in existence - Firestone Winterforce on my Yaris and they run about $60-70 a piece new in a 195/65-15. They are phenomenal and slaughter any all season tire in the snow. Blizzak technology on the cheap. The yaris is notoriously horendous in the snow with the stock OEM 'stones. Im sure other will chime in. Dont know about the Conti's (formerly General Tire) now owned by der Deutsche.
 
Last edited:
Snow tires are a great investment. That seems like a very good price, considering it comes with wheels and everything.

My experience has been that even very cheap snow tires (Firestone Winterforce in my case) far outperformed all-season tires.
 
yes, snow tires does makes a difference in our case.

Wifey and the kids have been saved numerous of times over the past couple of winters, even with the most basic (squirmy/rumbling noisy winter tires we have here). I wouldn't have imagine how things would be if I'm running non-snows here (we need control over the road conditions to evade from situations...not that we don't trust our driving skills).

Recently, our local craaapy tire flyer has the new Hankook Optimo 4S which claimed to be winter-approved. I wonder how it would work in our case.

Q.
 
They seem overpriced at $350. IDK where people get off charging that. My junkyard charges $10, used to be $5, and I can find snow tires there most of the spring/summer. Look up specs for snows, many come with 13/32 or more tread when new. If 6/32 is the least you'd want to drive on, 9/32 is more than half used up.

I agree with the "budget new" approach. Most tire dealers can get steel snows for about $35 each.

tirerack for example has altimax artics in your size for under $300 for a set of 4 (just tires).

A light car like a versa would do well with snows, particularly if it doesn't fit well in the wider ruts left by the rest of the cars on the road.
 
Definitely worth the price. A nose-heavy lightweight car like a Versa will be a bear in the snow otherwise. Our Fit is awful in the snow with its all-seasons. Putting snow tires on it makes it go better than many SUV's on all-seasons.
 
I agree with Jeff that the craigslist package is "all the money" and worth maybe $175- on a good day.
Now, Lighter cars can do better in the snow - the "road hugging weight" argument is for those who failed basic physics. Recall you have to accelerate that weight and also stop it. Just keep the selected tyres tall and narrow so you get the most tonnage per square inch on the tire footprint. If you could get and fit 185 70 15 in the correct load rating all the better. My old under 1-tonne FIATS (128, 3P, Yugo GV) ran better in the snow than anything Ive owned.
 
Last edited:
Yep, a full set of dedicated winter tires are worth it. They pay for themselves the first time you have to avoid some fool in a spinning SUV that thought all-season radials are OK because they have 4WD. I see more 4WD vehicles in the ditch during a Michigan winter than I do regular passenger cars. Any trip to the body shop is going to set you back financially more than a set of winter tires.

I'm running Michelin X-Ice2's on my Camaro, and they're quite good. Quiet with good steering response in the dry, excellent in the snow, not quite so good in the slush. I think Blizzaks have the best grip in the snow, but have poor steering response in the dry.
 
It's nice to have dedicated winter tires but I don't like the hassle of switching to summer tires when winter is over or sticking with winter tires in the summer. Winter tires are softer and will typically wear out faster.

I’d rather go with a good winter performance in all season tires. i.e. GY Assurance ComforTred Touring which you can get in Discount Tire for 97 ea with 80 rebate if you get 4, which make it about the same price as CL.

On top of that, there are still lots of ?? mark what you are getting at CL.
 
Originally Posted By: AccordV6MN
It's nice to have dedicated winter tires but I don't like the hassle of switching to summer tires when winter is over or sticking with winter tires in the summer. Winter tires are softer and will typically wear out faster.

I’d rather go with a good winter performance in all season tires. i.e. GY Assurance ComforTred Touring which you can get in Discount Tire for 97 ea with 80 rebate if you get 4, which make it about the same price as CL.

On top of that, there are still lots of ?? mark what you are getting at CL.


It's just a little more hassle than rotating tires, assuming one already has 4 snows on wheels. Bring out the snow tires, and put them on. Then put away the all-seasons. It goes about as fast as a tire rotation.

It's also nice having 2 sets of tires to use, as it extends the life of both.
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Originally Posted By: AccordV6MN
It's nice to have dedicated winter tires but I don't like the hassle of switching to summer tires when winter is over or sticking with winter tires in the summer. Winter tires are softer and will typically wear out faster.

I’d rather go with a good winter performance in all season tires. i.e. GY Assurance ComforTred Touring which you can get in Discount Tire for 97 ea with 80 rebate if you get 4, which make it about the same price as CL.

On top of that, there are still lots of ?? mark what you are getting at CL.


It's just a little more hassle than rotating tires, assuming one already has 4 snows on wheels. Bring out the snow tires, and put them on. Then put away the all-seasons. It goes about as fast as a tire rotation.

It's also nice having 2 sets of tires to use, as it extends the life of both.


If the OP already have extra sets of wheels, sure thing. I don't know how many people actually have extra set of wheels. I know I don't, so for me it's inconvenient.
 
Remember, you might not be all-wheel-go but you're still all-wheel-stop and that's where the snow tires really shine.
 
$350 seems pretty high. I've always been able to find sets already mounted for ~$150 for all the cars I've owned. However, even at $350 they are much cheaper than an accident and possible injury.
 
Winter tires are worth it. However, that price seems slightly high for a used set. Last year, I paid ~$450 after all rebates/discounts for a new set of 15" alloys + Altimax Artics shipped to my door from DTD (mounted & balanced).
 
price is high offer 275$ max.

you could buy new from tire rack on rims for 500$ or less. and not worry about used issues.

also depends on which continental snow tire.. some are not very good.. a few are amazing.
 
Last edited:
Many of you have said the price is high but these are mounted and balanced on a set of wheels! The seller has the tirerack reciept and the set of tires and wheels was $785 plus shipping. I thought if I could get the wheels and tires for $325 that would be a pretty good deal.

The cheapest wheel at the tirerack is $89/each
 
Last edited:
they are also 1/3rd worn.. and may have issues being used.. ie out of balance hit curb whatever
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top