climacus

Yes, but I think choosing the right winter tread pattern is even more important. IMO if you need to drive to work everyday and don't have a backup beater for the snowy days, you should not be using winter sport tires on the RX-8. Stick with the winter touring tires. The dry handling will suck royally, but you will not get stuck in snow in the GTA. Winter sport tires on RWD cars start to get dicey once you have more than 2-3" of snow on the ground.

There are basically three types of snow tires out there. The old-school aggressive tread snow tires, the winter touring tires with a million sippings like the Michelins, and winter sport tires with all kinds of asymmetrical tread design to strike a compromise between dry and snow handling.

Rotary Mike

I fully agree. I have Hankook Icebear W300 which are great in the cold cold dry, great in the wet, but only marginal in the snow. If there is under 3", I am ok. However, on the highways with the truck groves, my car is always bottoming out and these tires do not have good enough traction to keep my straight at speed.

40-60KM/H on the 401 is about all I can do in heavy snow.

My GF's Brother just bought a Genesis Coupe 2.0T They come with 225/45R18 up front and 245/45R18 out back. Hyundai sold him a winter tire package with 215/55R17 up front and 225/55R17 in the rear. They are Hancook Winter I Pike tires.

We drove the cars back to back in light snow and his tires made mine feel like I was driving on grease. His grip was awesome in comparison.

Next year I am getting 215/55R17 Winter I Pike tires

K.C.C.

I chose the Garit KX this winter because I want to retain some of the car's fun-to-drive character when the ground isn't covered in inches of snow. Living downtown means that I rarely drive on unplowed streets. A couple of weeks ago, it was snowing really hard in the middle of the night, it was my first time driving in real snow with these tires. I pussied out at around 40km/h on normal roads, but at least my car doesn't handle like a boat for the rest of the winter. The car will allow you some slip, I find. If you are not being too unreasonable with the throttle and brake, it will straighten itself.

I've used the IceBear W300 before and I liked it. In memory, they were more stable than the Garit KX on snow covered tarmac. But I had them on a FWD car. Too bad your experience with them isn't that good on the RX8, otherwise I'd consider them as my next set of winter tires.

So... if you live downtown and don't go out of the city that often... and like to have fun driving, it can't hurt to get winter performance tires.

Footman

iTrader: (2)

I run winter performance for 3rd winter..

Dunlop Wintersport M3's on 225/45/R18 alloy winter rims!!! So sweet lookin'.. hahahahah

Handles no problem, even in the past 2 year's Toronto has had the most brutal winters. This winter is mild so far in comparison.

TBAGG

OK cool. Thanks for pointing out the difference between WINTER/ICE tires and WINTER/Performance tires.

My question was 'Do you think going to 215/55/17 is a bad idea?' and your first answer was 'Yes'. I might be misinterpreting your response but it sounds like you think another dimension might be better??? From what I've been reading narrow is better. So... 215/55/17 is the most narrow you can get on the RX8 and better than the 225/45/18 etc.

Can you clear that up?

2hit6

Isn't the Genesis Coupe ~1000lbs heavier as well? Or does that even have anything to do with it...(Noob thinking)
________
Anime Xxx

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Heavier means more pressure of the rubber against the surface available, so better traction. However, that generally only helps in acceleration, since the weight adds more to braking distance than the improved traction can overcome. Lateral grip for turning is a toss-up.

Rotary Mike

The base 2.0T Coupe weighs 3296lbs, so roughly 275lbs more weight

Footman

iTrader: (2)

wow cars are becoming a pig...

That new CR-Z is such a disappointment.... I read somewhere....

1988 CRX Si... 100 HP, 2000 Lbs, 35 MPG

2011 CRZ.... 122 HP, hybrid engine, 2800 Lbs, 37 MPG

23 years of automotive engineering improvements, and this is all Honda can muster. It's going to be such an epic fail of a car... It's not comeback!!

Dimensions are all wrong too.. if you look at the side.. the car has a HUGE overhang, like the Galant, and the rear is way too big and high...

nate340

last yr i drove a ford escape v6 4x4 it was a fine winter car. but comparing it to a ford focus with winter tires this yr. the focus is much easier to control when it starts sliding due to it being much lighter and has less momentum when sliding. the suv had higher limits but i wouldnt dare get it into a slide the few times i did i was barely able to get it back under control.

i feel far more comfortable in a light weight car. im having tonnes of fun this year chasing hummers and big 4x4 trucks and over taking them on the snow covered twist country roads.

TBAGG

Yeah... but I bet that new CR-Z has tuns of safety equipment like airbags and a much better 'crash safety rating'.

SilverHokie

iTrader: (1)

Long story short...couldn't get up the off-ramp during the huge winter storm in Virginia...car got plowed over and and over again...and the next day had to go with a friend to get it out. Sickening...mostly because it ended up tearing off my Burnout lip. Kill me.