OK - So this is my first winter with the RX. I owned an SUV for the last 6 years and recall 5 occasions where I really needed the AWD. The last few years, the weather has not been too bad up here (Milford, MA - 40 miles west of Boston).

If there are other RX owners in the vacinity, can you tell me whether we REALLY NEED winter tires and wheels? If it's just a few days out of the season that you don't take the 8 out, I can live with that. However if the car is totally undriveable, I'd appreciate the insight too!

THANKS!

 

You don't need wheels, but driving on stock tires during the winter is highly not recommended. They have no grip when it's cold and driving it on snow is suicide.

 

at the very least get winter tires and get them swapped on your existing wheels. the easiest is just to find some wheels on the cheap that have curb rash and throw some tires on them. but there is no way you should be on summer tires in the winter here. it's much more than snow - it's the temps below 40 degress that will get you.

 

I just broke down and got my snows on Sunday....haven't swapped them out yet, but I bet driving in this cold weather is probably ripping the crap out of my stockers. They hardly get any grip at all in the cold, even when it's dry.

If this is your everyday driver, I'd say you definitely should get snow tires.

 

you dont do it you will crash

 

Thanks for all the great advice folks. It's clear that at the very least you need winter tires. The debate at that point was whether to just get tires and put them on the stock rims or get a new set of rims and tires all together.

The net result is that 18" winter performance tires are expensive. $1,100 or thereabouts. For $1,200 you can get a set of 17" rims, performance winter tires and TPMS installed, mounted balanced and shipped! For the $100 extra, it's the better investment.

Also - I've been informed that the more you mount and dismount tires from rims, it affects both the integrity of the tire and the rim (depending on the tech who does the work).

Again, thanks for all the insight!

 

Costly too. I swap wheels in my garage all the time. Saves big $$$.

 

Keep an eye out in the for sale forum. Once in a while you can catch great deals for people who have sold their cars.

 

yes

 

yeah, you can get a set of wheels/tires for ~$600-$700 in the for sale forum...

 

that's exactly how i got mine a month ago...

 

NO. If you don't mind taking a train once or twice every year. There are roads that you should avoid whenever it is snowing though. Of course you know that you shouldn't take the 8 out during a Northeaster, but everybody knows that.

Put a compact shovel and some litter in the trunk in case the plows blocks your parking space at work or something.

 

Massachusetts meet Rob Fernando.
Rob Fernando meet Massachusetts.
i dont know where you live, but i get a good deal of snow in my area.

my mom had a set of 18" Blizzaks on her '04 that she would swap out with her stock tires. i drove the car occassionaly through a couple winters and it handled great; even through snow storms. the only problem that i had was a pot hole on 290 that i didnt see. i bent two rims and blew out 2 sidewalls. Insurance and state wouldnt cover it. $$$

if you could afford it, i would reccomend going with a set of 17's (or even 16's; do 16's fit on RX-8s?) with winter tires. good luck and have some fun with it. im not saying do stupid stuff on the street; but a nice snow covered parking lot late at night can relieve some stress and put a smile on your face.

 

yes, go to TireRack.com get Blizzak WS-50's they are amazing. I am onto my second season on them, I have a set of 17's I run them on.

 

I run my '8 thru the Winter on stock Summer tires. But only on warmer weekend days with no snow/sand/salt. I would never every day commute on them.

You could consider an all season tire, which is what I'm going to end of next year. There's no real need for dedicated snow tires. When was the last time the streets weren't plowed clean and sanded/salted?

Additionally, a rear wheel drive car is fine in Winter. Not as good as a FWD, but consider when I grew up all cars were RWD and we made it in NE just fine. Add to that the 8's relatively low torque which is a plus in Winter driving.

 

You make two very good points.

1. My wife also grew up in the NE region and her first car was obviously RWD, she said she doesn't know what all the fuss is about. If you've been in this region you know what you're in for.

2. About the torque, absolutely right, it is a low torque car, but you still have to be on guard. I've had some fun with the rear end on a rainy day! With some snow/ice and salt there'll be fun for the whole family!!!

 

Its all about tires in the snow. I've driven a 2wd lowered s10 the last 5 winters and have had no issues.

 

Bought mine March 13, 2006. After about 2 weeks with it, we had one of those freak April snows. I made it home through ~2 inches of fluffy snow but it was not a fun ride - white knuckled the whole way b/c there was very little grip. Definitely not recommended driving.

Once it gets consistently cold the summer rubber will get harder and have craptastic grip. Which means the summer tires are semi-dangerous driving all winter when it's cold but not snowing, and just downright stupid to drive on when it's snowing.

Dunlop WinterSport M3s kick ***. Great in the snow & still stable enough to drive hard on "nice" winter days. 18 inch on the stock rims - the set of 4 cost me ~$900 through Town Fair Tire mounted, balanced, installed on the car with a 4 wheel alignment - so the $1100 you stated seems high. (they price match, so find the cheapest price and have them match it. iirc - they wanted ~$260 per tire for the M3s, but they price matched tire racks $180 per)