MR MR

No, see my previous comment, you'll catch attention before letting them down with your 3.0T lol

MR MR

Oh boy, you want to trade places!?!? Would take heat and humidity anytime over snow and ice.

JeremyZ

Thanks! Figured it would be neat to try black, and if the paint gets all nasty and dinged up, it lets me go even more undercover as a normal grocery-gettin minivan.

Glad to hear the good reviews on the tires. Will post better pictures the next time I'm standing next to the car.

ex-quattro PETE

And how is that a problem?

Who cares what others see or not see?

apex_pyramid

Hey Jeremy would you mind divulging how much your setup cost you including installation? I'd love to get that exact same setup for my SQ5 this winter

apex_pyramid

Hello fellow winter tire ponderers...

New to the forum and would like to get your thoughts/opinions on my situation.

I live in California (Bay Area) and recently purchased a 2014 SQ5 w/ upgraded 21" rims (255/40R/21). The weather here is obviously very temperate and dry 99% of the time, with occasional rain (it never snows). I am however an avid snowboarder and am looking forward to taking the ride up to Lake Tahoe to hit the slopes. This is likely the only time i'll encounter snow ridden/wet roads. I plan on going up on at least 5 or 6 different occasions. Given these circumstances, it's a huge pain that no tire manufacturer makes all-season tires for these specific 21" rims. Based on what i've read so far, it seems like most people who face this issue simply purchase an entirely different setup for winter, usually of the 18" or 19" variety. I can't seem to discern if that's done for cost purposes or if it's to protect the 21" stock rims from damage. My questions for you all are this:

1) Should I just purchase winter tires that fit my 21" stock rims (Pirelli Scorpions are my only option), and change them out for the summer ones once the season's over? This will cost me ~$1500 just for the tires.

or...

2) Should I go the route of purchasing an entirely different setup specifically for the winter seasons, given I will likely be going up to the snow every year during the winter? I haven't priced this out yet, but I imagine it will be around $2000.

Another wrinkle to this situation is I unfortunately need new summer tires as well, so either way i'll need to buy 2 sets (1 winter and new summers).

Your thoughts on the various pros/cons of each option are appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick

SQive

I kept my old Toyota 4WD so that if the weather gets nasty, I can get around just fine and I don't have to worry about any idiot drivers sliding into it. My buddy had his new Raptor hit and run on ice. They slammed him into a barrier and kept going. His frame was bent, so those Raptors aren't quite as tough as they think they are, but I digress.

Realizing that doesn't answer your question, if I only had the SQ5 and had to drive it in the shiznit, I would get some winter combo in 20" that would maintain the vehicle's good looks.

apex_pyramid

Thanks! You bring up a good point about taking up a beater instead, which I could also do but taking it up to the snow and leveraging that Quattro was a big reason why I purchased the SQ5. Appreciate the insight.

E-Rock

Here's my winter set up...

Transfer

You're in a bit of a pickle there. You'll want winter tires, or chains, or both when trying to go up in the Sierras. I hear the state patrol is a little unreasonable when it comes to the chains requirements and that you pretty much have to at least carry them. I for one will never actually put chains on a car again and use winter tires but I'm in a different climate than you and I hit the slopes 10-20 times a year.

If you can manage the cost and have access to space to DIY, I would get a separate winter wheel/tire set (19s) for those weekends you're heading up to ride. Swap out for your snow shoes when you're going into the mountains and then swap back when you return. It's like changing out track wheels/tires for track days. A lot of people do that several times a month in the summer.

Now you could also just run winter tires all winter but swapping tires on your pretty 21s twice a year could cause some wear to the wheels depending on your tire shop. Not to mention expect paying $100-200 each time you mount/balance winter or summer tires on the same wheels. So typically it makes sense to buy a second set of wheels for winter tires. Also consider if temps are quite moderate (50F+) most of the season, those winters will wear out more quickly if driven all season long.

Lastly, you could buy a separate set of wheels and put all seasons on them and drive on that all winter, but I think all seasons are pretty sad in the snow so not sure how you feel about that one.

So I think the separate set of winter wheels/tires and you swapping them out at home when you need them makes the most sense. The summers you can keep on at all other times, just acknowledging that they will lose some grip with temps below 45F. The downside to having that separate set is the cost and that the tires will turn to dust before you use up their tread if you only use them on occasional board trips.

Cliff notes: No great solution. Quit boarding or move to the slopes. haha