[patvan]

Kalos,Sep 18 2004, 11:49 AM Wrote:Chilly late-September mornings - a  reminder of winter.

I spent last winter slip-sliding around with my SVT stock tires. Appalling lack of grip on snow and ice.

I need to buy a set of wheels and snow tires.  Ford dealer quotes $1,600+ for a set !  Which store in Ontario (Kitchener or Toronto) offers SVT wheels and snow tires at a good price ?

I suppose I could just buy a set of snow tires and put them on the existing rims for the winter. What are good snow tires ?

Your best bet would be to find some used 16 inch wheels from another Focus. The SVT cannot take wheels smaller than 16 inch due to the size of the front caliper.

I can't believe you did an entire winter on the stock summer tires! I got cold feet at the first 1 centimeter snow drop, where my car couldn't even move forward because of the snow-packed treads.

Right now, I'm on my second (and last) winter on Michelin Pilot Alpins tires (P205/50R16 IIRC). They're awesome in the dry and light snow, but they're not as effective in the deep (> 5 cm) stuff. I chose Pilot Alpins over more aggressive Winter stuff because it doesn't snow that much here and the roads are cleared quickly. I also do a lot of highway mileage.