Snow tires or snow chains?

[DaveA]

Hey Guys,

Love my 2007 Aveo sedan. Wife hates it! Too small for her. It's my secondary car now. I purchased my dream car a few years ago - 2013 Camaro SS convertible. I still use the Aveo a lot. I like to keep the mileage down on my Camaro and I don't drive the Camaro at all from December-Feb due to the harsh winters here in the Northeast.

Last winter was real bad and the car struggled quite a bit in the snow. I know snow tires can make a world of difference but I'm reluctant to have to maintain two sets of tires/rims - one for the winter, one for the rest of the year. I was thinking about getting some snow chains. The reality is, even during the roughest winter in many years, there were only about a dozen days last winter when I struggled with the driving/handling in the snow. Basically, if you are driving during the actual storm, you are screwed. But after a day the roads are mostly clean and the pavement is visible again, at which point the handling is fine. It seems overkill to get snow tires for a dozen days. On the other hand, I know slapping on some chains is quick and easy these days. And even though I struggled with driving on all seasons during those dozen days, I never actual got stuck. Still, I worry about safety too. I don't want to slide off the road.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or experiences to share in this regard. If the popular opinion is to go with dedicated tires, I will likely do just that. If anyone has experiences with chains or a recommended brand, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks.

Dave

[xintersecty]

I lived up north with my aveo for a while. Go get a set of second tires for your aveo. I am sure you can pick up a set of steelies for cheap, paint black and you will have a good base for snow tires. It will work a lot better than snow chains.

[DaveA]

I assumed that was going to be the popular opinion. Snow tires are softer rubber, right? They wear down quicker? That was another concern. If I drive the car exclusively from Nov 31-Feb 28, I was concerned about wearing them down. We are also limited on storage space in our condo. The Aveo tires are small and I could likely get some tire storage bags to put them in. That should help with the smell, too, I would think.

[xintersecty]

Yeah storage sucks. Living in bostin is not easy and last year you guys got hammered and with about the same for this year. I found some alternates here:

Alternatives To Snow Chains Come Onto Market : NPR

I like the snow socks. They seem reasonable.

[MetroMPG]

If I drive the car exclusively from Nov 31-Feb 28, I was concerned about wearing them down.

If you drive the car exclusively in that period, I'd just stick winter tires on the regular rims and forget about all seasons. No need to keep 2 sets of tires around.

Also: the benefits of running winter tires aren't just traction in snow. The softer rubber compound increases roadholding & braking performance on dry roads when it's freezing out vs. an "all season" tire.

[EAD15]

You might look into something called Spikes-Spider (I call them Spider Spikes, as do a lot of people). You install the attachment hub at the start of the bad weather season, then attach the "spikes" when the conditions call for it. Main downside is the amount of space they take up in the car, but the convenience is well worth it.

http://spikes-spiderusa.com/