Convince parents to buy winter tires?

Hi guys and gals,

My parents have just purchased a nice new third gen taco. We live in a rural area of Canada, and with winter coming, I think it’s best if they were to invest in a set of winter tires, or at the very least some all-terrains (e.g BFG K02).

For some reason my dad seems completely opposed to the idea, and has never put winter tires on his cars. I know there are clear benefits, but what can I say to convince them they would be better off not running the stock all-seasons year-round? I think it’s best, for both my parents safety and to protect their new truck, to get some tires!

Thanks a bunch, and Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians also!

 

BFG KO2 are not know for good winter performance.

 

Have you ever driven with them on in the Snow? I have found them to be excellent and have had them on every thing from the FJ Cruiser, The Tundra, First Gen Tacoma, 4Runners and a Land Rover Disco..... and Yes I drive in Real Snow, Slush and the works and have yet to to find something that compares.

 

I run snows where I live. We experience a lot of drifting days after a snow storm. When it snows here it is no biggie but days after you can be on perfectly dry roads only to hit drifting followed by wet or icy roads. This is far more dangerous than simple snow or consistent poor conditions. The drifts are never straight across the road which means the truck will pitch sideways often when hitting or leaving the drift. Even when I hit black ice last winter I skidded though a T intersection in the county but was still able to steer and miss the stop sign as I blew through a snow bank and drove around a tree missing the house and ending in the field. With AT’s or stock tires I would have smoked both the stop sign and the tree.

The cost of snow tires is no more expensive than any other tire. They reduce the wear and tear on your summer tires which increase their lifespan which offsets their initial expense. More than that the cost of your deductible if you crash could be eliminated by hopefully preventing that crash in the first pace.

If you are broke I get it you can’t afford them. But if you can afford them but are too cheap it is really no different than driving without insurance. You will save some cash until the day that it costs you big. I run Nokian Hakkapeliitta snows. They are as good as it gets IMO.

 

How old are you?

 

Without getting into the science of it, I’d say all season tires are like sneakers - you can wear them all year round and they’re fine.....but winter tires are like winter boots - best performance for the conditions.

Plus what costs more - an extra grand for a second set of rims / balancing or an insurance claim from a slippery accident?

I’ll take my Blizzaks all day down here in Minnesota.

 

What part of Canada determines what type of tires. My experiences are for Alaska and the AlCan portion of Canada.
If you have high temps and lots of slush, some all terrains are great with siping. Studs work too.
If you have moderate temps and some hardpack snow on the roads then get something with a lot of siping. Maybe studs too.
If you live in the regions with 4 months of negative 40 dag weather, where the roads are basically solid ice then nothing beats specific ice tires like blizzacks or similar. Yes they cost alot and yes they wear fast on asphalt but nothing beats an engineered solution for a specific application.

Lots of people say just get some generic studded tires, but those people havent experienced studdless ice tires when ita real cold out. You suddenly have amazing traction in your car when its all you can do just to frikking stand upright getting in and out of your car.

All depends on where you live and what you do. My VW Jetta front wheel drive with studdless beat the snot out of my 4wd expedition on ice with studs. Slush was a different story. Ymmv

Also, aluminum studs are worthless. They were banned where I used to live so everyone took their tires into Canada to have steel studs installed haha.

 

asking the important questions

 

Here in BC it would cost you $120 in fines if you're on the highway between Oct 1st and Mar 31st without them;
https://globalnews.ca/news/3778926/...ffect-today-across-b-c-what-you-need-to-know/

 

Sounds like JR. wants some cool new aftermarket tires and dad wants to wear out the ones that came on the truck first. I can see both sides. I'm an old fart too and just can't replace perfectly good tires for new ones until they are worn out. Even if the new ones will be better. More than likely your dad has been driving for years without true winter tires. At the end of the day driving skill still trumps gear.

 

Even inexpensive snow tires (Cooper Discoverer M+S are what I'll be running this winter, and can be had in 245/75r16 for $85/tire) will blow any and every all-terrain out of the water in icy/slushy conditions. Siping and a soft, sticky tread compound are what counts, not huge lugs.

Plus, the additional cost upfront is offset by the fact that you'll be splitting the wear over two sets of tires over the course of the year. I wish more people around here ran snows because honestly, the biggest thing that stresses me out about driving in bad weather is looking out for the "I'm invincible because there's a huge sticker that says '4x4' on the side of my truck" type of city slicker idiots with bald low-profile all-seasons always plowing straight through the damn intersection while standing on the brake pedal.

 

At the end of he day stupidity and old wives tales don’t trump technology and progress. Your comments give people the impression that simply being careful is just as good as technology which it isn’t. Straight up snow tires offer better traction and can make a huge difference in staying on the road and preventing accidents compared to all season tires. Snow tires are no replacement for cautious driving and experience / skill. When you add snow tires to a skilled and safe driver it is a pretty awesome combination.

The OP has asked how to convince his parents to buy snow tires. Can we at least try to answer the questions asked?