Well where I live we don't really have to deal with winter tires so my opinion will be an outside one. But I'm guessing since you have a dedicated set for snow usage, maybe it's probably best you go with the 235s for maximum safety in the snow? Safety in the dry I think its a non-issue either way.

 

I agree with symmetrical. (Our opinions are in symmetry!) You're getting winter tires for winter conditions, so get the size that's better for that, which is 235.

There's no significant benefit for the 245. You're not going to experience any significant difference in dry grip - and besides, that's not what winter tires are for. (If you care that much about dry grip with your winter tires rather than grip on snow and ice, you might be better off with the performance winter tires rather than studless ice and snow winter tires.)

Also, the 235 size will maintain the accuracy of your speedometer and odometer.

But the other thing to realize is, all the differences between 235 and 245 - winter traction, dry traction, gearing, etc - are really really small, so whichever way you go, won't make all that much difference anyway!

 

I've swapped tire width sizes more than that. You might notice a difference but it's not enough to be an issue unlike you drive like a lunatic!


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App

 

We do get snow here in the great white north. I went with 235's and have no regrets at all. They hold well on dry and dig through snow very well, too.

 

We're running 235/60/18 Blizzak DM-V1 on stock rims with no complaints.

 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Looks like 235s it is!

 

Can someone explain to me why folks, other than those who live in the Great White North, feel a need to put snow tires on an AWD vehicle. I'm old enough to remember when radials were introduced, and even sold tires for awhile. All radials were stamped M/S, indicating they were rated for mud and snow. We put them on our RWD cars and got through whatever Mother Nature threw at us. I lived in NY at the time, and we got a fair amount of snow every winter.

I haven't bought tires in over 20 years, replacing cars before it becomes necessary. So I'm wondering if new radials are not rated M/S, or are folks just unable to drive their AWD vehicles properly?

 

I'm wondering if new radials are not rated M/S, or are folks just unable to drive their AWD vehicles properly?

Wow, that's a narrow-minded way of putting it. Neither is the case. The simple fact is, winter tires provide better traction on snow and ice than all-seasons do. They also provide better traction on dry pavement in sub-freezing temperatures than all-seasons do. That's because winter tires are designed specifically for winter conditions, rather than all-seasons, which are a compromise designed for the flexibility of handling both warm weather and cold weather.

Even where it only snows once in a while, many people prefer to choose the tire that will provide better traction in the worst conditions, to ensure that they can always get where they're going. You can read more in this article, which includes a test comparison between winter tires and all-seasons:

It's Always Best to Match Tires in the Worst Conditions

 

On snow, on ice, and in frigid temperatures, winter tires provide better traction on AWD vehicles, not just FWD vehicles. Do the same test on an MDX, and winter tires will provide the same advantages, with better traction during acceleration, braking, and cornering than all-seasons. Winter tire technology has experienced tremendous advancements over the years, to the point where today's studless winter tires offer better grip in most winter conditions than studded tires with studs installed. I've experienced the improved performance myself, on my own MDX, as have many other owners here.

Many people want the better traction of winter tires for winter conditions, and don't want to accept the compromise and reduced winter performance inherent in all-seasons.

Just because YOU don't want better traction in winter conditions, doesn't mean everybody else doesn't (and doesn't mean you need to insult those who do). Deal with it.

 

Since I do live in the Great White North, I figure that I don't need to feel insulted at all by Bill's comments.

The point about using tires developed for cold temps and cold pavement has been made. For me, with AWD, I can "go" pretty much any where with caution and proper driving habits. What I had some issue with was "stopping". We get a lot of ice here and I was not stopping the way that I wanted to. Snow is easy. When it's deep enough, just take your foot off the gas. The piled up snow will stop you quickly. Ice is another matter.
I think another point that is relevant is that manufacturers generally refer to them as "winter tires" now, not "snow tires" like they did when I sold them. In the 60's, snow tires were nothing more than tires with big honking lugs so that they didn't fill with packed snow. The technology has come a long way. As has been said, the big difference between winter and all season tires now is the rubber compound. The winter tires are still sticky when it's very cold.
I don't trust government studies generally, but the study in Quebec and lead legislators to make winter tires on all four wheels mandatory shows that they do reduce accidents in the winter. I don't live in Quebec, so I still have a choice. I choose to do what I can to keep those in my car as safe as I can, no matter the temp or the road surface.

 

AWD, FWD, RWD, SUV, 4WD - When your doing DOWN, all you have is the tires on the road.

I don't care if you have a dulie 4wd truck or a Prius - it's physics.

Snow tires provide an incredible advantage over all seasons in anything from 12 inches of powder to a thin dusting.

Plus the way I look at it, their cost is marginal when you consider your summer tires aren't getting any wear while in the garage.

I have an MDX and when I put on my winter Blizzaks it becomes a tank.

When my wife had a baseline 05 Accord (FWD) and we put 4 winter tires on that, we would pass stuck SUV's going up the hill by our home.

 

It is fact that skinnier tires are better for snow.

 

To the OP, I just purchased and installed 245/65R17 Blizzaks on aftermarket wheels. The 245 is the recommended -1 size from the tire rack.

To whoever said that buying snow tires is just a ploy to get consumers to buy another set of tires - if you consider that you can't run all 8 tires at once on a single vehicle, you are extending the life of the regular season tires. Plus, using winter tires in the winter allows you to put summer tires, rather than all-seasons on in the summer.

As someone who has grown up in the northeast, I would take a FWD vehicle with 4 snow tires on it over an AWD with all seasons in the winter. Hands down no comparison.

 

To the OP, I just purchased and installed 245/65R17 Blizzaks on aftermarket wheels. The 245 is the recommended -1 size from the tire rack.

Actually, Tire Rack recommends either 235/65-17 or 245/65-17 for a -1 fitment.

I don't know why they would recommend 245/65-17, since 235/65-17 has the same outer diameter as stock (thereby preserving the accuracy of the gauges) and thinner is better in winter conditions. I'm not saying 245/65-17 won't work - the differences aren't huge - but it doesn't have any advantages over 235/65-17, only a couple of minor disadvantages.

 

That's true in deep snow, and true for packed ice and snow if you have studded snows. On ice and packed snow with studless snows, the same rules as summer tires on asphalt apply. More friction is better. So the -1 size with a narrower tread is a compromise for the varied winter conditions.

 

More friction is better.

Sounds like you're making the common mistake of thinking that wider tires have a larger "contact patch" (the area in contact with the road). They don't. The size of the contact patch depends only on the weight on the tire and the inflation of the tire, not on its size or width (assuming it has sufficient inflation to support the vehicle, of course). Put 32 pounds per square inch of pressure into each tire on a 4000-pound vehicle, and the size of the four contact patches will total 125 square inches, regardless of whether the tires are extra-wide or extra-narrow. (Narrower tires will have a longer contact patch, front to back, while wider tires have a shorter contact patch, front to back.) So the two sizes have the same size contact patch and the same amount of friction. The only difference is that narrower tires don't have to clear as wide a path of snow or ice or slush, which is why they grip better.

 

I would guess that those are studded. @NSXTASY - I agree with what you are saying about contact patch. So it would seem that the trade-off is with lateral traction and dry weather performance.

Why do you suppose tire rack recommends the 245 over the 235? Best balance of compromise?

 

Why do you suppose tire rack recommends the 245 over the 235?

I really have no idea. It doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Again, though, the differences - in performance, in the accuracy of the gauges, in price, etc - are small. Either one will work without problems. Not a big deal...