All,

I've got an '07 IS 250 RWD with 18" wheels ... was looking at getting some snow tires.

Should I stay with 18" wheels/tires? Should I purchase a set of 17"? Would they maintain the same size/ratio?

Sorry for the newbie-type questions ...

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Alex

 

I'm getting Blizzak LM-25's put on my stock rims tomorrow morning. I don't think that you need 17" wheels, only the width and rubber will matter in the snow. I'm hoping that 255 winter tires will work well enough for central IL.

If they do, I can spend the wheels money on nicer summer rims?

If you do go with 17's, the ratios will be different, i.e. 225/45-17 vs 225/40-18. Tirerack is a good resource for what fits and some reviews.

 

I wouldn't bother with as much snow as MD gets....unless you live on a mountain or travel north frequently. A decent set of A/S would probably save you money and be a better tire for the rest of the year.

That being said, in MD I wouldn't even bother with A/S tires. 10 maybe 12 days of the year would there be any reason to have them.

 

I am with fiveohnine....

I live in MD too.......
We only get about three snows a year.
I live on a secondary street, and that is a problem, but once you get off of the secondary streets...all main roads are usually clear.

If the 18 setup becomes too much of a problem; I would think that the 17 AWD setup is a perfect replacement that you can rotate also.

 

All,

Thanks for your thoughts .... I think I agree with you as well. I live in Montgomery County, which doesn't get a ton of snow .... but I can make it to a Metro ... worst case scenario.

Cheers,
Alex

 

I'm in Waldorf and currently run Ecsta SPT's. No A/S. Thus far, no problems. If all else fails, I will have to drive the RX....

 

Snow tires work better in snow than summer tires (obvious). Snow tires work better than summer performance in the winter when there is no snow (not so obvious). So, if you can wing it, you should still get winter tires for the winter.

I kept the winter and summer both 18" to keep the stock look. The 18's are more expensive than 17's though.