Summer tires start getting pretty hard and slick if it drops much below 40-45 degrees F. Even if there's no ice or snow. If you know about this and adjust for it, once the tires warm up (friction, they eventually will no matter how cold it is), it's not a problem. I live in MN, where starting in Oct we can get <40F combined with >70F days, and winter tires get chewed up really bad if it gets too warm. So, I usually pay attention to the weather and get my snow tires swapped on a day or two before they predict snowfall.

Seriously though, if you've never driven summer tires in the cold, and you tend to drive aggressively, pay attention to how your car behaves when the tires are cold. They are significantly less grippy than on a decent warm day.

 

^^ +1

And I've also waited too long and have gotten into trouble. Getting stuck downhill in an inch of snow with summer tires is NOT a myth. LOL

 

Just ordered the Goodyear F1s from Tirerack to replace the OEM Potenzas. Decided to see how they do this winter here in NYC. If the snow gets bad in January and February and the Goodyears have problems, I'll switch to 17s and put on Dunlop M3s.

I hope I don't feel the loss of handling. Will keep you all updated.

 

Does anyone know if the 04 G coupe rims will clear our calipers?

 

When I bought my IS300 back in the winter of '01-'02, I wanted to see how bad summer tires are in the snow. There was about 3/4" of snow on the ground. I couldn't get the dealer's demo car out of the lot due to the slight incline of their entry way. It was pretty bad. When I picked up my car there was at least a couple of inches on the ground and I had the dealer install winter tires and I had zero problems getting home.

 

someone already asked this, but no answer. will 225/50/17 be ok on the Sport?

 

Yep, they'll fit. My Blizzaks that I will be running on my G35S this winter are that size.

 

225/50/17 are a little smaller in than the factory size of 225/50/18 & 245/45/18 for the sports and smaller than the non-sport 17" (225/55/17) but they'll fit.

Just remember that your speedo might be a bit off.

 

I just ran across someone seeling some Blizzaks, but they are 235/50R17. Will that work?

 

Any Updates I am also thinking of getting these tires.

 

Have about 500 miles now on the Goodyear F1s, and I'm pleasantly suprised. The treads look like monster truck treads, with thick wide channels. And I was ready for road noise. But nothing noticeably worse than the summer Potenzas. In fact on certain highway surfaces, I'd say the Goodyear's were less noisy.

Dry handling is only very slightly worse with the Goodyear's. I made one move that I thought the Potenzas would handle better: a kind of tight S move from the left lane to the middle and back to the left lane.

No really rough weather yet here in NYC. But I can say the Goodyears handled heavy rain with standing water in the left lane with not a jot of trouble, more secure than Potenzas for sure.

I know in Kirkland WA your concern is rain and only occasional snow. I lived in Seattle for 7 years in the 70's, when I attended UW.

I must say that I was nervous about the summer Potenzas in temps below 40 degrees. So, I feel more secure with the Goodyear's.

 

Thanks Rck! I may also give these tires a try - hopefully they last longer than the Potenzas also... I dont want to be replacing tires every year for sure.

 

Yeah, I hope also to extend the tread life by alternating the G-years with the Potenzas. I did just see at Tire Rack's site a comparison of the Goodyear F1 Eagles to 30 or so other ultra high performance all seasons. Was pleasantly surprised to see it rated 3rd overall, tops in wet weather. In another comparison at Tire Rack with 4 other top all season ultras, the G-years came in second by a whisker to the Pirellis and beat them on wet surfaces.

So, even if our choices are severely limited, at least the choices are top notch.

 

Just put my winter wheels on this past week and thought I'd share my setup. Wheels are 18s off an FX35, tires are Blizzak LM25s in size 225/50/R18. I obtained the wheels via eBay for $332.50 shipped, not bad for a set in almost perfect condition. Initially when I put them on I thought the FX35 spoke size made them look too bulky compared to the stock sport wheels they replaced, but since then they've grown on me and now I'm quite happy with them.

 

you got the rims and tires for that price?