Tire ?

[Jack MeHoff]

I have 245/60/R18's on the car. I live in the country and we had two ice storms in 3 days, with a snow storm in the middle. A few days later, my car got stuck in the yard in about 3 inches of snow/ice. For five days straight. AWD didn't do a damn thing. Anyway, I know i'll be going against the grain, but can anyone tell me the name of a good, aggressive tire in the above size? I don't care what it looks like or how loud it is when I drive. I cannot deal with these tires where I live. Thank you in advance.....

 

[Nightsky93]

You might want to consider a dedicated winter tire and it would take care of the issue. Stock tires and not very good for anything other than pavement. Put 18” winter in stock rims then get some aftermarket ones for the summers.

 

[Wiluride]

You might want to look into the Nokian WRG4 all weather tires. The Michigan State Police switched to the Nokian tires for all year round use. Previously they would run snow tires in winter are other tires in summer. Apparently State Troopers in all but the absolute worst of Michigan areas had wide acceptance of this change.

I put a set on my 2019 Sorento and enjoyed them for one Michigan winter, before my child totaled it last spring.

If the Pirelli tires on my Telluride don't work well next winter I'll likely buy more Nokian WRG4 tires for it.

 

[2020Telly]

First off your handle is too funny. Reminds me of middle school with a substitute teacher taking attendance.

This is perfect example as to why AWD is over-rated. It helps in a few conditions but FWD and AWD with the wrong tires for the conditions do the same thing. Many AWD buyers innocently think they have everything they need with the stock OE all-season tires to tackle bad weather and it's just not the case. AWD is not 4x4. When it comes to tires, you simply can't have it all in one tire. A tire that is quiet on the highway, great on fuel efficiency, lasts long but is also excellent in snow and ice simply doesn't exist.

Depending on how much you drive and where you live, you may want to consider a second set of tires. Driving winter tires all year on an AWD will cost you a lot more. You will have to replace them more frequently than all season tires because they will wear out sooner. Plus on an AWD they recommend changing out all four rather than just 2 at a time like you can with a FWD. A cheap set of rims for winter will also allow you to keep the nicer rims looking newer without the wear and tear of winter weather.

Regardless of what you do, two winter tires that I always see highly rated are Michelin X-Ice Xi-3 or Bridgestone Blizzak tires.

• The Blizzaks come in that size 245/60R18 and in 255/60R18, and they are available in most parts of the country.
• Michelin X-Ice tires come in a 225/60R18 which is a narrower tire, but if you look at a picture of the tire, the tread is all there the width of the tire. Some people believe a narrower tire with good tread makes for a better winter tire because it can cut through the snow better. I'm of the thinking that as long as the tread is good, a slightly wider tire may give more surface contact for grip.

Just remember if you drive them year round, depending on how much you drive in the spring and summer, they will wear out faster. And the whole point is to have the tread when you need it in the winter. So not running them on smooth pavement during warmer conditions will keep them in better shape for your winter time use.

If you don't have a local tire shop that could sell you a wheel and tire package, a few online sellers like tirerack.com can have them packaged and mounted for you and shipped to a local installer if you didn't want to swap them out yourself.

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[Wiluride]

I should add... when I recommended looking into Nokian WRG4 tires... I'm a guy that's swapped out my summer tires for Bridgestone Blizzaks for the past 4 years every winter on my two daily drivers ( mine and my wife's Chevy Cruze(s) ). I love actual snow tires in the winter and will likely to continue to do it on my daily driver... but the Nokian All Weather WRG4 ( not all season ), these aren't your normal all season tires , and offer really god compromise.

The WRG4 tires, are... well there significantly better than your typical "All Season" type of tire. Maybe not quite as good as a dedicated snow tire ( but Michigan State Police decided they were good enough to abandon their long standing strategy of snow tires in winter, performance tires in summer ).

So, yeah , if you want the absolute best winter driving, buy snow tires. If you want pretty darn good winter and pretty darn good summer, check out the WRG4 from Nokian.

 

[Jack MeHoff]

You might want to consider a dedicated winter tire and it would take care of the issue. Stock tires and not very good for anything other than pavement. Put 18” winter in stock rims then get some aftermarket ones for the summers.

Thank you, just having a hard time finding an aggressive one for this car. Not much to choose from.

 

[Wiluride]

Thank you, just having a hard time finding an aggressive one for this car. Not much to choose from.

If your really looking for a off road type tire, here's one of the most aggressive looking I've seen at TireRack...

 

[2020Telly]

I think 245 width for an aggressive tire is going to be tricky. Most get aggressive by going wider for more grip.

245/60R18 Tires

245/60R18 tire conversion. Convert 245/60R18 tire size to inches and compare prices on available tires from the top brands online.

tiresize.com

On an SUV like the Telluride you can likely go to a more common aggressive tire size like 265/60R18 without risking any rubbing. Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 265/60R18 is a pretty mean looking tread and size and it's severe snow service rated. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...&tireModel=Wrangler+DuraTrac&partnum=66SR8WDT These will also lift your Telluride by almost a full inch and give you .8" wider of a tire.

Side by side comparison:

Tire Size Comparison

Tire size comparison the easy way. Use our tire size comparison calculator to compare diameter, width, sidewall, circumference and revolutions per mile.

tiresize.com

The bigger size will also have you going a little faster than the speedometer. But that's actually not a problem because I've noticed my Telluride is slower by about 1-2mph from the phone GPS.

Using TireRack.com you can also filter by:
245/60R18 either "Winter/Snow with Severe Snow Service Rated" or "All-Season w/ Severe Snow Service Rating"
265/60R18 either "Winter/Snow with Severe Snow Service Rated" or "All-Season w/ Severe Snow Service Rating"

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[2020Telly]

If the Pirelli tires on my Telluride don't work well next winter I'll likely buy more Nokian WRG4 tires for it.

In a different thread you said you have an AWD. Why do you have Pirelli tires on the AWD? I thought that brand was only on the FWD and the Michelin Primacy Tour A/S tires came on the AWD models.

 

[Wiluride]

In a different thread you said you have an AWD. Why do you have Pirelli tires on the AWD? I thought that brand was only on the FWD and the Michelin Primacy Tour A/S tires came on the AWD models.

As far as I know. The S and SX models both come with 245/50R20 tires, LX and EX have the 245/60R18 tires...

With the EX, you can upgrade to EX Premium or EX Nightfall to get 20" tires

You can't get the 20s on a LX model.

I don't think getting the 20" Pierlli has anything to do with the drive train type.

 

[2020Telly]

As far as I know. The S and SX models both come with 245/50R20 tires, LX and EX have the 245/60R18 tires...

With the EX, you can upgrade to EX Premium or EX Nightfall to get 20" tires

You can't get the 20s on a LX model.

I don't think getting the 20" Pierlli has anything to do with the drive train type.

I was confused. I found this post.

Consumer Reports Write-up and Tire Talk

Yes, CR. I bought it 2 weeks ago, so current issue. It's also interesting to see how much lower the Palisade scored than the Telluride. I have the Telluride SXP since January 2020 and I would love to see the write up about the Palisade and why CR scored it a lot lower than the Telluride if you...

tellurideforum.org

For some reason only the AWD SX 20" get the Michelin Primacy Tours.

 

[Wiluride]

Interesting... this is my first ever set of Pirelli tires. I had Michelin Pilots on both of my Chevy Cruze(s), and didn't really like them much, but all other Michelin tires I've had were fine. The Pilots wore like iron, but are noisy on concrete roads every single expansion joint would ring as you drove across them. They also are absolutely horrible in snow.

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[dansta]

My vote would be for blizzaks, as I never had any issues with mine during the prior winter season and easily drove through the snowstorms that the car endured.

 

[Serena_S18]

I need help understanding what I need. I'm in the market for an EX & I found a dealer trying to sell me on FWD. I don't know anything about cars nor tires. I thought I needed AWD, but now know I don't know anything. I live in Central NJ where we get some snow and ice but it's not an all the time in winter thing. What should I be looking for: FWD & switch out my tires before each winter & then back in the spring? Or should I go for AWD? Again, I've never even thought about switching out my tires as I don't really pay much attention throughout the year except when my service guy tells me I need new ones... THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

[Wiluride]

I need help understanding what I need. I'm in the market for an EX & I found a dealer trying to sell me on FWD. I don't know anything about cars nor tires. I thought I needed AWD, but now know I don't know anything. I live in Central NJ where we get some snow and ice but it's not an all the time in winter thing. What should I be looking for: FWD & switch out my tires before each winter & then back in the spring? Or should I go for AWD? Again, I've never even thought about switching out my tires as I don't really pay much attention throughout the year except when my service guy tells me I need new ones... THANKS IN ADVANCE!

I live in southeastern Michigan. I've owned a 4x4 Dodge for 25 years, and I've owned many other FWD vehicles, as well as a few RWD cars over the years. I personally bought a AWD Telluride, to replace my 25 year old 4x4 pickup, because I really don't need a truck as much as I need a comfortable vehicle that can easily seat 3 or 4 adults and have room for 'stuff', as well as to be able to handle some light off road use, and pull a 3000lb + trailer from time to time.

I stopped driving my 4x4 when gas prices got high, and eventually bought a Chevy Cruze, which to drive back and forth to work ( 35 miles one way ). The Cruze had wide sport tires on it, and my wife got stuck in the driveway with about 2 inches of snow. I personally could have driven it without getting stuck that day, but I eventually bought another set of wheels, put some Bridgestone Blizzak tires on it. After putting the blizzak tires on the Cruze... wow, other then it's low ground clearance ( about 5 inches ) , I can drive my cruze with snow tires on it, anywhere and feel even safer than I did in my 4x4. The 4x4 will go through 10" of snow, no problem, even with all season tires on it, but it's not really safer. The Cruze has stability control, and with the snow tires on it, it feels like it's on rails in snow up to about 5 inches deep. I'm sold on snow tires, except... they are a pain in the butt to have to switch out.

I also owned a 2019 Sorento AWD, and drove it for one winter, with some very good Nokian 'all weather' WR G4 tires on it. It has stability control on it too, and effectively is the same drivetrain as the Telluride , only about 2" lower than a Telluride. It was a very stable and capable vehicle in the snow, but honestly I still think my Cruze with Blizzaks on it is just as stable and other than ground clearance, I personally feel I could drive anywhere in snow with my Cruze and snow tires, that I could go with my Sorento with AWD and very good 'all weather' tires.

So, anyway... if you have room to store a set of wheels/tires , and your willing to take the time to swap them out every fall/spring, snow tires and FWD is a very capable setup for winter driving. But AWD is going to give you just a wee bit more forward traction in the worst winter conditions.

I personally, will probably switch my Pirelli tires out in a heartbeat for the Nokian WR G4 tires, if there's any sign that the Pirelli tires don't do a decent job in snow. I seriously doubt I'll ever run snow tires on my AWD Telluride, simply because it really is a pain in the butt to swap tires out twice a year, and I know my AWD and a good set of all weather tires will do the job for me.

As for FWD, vs AWD simply for snow... If I were tight on money and didn't do any real off road travel, I'd probably just stick with FWD. AWD won't help you stop... it will help you get up slippery hills... In the part of Michigan I live in, it's extremely rare that roads I travel will have snow on them for more than 24 hours, they plow and salt the roads quickly, usually dry pavement by the afternoon drive home.

 

[2020Telly]

@Serena_S18 I lived in southern NJ for a number of years with a FWD and two sets of tires. The only time I found myself in trouble was when I tried to drive out when the conditions were too bad and the roads had not been cleared yet and I waited too late to swap my tires. I honestly think that was nothing AWD would have been able to fix over having better judgement. I paid for it when the rear bumper slid into a concrete barrier and got a decent sized scratch in it. I had the OEM rims on my FWD sedan with winter tires and lower profile tires on nicer rims for spring and summer. I just had to make sure to do the swap before the weather started to turn worse in the fall. I later replaced the low profile tires with good all season ones given that pot holes did me in a few times. But I was young and dumb. When I got smarter I replaced the need for a second set of tires by just moving south.

Your salesperson is not wrong. You can get by just fine with a FWD and two sets of tires. All too often there are buyers getting the AWD thinking they must have it but not knowing the hype is higher than the actual truth that is out there. Swapping tires for appropriate conditions also gives you more life out of the winter tires over driving on winters all year. Winter tires on a FWD will perform better in snow and severe weather than all season tires on an AWD. That said there is a slight advantage in acceleration with winter tires on an AWD over FWD. AWD is only meant to complement the performance of the tires. Crappy or worn tires, then AWD is useless and you would be better off with a FWD so that the AWD doesn't wear out your tires more. Too many dealers are misinformed about AWD and try to pass it off as 4x4 or trying to give AWD too much credit over the tires and they are doing a disservice to their customers. As evidence by a recent post on this forum where someone reported the sales person tried to say that the "AWD Lock" on the Telluride is for a locking differential.

Many people mistakenly believe that AWD is a safety feature, it is not. All the same safety features exist on the FWD that exist on the AWD. AWD cannot replace good judgement and proper maintenance. In reverse it gives a false sense of security when driving especially when tires are ignored. AWD comes with a higher cost to consider over just the $2,000 markup. More electronics that could go wrong, more mechanical parts to go wrong, more fluids to inspect and maintain. AWD add more weight to the vehicle so it reduces gas mileage and lowers cargo capacity. Additionally, when replacing tires it is recommended to replace all four vs. FWD you can sometimes replace in pairs if you need or want to. Many also argue that the AWD holds a higher resale value when you are done. This is true, but buyer beware, if you buy a used AWD you may be inheriting problems that will cost you more than the feature itself. A broken rear shaft or knocking coupling is not a cheap repair on a high mileage vehicle. Ask any Subaru owner how much they have spent maintaining their cars. I think used Subarus aren't cheap because people invest so much money that they want to hold onto those cars as long as they can so inventory is low, not because you get a superior car for winter driving.

The key is traction; proper tires give you that with or without AWD. AWD is only telling the car when to spin each tire based on the responsiveness of the tire traction it senses on the opposite side when accelerating below 25mph, but the more it spins the more worn the tire can get and thus the more AWD tries to overcompensate for the loss in traction. In most situations an AWD Telluride is driving in FWD mode. So it's all relative to the conditions and how good the tires are for the conditions, because handling, braking, cornering and safety are all comparable. Basically, traction starts and ends with the right tires for your needs. AWD doesn't replace that need. But it's your money, so if AWD gives you added comfort then go for it, just remember to not go cheap on tires assuming AWD will make up the difference.

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[Serena_S18]

@Serena_S18 I lived in southern NJ for a number of years with a FWD and two sets of tires. The only time I found myself in trouble was when I tried to drive out when the conditions were too bad and the roads had not been cleared yet and I waited too late to swap my tires. I honestly think that was nothing AWD would have been able to fix over having better judgement. I paid for it when the rear bumper slid into a concrete barrier and got a decent sized scratch in it. I had the OEM rims on my FWD sedan with winter tires and lower profile tires on nicer rims for spring and summer. I just had to make sure to do the swap before the weather started to turn worse in the fall. I later replaced the low profile tires with good all season ones given that pot holes did me in a few times. But I was young and dumb. When I got smarter I replaced the need for a second set of tires by just moving south.

Your salesperson is not wrong. You can get by just fine with a FWD and two sets of tires. All too often there are buyers getting the AWD thinking they must have it but not knowing the hype is higher than the actual truth that is out there. Swapping tires for appropriate conditions also gives you more life out of the winter tires over driving on winters all year. Winter tires on a FWD will perform better in snow and severe weather than all season tires on an AWD. That said there is a slight advantage in acceleration with winter tires on an AWD over FWD. AWD is only meant to complement the performance of the tires. Crappy or worn tires, then AWD is useless and you would be better off with a FWD so that the AWD doesn't wear out your tires more. Too many dealers are misinformed about AWD and try to pass it off as 4x4 or trying to give AWD too much credit over the tires and they are doing a disservice to their customers. As evidence by a recent post on this forum where someone reported the sales person tried to say that the "AWD Lock" on the Telluride is for a locking differential.

Many people mistakenly believe that AWD is a safety feature, it is not. All the same safety features exist on the FWD that exist on the AWD. AWD cannot replace good judgement and proper maintenance. In reverse it gives a false sense of security when driving especially when tires are ignored. AWD comes with a higher cost to consider over just the $2,000 markup. More electronics that could go wrong, more mechanical parts to go wrong, more fluids to inspect and maintain. AWD add more weight to the vehicle so it reduces gas mileage and lowers cargo capacity. Additionally, when replacing tires it is recommended to replace all four vs. FWD you can sometimes replace in pairs if you need or want to. Many also argue that the AWD holds a higher resale value when you are done. This is true, but buyer beware, if you buy a used AWD you may be inheriting problems that will cost you more than the feature itself. A broken rear shaft or knocking coupling is not a cheap repair on a high mileage vehicle. Ask any Subaru owner how much they have spent maintaining their cars. I think used Subarus aren't cheap because people invest so much money that they want to hold onto those cars as long as they can so inventory is low, not because you get a superior car for winter driving.

The key is traction; proper tires give you that with or without AWD. AWD is only telling the car when to spin each tire based on the responsiveness of the tire traction it senses on the opposite side when accelerating below 25mph, but the more it spins the more worn the tire can get and thus the more AWD tries to overcompensate for the loss in traction. In most situations an AWD Telluride is driving in FWD mode. So it's all relative to the conditions and how good the tires are for the conditions, because handling, braking, cornering and safety are all comparable. Basically, traction starts and ends with the right tires for your needs. AWD doesn't replace that need. But it's your money, so if AWD gives you added comfort then go for it, just remember to not go cheap on tires assuming AWD will make up the difference.

Thank you so much for your explanation. I feel much better having this information. If I go with FWD, what tires do you recommend & if I go AWD which do you recommend? Again, I'm buying the car as a Soccer Mom who will travel on long trips-- not a huge car enthusiast. And if it helps understanding me more, the Nightfall may look great to some, but to me: meh! Thank so much for your input!

 

[Serena_S18]

I live in southeastern Michigan. I've owned a 4x4 Dodge for 25 years, and I've owned many other FWD vehicles, as well as a few RWD cars over the years. I personally bought a AWD Telluride, to replace my 25 year old 4x4 pickup, because I really don't need a truck as much as I need a comfortable vehicle that can easily seat 3 or 4 adults and have room for 'stuff', as well as to be able to handle some light off road use, and pull a 3000lb + trailer from time to time.

I stopped driving my 4x4 when gas prices got high, and eventually bought a Chevy Cruze, which to drive back and forth to work ( 35 miles one way ). The Cruze had wide sport tires on it, and my wife got stuck in the driveway with about 2 inches of snow. I personally could have driven it without getting stuck that day, but I eventually bought another set of wheels, put some Bridgestone Blizzak tires on it. After putting the blizzak tires on the Cruze... wow, other then it's low ground clearance ( about 5 inches ) , I can drive my cruze with snow tires on it, anywhere and feel even safer than I did in my 4x4. The 4x4 will go through 10" of snow, no problem, even with all season tires on it, but it's not really safer. The Cruze has stability control, and with the snow tires on it, it feels like it's on rails in snow up to about 5 inches deep. I'm sold on snow tires, except... they are a pain in the butt to have to switch out.

I also owned a 2019 Sorento AWD, and drove it for one winter, with some very good Nokian 'all weather' WR G4 tires on it. It has stability control on it too, and effectively is the same drivetrain as the Telluride , only about 2" lower than a Telluride. It was a very stable and capable vehicle in the snow, but honestly I still think my Cruze with Blizzaks on it is just as stable and other than ground clearance, I personally feel I could drive anywhere in snow with my Cruze and snow tires, that I could go with my Sorento with AWD and very good 'all weather' tires.

So, anyway... if you have room to store a set of wheels/tires , and your willing to take the time to swap them out every fall/spring, snow tires and FWD is a very capable setup for winter driving. But AWD is going to give you just a wee bit more forward traction in the worst winter conditions.

I personally, will probably switch my Pirelli tires out in a heartbeat for the Nokian WR G4 tires, if there's any sign that the Pirelli tires don't do a decent job in snow. I seriously doubt I'll ever run snow tires on my AWD Telluride, simply because it really is a pain in the butt to swap tires out twice a year, and I know my AWD and a good set of all weather tires will do the job for me.

As for FWD, vs AWD simply for snow... If I were tight on money and didn't do any real off road travel, I'd probably just stick with FWD. AWD won't help you stop... it will help you get up slippery hills... In the part of Michigan I live in, it's extremely rare that roads I travel will have snow on them for more than 24 hours, they plow and salt the roads quickly, usually dry pavement by the afternoon drive home.

Thank you for your help! Are the Nokian WR G4 pretty readily available to my local tire guy? Can you get them at Costco? Thanks for your input! I appreciate it very much!

 

[2020Telly]

Thank you so much for your explanation. I feel much better having this information. If I go with FWD, what tires do you recommend & if I go AWD which do you recommend? Again, I'm buying the car as a Soccer Mom who will travel on long trips-- not a huge car enthusiast. And if it helps understanding me more, the Nightfall may look great to some, but to me: meh! Thank so much for your input!

Post #4 above has some suggestions on winter tires. I just purchased new All Season tires for my FWD S, details here. If I had AWD I would purchase the same All Seasons for it. For what it's worth I plan to do some winter driving on my All Seasons as I take a couple annual trips up to the northeast. I don't plan to buy a second set of tires and wheels for just a couple weeks a year and I will just plan to stick to main roads that have been treated and plowed on good quality all seasons. If I still lived in NJ, I would have likely tried going one winter season with good all seasons on my FWD Telluride and reassessed if I wanted to have a second set for winter depending on how it felt. If I still lived in New England, I would have likely gotten a second set right away. I know I'm stubborn and cheap and would still not trade in for a AWD as I don't want the added hassle that comes with AWD. I'd rather buy an old used 4x4 with good tires.

 

[2020Telly]

This guy is a little extreme, but I do agree with much of what he shares in an older post: All Wheel Drive Does Not Make You Safer He believes that AWD is a performance feature and not a safety feature. He also references this Consumer Reports video:

I also got hooked on binging “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” with David Letterman on Netflix. Dave interviews Lewis Hamilton and tells a story about buying a supercharged AWD Mercedes-AMG station wagon and his wife calling him because she couldn't get out of a parking lot with ice and snow. Then he concludes that he had the wrong tires. The moral of the story, even a $100,000 AWD performance vehicle still needs the proper tires to function correctly.