[Mcp9]

Hey guys,

I just recently bought my 2017 RS, (as in 2 days ago), and I've seen that the pilot super sports are not very safe tires in the cold and snow. I live in New England and cold and snow is all we get here in February. I want to get a set of wheels and tires to just use in the winter but I don't wanna spend much money. Any recommendations on the cheapest wheel and tire setup I could go to get me through winter? Or any used sets you know of for cheap? I don't really care how the wheel looks I just want something to get me through the winter.

Thanks!

 

[Viper GTS]

You can try to play the craigslist game but by the time they hit craigslist they are generally old or worn past their best snow tread (unless you find someone selling a new RS winter wheel/tire package which seems unlikely this time of year in NE).

IMO new from TireRack or discount tire direct or whatever is probably the best route. Looking in their closeout section I see decent options for around $114 per wheel (aluminum, wide spoke patterns to avoid trapped snow). Tires range from $150-200 per. So plan to spend $1200 and you'll have a set that will last you through the next few years of use depending on how much you drive.

You just spent $40,000 on a car that is incapable of handling the climate where you live, spend another $1200 and protect the car and the lives you carry in it.

 

[o1turbo30v]

https://www.tirerack.com/snow/WinterTireCompare.jsp?minLoad=XL&sortSize=18&snowSortCode=18312&autoYear=2017&autoMake=Ford&autoModel=Focus+RS&autoModClar=&winterType=AB&startIndex=0&search=true&performance=W

 

[Camper Van Someren]

Most car guys will tell you that all season tires are pointless, and they are right that snow tires are better than all seasons on snow and ice. However there is a lot of overlap between performance of all seasons and “performance winter tires,” especially if you are buying a used set with tread worn down.
I paid around $100 per tire for my General Altimax RT43s and am happy with them. Check out my thread with comparison data, and consider them as an alternative to used winter tires.

http://www.focusrs.org/forum/18-focus-rs-wheels-tires/86498-touring-all-seasons-winter.html


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[Viper GTS]

Most car guys will tell you that all season tires are pointless, and they are right that snow tires are better than all seasons on snow and ice. However there is a lot of overlap between performance of all seasons and “performance winter tires,” especially if you are buying a used set with tread worn down.

There is a lot of truth to this. Don't be an idiot like I did a few years back and try to squeeze another season out of marginal snow tires. I came off a wet highway and around a blind corner to a patch of unplowed snow and a stopped truck. I came VERY close to stopping but tapped the hitch of the truck punching a hole in my bumper. Proper snow tires would likely have been fine.

Now I ditch the Blizzaks on my wife's car if there's any chance at all of her going below the multi-cellular tread depth in the upcoming season. Somebody on craigslist gets a set of still useful snow tires for $100, and she gets brand new ones for ~$450. Works out to about $125 a season.

 

[alien_yet_familiar]

Find a set of FoST snowflakes on Craigslist, pay ~$200 for the set. Get 5mm spacers so they fit over the front brakes. Order new winter tires in the correct size, and don't cheap out if you don't have to - the RS shines on ugly weather with the right shoes.

You also could look for someone on here selling their winter setup.

I paid $1400 for my setup on Tire Rack. They've got really good options. Keep in mind that putting a little money into winter wheels and tires now will decrease your cost of operating the car in the long run - you buy tires half as often, and having a complete setup means you can swap yourself, instead of paying for mount and balance twice a year.

 

[Mcp9]

Thanks for the input guys. I guess ill try to find a cheap wheel and spend most of the money on a decent tire. My RS came with 19" wheels but I will probably drop down to 18s for my winter set. My friend also recommended the altimaxes, so I guess I can save money by buying ST wheels and still get decent tires for not too much money.

Thanks!