Rental Cars Tires?
Jan 8th 2012, 12:39 pm
#1
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Joined: Oct 2011
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Rental Cars Tires?
I am flying to Toronto tomorrow for 2 days, then Edmonton for 12 days and back to Toronto for 2 days, I will have 3 rental cars , my question is:
Do rental cars have winter tires fitted?
The rental company is enterprise.
Any help would be helpful.
Thanks Joe
Do rental cars have winter tires fitted?
The rental company is enterprise.
Any help would be helpful.
Thanks Joe
Jan 8th 2012, 1:09 pm
#2
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
Most rental cars will be fitted with all season tires. As there is hardly any snow in the GTA area then this wont be a problem. You could contact them to see if they would fit snow tires but Im guessing it wont be necessary.
Jan 8th 2012, 3:05 pm
#3
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
They never do. Outside of this board, they're not widely known or used.
Jan 8th 2012, 3:39 pm
#4
Joined: Mar 2009
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
When I visited Calgary in October there were cars available with winter tyres from Hertz. Extra $10/day - aimed at people driving into the mountains.
Jan 8th 2012, 5:11 pm
#5
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
Why let facts get in the way.
From 2005 when it was not mandatory in Quebec.
http://www.betiresmart.ca/pdf/2005_1204.pdf
When Quebec made them mandatory around 2009, I believe that their take up rate was somewhere between 80 and 90% so the requirement was not too much of an issue with most people. In all honesty, the same could be imposed in Ontario north of say a line from Sarnia to Barrie to Kingston and it would make the roads safer..however there are always the libertarians out there who don't want anybody telling them what to do...but will be wanting hospital care in case they are in an accident
I speak from experience as my wife was a passenger in a car about a week before Christmas that got rear ended in icy conditions that the police felt could have been avoided with winter tyres by the driver who hit them.
From 2005 when it was not mandatory in Quebec.
http://www.betiresmart.ca/pdf/2005_1204.pdf
When Quebec made them mandatory around 2009, I believe that their take up rate was somewhere between 80 and 90% so the requirement was not too much of an issue with most people. In all honesty, the same could be imposed in Ontario north of say a line from Sarnia to Barrie to Kingston and it would make the roads safer..however there are always the libertarians out there who don't want anybody telling them what to do...but will be wanting hospital care in case they are in an accident
I speak from experience as my wife was a passenger in a car about a week before Christmas that got rear ended in icy conditions that the police felt could have been avoided with winter tyres by the driver who hit them.
Jan 8th 2012, 5:16 pm
#6
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
The weather has been unexplicably mild this year so unless we get a phenominal dump of snow in AB over the next couple of weeks (a bit is scheduled for next weekend ut nothing major), you won't even need to worry about snow tires.
Jan 8th 2012, 5:19 pm
#7
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
I've rented hundreds of cars in Canada and the US including one from Enterprise last week. No mention has ever been made of winter tyres. In fact, I've never heard anyone mention them outside of this board. A couple of winters ago when Iaink insisted that they're widely used I went and looked at all the cars in a car park here and found that, iirc, 15% had winter tyres. Some tiny proportion anyway.
If people want to have them, Good Luck to them, but there's no need for them in the GTA and no business case for fitting them which is why rental fleets don't have them.
If people want to have them, Good Luck to them, but there's no need for them in the GTA and no business case for fitting them which is why rental fleets don't have them.
Jan 8th 2012, 5:38 pm
#8
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Rental Cars Tires?
We put all terrain on with a winter/snow rating, I have a few friends who use winter tires. Out of the Fraser Valley BC, all routes to the interior require the use of winter tires or chains. Not having these, having an accident, ICBC are likely to come knocking for reimbursement of any payout. This seems to be the way it is going. Get stopped on a winter route without and you would be turned back, possibly find or the vehicle may be towed if not safe to drive.
Jan 8th 2012, 5:45 pm
#9
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
We put all terrain on with a winter/snow rating, I have a few friends who use winter tires. Out of the Fraser Valley BC, all routes to the interior require the use of winter tires or chains. Not having these, having an accident, ICBC are likely to come knocking for reimbursement of any payout. This seems to be the way it is going. Get stopped on a winter route without and you would be turned back, possibly find or the vehicle may be towed if not safe to drive.
Truth being stranger, I have just this minute installed one winter tyre on the Beetle. I think it'll make the car a bit swervy but we'll see.
Jan 8th 2012, 7:10 pm
#10
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Posts: 3,363
Re: Rental Cars Tires?
I've rented hundreds of cars in Canada and the US including one from Enterprise last week. No mention has ever been made of winter tyres. In fact, I've never heard anyone mention them outside of this board. A couple of winters ago when Iaink insisted that they're widely used I went and looked at all the cars in a car park here and found that, iirc, 15% had winter tyres. Some tiny proportion anyway.
If people want to have them, Good Luck to them, but there's no need for them in the GTA and no business case for fitting them which is why rental fleets don't have them.
If people want to have them, Good Luck to them, but there's no need for them in the GTA and no business case for fitting them which is why rental fleets don't have them.
Jan 8th 2012, 7:19 pm
#11
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
The OP asked about Toronto and Edmonton. I've no idea about the latter but they're definitely not needed in Toronto.
Jan 8th 2012, 9:22 pm
#12
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
It is worth noting there is a difference between snow tires and winter tires. The winter tires that are manditory in Quebec and advertised everywhere currently are not designed specifically for operating in snow, as are snow tires or fitting chains etc. They are designed for operting in winter conditions in general which can include snow but also ice and more to the point low temperatures.
The rubber compound that all season tires are made from loses its pliability below about 7C and gets worse the colder it gets. The stiffer and less pliant the rubber is the worse your traction and the lower your performance in siituations like emergency stopping. Having winter tires fitted for subzero temperatures improves your stopping distance considerably, hence the reference to them in the huge increase in rearenders and sliding cars you see every winter, even in the GTA.
Sure there isn't a giant blizzard everyweek and 4 foot snow drifts to overcome but saying it doesn't drop below zero every winter in the GTA is not true and (apart from the current warm spell although still subzero at night) for most of January and February and March it will be quite a lot below zero.
While there is the fact you have to pay for them upfront they aren't really more expensive in the long term as you change your tires every 6 months so you use your all seasons half as often and they last longer. so you can have 2 sets of tires last say 6 years instead of 1 set last 3 and need replacing (depnding on your driving of course and kms).
It doesn't take very long to change 4 wheels twice a year, I just time mine with an oil change or service and they do it for free, or jsut do it in your driveway.
Plus many insurance companies offer a discount, like for having an alarm or driveway/garage etc. for using winter tires as it reduces your risk of sliding into the back of someone who stops abruptly in sub zero conditions, which, given the level of driving ability in the GTA, is a lot.
The rubber compound that all season tires are made from loses its pliability below about 7C and gets worse the colder it gets. The stiffer and less pliant the rubber is the worse your traction and the lower your performance in siituations like emergency stopping. Having winter tires fitted for subzero temperatures improves your stopping distance considerably, hence the reference to them in the huge increase in rearenders and sliding cars you see every winter, even in the GTA.
Sure there isn't a giant blizzard everyweek and 4 foot snow drifts to overcome but saying it doesn't drop below zero every winter in the GTA is not true and (apart from the current warm spell although still subzero at night) for most of January and February and March it will be quite a lot below zero.
While there is the fact you have to pay for them upfront they aren't really more expensive in the long term as you change your tires every 6 months so you use your all seasons half as often and they last longer. so you can have 2 sets of tires last say 6 years instead of 1 set last 3 and need replacing (depnding on your driving of course and kms).
It doesn't take very long to change 4 wheels twice a year, I just time mine with an oil change or service and they do it for free, or jsut do it in your driveway.
Plus many insurance companies offer a discount, like for having an alarm or driveway/garage etc. for using winter tires as it reduces your risk of sliding into the back of someone who stops abruptly in sub zero conditions, which, given the level of driving ability in the GTA, is a lot.
Jan 8th 2012, 9:40 pm
#13
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
Budget Car rental in Edmonton offer snow tires for an extra $12.99 a day.
http://budgetedmonton.com/winter-tires/
Enterprise in Atlantic Canada offer winter tires, but not anywhere else and Avis offer them in Atlantic Canada and Vancouver.
http://budgetedmonton.com/winter-tires/
Enterprise in Atlantic Canada offer winter tires, but not anywhere else and Avis offer them in Atlantic Canada and Vancouver.
Jan 8th 2012, 10:17 pm
#14
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Location: Ontario
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Re: Rental Cars Tires?
It is worth noting there is a difference between snow tires and winter tires. The winter tires that are manditory in Quebec and advertised everywhere currently are not designed specifically for operating in snow, as are snow tires or fitting chains etc. They are designed for operting in winter conditions in general which can include snow but also ice and more to the point low temperatures.
The rubber compound that all season tires are made from loses its pliability below about 7C and gets worse the colder it gets. The stiffer and less pliant the rubber is the worse your traction and the lower your performance in siituations like emergency stopping. Having winter tires fitted for subzero temperatures improves your stopping distance considerably, hence the reference to them in the huge increase in rearenders and sliding cars you see every winter, even in the GTA.
Sure there isn't a giant blizzard everyweek and 4 foot snow drifts to overcome but saying it doesn't drop below zero every winter in the GTA is not true and (apart from the current warm spell although still subzero at night) for most of January and February and March it will be quite a lot below zero.
While there is the fact you have to pay for them upfront they aren't really more expensive in the long term as you change your tires every 6 months so you use your all seasons half as often and they last longer. so you can have 2 sets of tires last say 6 years instead of 1 set last 3 and need replacing (depnding on your driving of course and kms).
It doesn't take very long to change 4 wheels twice a year, I just time mine with an oil change or service and they do it for free, or jsut do it in your driveway.
Plus many insurance companies offer a discount, like for having an alarm or driveway/garage etc. for using winter tires as it reduces your risk of sliding into the back of someone who stops abruptly in sub zero conditions, which, given the level of driving ability in the GTA, is a lot.
The rubber compound that all season tires are made from loses its pliability below about 7C and gets worse the colder it gets. The stiffer and less pliant the rubber is the worse your traction and the lower your performance in siituations like emergency stopping. Having winter tires fitted for subzero temperatures improves your stopping distance considerably, hence the reference to them in the huge increase in rearenders and sliding cars you see every winter, even in the GTA.
Sure there isn't a giant blizzard everyweek and 4 foot snow drifts to overcome but saying it doesn't drop below zero every winter in the GTA is not true and (apart from the current warm spell although still subzero at night) for most of January and February and March it will be quite a lot below zero.
While there is the fact you have to pay for them upfront they aren't really more expensive in the long term as you change your tires every 6 months so you use your all seasons half as often and they last longer. so you can have 2 sets of tires last say 6 years instead of 1 set last 3 and need replacing (depnding on your driving of course and kms).
It doesn't take very long to change 4 wheels twice a year, I just time mine with an oil change or service and they do it for free, or jsut do it in your driveway.
Plus many insurance companies offer a discount, like for having an alarm or driveway/garage etc. for using winter tires as it reduces your risk of sliding into the back of someone who stops abruptly in sub zero conditions, which, given the level of driving ability in the GTA, is a lot.
2. Having a set of snow tyres and swapping them in each winter does cost appreciably more than not doing so. Apart from the cost, or hassle, of doing it, the snow tyres melt in warm weather such as we've had recently. A tyre dealer told me gleefully that no customer of his used snow tyres through last winter without ruining them in the heat. If you watch the weather and run on the right tyres for the day then fair enough.
3. Never heard of a discount for tyres, nor one for alarms. I suppose they may exist but insurance cost here is all about age and driving record so I can't imagine you'd save enough to pay for the tyres.
Again, if people like them, good for them but they're as critical for driving in the GTA as heated seats.
Jan 8th 2012, 11:07 pm
#15
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Rental Cars Tires?
1. "Snow tyres" is colloquial English for "winter tyres", the ones with little snowflakes on them. We know there are more specific types of tyres for people in Finland and similar places.
2. Having a set of snow tyres and swapping them in each winter does cost appreciably more than not doing so. Apart from the cost, or hassle, of doing it, the snow tyres melt in warm weather such as we've had recently. A tyre dealer told me gleefully that no customer of his used snow tyres through last winter without ruining them in the heat. If you watch the weather and run on the right tyres for the day then fair enough.
3. Never heard of a discount for tyres, nor one for alarms. I suppose they may exist but insurance cost here is all about age and driving record so I can't imagine you'd save enough to pay for the tyres.
Again, if people like them, good for them but they're as critical for driving in the GTA as heated seats.
2. Having a set of snow tyres and swapping them in each winter does cost appreciably more than not doing so. Apart from the cost, or hassle, of doing it, the snow tyres melt in warm weather such as we've had recently. A tyre dealer told me gleefully that no customer of his used snow tyres through last winter without ruining them in the heat. If you watch the weather and run on the right tyres for the day then fair enough.
3. Never heard of a discount for tyres, nor one for alarms. I suppose they may exist but insurance cost here is all about age and driving record so I can't imagine you'd save enough to pay for the tyres.
Again, if people like them, good for them but they're as critical for driving in the GTA as heated seats.
All things tire
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/t...3-menu-200.htm
The winter bit...
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/t...winter-424.htm
Out west ICBC does not give a discount, but do penalise if you have the wrong tires for conditions. http://www.icbc.com/news/2010nov22-06
It seems some in ON do give a discount
https://www.belairdirect.com/english...contact_us.htm
One thing for sure, the tire shops get really busy when it snows!
A lot depends on ones safety risk threshold and the value put on ones safety. It is a personal call.
The improved stopping distance can be the difference between making it and not. The cost of changing tires can be high, the cost of not changing tires can be higher. We never know until it happens. For us it was not worth the risk, even having the mildest winter for years.
Last edited by Aviator; Jan 8th 2012 at 11:11 pm.