Alan2005

FWD always meant front wheel drive to me. 2WD doesn't tell you which wheels are actually driven does it.

Greenhill

Speaking of which I'm going to get mine put on today. Now here's the thing, the old car tyre spec was 205/55's, the new one 205/60s. I'm reliably told (and sorry for the slight thread drift here) that it's not a problem to put the 205/55 winter tyres on the new car. My guess is there'll be a 5% inaccuracy on the speedo (so I'll be going slower than the clock shows) and I'll be putting 5% more kms on the clock.

Does that sound right to you?

iaink

Assuming the rims are the same diameter (16 or 17" or whatever) 205/55 will have a smaller rolling radius then 205/60s.

If I've got this right in my head, so you will be going slower than indicated if you use a 55 in place of a standard 60, and the odometer will be over reading.

You can get a more exact idea of the mismatch:

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

As a general rule as long as the overall diameter is smaller then you wont do any harm. If they are a bit bigger then you might have clearance issues to the bodywork.

Because I'm cheap I got wheels an inch smaller and went up to a larger tire cross section and narrower rubber to keep the rolling radius the same... smaller rims and larger rubber tend to cost a lot less...its all good as long as there is room within the smaller wheels for the brakes. You dont necessarily have to stick to expensive lower profile rubber for winter tires, after all, you are not likely to be driving in such an aggressive way that the lower side wall of performance tires adds to the overall handling significantly.

Greenhill

Thanks Iain.

Steve_P

What he said. ^^^

squargle

Why would anyone not want a four wheel drive in a country with ice on the roads for 3 months of the year ?
I am constantly amazed that people buy 2wd SUVs - a big ugly car that still gets stuck!
Yes you can manage with 2wd and good winter tyres but any kind of four wheel drive can make the difference between getting up that icy hill or not,
There were a few journeys I made last winter that would not have been possible in a 2wd . I live in a semi-rural area with some hills and sometimes have to be out before the snowplow comes.
Toyota Sienna appears to be a good well designed MPV and the four wheel drive option would make it a good all year round vehicle

bodgerx

Doesn't make stopping any easier though, and as a lot of people buy AWD's for the safety, traction doesn't necessarily keep you safe.

Steve_P

The vast majority of roads in populated parts of Canada do not have ice on them for three months of the year.

We do actually clear the roads of snow and ice.

Four wheel drive is just not necessary.

squargle

Yes , I'm very impressed by the efficiancy of snow removal operations but here in Atlantic Canada there is often a daytime melt nightime freeze situation than can leave roads that are just a sheet of ice.

Atlantic Xpat

Whereabouts in Atlantic Canada are you?

Steve_P

But four wheel drive is not really going to help it that situation.

That's were you need decent rubber, read good winter tires.

Butch Cassidy

Decent Rubber can ALWAYS stop you getting in trouble.

squargle

Please dont misunderstand me , four wheel drive is not a substitute for winter tyres but can make a big difference to traction and stability when the going is difficult . It doesnt help you stop any quicker though. It can also lead to overconfidence which is why in winter you see so many 4x4's in the ditch! Studded winter tyres and anti-lock brakes can also be a big help
In Short;
2wd + winter tyres = OK
4wd + winter tyres = Better

jimf

After looking at a number of SUV/MPVs the one we've gone for is the Honda Odyssey. It's FWD and should be okay with winter tyres. In terms of interior space the SUVs such as Pilot/Higlander/Pathfinder are very inferior and the ones with decent space Yukon/Sequoia are expensive towing vehicles.

Would you recomend anywhere in particular in Calgary to get winter tyres/steel rims. Is Costco as good as anywhere?

Steve_P

I would think so.

I do know they will only put the same rated tires on your vehicle that the manufacturer calls for. I wanted to go with an "S rated" tire on a car instead of an "H rated" and they refused to install them, stated liability concerns.