Snow tires
 

Would I be better off just buying some 16" wheels and getting snow tires on those or just put snow tires on my 18's? I've heard the narrower the tire, more traction you get in snow/ice conditions, true?

Bridgestone Blizzak the best snow tire?

Yes.. get a cheap set of 16"s for the snow. 205 front, 225 rear. This way you can leave the 18's with your summer tires and not have to swap tires on rims each fall/spring. Plus, if exposed to salt/sand, you might worry less about the 16's. I also imagine that 16" tires are much cheaper than 18" tires.

Hi,

The Blizzak's are good tires. Switching to 16's isn't a bad idea because the salt and such will attack your wheels, in the winter who cares? But, in Spring, you can just put on your good wheels.

Narrower is better because you want as many lbs./in.² as possible for traction, this is especially true up front where you want greater control in steering as well. The smaller the footprint, the greater the lbs./in.².

I might even consider adding some weight (like a small sand bag) to the front trunk as well to aid in better steering, but this all depends on your average weather and driving conditions. You could always try adding some front weight and removing it if it seems excessive for your driving. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

+1 for Blizzaks.

These guys have great advice.
I've had several sets of snow tires, including Bridgestones, Dunlops and Yokohamas. Blizzaks are nice, but the first 50% of tread is an ice-oriented compound, while the last 50% is snow-oriented. That could be good or bad, depending on your needs and priorities.
Snow tire technology has advanced a LOT in the last several years. Because of this, you're better off buying a tire that was just introduced in the last couple years. Blizzaks made a name for themselves as one of the first non-studded snow tires with good performance.
Probably my favorite snow tires for MY needs are the Dunlop WinterSport 3Ds. In the winter, I drive in 70 degree temps, all the way down to about -15. I live in Denver, where it is frequently 50+. I also ski patrol at Loveland, which tops out at 13,000 feet. Obviously I drive in very diverse conditions.
Combine that with my desire for a fun car, and it makes for a tall order. The Dunlops have filled that order better than any others I've driven.
If you drive on snow MOST of the time in the winter and don't care as much about the dry performance, you may also want to look into the Gislaved NordFrost 5 and the Nokian RSi. Both outstanding in snow.

^ Do your use 16" rims?

If you search the tire reviews Continetal ContiWinters are superior to the Bridgestones.

+1 on the Dunlop winter sports, they almost handle like summer tires!

I have 18" rims and use conti's....pretty amazing the conditions I've driven through.....only one spin out and once I took off in 2nd instead of first gear, the problem was eliminated....I drove the box on the worst snow days in chicago last winter and it held up great