Winterizing the 530

This past Saturday I got the 530 ready for winter by putting the set of snow tires back on the car. I bought the tires last year after an early December storm had me struggling to get up a gradual incline. Last year it never snowed again, but supposedly this year we’ll see some of the white stuff.

The garage I went to said they see fewer people around here doing what used to be very commonplace. With the mild winters the greater DC area has had the past few years, most drivers go with a set of all season tires year round. This is especially true for front wheel or all wheel drive cars, but the 530 is rear wheel. And you don’t want to be caught in even a mild dusting with summer performance tires, which I put on this spring.

For those who experience tougher winters, there are actually different snow categories to choose from. You can choose performance snow, studless snow or studdable, sacrificing ride and handling for better snow traction each step of the way. Here’s Tirerack with the full story: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/types/snows.jsp

I went with Hankook Ice Bear W300s, 235×45 all around. They are about as good in dry weather as snows can be, but will help me stay on the road in the white stuff. While I was at it I swapped out the floor mats.

Safe travels and a Merry New Year to all.