I had an overdue epiphany recently: My minivan needs winter tires. My family lives in Colorado, and we drive to the mountains almost every winter weekend. Each year the Rocky Mountain roads seem more treacherous, the drive seems longer and more crashes seem to happen.
Related: The Cars That Beat This Winter
A winter driving event I attended recently got me thinking about automotive winter prep and helped me realize that winter tires are a necessity for me. They're engineered with special rubber compounds that improve handling, braking and traction in all cold-weather conditions. Yes, winter tires are yet another expense in the money pit that is responsible adulthood, but it's a worthwhile one.
Searching for winter tires consisted of comparison-shopping and online research, just like I'd do for anything else. I stopped at Discount Tire and Big O Tires stores in my area and looked online at TireRack.com. Like most products, with winter tires you can opt to buy a lower-end, least-expensive model; a high-end, quite-pricey model; or something in between.
After researching my choices, I decided to buy Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 tires (photo above) from TireRack.com. The Bridgestone tires were recommended everywhere I went, got great customer reviews online and as far as price was concerned, they weren't the highest or the lowest.
Even though I order everything from laundry soap to shoes online, it seemed unusual to me that I'd be ordering tires on the internet. However, the convenience was too appealing for me to resist. With a TireRack.com order, the tires can be sent to an approved installer, which includes Big O and Goodyear stores, or have them sent to your house and either install them yourself or choose a mobile installer (if there is one in your area). Either way, there's about a one-day delivery period. This would've been the case had I purchased from any of the tire shops in my area since they were mostly sold out of this tire (I didn't exactly get a jump-start on this whole winter-tire action).
For me, again, convenience took over. On-Site Tires, a mobile installer, was listed among TireRack.com's approved installers in Colorado, and I jumped at the chance to not leave my house for installation. My tires arrived late on a Tuesday evening, and the On-Site guys arrived at 10 a.m. the next morning. Less than 30 minutes later, my minivan was outfitted for the winter. The installation price was about $50 — no more than I would have paid elsewhere. There are not mobile installers everywhere, but TireRack.com does work with several throughout the nation.
Perhaps the most thrilling part for me, however, was On-Site Tires took my minivan's all-season tires with them. For a nominal fee, the company will store my tires and call me in the spring to set up an installation appointment. If On-Site hadn't taken my tires, I'd have stored them in my basement, a better spot than the garage since it's a bit more climate controlled. With a quick internet search, you can find local tire storage centers in your area.
The bottom line: If you drive often in wintry conditions, winter tires should be on your radar. After years of going without, I'm eager to put these tires to the test and have some peace of mind that I didn't during previous winters. Of course, I will still drive with utmost care in this winter's treacherous conditions, but will now do so with a bit more confidence.
iStock/ThinkStock and manufacturer images
from KickingTires http://ift.tt/1hiG57n
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