Btw, about stock tires in winter (Kumho Solus KL21) - looks like they are really bad in snow. Found couple of feedbacks on tirerack (click on REVIEWS tab):

I will definitely be looking for a good winters, in smaller size (standard 265/60R18 should do much better then 265/50R20)

 

Make sure you do the calculation with the tire size so that your speedo will read correctly.

As for changing tires, you are in a fairly capable 4x4 (with a low range if you get stuck) with AS tires. You should evaluate the normal road conditions you drive on in Toronto in the winter. If the roads are normally plowed pretty quickly and you aren't a first responder, or don't venture into the mountains with regularity, then the AS tires may suit you very well without having to spend any extra $$. And even with snow tires, you still need to drive gingerly in the winter. I haven't bought snow tires in over 30 years, and have always had rear, or more recently front wheel drive cars. I love seeing SUV 4x4s in the ditch in the winter. It has a little to do with tires, and a lot to do with the way you drive and respect the conditions.

 

Getting stuck does not concern me much. In any AWD car until you keep momentum of movement, it will go far and beyond.

In regards to 4x4 on all-seasons VS winter tires - I don't agree with your statement above
Look at it this way - when car starts to brake to slow-down - it does not matter at all what kind of drive car has - AWD, FWD, RWD, 4x4 Low, it makes NO DIFFERENCE whatsoever! Tires slows down a car, not type of drive.

So many times I saw it - for example, Audi with an excellent AWD system but on crappy no-seasons tires, and it was like a drunken cow on ice. And at the same time on the same road - something like a small RWD bimmer, with good winters, going confidently.

I do agree, that in the city winter tires are probably an overkill most of the time (most of the winter seasons).

 

I don't disagree with you at all. But the momentum argument goes for starting and stopping. Driving in the snow involves managing your movement in all ways. You can't hit the gas to get through that light about to turn red, and you can't slam on the brakes either. You have to anticipate what's going on ahead of you and drive with that in mind. Now if only we could get people to do that in dry conditions we'd have a lot fewer accidents. ;-)

 

I agree with every word you said here !!! And trust me - I do know what it means - driving in a snow :-) Three years of rally racing, including winter races (amateur, of course, TSD) teaches very well to understand the car's dynamics along with physical limitation you have to respect if you don't want to end up in a ditch (or worse)

P.S. With all that said - I can't wait for a winter to arrive finally! It is soooo much fun once in a while - to play a bit! Controlled sideways drift, going through the turns sideways, turning the car using just a throttle, when steering wheel is pretty much useless - it is FUN!!! Though, I probably would play in STI, not in a D.

 

Actually I don't even like to think of it as playing. I urge everyone to "test" the conditions a little when they first venture out in the snow. Better to feel how much adhesion you have at low speed on a neighborhood street or parking lot before you find out the hard way on the avenue.

I also think kids should be given this opportunity professionally as part of driver ed. They would look at it as fun, but they would actually be learning a valuable lesson about cars and physics, and gain some respect for what you should and should not be doing out on the road. I can dream can't I? :-)

 

I just thought - there is a TPMS in D, and new wheels have to have a TPMS sensors, otherwise there is gonna be a constant annoying warning on a dashboard. Fine, I can get wheels with sensors from, lets say, tirerack, but how can I register new sensors to car's TPMS? I checked owners manual and users guide - there are a lot of useless warnings, but nothing in regards to configuration of TPMS.

Anybody has any idea how could it be done short of going to the dealership?

 

On the assumption that they haven't changed the system much. You only need to get the correct TPMS sensors (on the correct frequency). When you start the vehicle it checks via its receiver for the TPMS sensors on a given frequency. If the old ones are not in/near the vehicle it will realize the old ones are gone and will pick up on the new ones. You may need to drive the vehicle to clear the warning light if it comes on, but it should learn the new sensors.

On the Ds that show the exact pressure at each location LF,RF,LR,RR there should be a manual learning procedure, but I haven't found it yet. In my old Yukon you could perform the learn procedure by sequentially dropping air pressure from the tires until the horn blew. I'll keep checking.

 

Looks like you are right about auto-learn process. This is what TireRack says about 2011 Durango:

 

Well they certainly have come along way if the D can figure out which sesor is in which position all by itself.

Kudos to the mfr of that TPMS system