2010 Fusion Sport AWD Winter Tires/Rims

[Kristopher Barton]

I have had my AWD sport blue fusion for 3 months and I love it. I live in NY and was wondering if I should buy winter tires and rims. I am worried most about the sand/salt wrecking the rims. I know the tires are "all season" and it is an AWD. any thoughts would be helpful.

Edited November 29, 2009 by Kristopher Barton

[mgbabe]

My Sport came with a winter tire package for free so my decision was easy. But I think you are right that over time the salt will start to corrode the aluminum wheels. (eventhough they are painted) Especially if they start to get scratched. Plus, the all-season tires that came with my car barely looked like all-season - more like a 3-season tire. Wide with an agressive performance tread pattern. If you get snow, I would go with winter tires even with the AWD if you have 3-season all-season tires like mine.

[pcsgrp35se]

You don't say where in NY your are but I assume you above I84. I found dedicated winter tires eliminated the need for AWD. I am putting on 225-50-17 X-ice2 on a set of take off rims I picked up. I drive lots above Fort Ann on the northway and I would not like to be stuck someplace in the High Peaks area without winter tires. I have seen SUV's and other AWD cars off the road and it looked like they had all season tires. For the few hundred it cost for winter tires, just one preventive stop or not sliding going around a corner, pays for themselves. For what it is worth, last winter season I had my 5 year old artic alpines on my 01' altima se. Even with the tread down to 4 and 5/32's on an inch, the tires were better in the snow then any new all season tire. However, that 5 hour drive in the snow convinced me to replace those artic alpines with the newere x-ice2 and I used them the rest of the winter. That car was a tank. To bad they wouldn't fit my fusion (215-55-60) so this year they are going on the wife's altima.