Without reading this whole post I would recommend Nokian WRG2 or the Conti Extreme Contact DWS both in size 205/50-16. The WRG2 is an LLR tire but I believe that the Conti does not have the rating. However, reports for the Conti show a modest increase in MPG when aired up to the max rating on the side wall. For what it's worth, LLR rated Nokians WRG2 SUVs installed on our Honda Element showed a modest increase in MPG.

 

honestly, if you live in an area that gets snow AND ice during winter months, i'd advise you to get winter tires.

my family never got winter tires, until we got into an accident while making a turn (mind you, it was a slow turn. we just lost grip over ice). so it was an expensive lesson, but we learned from that mistake.

now, for all of our cars, we have winter tires. it honestly is a night and day difference.

 

There is a good video about how winter tires perform with fairly packed snow. Note the speeds they mention. They arn't talking about going 50-60 mph, they are referancing to speeds around 20-30 mph. The braking test is a good one, a nearly 30ft gap from a 30 mph emergancy stop is rather critical. Also note it's perfectly flat terrain.

YouTube - Tire Rack Tire Test - All-Season vs. Winter Tires

I can understand your reasoning for going all season but as long as it gets cold in the winter and there is a good chance for snow and ice, then getting the winter tires is the best thing to do. But if by inconsistant you mean that some years you don't see any and some you may see a little, then you MAY beable to get away with all seasons provided it does not get cold (such as below freezing consistantly where all seasons begin to loose some of thier flexability). But if you mean you will get snow and ice but the amounts vary greatly, then winters are a given.

And from a cost perspective, it's not as significant as it seems. While the upfront investment is higher, the cost over time isn't anything drastic since you're wearing each set of tires only half the time (or more like 1/3rd winter and 2/3rds all season). Because of that the cost does balance out, the real additional cost is the rims but it's not terribly difficult to find inexpencive steelies.

 

I'm pretty sure I remain firmly in the minority that actually thinks the OEM Dunlops handle very well in snow, and lately- ice. And least you think my NY winter can't compare to yours somewhere out there, this year I beg to differ. I've trounced through deep unplowed snow when I had no business doing it and kept right on going. I climbed up ice laiden hills and was every bit amazed at what I just got away with without a problem. Maybe it's the light weight of this car, I don't know. But I've never had a car handle so well in such poor conditions- all on OEM Dunlops. MPG's always drop in winter. I don't think twice about it- only once; can't wait to get back to summer mpg's.

But, I'm in the minority. What can I say. Maybe there is one thing I can say- I help the situation a great deal by driving accordingly. I paddle shift for lower gears and handle the car under bad conditions so as to help the car help me. If you're gonna just push the gas pedal and spin your tires and generally just spin out because you're driving like it's a warm summer day...you're gonna have problems. In that case, go through the trouble of putting snows on. Maybe that'll help you.

Dan

 

I'll agree with you Dan. The Fit is not the best winter car I've driven, but the Duns aren't what kills it. It's more the way you drive it. I've had a bit of trouble with the stock ride height and snow clogged roads that are simply too deep. Almost got stuck once, but was able to reverse and gather enough forward momentum to 'plow' through. Snows really wouldn't have made the difference.

I was not a fan of the Duns, but they've turned out to be a not too bad tire. I will replace with Cooper Tourings for a better rated and quieter tire when these wear out, but I'm guessing I'll put over 40K on them first.

 

Yea, it is rather wierd that several states a fair bit south of us here got worse snow then us :P But on average our winters are quite consistant with snow and the -10/-15C is producing some fairly decent ice on the ground. But so far the wind has been worse then the temperatures >.> No stuck cars here but some of these days may just have me stuck shivering :P

Driving technique would obviously take priority over the tire. A well driven car with summers would do better in snow then a maniac with winter tires on (exagerating). All seasons are designed to simply be ok or acceptable under all conditions. The reason the extra grip is a good thing to have is you don't need a lot of grip under most normal driving conditions. What you need it for is emergancies. The Fit is a very safe car but it's no truck or SUV. It often fares better when it uses it's smaller profile and agility to avoid the crash, but it needs to stick to the road to do so. Winter presents many differant elements which causes grip to lessen and thus presents riskier conditions. The thing you need to consider aswell is not weither you're the safe driver on the road, it's those around you. During just that one day of that snow storm with barely any cars on the road, I drove 10km that day going to work and back. I nearly got hit 3 times, twice from someone going just a little too fast and nearly slid into my rear end, and once from someone turning right and slid into my lane. You can drive safely but you're not the only driver out there.

I've driven in winter on both, and I'm willing to bet a good many have driven on all seasons for much longer then I have. But those who experiance winter tires usually won't go back. But in the end it's still a decision that the owner needs to make with thier car. Atleast this discussion helps to bring some information out so people can make an informed decision ^,^

 

You know, years ago on a winter visit to friends in the mountains of Vermont one of the first questions was, "What kind of tires you got?".
Folks in serious snow country know the value of solid winter tires and proper driving techniques.
Many a fair weather flat lander can get away with all seasons, I've even done it for years, but you go where it really snows and you'll see winter tires and snow chains and four wheel drive.
Low riding [stock] FIT's will not be a popular choice, let alone dropped ones.

We shouldn't kid ourselves - it's more about physics than anything else.

What tends to keep me on all-weathers is the fact that our winters really aren't that bad and the snow clearing is quite good, so to have a separate set of tires is not worth the investment to me.

A few more winters like this one and I might be looking at a Subaru...

 

You never know, those winters just might happen :P Front wheel drive cars arn't that bad in winter conditions either. It's rear wheels you want to avoid when the snow and ice hits the ground. Although all-wheel is never a bad thing either

The snow clearing is a good point too. It seems the plows around here in Markham have thier plows an inch off the ground cause they never seem to get a good clearing... >.> For areas with inconsistant winter weather, snow clearing isn't as deligent as it is in areas that expect it on a regular basis. The snow can sit there for some time before it's cleared and in those areas you can expect inexperianced snow drivers.

But yes, it all comes down to physics... Ahh physics... Always finding ways to slap people in the face and saying they can't do things :P