My 24 Mav Lariat, AWD, with tow came with 18", my snow rims are 17. When I bought the snow's for the 17 rims the tire dealer said that if my speedometer read 65, I would actually be going 64.75. Thought close enough... However, using WAZE, at 75 on the speedometer, WAZE says 72/73... That's enough that the mpg numbers on the dash or calculated arn't accurate. Also, miles to empty numbers are worthless... at 10 - 25 MTE my gas gauge shows about a quarter of a tank. Going to talk to dealer to see if that is something they can adjust when I put the snows back on.
Will they help? Sure. Are they needed, probably not. I have lived in northern MI most of my life and never bothered with snow tires and have never had issues. Snow tires would be needed if you had a sports car that you wanted to drive year round or if your vehicle came with summer tires that aren't good for low temps. Mavericks come with all season tires which should be good for anyone not living in Alaska. It is more about how you drive in snowing conditions that really maters. Snow tires aren't a bad idea though as they will help make your normal tires last longer. If it gives you peace of mind go for it. As far as the 225/65R17s, you should have no problem with those with no mods.
That is what the tire dealer was suppose to have done. 65 vs his quoted 64.75 was as close as they said they could get, but that is not what I am seeing vs WAZE.
Here in SWPA we have some serious hills. Not that high but steep.
Snowtires are a must when your a snowmobiler and up in northern Maine and eastern Canada much of the winter. I backed right out of this mess, though did shovel about 3 feet behind each tire to make sure I could get started. lol
That thing was indestructible. My 1970's HS driving style failed to stop it, even when I drove it straight through the woods like an ATV. It leaked oil, and the engine would shut off when there wasn't enough in it. I'd get out, put in a quart, and drive off. Try THAT with anything but a Camry!
On RWD trucks it is way more important to have weight in the bed of the truck than to have snow tires. Mavericks are all either FWD or AWD so there is no need for it. Slippery mode isn't really needed either, it only limits how fast you can hit the throttle so you don't spin the tires so bad. If you are used to driving in the snow then it doesn't add much benefit.
when I lived in Summit County and Park County CO, a lot of local workers had 2wd pickups, and would throw in a 1/4" thick steel 4x8 sheet in the bed in the winter. And use studs (90's). Bonus: we'd charge Texans $20 to pull their Suburban or other giant 4x4 SUV out of the ditch. I'd do that with my Toyota 4x4.
I get what you're saying, if you're gonna habitually outdrive the capabilities of your tires and brakes, it doesn't matter how much grip or brake you've got.
You’ve hit the nail on the head here. These are more aptly called winter tires or ice tires, rather than snow tires.
