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Road Trip!

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I think that was an ideal time to drive in general. I remember even 405 in Bellevue was wide open 24/7 (today a couple mile backup SB every weekday), and downtown was a ghost town.

    People are no doubt suffering cabin fever due to pandemic restrictions/WFH, and I think try to spend every weekend minute out of the house.
    xwesx said:


    That's funny... I almost can't imagine such traffic in that area. When we drove through, it was all lights and not a soul to be seen anywhere. Of course, it was probably 11pm or later, on a Monday night, and the first week of March.

  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Went canyon carving Saturday morning. Couldn't catch a break as with each road and turn it seemed a slow moving truck, working truck, dumpster, hauling-truck went in front of us to go slow.

    Sunday mornings are probably better; too much construction type stuff going on Saturdays, even early in the morning.

    Just before getting home, the right rear tire low pressure sensor went off; need to check it today to see if I have a real leak. Good thing is the tires are near the end of their life. This might accelerate my purchase of 4 new tires.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Glad I hit the road and made the big move 2 weeks ago and moved the old dear a week ago, things are a bit different now. View from my deck this morning:





    That reminds me, I want to get a set of snow tires. I was also thinking about dedicated wheels, but several on the E-class forum I read say I can just run snow tires on the stock 19" wheels (I thought those might be too big). Any opinions?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    fintail said:

    Glad I hit the road and made the big move 2 weeks ago and moved the old dear a week ago, things are a bit different now. View from my deck this morning:





    That reminds me, I want to get a set of snow tires. I was also thinking about dedicated wheels, but several on the E-class forum I read say I can just run snow tires on the stock 19" wheels (I thought those might be too big). Any opinions?

    Normally, I say dedicated wheels. But, how much are aftermarket 18" wheels going to be for a Mercedes? If you are going with 19", then I'd put them on the stock wheels.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    All-in after tax and labor, a set of even cheaper aftermarket wheels would be over a grand, added to the tires which would be even more than that, it isn't a small expense. I was thinking of finding a set of used OEM 18" wheels (I think the smallest found on S213), but that might not create any savings. The forum people think 19s won't be a problem.
    kyfdx said:



    Normally, I say dedicated wheels. But, how much are aftermarket 18" wheels going to be for a Mercedes? If you are going with 19", then I'd put them on the stock wheels.

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    fintail said:

    All-in after tax and labor, a set of even cheaper aftermarket wheels would be over a grand, added to the tires which would be even more than that, it isn't a small expense. I was thinking of finding a set of used OEM 18" wheels (I think the smallest found on S213), but that might not create any savings. The forum people think 19s won't be a problem.

    kyfdx said:



    Normally, I say dedicated wheels. But, how much are aftermarket 18" wheels going to be for a Mercedes? If you are going with 19", then I'd put them on the stock wheels.

    Mounting/balancing 2X/yr with TPMS is going to be pricey, too. And rough on the tires.

    I'd rather have an OEM used set, as well, if you are buying wheels. (Plus, the 18" tires will be cheaper).

    You'll still have a charge to swap them out, twice a year, though. Are you using a dealer for this? Most luxury dealers will store your winter wheels/tires for you.

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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,024
    I bought a (new) set of aftermarket wheels the first winter I had the ATS, they were about $150 apiece IIRC. They were 17" (so -1") and the X-Ice snows were cheaper than 18" size. It is happier on the 17s than the standard wheels and tires. I also had to buy a set of TPMS sensors for them but Rockauto came through with a good price on those. Costs about $150 all-in twice a year for the swap plus storage fees.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,250
    One thing to ask yourself is 'Do you need to drive when is snows?'
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,024

    One thing to ask yourself is 'Do you need to drive when is snows?'

    The OEM tires on the ATS are summer-only performance tires and apparently should not be driven in temps below 40 or 50 degrees F regardless of whether there is snow or not.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I think this area averages around 50" of snow a year, and has its share of hills. The car has OEM all seasons on it now, I am not confident they'll cope with real winter weather. I'll be WFH at least through the year, but will occasionally need to buy supplies etc and maybe maybe a few family-related trips which could involve winter weather.

    Haven't decided who I'd go through - I see the dealer sells tires, maybe they could hook me up with a set of OEM 18" wheels (which I think look better, and would probably be better quality). Tire prices don't seem to vary much between retailers.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    fintail said:

    Glad I hit the road and made the big move 2 weeks ago and moved the old dear a week ago, things are a bit different now. View from my deck this morning:

    That reminds me, I want to get a set of snow tires. I was also thinking about dedicated wheels, but several on the E-class forum I read say I can just run snow tires on the stock 19" wheels (I thought those might be too big). Any opinions?

    That is so pretty - a lovely change of pace, even if it only lasts a short time.

    Unless you plan to keep the car beyond the lease period, I don't know that I would invest in the cost of dedicated wheels. You can likely sell them after the lease is up if your next vehicle is not compatible, but you'll still probably eat up to 50% of the cost of the purchase. You can certainly run snow tires on the stock 19"; they will cost you somewhat less in smaller sizes. If you decide to run dedicated wheels, then going with a smaller 17" or 18" is the way to go.



    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Yeah, supposed to be in the 50s by next weekend, more time for tire shopping I guess.

    I am pretty sure there will be situations where the stock tires won't cut it. I am undecided what I am going to do at lease end - it might come down to what the car will cost - the offer on my prior car was far under residual, a similar offer this time would be tempting, but at the same time, I'll likely not lease again due to MB cutting products I like, so I'll have to do something.

    I've found a couple online sellers who list the 17-18" OEM wheels, but one must call before placing an order. I am going to check those first, as I trust those wheels over what might be random Chinesium on the aftermarket front. Significant difference in tire pricing from 17 to 18, from what I have seen - the MB forum guys are most fond of certain Nokian and Michelin models.
    xwesx said:



    That is so pretty - a lovely change of pace, even if it only lasts a short time.

    Unless you plan to keep the car beyond the lease period, I don't know that I would invest in the cost of dedicated wheels. You can likely sell them after the lease is up if your next vehicle is not compatible, but you'll still probably eat up to 50% of the cost of the purchase. You can certainly run snow tires on the stock 19"; they will cost you somewhat less in smaller sizes. If you decide to run dedicated wheels, then going with a smaller 17" or 18" is the way to go.



  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,057
    @fintail - I'm a SoCal native coming up on my 28th winter in Colorado. We get 60" of snow on average.

    I've never owned winter tires, and most of my DD's have been FWD. 8 years of pizza delivery and I only got stuck 3 times.

    With AWD, you should be able to navigate all but the absolute worst weather. Probably 5-10 days of that each year, and generally you should stay home.

    @breld and I discuss this all the time.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I've thought about just winging it, and there's a chance I might - the existing all-seasons are in great shape and it is a competent AWD car. But at the same time, I fear being stuck, and I might want to go "play" in the snow sometime.

    Also due to some family issues, I'll probably have to go to back to Seattle a few times in the relatively near term, but flying is attractive when I can get rides to/from the airport.
    Michaell said:

    @fintail - I'm a SoCal native coming up on my 28th winter in Colorado. We get 60" of snow on average.

    I've never owned winter tires, and most of my DD's have been FWD. 8 years of pizza delivery and I only got stuck 3 times.

    With AWD, you should be able to navigate all but the absolute worst weather. Probably 5-10 days of that each year, and generally you should stay home.

    @breld and I discuss this all the time.

  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,498
    edited October 2020
    What it comes down to is gradient. If you're on flat ground most of the time and don't need to go up or down a steep slope to get to your parking space or where you work, you can probably do without dedicated snows. That said, after I put on a set of Michelin winter tires two years ago (on cheap Tire Rack wheels an inch smaller than stock) I've done much better up here where we get 4-6 feet of snow (not all at once, but it stays for a week or three) on my sloped driveway. I'm a huge fan of a separate set of wheels with good winter tires, but if I lived on flat ground and didn't have to go out every day. . .not so much.

    Apparently I'm saving $300 per year by doing the changevers myself. Who knew?
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    That's a thing, there are hills here. My driveway is at the crest of a hill - turn right and it is steep downhill, turn left and the grade is less, but eventually you're going up or down another hill. All stores and workplace etc involve hills. I've been happy staying in today, as I have stuff to do - but eventually there will be a snow day where I want to go out. I know the city tries hard to plow/sand when there is more than 4"of snow, but one won't always be on an arterial/

    The dedicated wheels/tire route is the most expensive, but maybe the most ideal, I can run a smaller wheel for maybe better ability, and just switch em rather than remounting. If one of the wheel resellers I found have a set of the 17" OEM wheels, that will be the likely choice - no fitment worries, and the tires are a little cheaper.
  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,057
    fintail said:

    That's a thing, there are hills here. My driveway is at the crest of a hill - turn right and it is steep downhill, turn left and the grade is less, but eventually you're going up or down another hill. All stores and workplace etc involve hills. I've been happy staying in today, as I have stuff to do - but eventually there will be a snow day where I want to go out. I know the city tries hard to plow/sand when there is more than 4"of snow, but one won't always be on an arterial/

    The dedicated wheels/tire route is the most expensive, but maybe the most ideal, I can run a smaller wheel for maybe better ability, and just switch em rather than remounting. If one of the wheel resellers I found have a set of the 17" OEM wheels, that will be the likely choice - no fitment worries, and the tires are a little cheaper.

    The town I lived in when I was doing pizza delivery is at 6200', with probably a couple hundred feet difference between the high and low spots. Did the deliveries in my Saturn L300, the Saturn ION and the Hyundai Elantra GT - all with A/S tires.

    Just one data point...

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    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Come to think of it, I have no memory of my dad using winter tires in Moses Lake when we lived there in the 80s, his Horizon would make it through anything, and there were some big snow events during the harsh winters of that era. At the same time, my mom would demand chains at the first sign of snow sticking to roads. I am in between that I guess B)
    Michaell said:


    The town I lived in when I was doing pizza delivery is at 6200', with probably a couple hundred feet difference between the high and low spots. Did the deliveries in my Saturn L300, the Saturn ION and the Hyundai Elantra GT - all with A/S tires.

    Just one data point...

  • tifightertifighter Member Posts: 3,591
    Winter tires? Yes. You're in EA WA now where sub-freezing temps (especially at night) and ice is real. The difference in grip on my Volvo CC between AS tires and winters was dramatic. Same with current fleet. It's nice to be able to stop. Dedicated wheelset? Tough call, I'd probably struggle to do this for a lease. Guess you'll have to buy it out...

    23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Probably a 50/50 chance right now that I buy it out - second to the last year for a non-cladded non-AMG E wagon in the USDM, unusual trim, good colors, decent options. Being the end of the era might hurt resale, which could work in my favor. On the con side, it doesn't have *every* option I'd want, but some of those are most likely on special order cars and I have little luck finding the "perfect" car when searching the ad sites.

    One little dust-up on an icy road could cost much more than a set of tires or wheels/tires, which encourages me to do it, along with the peace of mind.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    fintail said:

    Come to think of it, I have no memory of my dad using winter tires in Moses Lake when we lived there in the 80s, his Horizon would make it through anything, and there were some big snow events during the harsh winters of that era. At the same time, my mom would demand chains at the first sign of snow sticking to roads. I am in between that I guess B)

    Michaell said:


    The town I lived in when I was doing pizza delivery is at 6200', with probably a couple hundred feet difference between the high and low spots. Did the deliveries in my Saturn L300, the Saturn ION and the Hyundai Elantra GT - all with A/S tires.

    Just one data point...

    Winter tires weren't all that popular prior to the mid-90s.

    I did have studded snow tires on the back of my Cobra II. That was an interesting ride on dry pavement.

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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,024
    Took the ATS out this afternoon just for a pleasure drive on a sunny fall day with temps in the high 40s, as next week is supposed to be cold, wet and windy. About half of it was on a back road I haven't been on in years, which is always a bit of a gamble around here as those roads are often badly worn, potholed and unpleasant to drive. I got lucky this time as the main back road I was on had been recently repaved so was in good condition, and without much traffic it was a good test for the suspension. It reminded me again of what a great driving car this is on those kind of roads. I have never had a car handle like this one, and the power to pass the occasional dawdler on those narrow 2-lanes on the rare straight stretch was just effortless. A fun few hours.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    fintail said:

    Chinesium

    Now that's hilarious, and so true! It doesn't apply to all products manufactured there, yet certainly implies the roulette-style game you sometimes must play when buying such products.

    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    Got my new tires tested in the rain on Palomar mountain this last Sunday morning. They shined. Pretty awesome considering the tread pattern on the A052's certainly looks geared toward dry tarmac, but they stuck in the wet nicely. Even the FWD GTI's in the group were able to survive the mountain twisties going up at a fun pace, though they had new all-season or regular summer (wet-friendly) tires too it looked like.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I pulled the trigger, got an 18" wheel and tire package. I went through the dealer, who was surprisingly competitively priced, and offers storage etc.

    I wanted to find a set of OEM wheels, but the trim level they sold with is a slow seller (dropped after MY 2020), so no dice - I could get them direct from Germany even at a not crazy price, but I am not that patient.. Per the dealer's recommendation, I bought a set of Blizzaks, and I chose a set of Rial wheels. Should have them installed next week, no doubt for a stretch of warm dry weather.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    edited October 2020
    fintail said:

    I pulled the trigger, got an 18" wheel and tire package. I went through the dealer, who was surprisingly competitively priced, and offers storage etc.

    I wanted to find a set of OEM wheels, but the trim level they sold with is a slow seller (dropped after MY 2020), so no dice - I could get them direct from Germany even at a not crazy price, but I am not that patient.. Per the dealer's recommendation, I bought a set of Blizzaks, and I chose a set of Rial wheels. Should have them installed next week, no doubt for a stretch of warm dry weather.

    It is going to be crazy weather right up until you get them on the car.... then dry for the rest of winter. :D

    I imagine they are going to look really good on the car, given your insistence on all the details... so you are going to need to share a photo when you get them on there.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Snow stopped here by early Saturday, just cold now - 14F last night. No precip in my preferred weather model for the next 10+ days, highs around 50 by weekend. No extreme cold either, but this place tends to get snow, so it's just a matter of time.

    I chose black wheels, which I usually hate, but they will show grime less, and will kind of "look the part". It'll be an interesting scene, the car on those wheels and meaty tires.
    xwesx said:


    It is going to be crazy weather right up until you get them on the car.... then dry for the rest of winter. :D

    I imagine they are going to look really good on the car, given your insistence on all the details... so you are going to need to share a photo when you get them on there.

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Please post pictures when you can.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Installation scheduled for next Friday, I'll get a few pics for sure.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited October 2020
    I think I mentioned my winter wheel/tire setup for Southern California before; here's a pic:


    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    andres3 said:

    I think I mentioned my winter wheel/tire setup for Southern California before; here's a pic:

    Where is that 'dislike' button again.... ? :D
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited October 2020
    xwesx said:

    andres3 said:

    I think I mentioned my winter wheel/tire setup for Southern California before; here's a pic:

    Where is that 'dislike' button again.... ? :D
    They got tested in the rain right away Sunday morning! I give them a 9 out of 10 in the wet. I think it's because they operate more optimally at lower temperatures than the Cup 2's, and the engineering cared more about wet performance than with the Cup 2's. Lastly, they'll never be better in the wet than when new right.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    andres3 said:

    xwesx said:

    andres3 said:

    I think I mentioned my winter wheel/tire setup for Southern California before; here's a pic:

    Where is that 'dislike' button again.... ? :D
    They got tested in the rain right away Sunday morning! I give them a 9 out of 10 in the wet. I think it's because they operate more optimally at lower temperatures than the Cup 2's, and the engineering cared more about wet performance than with the Cup 2's. Lastly, they'll never be better in the wet than when new right.
    I think they will be. When perfectly new, there are often oils in on the rubber that help preserve their grip while in storage, so usually tires offer the best performance after 200-1000 miles of use, depending on conditions. You might even notice the change given that you do use your tires to their limits (while most of us most likely do not!).
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited October 2020
    xwesx said:

    andres3 said:

    xwesx said:

    andres3 said:

    I think I mentioned my winter wheel/tire setup for Southern California before; here's a pic:

    Where is that 'dislike' button again.... ? :D
    They got tested in the rain right away Sunday morning! I give them a 9 out of 10 in the wet. I think it's because they operate more optimally at lower temperatures than the Cup 2's, and the engineering cared more about wet performance than with the Cup 2's. Lastly, they'll never be better in the wet than when new right.
    I think they will be. When perfectly new, there are often oils in on the rubber that help preserve their grip while in storage, so usually tires offer the best performance after 200-1000 miles of use, depending on conditions. You might even notice the change given that you do use your tires to their limits (while most of us most likely do not!).
    I was aware of the "500 mile break-in period with tires" Likely the 200-500 range is more accurate for summer tires with softer compound I'm thinking.

    I probably only got about 100-125 miles on them before really testing them to about 8/10ths. I didn't push it for two reasons; one, it was my first time on A052's and it was wet, two, because I was aware I didn't do the full 200+ mile break in, and three, I had FWD cars in front of me in the "Last Sunday" driving group.

    Due to those factors 10/10ths might be higher than I know, and my 8/10ths might only be 7/10ths for all I know. They should definitely be broken in now though.

    On a side note, I think the tires are some of Japan's best engineering yet. My initial impressions of the tire is that it is a winner and likely a 9+ out of 10 in every category I can review thus far (everything but longevity/durabililty/wear). They are very highly civilized for a 200 treadwear tire; ride just fine, and don't make excessive noise.

    I will now gladly post a Yokohama sticker on my car instead of Michelin if either one would gladly sponsor me for free tires for the life of the car.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    edited October 2020
    andres3 said:

    I will now gladly post a Yokohama sticker on my car instead of Michelin if either one would gladly sponsor me for free tires for the life of the car.

    Oh, heck yeah. I would do that too! :D

    Even every other set free would be well worth the price of entry.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited October 2020
    xwesx said:

    fintail said:

    Chinesium

    Now that's hilarious, and so true! It doesn't apply to all products manufactured there, yet certainly implies the roulette-style game you sometimes must play when buying such products.

    I think I saw a funny meme with a T-Shirt that stated:

    DRIVE German
    DRINK Russian
    WEAR Italian
    KISS French

    I have complied with all of that, though my Italian is probably limited to my car's wheels and Maui Jim Sunglasses I'm partial to. I do love a good Russian Vodka.

    Now the last one, does it mean french kiss or kiss a French woman? :smile:
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Reminds me of this classic:

    image

    Did some errands today, first time I drove since before the snow. As temps have warmed to around 50F now, arterials are fine, but many side streets are still covered. Residential arterial traffic reminded me of Seattle, I believe due to some dumb planning regarding construction, and all traffic controls being on sequences rather than sensors. Also, an alarming amount of uncontrolled intersections here - these make me very leery.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    New wheels, who dis?



    Glad I had the foresight to take the pic, as I was driving on wet roads 10 minutes later, and the car got dirty.

    I have only around 20 miles at most on the tires now, they definitely feel softer, probably due to a taller sidewall. Might head over to CdA this weekend to pick up an accessory for the fintail, which would be a small trip (70 miles total).
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited November 2020
    fintail said:

    New wheels, who dis?



    Glad I had the foresight to take the pic, as I was driving on wet roads 10 minutes later, and the car got dirty.

    I have only around 20 miles at most on the tires now, they definitely feel softer, probably due to a taller sidewall. Might head over to CdA this weekend to pick up an accessory for the fintail, which would be a small trip (70 miles total).

    Nice, you definitely will fit in with the younger generation Z crowd now.

    Now you just have to "black out" all the chrome and black out the badges or debadge all together. Oh yeah, smoke/blacken your brake light housings, and limo or 20% tint on windows too all around. I'm not a fan myself of all that, but that'll make you hip and young.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    edited November 2020
    I'm almost never a fan of black wheels for the masquerade of sport - I chose these for winter tires as I think they'll be easier to maintain - won't look so bad when dirty, and if they get a mark, touch it up with black paint.

    The tires have a beefy look compared to the all seasons, too - I am going to try to keep myself from putting any tire dressing on them.
    andres3 said:



    Nice, you definitely will fit in with the younger generation Z crowd now.

    Now you just have to "black out" all the chrome and black out the badges or debadge all together. Oh yeah, smoke/blacken your brake light housings, and limo or 20% tint on windows too all around. I'm not a fan myself of all that, but that'll make you hip and young.

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    I think the black wheels look good on it.

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  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    Good choice for the winter wheels! Looks intensely black in that photo, but it will all be nice shades of grey soon enough! :)
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    Speaking of winter... woke up to a solid foot+ of snow this morning. Enough that my Q7 was plowing snow over the hood on my un-driven arterial road this morning, and I have 10" of ground clearance!




    I will need to get a shot of the Q7 if I can think of it....
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,250
    edited November 2020
    People are going to think 2 people with white Merc wagons moved in within a short time of each other.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    andres3 said:

    fintail said:

    New wheels, who dis?


    Glad I had the foresight to take the pic, as I was driving on wet roads 10 minutes later, and the car got dirty.

    I have only around 20 miles at most on the tires now, they definitely feel softer, probably due to a taller sidewall. Might head over to CdA this weekend to pick up an accessory for the fintail, which would be a small trip (70 miles total).

    Nice, you definitely will fit in with the younger generation Z crowd now.

    Now you just have to "black out" all the chrome and black out the badges or debadge all together. Oh yeah, smoke/blacken your brake light housings, and limo or 20% tint on windows too all around. I'm not a fan myself of all that, but that'll make you hip and young.
    Looking good.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,498
    Fin - how's it going out there on the east side? I have good memories of Spokane going back to '72 when I overnighted there on a drive from Edmonton to San Diego in January in an MGB -- good times. Either way, the wide open spaces of eastern WA and OR are very different to the western side. Hope you're doing well.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Hey thanks. All good so far. I spent a bit of my childhood on the east side of the mountains, Columbia Basin specifically, so the scenery is familiar to me, if even somewhat pleasing. It's different world here, still some bustle and even a little traffic, but it doesn't feel like the crushing rat race of metro Seattle. Work is still in that "new learning" phase, but it too seems all good so far. The lower cost of living is another plus. Looking forward to some snow again now.

    Fin - how's it going out there on the east side? I have good memories of Spokane going back to '72 when I overnighted there on a drive from Edmonton to San Diego in January in an MGB -- good times. Either way, the wide open spaces of eastern WA and OR are very different to the western side. Hope you're doing well.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    edited November 2020
    I wonder if there's even another white one in town, the people at the dealership were surprised by it. I think locals might just go for the SUV, although Subarus are yuuuuge here, at least as much as Seattle if not more.

    People are going to think 2 people with white Merc wagons moved in within a short time of each other.

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    edited November 2020
    Road trips.... it's been so long since I took a legitimate road trip. However, sometimes one can take a fair bit of a trip without hardly even leaving home!

    On Monday night, as I was going to pick up my son from work, I saw a truck with an empty flatbed trailer sitting on the side of the road. They looked "distressed," so I made a mental note to check on them if they were still there when I returned.

    A few minutes later, and they were, indeed, still there. Turns out, they had a water tank (around 250 gallons) on the flatbed trailer, but the tank broke loose and slid off the trailer into the adjacent snow bank. Since the tank was only about 1/3 full (~75 gallons), and there were six of us available, we decided to see if we could hoist it back onto the trailer. We slid it over to the tail, tipped it to set the leading edge on the trailer, then lifted the rear and pushed it on. Job done!

    However, when I sat down in my car to drive away, I said, "does it smell like fuel in here?" My son says, "Oh yeah! I don't think it was water in that tank...." Sure enough, that was heating oil, and it was leaking because I had it all over my gloves, pants, and boots. What. A. Mess! The next day, I stopped through there to look at the site, and I strongly suspect that tank was full when the accident occurred, because there was a huge amount of fuel that was spilled all over the area. I called DEC Spill Response to inform them of the situation (likely around 150 gallons of fuel spilled), but I have yet to see any visible cleanup effort.

    Moving on, we drove another couple miles down the road toward home, and I come across a disabled vehicle in the slow lane (third generation Econoline van, maybe late 70's/ early 80s?). Since it was sitting in the road, dark, and the road surface was ridiculously slippery, I figured this was a recipe for disaster. I stopped, offered help, and the guy was grateful to have me pull him to a safe location a couple miles away (this area is an expressway with guardrails on both sides and limited access). I got him hooked up and pulled over there. And, best part, he was a brilliant "towee!" He was excellent at braking to control the speed of our vehicles and ensure no mishaps - I was very impressed (usually folks are complete numbskulls about how to operate a towed vehicle on a soft connection).

    Finally, we said our goodbyes with that person and drove another mile down the road to come across a rollover! I think it was a Toyota Corolla, black, with two occupants. Both were fine, car looked mostly intact (amazingly, no broken glass), and help was on the way. They were pretty shaken up, so I helped out by going into the car to shut it down and remove the keys. A cabby came on site and gave them a warm sit (as well as later transport, I assume), a wrecker was on the way, etc., so we took our leave at that point.

    All told, it took us about an hour to drive home (where it normally would take less than twenty minutes) and was quite the adventure! It took me two days to air out my boots and snowpants... and they still stink badly!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Alaska, the last frontier! What an adventure.

    No road trips on my horizon -was maybe going to do something at Thanksgiving, but changed my mind. Flying west for Christmas where I will rent a car (I have points/miles to use) and won't be driving a ton then either.
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