Last summer we bought an '18 Toyota Highlander with AWD. It came with all season tires. I've read that tests have shown all seasons to be no better than highway tires and I sure agree with that. Even with AWD, traction on slick roads is marginal. The problem is that the rubber is hard and made for high mileage. They last about as long as highway tires but they don't have slick road traction.
I'd like to get a set of real snows for it but first I have to find a set of wheels. I'm not going to pay to have them mounted twice a year. So far, all I can find, even used, cost $150 and up. They're 19" and those seem to be at a premium.
I would first try to get a set of wheels that are not 19 inch to fit your Vehicle, Cheaper?Preferably something in the 16 inch range would be nice. Then I would go with either Nokian or Bridgestone,Blizzak. I’ve run Michelin and Firestone dedicated winter tires I found the previous mentioned to be a better winter tire. This is what I do with my Toyota Tacoma and my Toyota corolla, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised in the difference running a true dedicated high-quality snow tire. Don’t know if I would run studs or not, I run studs on my Tacoma they’re nice but if I would do it again I wouldn’t run studs in the area I live in.Good luck in your decision making.
