I think most of us know that a tire with a smaller tread is better in the snow. Wide tires are like snow shoes and ride on top of the snow. So did anyone actually install smaller width tires? I didn't but now wished I did.

I put snow tires on my stock 16" wheels.

I just bought the 17" STS wheels, which I will be putting on in the summer!

So, I guess by default -- yup! I have smaller snow tires!

M

I put snow tires on my stock 16" wheels.

I just bought the 17" STS wheels, which I will be putting on in the summer!

So, I guess by default -- yup! I have smaller snow tires!

M

Probably a good call!

I'm running narrower and taller. My summer tires are 245/45-18. The winter tires I have now are 225/55-17. They have been working wonderfully during the past couple blizzards in Detroit.

Summer 225 55 17
Winter 225 65 16

Spring thru Fall on the factory 17" Lux/Sport rims
Winter on the factory 16" base model rims

In the Balto-Wash area, it is quite common to have manhole covers pop up 2-3 inches from all of the freezing/thawing that occurs on a daily basis. Definitely wouldn't want to run any rim over 16"...need all the sidewall height to survive the busted up pavement.

If we got alot more snow here (ie., New England), I'd probably go the tall-n-skinny route.

225/65/16 for the winter
225/45/18 for summer

225 width here. I was going to go plus-down, but WalMart (where I bought my Graspics) has a policy against installing anything but the stock size and I didn't have the energy to argue with the idiot. But I would've only went down one size anyhow, so I don't think there's that much difference between 215 and 225.

I'm running 225-55-17's X' Ice in the snow and 225-50-17 GSA's in the summer.
The max pressure on the X Ice's says 51psi which is extreme. I can't think of a situation where that would work unless it was bone dry, you had four over-weight people, a full truck and a full tank of gas while pulling a trailer!
I've run the psi all over the map and found the best handling at 38psi. I've set the psi as low as 30 but it was too soft in low speed turns and road like an "old caddie" (smirk). 35psi was good in a few inches of snow but as soon as it dried up I found the car still had too much bounce or re-bound on bad pavement. I went has high as 43psi and the car was scary at anything over 140KPH on dry pavement. As this tire was not designed as OE on the CTS and it is a slightly narrower with lots of cuts in the tread block, it is understandable.
The good thing is these tires rock in the snow or on ice compared to other makes I've used on other cars in the past.

Snow tires? What are those?

Uuuhhh...Snow what??

You know snow!! They stuff that you can throw at those damn FORD FUSIONS!!!!

I haven't owned a rear wheel drive car in about 20 years. I've never really like the understeering handling of front wheel drive in the snow and am excited about the aspect of kciking my ass end around turns on demand.
Is it a neccessity (sp?) to run a snow tire or will the stock radials get me around town?

Its up to you. The stock wheel will probably do just fine for you depending on the snow, ice, tread, and how you drive. Its hard to say, but a snow tire will definetely give you better grip.

Spring thru Fall on the factory 17" Lux/Sport rims
Winter on the factory 16" base model rims

In the Balto-Wash area, it is quite common to have manhole covers pop up 2-3 inches from all of the freezing/thawing that occurs on a daily basis. Definitely wouldn't want to run any rim over 16"...need all the sidewall height to survive the busted up pavement.

If we got alot more snow here (ie., New England), I'd probably go the tall-n-skinny route.
Hey Bladehack, are there any CTS clubs that meet in "our" area?

I'm using the same size as my summer tires. 245/45/18

I was looking at my Pirelli snow tires last night and discovered I had 225x45x18 not 245x45x18. So in a small way they are smaller than my 245x45x18 summer tires. I still have my OEM 17" rims and could put smaller snow tires on them but my current ones will last a long time only driving them 4-5 months per year.

I am running 225/50x17 Goodyear for summer and just got new 225/60x16 Dunlops for the winter. They have really made a difference. I am driving a 2005 CTS Black Raven 3.6 Luxury Sport. I decide to put on the winter tires after my wife slide of a driveway at a friends house.