Down to what temp have you safely used the OEM ITS tires?

[Blek le Roc]

I mean for semi-normal driving, not racing and dry roads.

Most resources out there say 40* F. We're having a brief cold spell, and I have not yet put the winter tires on.

TIA

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[Tw1stedlog1k]

I've driven the precusor to the factory tires (PSS) down to 44 degrees once because I had to move the car to another city. My biggest concern was less about grip and performance (though there was certainly lack of it) but more sidewall cracking.

I drove gently and had no issues because I was able to keep the tires mostly warm at about 50 degrees (my previous car had tire temp sensors) but I probably wouldn't drive them in sustained cold temps REPEATEDLY (key word) for too long. If you're just waiting on tires to be delivered or something then I think you'll be fine if you don't have to move the car on those colder days. A couple of times just to get to the shop would probably be fine.

 

[bvanlieu]

Yes keep it above freezing in terms of storing however many of the cars were delivered in winter in the norther part of the company. Driving (gently) at 35d as needed if you garage the car is not too bad in that the tires have some heat in them. None of those cars exploded (mine included: took delivery during a warm spell in Feb but still was not over 45d f

The biggest issue I have seen with summer compounds isn't just temp, but wet performance coupled with sub 50d temps show them getting far more squirrely.

If storing outside with repeated overnight temps at 40 or below, get A/S compounds or winter compounds.

 

[Underdog]

Yesterday morning was 36F when I left for work and I noticed no adverse effects. My commute is ~10 minutes of backroads, followed by 10 minutes of highway. The car is garage-kept overnight.

My new wheels and A/S tires are due the first week of November.

 

[chopsuey34]

40-50 degrees is the usual recommended switchover point to winters.

I owned a FRS and put Michelin Super Sports on it. Because of work scheduling and weather surprises in Michigan one winter, I drove them in freezing conditions (25-28 degrees F) for a few days, but only in the dry. I was very gentle when driving to prevent cracking and excess wear and to avoid conpromised performance.

I wouldn't recommend this long term, but I didn't notice any cracking or wear after those few days. One of the reasons I'd rather just stick with high performance all-weather tires these days.

 

[StingertimeNC]

I've driven them on days in the high 20'sF to the track, then actually drove on the track in the low 30's with no issue. took an extra warm up lap but literally was just above freezing.

 

[SomethingSomething]

I can't fathom how you live in Massachusetts and never went below 44 degrees. Do you mount winters in September and leave them on until May? Or is this a second car and you have something else for cold/bad weather?

I luve in Ohio and fall and spring are all over the place temperature-wise, and assume MA is the same.

I've driven the summers down to 30ish degrees. That's air temp, not ground temp, and my car is garaged so it's not prolonged exposure to those temps. I take it easy as it gets colder but I never had a problem. Last year I put winters on in late November. I may do earlier this year, but I'd only had the car 2 weeks at that point last year.

I've driven the precusor to the factory tires (PSS) down to 44 degrees once because I had to move the car to another city. My biggest concern was less about grip and performance (though there was certainly lack of it) but more sidewall cracking.

I drove gently and had no issues because I was able to keep the tires mostly warm at about 50 degrees (my previous car had tire temp sensors) but I probably wouldn't drive them in sustained cold temps REPEATEDLY (key word) for too long. If you're just waiting on tires to be delivered or something then I think you'll be fine if you don't have to move the car on those colder days. A couple of times just to get to the shop would probably be fine.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

I can't fathom how you live in Massachusetts and never went below 44 degrees. Do you mount winters in September and leave them on until May? Or is this a second car and you have something else for cold/bad weather?

I luve in Ohio and fall and spring are all over the place temperature-wise, and assume MA is the same.

I've driven the summers down to 30ish degrees. That's air temp, not ground temp, and my car is garaged so it's not prolonged exposure to those temps. I take it easy as it gets colder but I never had a problem. Last year I put winters on in late November. I may do earlier this year, but I'd only had the car 2 weeks at that point last year.

Yes our weather is similar so it definitely gets colder here. My experience was with my previous car which I put away for the winter. For the ITS I put the winters on early, I've been driving around on 255/35 Nexen Winguards since early October. The Nexens have been...tolerable.

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