[LennyR]

Excellent video. One question, however, is whether the Brits' summer tires are basically the same as our all-season tires, which are what most everyone drives on in North America.

I would say that Consumer Reports Magazine did testing and came to similar -- if not so dramatic -- conclusions.

 

[LennyR]

Snow Tires are Worth It

When I moved to central Maine 30 years ago, I tried keeping the all-season Michelins on my '84 Accord coupe year-round. Big mistake! At one point, I touched the brakes just after cresting a small hill at a slick spot and found the car going backwards down the road before I knew it. Turns out that snow tires are not only for straight-ahead traction, they are also for stopping and for turning. You will miss that a lot if you go through a winter of snowy roads without them. My winter tire of choice is the Michelin X-Ice series.

 

[LennyR]

You can get a set of top-quality snow tires mounted and balanced on black 16" steel wheels, delivered to your home or to a shop where they can be mounted for about $935 at TireRack.com, including tax. That's the price I came up with for Michelin X-Ice tires, which is my preferred type. You can get alloy wheels if you want to spend extra money, but they are more likely to become warped on winter roads. The one thing I don't know about, as I do not yet own an Insight, is whether you will need a special valve stem. My 2012 Civic requires a TPMS stem, but I think that they have (thankfully) been eliminated.