Long story short - I'll be moving from upstate NY to TX this coming January and my biggest feat will be getting the s2000 down there safely (30% of my journey will be through cold weather/snow). My employer has given me the option to rent a Uhaul/flatbed and personally move my vehicle and belongings down - or - the employer will move my personal belongings and I'm responsible for my vehicle. My current tire situation is that I have Eagle F1s all around, with the front having ~60% tread left and rears having ~40% left. So, it may be time for new tires regardless, though new tires would be a tad premature. After much thought, my options are as follows:

1. Just put the s2000 on the flatbed and tow it down. Downside - it's lowered so it would be a pain to get on and off, and I could potentially lose money by renting the additional flatbed

2. Get Blizzaks on the s2000 (which would probably be the safest), then when in TX get my F1's on and sell the Blizzaks. Downside - I'd have to sell used Blizzaks once I got down there and who knows how the used tire market will be. Also, the cost of mounting 2 sets of tires.

3. Get rid of my current tires even though there's reasonable tread left, then purchase a set of all seasons and run those for the next year or two. Downside - slight financial loss by parting with tires that have reasonable tread. Also, will the car perform worse down there with all seasons?

What is my best option while weighing in both finances and safety? I feel like option 3 sounds the best... and if you agree, what tires would you recommend?
Continental ExtremeContact DWS, Kumho Ecsta ASX, Sumitomo HTR A/S P01 (W), Yokohama AVID ENVigor (W)?

Thanks.

 

I have daily driven my S2000 through 2 Canadian winters so far. In these two years I have logged no less than 20,000 winter km in the S2000 while on all season tires. I have never once purchased or put on winter tires on my car. With that said, it is definitely possible to safely drive your vehicle down on all seasons. I'm not saying winter tires are useless, they would undoubtedly grant you more traction and safety than all season tires but for your purposes, I would definitely consider all season tires an option. I can vouch for the Continental ExtremeContact DWS as these were the tires I was driving on last winter. These tires provide phenomenal traction both in the wet and in the snow. When compared to my mother's FWD minivan with all seasons of another make I felt that the S2000 was more stable. The only gripe you may have with these tires is the side wall. The side walls are very soft and cornering will feel a lot more numb.

Another option you may consider... Used winter tires. They are pretty cheap all things considered and will provide the necessary safety if it's your first time driving in the winter. Perhaps you can even pick up a set of winter tires already mounted on AP1's or even steel wheels and just flip them when you get down to Texas. the 205/55/16 seems to be a pretty common tire size and I'm sure there are many people selling steel wheels with tires on them. It shouldn't be a problem to run them all 4 corners since I've seen some S2000 owners do that in the winter.

 

It's my opinion that you still have some life left in your present tires and that you should use some or most of this life up. The biggest concern is the weather in the north so you need to take a direct route to the south which will put you in more reasonable climes within a day. Buy a new set of tires on the way if you suspect impending trouble otherwise, buy a new set in Texas.
Your call though, if you lack confidence in your present tires, buy a new set before leaving New York. Economy is nice but safety always comes first.

 

Used snow tires Upstate, NY

 

Another option:
The drive can be done in a couple of days. The worst weather will be the first half of the trip. Wait for a good weather window and just go for it as is.

good luck.

-jazzman

 

This is what I was going to say. Plan to leave on a sunny day. If you're a diligent driver, depending on what part of Texas, you could feasible make the trip in 1 drive.

 

Yea, look at the forecast and leave accordingly. The only problem I had was my driveway when I left MN for FL in January in 30 degree weather. Head straight south then over to TX.

 

Agreed, the highways should be clear of snow/ice.

 

Well, you won't have the edge that you would with summer tires. However, there's more than one Texan running all seasons for the improved tread life.

 

Can you push back your move a couple months?