What winter tires and rims do you use in the colder months?

robxb

robxb

Active Member
Hi, I will hopefully be getting my Kona in December, being my first EV, which will mean winter driving! What winter tires and rims did you get for your Kona?

I am aware that using non-oem rims will likely increase aero drag, but can't justify the expense for a couple more kms of range (I will curse myself the day a charger is 3km further haha).

I am looking at 16" rims from various stores (cause the tires are cheaper as well), including Costco, but most have an offset of 38mm-40mm vs the stock 50mm, meaning the wheels would stick out an extra 12mm from the side of the car. Has anyone done this? Any issues, concerns, noticeable reduction in efficiency due to the aero drag from them sticking out a little?

For tires, any thoughts on the best winter tires, considering price and range, as they don't reallllly have low rolling resistance tires like they do in the summer?

For details, I am specifically looking at..

Rims: HY-1 REPLICA 16X6.5 5-114.3 38P C67.1
2nd here https://www.c-wheels.ca/en/fitments...uct_list_dir=asc&submodel=Preferred&year=2019

Tires: Michelin x-ice xi3
https://tires.costco.ca/Product?lang=en-ca&ItemNo=321916&SearchID=215|||60|||16|||3|||en-ca

Thanks!
 
I plan on getting Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires for my car. I've had them on my Cmax for 4 winters and I am very happy with them. Low noise, great grip. As for rims, I haven't started my search yet. That said, personally I wouldn't get a rim with such a large offset difference.
 
robxb said:
One question: I've never picked out rims for myself before. For the centre bore, it's fine as long as it's larger than the 67.1mm, yeah? I noticed you had all of them selected. Thanks
Click to expand...

Generally speaking yes. A center bore of 67.1 matches the factory specs. If you go larger, you may need/want an adapter called a Hub Centric Ring. This is basically a plastic ring to make sure the wheel is installed perfectly centered and can help reduce vibration. They are safe to use and dirt cheap.
 
Don't forget, if you go with a 16 x 6.5" rim for winter use, it's 1/2" narrower than the 7" factory rim. Or about 12 mm, 6mm per side. The factory 16" Kona non electric wheels have a 44 offset. I'll be going with 45 on mine.
 
Bugblndr said:
Don't forget, if you go with a 16 x 6.5" rim for winter use, it's 1/2" narrower than the 7" factory rim. Or about 12 mm, 6mm per side. The factory 16" Kona non electric wheels have a 44 offset. I'll be going with 45 on mine.
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Thanks. Yeah I saw the difference in the rim size. Would you discourage going narrower on the rim by the half-inch? I know The tire will conform to the shape, but is it not recommended for any reason if it's that small of a change?

As for the offset, I saw that the ICE Kona's 16" is 44mm, 17" is 50mm (what's on the BEV) and the 18" (on ICE) is 52mm.. so anywhere from 44-52 should be fair game.

I will likely just stick with the stock centre bore, as that's all I was looking at. Thanks for the info on the hub centric ring.
 
One thing to watch out for with aftermarket wheels, is front caliper clearance, esp with lower diameter rims (higher sidewalls). Newer cars tend to have larger calipers and often wheels that met previous gen cars, no longer fit. One solution is to go with a lower offset, but then you get more poke (tire sticks out past the wheel well).

Best is to buy wheels that are confirmed to fit on your car by actual users (not just by specs) or do a test fit yourself. Wheels with more poke can affect the cornering dynamics of your car. This is esp true of the newest cars with more sophisticated suspension systems.
 
robxb said:
Thanks. Yeah I saw the difference in the rim size. Would you discourage going narrower on the rim by the half-inch? I know The tire will conform to the shape, but is it not recommended for any reason if it's that small of a change?

As for the offset, I saw that the ICE Kona's 16" is 44mm, 17" is 50mm (what's on the BEV) and the 18" (on ICE) is 52mm.. so anywhere from 44-52 should be fair game.

I will likely just stick with the stock centre bore, as that's all I was looking at. Thanks for the info on the hub centric ring.
Click to expand...

The offset changes mostly because the rim width changes. This keeps the wheel basically in the same place in the wheel well from model to model. Narrower wheels aren't a bad thing necessarily, especially in winter. As long as you have enough offset to keep the wheels out from the brake calipers. My plan is a 6 x 6.5" rim and a 45 offset. I've dealt with PMC for rims/rubber a few times and they've always sold me something that fit great on my current model vehicles.

My car arrives next week after 2 delays (original arrival date was Aug 12th, then Aug 23rd, now Aug 28th). I'll be buying my winter rims/rubber at some point in September or very early October.
 
Bugblndr said:
The offset changes mostly because the rim width changes. This keeps the wheel basically in the same place in the wheel well from model to model. Narrower wheels aren't a bad thing necessarily, especially in winter. As long as you have enough offset to keep the wheels out from the brake calipers. My plan is a 6 x 6.5" rim and a 45 offset. I've dealt with PMC for rims/rubber a few times and they've always sold me something that fit great on my current model vehicles.

My car arrives next week after 2 delays (original arrival date was Aug 12th, then Aug 23rd, now Aug 28th). I'll be buying my winter rims/rubber at some point in September or very early October.
Click to expand...
Will you be installing TPMS sensors as well or just live with the TPMS malfunction indicator?
I'm sure you will report back with the rims/tires combination you chose after installing them.
 
Bugblndr said:
The offset changes mostly because the rim width changes. This keeps the wheel basically in the same place in the wheel well from model to model. Narrower wheels aren't a bad thing necessarily, especially in winter. As long as you have enough offset to keep the wheels out from the brake calipers. My plan is a 6 x 6.5" rim and a 45 offset. I've dealt with PMC for rims/rubber a few times and they've always sold me something that fit great on my current model vehicles.

My car arrives next week after 2 delays (original arrival date was Aug 12th, then Aug 23rd, now Aug 28th). I'll be buying my winter rims/rubber at some point in September or very early October.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks for the info. The relation between offset, rim width, and caliper clearance makes a lot more sense now.
 
electriceddy said:
Will you be installing TPMS sensors as well or just live with the TPMS malfunction indicator?
I'm sure you will report back with the rims/tires combination you chose after installing them.
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I'm still debating that. It would add about an extra $220 at least, so I'm wondering if it's worth it. How annoying is the TPMS warning in the Kona? Aside from the light going on, does it make audible sounds or anything? Gotta remember that $220 is likely over the life of the vehicle, and not just the tires... so if I were to have it for 10 years, that would mean $22 a year, or $44 if you consider it's just for the season. I can easily just look at my tires visually and check the tire pressure myself if they look low.
 
robxb said:
I'm still debating that. It would add about an extra $220 at least, so I'm wondering if it's worth it. How annoying is the TPMS warning in the Kona? Aside from the light going on, does it make audible sounds or anything? Gotta remember that $220 is likely over the life of the vehicle, and not just the tires... so if I were to have it for 10 years, that would mean $22 a year, or $44 if you consider it's just for the season. I can easily just look at my tires visually and check the tire pressure myself if they look low.
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That I am not sure of , I did have a low pressure once and remember the dash warning light on and indicator on LCD remained on, but I didn't try to choose another screen. Someone else who runs winters on separate rims may be able to help with that part .
Personally I would install sensors if I was investing to avoid the distractions. Maybe a Hyundai tech could also advise.
 
electriceddy said:
Will you be installing TPMS sensors as well or just live with the TPMS malfunction indicator?
I'm sure you will report back with the rims/tires combination you chose after installing them.
Click to expand...
I doubt I will install TPMS sensors. 4 winters in the Cmax without them, I can live with the light on. I assume it's similar in the Kona. I know with most cars, the dealership still has to match the sensor to the car before they will work properly.

Not worth the time or expense for me. I'd sooner spend the money on another EVSE, trailer hitch, window tint, etc.
 
Bugblndr said:
I doubt I will install TPMS sensors. 4 winters in the Cmax without them, I can live with the light on. I assume it's similar in the Kona. I know with most cars, the dealership still has to match the sensor to the car before they will work properly.

Not worth the time or expense for me. I'd sooner spend the money on another EVSE, trailer hitch, window tint, etc.
Click to expand...
I guess the only real issue is if one could't change the LCD display, the idiot light I could live with.
 
Bugblndr said:
I doubt I will install TPMS sensors. 4 winters in the Cmax without them, I can live with the light on. I assume it's similar in the Kona. I know with most cars, the dealership still has to match the sensor to the car before they will work properly.

Not worth the time or expense for me. I'd sooner spend the money on another EVSE, trailer hitch, window tint, etc.
Click to expand...

I could live with the light on the screen, but my concern is more-so loosing more range in the winter to a tire that's not visibly low, but might be 5-10psi under-inflated. That over the lifespan of the vehicle makes me wonder if it's better financially.
 
robxb said:
I could live with the light on the screen, but my concern is more-so loosing more range in the winter to a tire that's not visibly low, but might be 5-10psi under-inflated. That over the lifespan of the vehicle makes me wonder if it's better financially.
Click to expand...

Very good reasoning. I've got a tire pressure gauge and an air compressor in the garage. I generally check all our cars tires every couple of weeks and adjust accordingly. It's quite amazing the difference in a tire's pressure from +20C to -5C.
 
Thanks for this thread. I am in the process of buying my Kona in Maine. I have seen a lot of discussions on this and other forums regarding winter tires. I have always had studded snow tires on my cars (FWD sedans). I am wondering if folks have experience with studs on their Kona? My local tire place suggested Laufenn I fit ice. I haven't been able to find any info about studded tires and EVs in general via a google search. I'm nervous about only using winter tires and not studs. Thoughts? Many thanks.
 
Henrysaunt03 said:
Thanks for this thread. I am in the process of buying my Kona in Maine. I have seen a lot of discussions on this and other forums regarding winter tires. I have always had studded snow tires on my cars (FWD sedans). I am wondering if folks have experience with studs on their Kona? My local tire place suggested Laufenn I fit ice. I haven't been able to find any info about studded tires and EVs in general via a google search. I'm nervous about only using winter tires and not studs. Thoughts? Many thanks.
Click to expand...
I don't see studs as being an issue with Kona EV other than more noise and less range. If your area requires it I would go with it especially FWD.
 
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