Winter tires best on performance cars

By Doug McAllister

Q. I have a BMW rear-wheel drive car and last year I really struggled to drive the car when the roads got snowy. It was actually scary to drive because it did not want to stop - and the acceleration was really bad, as well.

The car seems fine on dry roads. Do I just need new tires?

A. This is a great question and I actually had this same experience with a BMW I owned at one time. The tires still had some tread on them but the car was undrivable in the snow.

I chose to buy a set of winter tires on all four wheels and it was amazing how well the car handled in the snow. You will probably get some traction with a new set of regular tires but I highly recommend a set of winter tires for your car to get maximum performance.

This advice holds for any performance car with a low-profile tire.

I recommend buying winter tires already mounted on another set of wheels so you don't have to mount and balance tires twice a year. It is much better for the tires not to take them on and off the wheels twice a year. This also allows you to respond to the changing weather much faster.

You don't want to leave the winter tires on the car in the warmer weather because the tires will wear out on dry pavement way too fast.

You will be very happy with this solution and you can decide next spring whether or not you need to replace your summer tires.

• Douglas Automotive is at 417 W. Main St., Barrington; 123 Virginia Road, Crystal Lake; and 416 Northwest Hwy., Fox River Grove. For information, visit douglasautomotive.com. Send questions to underthehood@dailyherald.com.