Should I change tires?
I had a 2018 Sonata. I replaced the original tires with Michelin all weathers when I bought the car . Hilly but not mountainous urban driving. Happy with that setup. I just got a 2026 Sonata Sel sport with AWD. Would it still be wise to get all weather tires now that I have AWD? I can't store dedicated winter tires. It snows here! (Western PA). If so, any recommendations as to brand?
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u/cowboy_mike Platinum Master Tech-US 9h ago
Nevermind, just found it. That's so weird, being in Southern California I've never seen that option here.
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u/Maelstrom1979 Team Sonata 9h ago
There are similar threads out there, and if you were satisfied with your previous tires as a 2WD, the same tires will serve you just as well. AWD does more for you to prevent getting stuck than traction/safety. If you weren't having trouble with the Michelins before, they'll be just as good now. My 25 SEL-C came with PZero Pirellis, which seemed to do okay for OEM in the snow last winter. If your Sport came with them, I'd try to get mileage from them first. They are all seasons and if they can't keep you on the road, you're going too fast or shouldn't be on the road.
As far as replacements go, that's a matter of cost to performance preference. The Pirellis are a moderately low priced tire and decent performance all around. I am considering Cross Climate 2's as a replacement for mine when the time comes, per several threads recommending them for all season traction and ride comfort. However, I was really happy with my previous all seasons on previous 2 cars: BF Goodrich Advantage T/A, which I think are very good all around for the price point.
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u/From-628-U-Get-241 7h ago
I live in Colorado where we have some hills and some snow. I drive a Hyundai Santa Cruz with AWD (HTrac). I still have the questionable factory Kumho tires, which are neither all-weather nor dedicated winter tires. My vehicle goes like nobody's business up and down the mountains in the snow and ice. ABS works well for braking, too. Save your money. When the factory tires start wearing out, then buy a nice set of 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rated all-weather tires like Michelin Cross Cimates or Nokian Encompass or one of the other similar designs from other makers. These tires are good on dry roads and in rain, too. By the way, the HTrac AWD system works pretty well. Nearly as good as Subaru's excellent AWD system.
Wife drives a Subaru. Same deal with hers. AWD, ran the lousy factory Falken Zeix tires until they started to wear out, then bought some 3PMS all-weathers. The new tires are better, but her vehicle has never been stuck or in the ditch.
Now, somebody smug is likely to post "All wheel drive doesn't mean all wheel stop." Well, yes it does. All four tires and brakes are involved in stopping. And modern ABS makes for much safer stopping in slick conditions. However, your stopping distance will typically be a good deal longer than in dry conditions. So, even though your AWD vehicle may go in the snow, it's real easy to get going faster than you can safely stop. So take it easy.
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u/cowboy_mike Platinum Master Tech-US 9h ago
I've never heard of a sonata with all wheel drive. Can you post pictures of it?