I live in Massachusetts and routinely negotiate hills to get anywhere. My 2006 Toyota Corolla is doing well and just over 100K miles now. I intend to keep it going as it's paid for, maintenance is normal and lifespan is known to be long.
I priced out winter tires for the first time at my garage. The best is $118 includes installation. So that's $472 before tax. I said let's get a middle of the road tire pricing the job at $422 before tax. Tax rate is 6.25%
We had a snow storm yesterday. When it was over, I drove out in the afternoon on a personal errand. The car did fine. Not a slip or slide. But, there wasn't a substantial hill or any other traffic on the snowy road. It was plowed okay but had plenty of snow on the road.
Do I really need these tires? I think I do, I think I don't. I just did a December budget plan and have the cash to pay for this without dipping into back up funds. I'll be low funds at the end of the month but all expenses projected can be paid.
There's also an installation fee twice a year of $120. I guess I could do it myself but I haven't changed a tire in many years. Am I strong enough to jack up a car and swap them out? I have some doubts there. If they aren't balanced properly, that's a worse thing. They have to come off by April and cannot be put on until November. They are traditional snow tires and not all weather. Is it a best buy?