lexusk8

I like to hear some opinions on riding "mixed" tires (i.e. at least 2 different brands in one set of tires). I don't have them on my car, but my co-worker is riding Toyos on the front and Michelins in the rear of his Acura TL. He says he gets some vibration while driving, even with the tires balanced and aligned.

Technics

When it comes to driving in the snow you should have a matched set of tires. Different tires in the front or rear will drastically change how the car handles. For instance if you had dedicated snow tires in the back and all seasons in the front, your stopping and turning ability would be compromised greatly. Meaning, you would have no problem accelerating but you still need to steer and brake too. I'm sure this applies to dry conditions as well, just not as extreme.

squarehat

Thats why I couldn't believe my local tire shop, when I told them I was putting my stock wheels back on my ES for the winter, told me I should buy two Artic Alpins for just the front two wheels. I told them I was happy with my MXV4's, thank you, which have about 85-90% tread left on them. I thought that putting a pair of snow tires only on the drive wheels went away with those old, beastly RWD cars (late 70s-early 80s). I remember, when I was little, watching my dad put the snows on the two rear wheels of the family '79 Malibu wagon for the winter. Those were the old-school, chunky snow tires, that looked like something you'd see today on a crossover/SUV.

Brandon@TR

Ideally there will be 4 of exactly the same tire on the vehicle. If you must mix then it is safe to do so with the same speed rating and type of tires. Always mount new tires in the rear. You should never mix winter tires. Here is a good link...

2 snows are a No No!