Are the 22” tires adequate for Chicago winter driving?

[MD Waits]

No off roading but some snow for sure…

Sponsored

 

[Gshenderson]

I would say no. 22’s are performance tires an those generally suck if there’s any now at all on the road.

 

[C.R. Rivian]

Absolutely. Range is good on my 22" tires. You can get to 300 mi. with moderate driving. One caveat: the load is not 1760lbs...at least not on my sticker:

I've been curious to see if any of the other tires (21s or 20s) show the initially listed 1760lb rating. Not a big deal for me, but you might want to check if you're concerned.

 

[MD Waits]

I have 22” tire set on my Cadillac ESV. They’re all season rated and do well. But I can’t find where Rivian says if their 22” tires are all season.

 

[sevengroove]

I have 22” tire set on my Cadillac ESV. They’re all season rated and do well. But I can’t find where Rivian says if their 22” tires are all season.

https://rivian.com/support/article/what-type-of-tire-comes-with-each-wheel

• 22” Sport wheels come with all-season performance tires for the best on-road handling and are M+S rated

 

[Dark-Fx]

They were okay on light snow we had after I got my truck. I probably wouldn't trust them for anything deep though. I plan on getting snow tires for next season. Michigan here.

 

[crashmtb]

They are a performance biased all season tire.

not the best choice for a whack of lake effect snow, but probably tolerable if you’re not the sort of person who thinks that all wheel drive makes you invincible.

search around the forum, there are a few threads now on winter driving and tires.

 

[MD Waits]

Thanks all!

 

[R1Sky Business]

Thanks all!

Don't compromise the safety of you and your family for a nice look.

 

[yizzung]

There’s also like 40 miles of range to consider not just looks…

 

[usofrob]

Unless we know the actual tires, they all seem like they are mountain and snow rated, but the 22" are the performance variety. That probably means they are the best. I imagine Chicago winters are similar to SE Michigan and SE Michigan winters are mostly cold, wet, slushy, and some snow that usually gets cleared. All-season tires can work very well in these cases, and you may have better performance on average even in bad weather.

The grippiest tires in the rain in general are summer tires, as long as it's above like 40-50 degrees F., then it transitions to all season tires. And usually the higher performance the tire, you-know, the higher the performance. For those really worried about winter grip should get snow tires. The grippiest tires in the snow and ice are snow tires. But there is also a pretty big difference between tire brands and models for all performance metrics, which is why you'd need to compare the real tires to real tires, not just speculation like I just did.

 

[crashmtb]

Unless we know the actual tires, they all seem like they are mountain and snow rated, but the 22" are the performance variety. That probably means they are the best. I imagine Chicago winters are similar to SE Michigan and SE Michigan winters are mostly cold, wet, slushy, and some snow that usually gets cleared. All-season tires can work very well in these cases, and you may have better performance on average even in bad weather.

The grippiest tires in the rain in general are summer tires, as long as it's above like 40-50 degrees F., then it transitions to all season tires. And usually the higher performance the tire, you-know, the higher the performance. For those really worried about winter grip should get snow tires. The grippiest tires in the snow and ice are snow tires. But there is also a pretty big difference between tire brands and models for all performance metrics, which is why you'd need to compare the real tires to real tires, not just speculation like I just did.

They’re all M+S (“mud & snow”) rated, but so are most all season tires.

Of the OE options, only the 20” all terrain tires carry the severe service, or 3PMSF rating.

 

[zipzag]

99.9% of Chicago area drivers do not run winter tires. Flat, salted roads make the change unnecessary.

 

[camaroz1985]

Had the same tires on our Atlas. They are ok for light snow, but anything that is really plowable is too much (if not actually plowed).

 

[shamoo]

Unpopular opinion coming...

Yes, almost any tire on any factory vehicle will be sufficient. From the factory, tires are mostly all-season or jack-of-all-trades, master of none. With the exception of some serious sports cars, every car sold will be fine in Chicago winters. That is true for a Rivian, Jeep, or Honda Civic.

Will you be better in a dedicated winter tire? Of course. But then you'll have to change them out in the summer.

I would not worry unless you're in an extremely snowy condition (I don't count Chicago as one of them). And if you are worried, get some snow tires to swap out and keep them on for the winter months. They should not be expensive. Then put some nice aggressive summer tires on there for the other times (warning, they will be bad in the rain) and your dry performance will be amazing. Tires really make a HUGE difference in performance and a lot of people don't realize that.

Someone said above that 99% of people will never swap out their tires. I'm one of the idiots from Southern California who actually has snow tires for when I drive up to the slopes. Yes it is a pain, but snow performance is mind blowing. I can pass completely stuck 4x4 SUVs/trucks in deep snow (through deeper snow, mind you, to get around them) with my FWD Honda Accord.

To summarize, you'll be fine. If you're worried, get snow tires. If it is REALLY bad, I'm sure roads will be closed/state of emergency rules anyway.

Sponsored