We upgraded from a minivan to a 2021 Expedition Max for my wife. We live in northern New England, so winters here can be tough, and she drives the kids around a lot.
I went to Tire Warehouse to look at winter tires, but the guy there acted like I was dumb for even considering snow tires for an Expedition. It has AWD and is much heavier than our old minivan, but I know physics doesn’t change, and I’m worried about how well it will handle and stop on icy roads with the current tires.
The truck has 22-inch rims, and they only had one winter tire option, the Hercules Avalanche TT 285/45R22. The reviews weren’t great, and they’re expensive.
What do people up north do? Do most of you switch to snow tires, or stick with all-seasons?
I have a 2024 Expedition and bought a set of smaller rims from a 2018 Expedition to use with studded snow tires. It handles snow and ice like a champ now.
Smaller rims also mean cheaper tires, which helps offset the cost of buying extra wheels. I’m in Maine, so I know what rough winters are like.
Expeditions are heavy, so good studless winter tires can work just as well as studded ones. All-season tires are pretty much just summer tires with slightly better tread patterns and compounds, but they won’t cut it in serious winter conditions.
If you want a cheaper option, you could get A/T tires and have additional sipes cut into them. I’ve done that with Hankook MT tires, and they’ve been amazing on ice and snow—though it voids the tire warranty.
For example, I’ve been running aftermarket-siped Hankook MTs on my old Expedition for nine years now. They only started slipping on black ice last year, so it can work if you’re on a budget.
Once you try snow tires, you’ll never go back. I’d also recommend getting a second set of rims—it makes swapping them out easier and keeps your 22s in good shape.