Looking for suggestions for an alternate tire setup for my wife's 09 GTS. Currently she has the 21s which are completely useless in any kind of winter driving.

She intends to be driving the vehicle up to the snow 3-4 times in the winter, the rest of the time she'll be down in the SF bay area which is quite temperate.

I'm not sure if a dedicated winter setup makes much sense given where we live Maybe I should just get her a set of 19s with all seasons. Roads to Tahoe are plowed pretty regularly and she would not drive up if there was a major storm brewing, OTOH winter weather is unpredictable. I've personally been driving up there for the past 3 years on a set of 19s and been just fine.

I know 19s are kind of sad on a GTS, but they may be the most pragmatic solution unless you guys have some other suggestions?

 

"completely useless" is kind of extreme.
I have an '08 gts and have been using 21 inch wheels with pirelli scorpion ice and snow tires for 2 seasons with zero issues.
I live 12 miles from snowbird in utah, all steep uphill driving through little cottonwood canyon and get 80 to 120 days of skiing per season.

so, my 2 cent suggestion is since you plan on buying new wheels anyway(meaning you will be swapping wheels every spring/fall) buy a dedicated winter tire set up and forget about all season tires.

then think about wheel size, the 21's are 10 inches wide, the 19's 8 inches wide.
since a winter tire is all about grip at low temps, the wider wheel will be a benefit on a dry road, snow packed and ice.
the narrower wheel will benefit on wet loose snow and especially on an unplowed road with fresh heavy wet snow where the tires will have to plow the snow before they can grip.
figure out what you're most concerned about and go that direction.

 

I just bought a set of older Cayenne S 18" rims off a 6speed member, powder coated, and threw on some Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow. I'm in SF and basically commute to Tahoe from November through June for skiing. Pretty smooth ride, but you'll lose a bit of gripping on those high speed on ramps. However, the smaller wheels make turning the wheel a bit easier as well.

With 18" snow tires, I have found the GTS to drive EXTREMELY well in the snow. I usually lower the air suspension to the lowest setting for lower sense of gravity unless the snow is rather deep. Also, I find driving in manual-triptronic mode (say 3rd gear) for better consistent feel and power to wheels.

 

You're of course right about the 21". I should have qualified by statement by saying: 21" rims with summer tires. At the end of the day it comes down to the rubber and nothing can beat winter tires for winter conditions.

I didn't even know there was an 21" winter option still available in the US!?

 

Thanks for the info. I have no doubt about the GTS' capability with the right tire setup. I think I would rather her have a separate set of winter wheels/tires versus switching tires off of her 21 rims - which would be a major pain

I see Plump Jack's Squaw Valley Inn in the background of some of your pictures. I've spent quite a few nights there myself

 

of course, 18 inches wheels and tyres much better for winter time. in Russia we use 18 inches since end of September till end of April when we have a lot of snow. For summer time the best choice is 20 or 21 inches to really feel driving...

 

good point about availability. my guess is the 21's are still sold in the US, but only tirerack or the like could tell for sure.

the other consideration I forgot to add is price. you can buy 20 inch or smaller wheels way cheaper than 21's. and of course you'll have more choices for winter tires in the 18-20 inch range.
I ended up buying stock GTS 21 inch rims from someone that traded up to 22's for my winter setup.


and for AleX and others that still believe wheel and tire size is so important for winter driving, why do you think that?
do you believe 18 inch is the perfect size for snow and ice?
if your vehicle came stock with 17's would you buy 18's for winter?
if your vehicle came stock with 19x8, would you change to 18x8 for winter?

 

i would go with the 20" you will have a nice meaty tire with nice ride , cant have a rough ride for the wife , but 21" you can still do with no issue's.

 

My reasoning is that since a normal 18" wheel has a lot more sidewall than the 21", I feel better mentally when driving through the remote areas on the way home. I've blown two 21" tires driving around SF. Whether facts support that issue, who knows.