I am not usually proud of being old school. I like a lot of the gadgets and developments that we have now and I didn't grow up with. However, if I could design the perfect vehicle it would not include many of the features that come standard with new vehicles.I wouldn't want power brakes, much less abs. I can do without power steering and automatic transmissions as well. I like to shift,even in traffic and manual shifting gives you more control over a vehicle, especially in wet and icy conditions. I like electronic ignition, but don't like pressurized cooling. I really like my Wj. However i'd like it much more if could simplify its operation, even if it meant doing without many of the comforts that come standard. Even AC is a pita. I've never had an AC system work for very long and they are expensive to repair. I'd much rather have wing windows.

 

Thank you for taking the time to provide this information. I am on board with using a dedicated winter tire and switching in the spring. My concern, is the issue of aging rubber. My XJ is a stock every day driver that sees about 5000 miles a year. Using two sets of tires means each set will see only 2500 miles a year. That means it would take me 10 years or more to wear out a set of tires. What might you recommend given this concern?
Thanks

 

Winter isn't 6 months long. Your 3-season set will see more than 2500 per year, and your winter set will see less. Winter tires also tend to have shorter tread lives, especially the cheaper ones. If you have a garage that you park in (reduce UV exposure of the rubber), and keep them clean, a set of tires can last quite a few years. There are products you can use to clean/condition tires that also work great at keeping them from accumulating as much dirt/brake dust and slow down the drying process. And some can also protect against UV damage.

I recently bought tires to replace my mother's old tires. She drives 5-8k miles per year, and her old tires were almost 7 years old and still not frighteningly aged.

If I were you, I'd go for a cheaper winter tire like Firestone, Hercules, General... they're still better in winter than an all season/terrain, very cheap as 235's, and aren't made to have 60-70k mile tread lives anyway. Likewise, go for a cheaper (but still good) tire for the other three seasons. I used to like the Kumho AT KL78 for this as it was cheap, shorter tread warranty, but awesome performance as an AT, but it has been discontinued.

If AT is what you'd like for summer, Goodyear Wrangler Radial is super duper cheap and not too shabby for what you pay for. Kumho's AT51 (replacing the KL78) is also very affordable especially if the $120 rebate is still going on. Hercules AT2 and General AT2 are also on the cheap end.

If a milder highway tread is what you're after, I'm using Kumho's APT KL51 (got them in 235 for less than $90 per tire), and they're doing fantastic as a 3-season tire. General's HTS is also a great tire while still having a nice price. Same with Firestone's LE2.

This isn't everything--just a gist. The bottom line is that if you stick to the tires with better prices (many of the cheaper tires are among the best anyway) and take care of the rubber, you'll do fine.