I have the 2014 focus se and live in Wv in the US. Does the se come with all season tires? I bought it brand new. It's the se. Without the select shift if that helps. Thanks.
Winter tires?
wwe9112
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I have the same exact car and it came with Continental tires. According to tirerack and ford, they are all season tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...mCompare1=yes&autoMake=Ford&autoYear=2014&autoModel=Focus 5-Door&autoModClar=SE
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...mCompare1=yes&autoMake=Ford&autoYear=2014&autoModel=Focus 5-Door&autoModClar=SE
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289 Posts
The ContiProContacts that come from the factory are all season but their snow performance is atrocious. Absolutely terrible. I live in the Susquehanna valley and would never have considered taking the focus last winter when we had those heavy snows.
For 3 seasons they are pretty decent and have a longer treadlife but I would highly advise snow tires.
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You're not guaranteed to wreck, but if these are the tires you'll have when you experience some of your first snows/freezing rain, you'll have a tough time.
Being new, they won't be deadly to drive on but it doesn't make for a fun time especially if you have hills in your commute.
In your case, I'd look into getting some winter tires. Preferably have them mounted on a spare set of wheels so you can swap them out before the first snows. The investment is well worth it.
I have the contiPro tires. As a college student I really can't afford tires on top of my insurance and car payment. What would be some recommended all season tires? My commute is literally half up Hill then down. Then next semester I have an hour commute.
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261 Posts
Don't buy all-season tires for their winter performance, and don't replace brand new tires with other brand new tires that are marginally better in one category.
The hardest part of winter tires to swallow is the up-front cost. Once you buy the wheels and tires once, the ongoing costs are greatly reduced, as running winter tires for 3-4 months a year helps extend the life of your all seasons. It's a worthwhile investment if you live in a place that experiences consistently cold/snowy winters.
That being said, winter driving takes extra concentration, care, and caution. It is not impossible on all-season tires. Many people do not bother purchasing winter tires and are able to survive the cold and snowy months. During or after the first snow, go to an abandoned empty parking lot and explore the limits of your car's grip in turning, braking, and accelerating. Get used to the extra time it takes to come to a stop, and acclimate yourself to going slower in corners and leaving lots of extra space between you and the car in front of you.
The hardest part of winter tires to swallow is the up-front cost. Once you buy the wheels and tires once, the ongoing costs are greatly reduced, as running winter tires for 3-4 months a year helps extend the life of your all seasons. It's a worthwhile investment if you live in a place that experiences consistently cold/snowy winters.
That being said, winter driving takes extra concentration, care, and caution. It is not impossible on all-season tires. Many people do not bother purchasing winter tires and are able to survive the cold and snowy months. During or after the first snow, go to an abandoned empty parking lot and explore the limits of your car's grip in turning, braking, and accelerating. Get used to the extra time it takes to come to a stop, and acclimate yourself to going slower in corners and leaving lots of extra space between you and the car in front of you.
Got my 3rd gen focus in October '13. just before the 3rd worst winter in Chicago history.I did just fine with the Conti's. Our 1st gen zx3 had Pirellis , 2 sets of Falkens , and now has Michelin Defenders. It also did well in Chicago winters. If you're really worried, tire rack has winter tires for under $400 per set
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While the OEM Continential tires are not that great in the snow I didn't have an issue with them within the first 15k miles. After that I would not drive with them in the snow. Tires came off the car at 20k miles and I know have a set of 18" all seasons and snow tires on the stock wheels.
If you have never driven in the winter before you should go out an practice in a parking lot. Learn how the car moves and slides, etc. Pull the parking brake and learn to counter steer the slide.
But over all just slow down and made smooth and gradual movements. Any hard braking, acceleration or turning can cause a problem. Don't forget the car has stability control that will help out also.
That being said the Focus is much better with snow tires on it then all seasons in the winter. As suggested start looking for a deal on craigs list. But I wouldn't worry to much about it right now, if the tires are new.
If you have never driven in the winter before you should go out an practice in a parking lot. Learn how the car moves and slides, etc. Pull the parking brake and learn to counter steer the slide.
But over all just slow down and made smooth and gradual movements. Any hard braking, acceleration or turning can cause a problem. Don't forget the car has stability control that will help out also.
That being said the Focus is much better with snow tires on it then all seasons in the winter. As suggested start looking for a deal on craigs list. But I wouldn't worry to much about it right now, if the tires are new.
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I have the stock contis on mine as well and I had no problems with them last winter. And we got a huge amount of snow last year that i constantly was driving in. I think experience driving in the winter plays a part in how well your car does as well.
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Splurge for winter tires. I live just north of you over the PA line, and if you have hills to deal with, get the winter tires. Keep your current all-season tires, since those will go back onto the car in the spring. If you get a good set of winter tires, they may last you 2 years, or more depending on the miles you put on, and the way you drive.
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I don't know if US insurance companies do this, but in Canada, most insurers give you a bit of a break on premiums if you have winter tires for your car.
I splurged on these, but we get pretty aggressive winters up here.
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Last winter was my first with the Focus and I was both impressed and frustrated with the stability control's performance. After having fun sliding around for many Iowa winters, the undefeatable stability control puts a big damper on that. I can pull the handbrake and kick the rear end out but stability control kicks in and gets it back in line immediately.
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