what happens if i use wheels that are known to be really bad in winter?

is it just a minor chance of dying, or a most definent chance of dying?

i dont want to swap on my stock 16"s, and winter tires seem like a waste of money to me

 

Depends...weather conditions, driving style, etc, etc. You use racing/summer tires on snow or ice and you could have bad results. I didn't look where you were from but if you have any chance of the white stuff or ice I would recommend all seasons at the very least. I'm going back to stock 15's and snow treads just in case. Worst case scenario I drive on jello tires for the winter and don't have to worry about snow when it happens. Depending on how you drive they will last you a couple of seasons. Pay a couple hundred bucks for snow tires, or you can pay for whatever damage happens when you slide into a curb, over a curb, off a road, off a highway..you get the point.

 

If you live anywhere with significant snowfall (or lots of freezing rain...like my town)...you may want to consider dedicated snow tires. I checked Tire Rack...and they don't even give the Sumitomo's a snow traction rating. I guess it really depends on how much you drive, and how quickly the roads are cleared where you live.

I just received my Blizzaks with new 16's from the Tire Rack...I don't want to chance damaging my stock 17's or subjecting them to all the salt and sand that will be on the roads in another month. Plus, I looked at it like this...the rims and tires cost $850. If my stock tires couldn't grab in the smow (and I've said this before...they can't even get traction when it's foggy out, let alone raining or snowing) and I hit somebody, my deductible is $500. Add in a rental, and the snow tires have already paid for themselves.

You've already got stock 16's, so it would cost even less.

 

Winter tires are awesome! Get some nice H-rated ones and they will probably outhandle the stock all seasons on dry roads especially on 5th gens!