I was looking into getting some winter tires & wheels (steel). I went to my local tire store and the guy recommeded that my max get a 16" wheel/tire package ($800), which is apparently better for the snow.

Any thoughts?

 

ha! Your local tire guy doesn't know what he's talking about. A 16" rim will not fit on an 04 Maxima. Bet him that if it fits you'll pay, and if it doesn't then he pays for the 17" rims and tires that actually will fit your car. See if he takes the bet, its a sure thing for you!

He is right that going with a smaller size tire instead of the 18's that are OEM will give better traction. Due to the smaller width they will cut through the snow better than a wide tire that just floats on top.

CM.

 

Even if you *could* put those wheels on your car, the guy is still trying to rip you off IMO. The TireRack has a decent 17" wheel/tire winter package for only about $150 more... and that's using Blizzak WS-50s (225/55-17s).

Half of the price is the wheels, the other half is the tires. I'm sure that if you go with something cheaper on either side, you'll end up saving some cash... still, the package itself is reasonable, and the wheels don't look like crap -- hey, it's still a Maxima, and it's not gonna snow every day, is it?

The wheels are ASA JS1s (17x7) with the machined lip. I don't think tirerack carries steel wheels though...

If you go with Dunlop Graspic DS-2s (225/55QR17) instead the package is $856.