tires will most definitely factor into it. Narrower tires will put more pressure per square inch to the ground. a Vehicle that weighs 2500lbs and has 4 tires (each with a contact patch of 4"x4") will have 2500lbs of pressure for 64 square inches of contact patch (or 39lbs of pressure per square inch of tire) Choose a narrower tire that has a 4"x3" contact patch and you'll have 52lbs of pressure for every Square inch of tire. This is better for cutting through snow and gaining traction. The last thing you want to do is get the tires up on top of the snow where they'll slide and have little traction. cutting through the snow gets you going in the direction you want to go.

Some info from a decent source.
Winter Tech - Size Selection of Winter / Snow Tires

~SB

 

oh yeah...


btw, come BBQ with us DSM

 

I think this is a better source... read pages 45 through 51.
http://lotusproactive.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/proactive-issue-46-autumn-2012-web1.pdf

 

In my opinion neither a 185 or a 205 width tire should be considered a wide tire so either one will be good in the snow although having said that I do believe the narrower tire (to a point) will be better in the snow. I stepped down to the 175/65R15 tire size for my snow tires.

As far as where to start I started with some OEM honda mods like the all season floor mats and the corgo cover. We then had a Fit traded in where I was working and took the cargo liner tray from that fit and put it into mine. Next I am looking to get some Mugen window visors and the door sill plates. My fit is a lease that I am am only doing minor things to it but I have really thought about buying it out but don't know if I want the orange revolution color long term.

 

Wide is a relative term. 185 is wide for a Smart Car but narrow for an accord. the 205's are a bit wide for snow, especially with All seasons on the tire. My trip to northeastern vermont reminded me why I have snow tires. The Hankooks (205) performed OK but I floated a fair amount on the snow where even the stock Bridgestones would have cut through a bit more and given traction. The fit is a light car so a narrow tire will definitely be better on snow. I'm swapping out the 185/65/15 winter wheel/tire setup I have this weekend.

~SB

 

Depends whether you want to be cute or competent.

Cute stars with decoratives like stripes, then reducing gap between tires and fenders (which can add competence as well), spoilers, cold air intakes etc

competent starts with better tires and wheels, then lowering and shocks. Exhaust systems.

 

The standard tire size set by the manufacturer depends on the weight and power of the vehicle. Narrower indicates a narrower section than the manufacturers stated standard size, wider the opposite.
WRC competitors have very specialized tires. Both compounds and tread design vary tremendously. When run in very snowy 'tracks' they usually have very open treads to maximize the grip with the snow and as it get less snowy more closed treads and width to match the expected surfaces.

 

Not only that - for "ice-race" rounds like Sweden, WRC snow tires are studded, and this is obvious in close-up photos. Not the kind of thing that would be advisable on asphalt.

Agreed. This is essentially what I did with mine. It took me three years of track attacks to figure out what my GD Jazz could improve on, and essentially my answer was "better tires, better brakes and more front spring rate" in that order.

Haven't gotten to swapping out front springs yet though.