Snow tires for a 2026 XLE and 17" wheel size

Michelin makes winter tires in the factory 17" size for our plugin SE. It's what we got for our car when we bought it. We went from the dealer straight to the tire shop since it was February and snowing where we live. We got basic steel rims because its easy for winter to chew up and damage rims thanks to ice or rocks being hidden in bad weather under snow. I'd rather just replace some steelies if something bad happens to them.

I am happy with them. As has always been the case, the traction control system is a little aggressive on the car, but I've never actually felt it slip out from under me in bad weather yet. We do have the plugin model though, so it is FWD, so I assume the traction system is gonna kick in more often because of the bigger EV motors and torque all being on the one axle.

 

With pretty high certainty I can say you will not have any issue with the 5 mm difference in the offset. Which tire you choose to mount on the rim and the clearance for that tire is a different question.

 

In my limited experience driving in heavy rain the tires make a pretty big difference in how much speed you can maintain without tripping the traction control. Driven the majority of 11k 5th gen Prius miles on Cross Climate 2 tires on a XSE Prime. Car at the dealership getting some warranty work done and waiting for a backordered part so the last week I have gotten to drive a couple hundred miles on the OEM Extensa tires. On a pretty regular router I got some very heavy rain for the area a couple nights ago. Had trouble maintaining 45 mph + with cruise control without traction control turning it off. I can't recall that ever happening with my Cross Climate 2 tires and am pretty sure I have driven through some pretty heavy rain. Not much traffic on the road at the time but of the handful of cars I was driving 10-20 mph slower.

 

Anyone go to 16" wheels?

 

The OEM offering in Canada for all seasons are Bridgestone Ecopia tires, actually. Never had an issue in regular driving in rain. Only when starting from a dead stop in a lot of rain or snow regardless of the all season vs winter tires.

 

Gen 5:
On a side note, I still don't know what 'Hold' does, lol.

 

I know why its there, but if its a bad weather day, and my wife is headed to work (at a hospital, in a snowstorm), I've told her to turn traction control off when she's at a dead stop at like, a stop sign in our neighbourhood on an unplowed road, and then turn it back on after. The manual even says, if you're having a hard time getting the car moving in a slippery environment, to turn traction control off to get going. So stuck in mud/snow, you don't want traction control turned on. While actively driving, it very rarely kicks in unless I'm making a tighter turn at a higher speed on a very very wet or snowy road, but that's pretty rare.

 

The past is passed.

 

Setting Hold means the brakes stay locked after you come to a complete stop. They stay locked until the accelerator is pressed. Some people(especially elderly) seem to like it because they don't have to keep their foot pressing the brake pedal at stop lights or drive thrus. Handy for people with muscle weakness in their legs/ankles/feet. Also probably good for people that have to deal with a lot of traffic jams.

I've tried to get used to it, but 40 years of driving experience without having it made it more trouble than it was worth(to me). I kept trying to put the car in gear because my subconscious kept thinking the car was in Park.

 

It was automatic on my MINIs.

 

Oh, once you turn it on, it stays on. You don't have to set it every single time. It even stays on between starts. So it probably functions exactly the same as your Mini.

 

It helped with a stick shift, which I think my first one was.
edit: Also the dual clutch gearbox on the more recent ones.

 

Just drove in 3-5" of fresh wet heavy snow on Southern Maine back roads with the stock 195/50/R19's on a new 2026 XLE AWD. Went amazingly well. I did a few brake checks, fast starts, and things I would tell my kids to never do. Traction control kicked in a few times, ABS as well.

Making me think I might not put snow's on it as planned.

 

Brand new all-seasons are “at their best”. Expect their traction to fall off fast as they wear, compared to dedicated snows. Too, the rubber used in them hardens up at low temps, more so than snows.

 

Get a 195/60 R17 - that's the OEM 17" size...

 

I went with Michelin x-ice 205/55R16 tires on new aluminum wheels. You can get the alloy wheels from any tire store, including costco.

The only issue with the 16" wheels is the car sits lower to the ground making driving through deep snow a potential problem. Handling is good and so is fuel economy.

Price difference for 16" alloys wasn't significantly more than the cheap steel wheels. You will pay through the nose for 17"+ sized wheels and rubber.

I don't want the steel wheels anymore because they accumulate too much sand/salt on the inside of the rims on the back wheels. The alloy wheels tend to stay cleaner. I don't have the need for 19" wheels on a compact car to give it that Hotwheels or Tonka Toy look.

 

You sure you didn't mean 65 series?