I agree with you on all points, but I think that it is interesting to note that my friend’s tires are Goodyear Fortera Triple-Treds, which are one of the very few all-season tire models that has the mountain peak/snowflake symbol on the sidewall, indicating that it is rated as a winter tire. Because my friend did not want two sets of tires, I suggested the Triple-Treds as a good compromise.
But…even though they are rated as winter tires, it is obvious that after having about 50% tread wear, they are no longer effective in winter conditions.
When I was still a working man, I used winter tires, but now that I am retired, I can just stay off the roads when conditions are bad. My friend, who works in the healthcare field, does not have this option, unfortunately, so I will go tire shopping with him next week when he has a day off.
I have a friend too, whose wife worked as a reporter and had to go out in any weather. Interestingly, he bought her a Subaru Outback, thinking he could get away with just all season tires. That lasted one year and only 19 k miles. He got the point, he got separate winter treads.
Now, I have no problem with buying new tripletreads every 20 k miles and I think it is very astute of you to realize your car’s limitations. I think a little differently. Even with being retired, it still saves me money and I need the assurance that should anything happen to me, my wife or visiting grandchildren that we baby sit for, we can get to a hospital for help, ASAP. I avoid bad weather too, but I have the security that I don’t need too. I have been doing the winter tire thing for 30 plus years. It’s just a habit, like oil changes, that I’m not ready to break. The closest I came was having a spare SUV with AT tires. But then, I need snow tires every day in the winter, just to get the mail.
Let me add. One of the big reasons I did not buy another Subaru was my inability to find steel rims for winter tires for the later model. It just isn’t cost effective to change over every year or buy new alloys fit $1000. Other then that, I really like their cars.