I am thinking of buying snow tires for the winter. Wife drives the wagon and have never had snows on it because she works at the school and doesn't have to go in whem the roads are bad. However, just purchased the son a sedan over the summer. I know that RWD volvo's with all season tires are worthless in the snow (even with sand in the truck)and am wondering if anyone has tried and got much better performance with snow tires on the rear only. TIA

I got 4 snows for my 740 turbo wagon last year (Dunlop Graspics). They do help. I guess one reason two snows is not advised is because of the big difference in handling characteristics of these tires. It's a big over steer or something. I definatly would not want to have only two- I think the back end would sway around corners. I had to pay $100 for my used set of alloy rims. Careful- they can't really be straightened and junkers all seem to have dings like they were running from the cops or something. Ciao

I run four Yokohamas in the winter. They are not that expensive, and they are great. It is amazing how well my 745 does in snow.

I've got four Borbet 16" wheels and Yoko's for the summer and just put the original 15" wheels with the snows on when the weather turns. It almost feels like four wheel drive. Honest.

Go for the extra two tires. You won't be disapointed.

Greydog
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Greydog....'90 Turbo Wagon.....really sweeeeeeeet!

I live in upstate NY, and do snows on all fours. I spend too much time digging out people with allseason tires that spin out on a level road with 6 inches of snow. The only time I cant go is if the snow is packed deeper than the frame of the car (happened last year when a drift got me). I use cooper weather masters, they are cheap, wear out in two years (one year on back, one year on front, then I use as summer tires until gone, but I am a lousy body man and don't want to learn how.

Good snows turned my wagon into a tank, well worth it.

Remember, nothing works well on black ice, so teach them how to recognize it.
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89, Gold 745 GL Wagon, 210k known miles. Just a beginner

Get a good set of snows on all fours. Nokians are great.
A good set of snows is generally cheaper than an insurance deductable, and the ride is a heck of alot more comfortable than spending a night in a ditch.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD

Putting snow tires only on the rear of RWD cars is better than no snow tires at all. Snow tires on all four positions is even better. Putting them on the front of RWD cars gives you the big advantage of improved traction when you are turning or braking on slippery roads. The car will also handle more predictably if you have the same tires on all four wheels. The best thing to do is to find a set of used wheels and mount the snow tires on them. Then you just swap the assemblies in the spring and the fall. No need to pay for re-mounting and re-balancing the wheels and tires. In the long run, it is the safest and most economical way to go. No matter how you go, it is still helpful to put a bag of sand in the trunk to improve traction in the snow. My daughter drives '99 Mustang and I would not sleep well at night if she was driving in the winter without four good snow tires!

DON'T get snows on the rears only: the marginal savings are not worth the unpredictable handling and loss of steering.
Get some Green Diamonds (www.greendiamondna.com) for $50 apiece or so and enjoy good performance year around.