Hey everyone, recently purchased a 2016 Q50 RS AWD. It still has Bridgestone DriveGaurd run-flats on it ATM (245/40/19 F&R), but with winter approaching, I am looking at possibly getting a set of winter tires/rims to swap out for the season. As it stands now I work from home 90% of the time but am looking for a new job that might require a daily commute again...I'm just a little concerned about how this thing will handle the winter roads being that I came from a 4x4 Tacoma that ate winter for lunch.

The guy I bought the car from (an Infiniti dealer) stated he's had multiple versions of the same car, and said that even with the run-flats, when in Snow mode, they handle our Wisconsin winter roads without issue. I think he was blowing a bit of smoke so as to not raise any red flags. Can anyone attest to his claim that even with these kind of tires, the Snow mode on the Q50 can get you through months of potential snow, sleet, ice, etc?

In the past (quite a few years ago), I was able to get a set of General Altimax Arctic tires and rims for around $800 from Tire Rack (those tires were great IMO for snow/ice/etc). Would love to get basically the same thing for my Q50.

I went through TireRack's Winter Tire/Wheel package selector wizard for the 18's and if I want the same tire, with the cheapest available rim they offered, the package was over $1200 (Includes TPMS and mount/balance). They sized the tire out at 225/50/18, and the rim I selected is an 18x8 with a 40mm offset.

So, wondering if anyone has any recommendations on a good package deal that would work with this car that won't break the bank (1200 seems a bit steep to me, would like to keep it under 1k). Also does anyone see any problems with the described package above in terms of fitment?

Would I be better off just ditching the run-flats for a good all-season in lieu of winter tires...thus skipping the need to get new rims too?

Sorry for so many questions, but I appreciate anyone's input on this. Thanks.

I have ContiExtreme DWS06 on my Q50 AWD and have never had an issue.....but I'm mid-central and not as far north as you are. TireRack ratings for DriveGuard is only "Fair", thus, I would look at moving away from those to something else. FWIW they rate the DWS06's as "Good". If you are still concerned then a dedicated set of winter tires may be for you. Keep an eye out on ebay, automotive forums, and even Facebook groups for people who are selling take-off's or their dedicated winter sets. Obviously if you try higher-end all-season tires then you would not need a second set of wheels.

I bought a 22k mile CPO '14 Q50 Hybrid Premium AWD in 2015.
1st Wisconsin (Madison) winter w/30k mile oem 225/55-17 Bridgestone runflats was marginal at best.
'16-'17 winter I had new 225/55-17 Conti Extreme Contact DWS06 on Enkei RPF1 wheels.
They were decent with new full tread, not great on icy roads or deep snow.
Winter '17-'18 with 7k mile Conti's were about the same, OK, not great.
January 2019 I put 225/55-17 Nokian Hakkapeliitta's on the OEM wheels.
Night vs day difference. Hakka's are awesome. So much more confidence on snow/ice.
The hybrid has so much more instant torque - dedicated winter tires are highly recommended.
I was able to use heavy throttle with 3" of snow on the road.
I had a set of Hakka's on my Sentra SE-R, got 6 winters out of them and still had 1/2 tread left.
The SE-R with limited slip FWD + Hakka's was fun to drive in the snow.
Once you drive on dedicated winter tires, you won't want to be on all seasons in the winter.
I haven't put the Hakka's on yet, so drove in the 2 recent snows on the DWS06 - really
didn't like it much, compared to how good the Hakka's are.

I had General Altimax Arctic's on a 98 Sentra SE, FWD, but no limited slip.
They were good, but not as good as the Hakka's.

I'd defintely go with the 18" wheel/tire packages that will still clear the brakes.
Taller side wall and narrower tire will cut through the snow much better,
and cost less.
Discount Tire carries Nokian Hakkapeliita's - 2 stores in Madison.

I live in a snow belt in Ontario and this car with AWD and a good set of snow tires performs very well on snowy roads. Been a Mich X-Ice guy for many years as they are very good in snow, great on ice and surprisingly decent in wet and dry roads. Last year I opted for the new Continental Viking7 s and WOW, these tires outperform the X-ice in every condition and are less expensive. BY FAR the best snow tire Ive ever had. Highly recommend them.