Tire decision question :

[Riff Raff]

Riff, thanks much, and you hit it on the head, I need to fine tune my requirements. The Fuzions have different patterns on each of the sidewalls... a tribal pattern on one side and flames on the other. An their tread, while not as radical and blocky as a terra g's or Zeon, is still on the aggressive side as compared to the Fierce ST ... The Fierce tire just does not look like it would do too well in snow

What are your thoughts of 285/55 instead of 285/60?

SPIKE--- Hmmm, after analyzing what you said regarding sidewall appearance and considering your price point "comfort zone" target of $120 per tire; then yes, the FUZION XTi in 285/60R18 might just be your #1 winner. Further, I noticed the Fuzion XTi has both a deeper tread depth of 15/32nds (for great snow traction) and a lighter unsprung weight of 45 lbs than the Cooper - Zeon "LTZ" (14/32nds & 49 lbs, respectively).

As Cragar34 mentioned; I too had thought about the SUMITOMO - HTR Sport A/T (31.3/44 lbs), which has a comparable tread pattern to the Nitto T.G. with the added feature of OWL (personally, I really like OWL). However; the Sumitomo has a shallower tread depth of 13/32nds when compared to the Fuzion XTi, and is way more expensive.

There are only two(2) tires in 285/55R18 (30" O.D.) worth a hoot with "snow capability", and will still fit on the stock OEM 18x7 rim. This size tire is very close to the OEM stock O.D. of 29.5", which will help maintain speedometer accuracy within 1 -- 2 MPH. They are:
o MAXXIS - MA-S1 MARAUDER
o COOPER - ZEON "XST" (yes, "XST"); although this may be a "discontinued" tire as this specific size "XST" is not on the factory Cooper website anymore, but still available on-line from various tire retailers.

In regards to EtlSport's 265/60R18 alternative size recommendation; you may find this tire to be too skinny-n-narrow and will not give the VX a wide mean looking appearance, thereby making the VX look kinda' meek & mousy. In my opinion, the most narrow size width tire a person should ever put on a VX is a 275 series. Most VX's look best when either a 275 or 285 series width tire is installed to help "fill-up" the huge VX wheel-wells and to give it a wider mean appearance.

In reconsideration of your sidewall appearance preference (tribal/flames), meaty aggressive tread requirement, deep tread depth (15/32nds) for snow, lighter weight, and especially your wallet comfort zone of $120 (+/-) per tire; I now highly recommend the FUZION XTi in 285/60R18 (31.3" O.D./45 lbs) as choice #1.

When sniffing around the internet for tires (besides the normal TireRack & Discount Tire websites); please also visit www.1010Tires.com (awesome 5-tire side-by-side comparison calculator), www.OnLineTires.com (great variety from obscure brands), and www.Treadepot.com (competitive sale prices). Of note, I really like www.TireRack.com for their great close-up pictures and especially their "specifications page" with tread depth data and individual tire weights (for "unsprung weight" concerns).