supralance

I'm planning some snow trips this winter & hopefully I won't need them, but just in case.
I have 4Matic, should I put the chains on the front so I could both drive & steer?

Bobitza

4matic + winter tires is all you need.

Oh, and maybe lift the car in thick snow (you know, that button with a car and an arrow). Get some ground clearance; don't laugh if it looks like a lowered Jeep.

Hatzenbach

just in case you decide on chains, i read somewhere that for 4WD vehicles you must put chains on all 4 wheels

DaveW68

I thought people stopped using tire chains in the US like 40 years ago.

A decent set of dedicated snow tires will do just fine. Better yet, if you don't want to swap out your wheels every winter, you may want to consider going with Toyo Celsius tires. They are all-weather tires that perform like all-seasons Spring to Fall, but also perform great as snow tires on snow and ice. They have the snow/mountain symbol on them and actually have a 60k mileage warranty. Consumer Reports rates them higher than many dedicated snow tires for winter use. All-season tires are essentially useless when it comes to snow and ice.

lkchris

DaveW68

I think it takes a complete nerd to seek advice about tire chains in their car's owners manual.