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I can still see the ghastly pictures as clearly as if it was yesterday: a lovely Toyota MR2 Turbo, its lovely red paint contrasting sharply with the snow-covered ground, its mangled bodywork grotesquely wrapped around a tree.

The unfortunate subject vehicle was a long-term tester for Automobile magazine, the second-generation MR2 Turbo of which I was a huge fan at the time, and likely why I remember it so well.

The long-term wrap-up went on to explain how the mid-engined sports car was a fine Ferrari-fighter for those on a budget in temperate seasons, but exhibited scary handling characteristics in the snow, complete with multiple logbook entries with words to that effect. All this, supposedly, on snow tires.

After some justified protests on Toyota's part, it came out a few months later that a member of Automobile's staff had actually installed two snow tires, not four, despite warnings in the MR2's owner's manual not to mix and match. The thinking was that, hey, "something's better than nothing."

All this to say that even if you know something about cars and tires, even well-informed enthusiasts can be dangerously misinformed about winter tires. So we'll attack some of the most common myths about winter rubber here, as well as touch on some of the positives and negatives of living with winter tires.

Myth: Everyone living in northern climates (i.e. all of Canada) needs winter tires.

All-season tires are no doubt a compromise for all seasons, and not as good ultimately in the wet, winter or summer, as tires formulated specifically for those conditions.

This leads them to be derisively called no-season tires by some performance car fans used to switching between winter tires and summer performance tires.

Yet this does not mean that everyone in this country needs winter tires.

"For most people, even winter tires spend the majority of time on dry pavement," said Mark Kuykendall, engineering manager for Bridgestone-Firestone North America.

While explaining that the winter tires are specially formulated to better withstand extreme cold temperatures as well as ice and snow, he notes that those living in urban, well-plowed areas, who rarely venture outside city limits, and who have the ability to avoid travelling for work during extreme snow falls, can safely get through winter on a good set of all-season tires.

Even the Canada Safety Council, purveyors of safety in all walks of life, agrees with this in their most recent snow tire recommendations.

"In regions with little snow and moderate winter temperatures, all-season tires may be suitable throughout the year."

Myth: place new winter tires on the drive axle of your vehicle.

If you're going to invest in upgraded safety with winter tires, upgrade all four tires.

There's no doubt that the least expensive set of winter rubber will provide a wider safety margin in the snow than an all-season tire, especially a well-worn one, but this extra traction can seriously destabilize the car's handling if half the tires are sticking to the road, and the other half are continually sliding.

"We'd recommend a set of four all-season tires before two winter tires on any axle," said Kuykendall, because the grip from all four tires would at least be balanced and predictable. "That balance is so important."

However, if you really have to go with only two snow tires, says Kuykendall, place them on the rear axle, no matter whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

"You always want the better-grip tires on the rear to avoid over-steer," he said, since the back tires sliding out is less noticeable and more difficult to correct than sliding front wheels.

If the front starts washing out on you, a lift of the throttle -- which usually happens impulsively when you're not turning as much as you'd like -- is often enough to correct your intended line.

Should the back end come around on you, a quick lift of the throttle could exacerbate the problem by shifting the car's weight to the front tires, making it even harder for the rear tires to grip.

Myth: winter tires are too expensive.

Not if you consider that the cost for common 14- or 15-inch sizes will be close to or less than the typical $500 insurance deductible.

After you've dented your sheet metal and paid the deductible, you're much closer to higher insurance premiums, which is where the cost of not getting winter tires can be more expensive.

Even if you never get into a collision, the cost of buying winter rubber is offset by the amount of wear you save on your other tires.

Sure, it's an extra expense one year, but because they're usually used for a good five months of the year (December to April), they'll safely double the life of your all-seasons or summer tires.

"Winter tires are the cheapest insurance you can buy on the road," said Chris Woodward, a racing instructor and tire evaluator for the BMW Motorsport Club of Ottawa.

If overall cost is paramount, a set of steel rims will make it easy to flip back and forth between the two sets of tires. Or you could pay to mount and dismount the tires at the beginning and end of each winter, which won't hurt the tire if properly done, although that'll cost you between $60 and $90 per switch.

Myth: 4WD SUVs don't need snow tires.

This is one that should be obvious, but isn't to too many people. Yes, four-wheel drive will help you avoid getting stuck in snow. But once you're moving, 4WD does nothing for your ability to stop or steer.

"A two-wheel drive SUV on Blizzaks will outperform a 4WD SUV on all seasons in our testing at Steamboat Springs, Col.," said Kuykendall, where Bridgestone has a winter tire testing facility and winter driving school.

"Plus these are bigger and heavier vehicles than cars, so the amount of weight transfer involved puts extra stresses on the traction abilities of the tires."

globeauto@globeandmail.ca