Upgrading from 18s to 22s 2017 CX-9

Hi.

Got a 2017 CX-9 a couple of weeks ago in titanium flash mica, which is basically dark bronze. It just about checked all the boxes for what I was looking for other than the wheel size.

I think the 20s look "fine", but nothing special. I'd prefer the OEMs to be shinier like on the Pilots and Highlanders I was also looking at. But if I could find someone's used 20s for no more than $1k CAD (I live in Toronto area) then I was seriously considering the change. But I noticed it's next to impossible to find them. Then I thought I'd go for aftermarket 20s in a silver colour. Can get some new ones for about $1,200 CAD all in from brands like Touren, Fast or Replika, etc. But I also noticed that so many wheels now are black or like gunmetal and not as many silver ones like I thought there'd be so the selection isn't as vast as I was hoping. Because of the colour of my ride, I don't think black or any wheels with black as secondary colour would look good.

Anyway, if I have to spend money on new aftermarket wheels and then tires, I thought I might as well go bigger so 22s it is. I prefer something that has a more classic or refined look and not too aggressive. It's the family hauler and I won't be driving it everyday.

Just wondering, can someone please specify the spec details I need to know about when buying 22s and the tires that would go along with it, so I know if they're compatible? Would it be an easy enough search and process to find what I'm looking for?

I think I'd keep the 18s to put winters on, but sell the tires next spring, which have pretty good tread.

I'm willing to wait till April as I'll be putting winters on. I thought that I'd check the online classified sites regulary to see who's selling 22s for an affordable price but based on what I'm seeing and some of the research I've done, it seems like I'm going to have a hard time finding any that match the spec requirements.

I did post a wanted add on kijiji.ca and someone did contact me saying they're planning on offloading their 20s from a 2017 CX-9 in October for $1,150. Again, I think they're fine, but I was thinking for one or two hundred more I can have flashier rims. However, I did see just now on another thread that these are available locally, but are just 20s. These look better and would stand out, but I'm really aiming for 22s: Mazda M012 Alloy Wheel (Matte Gunmetal) - 16"/17"/18"/20"

By the way, what do you consider the colour of the OEM wheels? Gunmetal? Are you satisfied with that, especially when so many other comparables have flashier wheels? Even Hyundai and Kia have flashier wheels.

Here are some pics, which are from the dealer. When the sun is out the car shines more and doesn't look as dark grey like in these pics.

Thanks for the help.
 

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Nice. How very condescending of you.

I actually meant to type classier or refined. Didn’t notice I had typed classic.

And what a surprise! People have different opinions and perspectives! Though according to you 22s can’t be refined, huh?
 
No. They can't. 22's are massive and in your face "look at me" wheels, especially when placed on a Mazda, any Mazda. "Look at me" is pretty much the opposite of refined.
 
Well I see that you're one of "those" guys. Speaking in absoultes like there's no room for subjectivity. Has a different opinion, but can't be bothered to express it in a civilized manner.

And when I say refined, I mean the wheel itself, like a multi spoke rim, regardless of the size. That is something I consider refined. I don't mean spinners. And how they look on a CX-9? Yes, the vehicle will look sportier and more aggressive, but in a subtler way than if they were on a CX-5. And they're not 24s.

For the past couple of weeks I've really been paying attention to the wheels of other vehicles, and I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure several of them were running 22s and I've yet to think they scream "hey, look at me!". That's what I used to see 10+ years ago on my trips to South Florida.

alloy-wheels-rims-tsw-turbina-5-lug-titanium-silver-mirror-cut-face-std-700.jpg
 
>classic and refined
>22" wheels

Not sure you know what "classic and refined" actually means...

Instead of just being critical, you could also be constructive and provide a suggestion of what you think classic and refined is.

At the end of the day, @megaman123 is asking for opinions/suggestions regarding aftermarket wheels to replace their OEM 18s. What style and size would you suggest?
 
^ Really like the bronze wheels on your ride. I was considering that colour but then I thought it might not look so good on mine, being two different shades of bronze. I like the wheels to contrast with the body. I like the bronze on grey and a darker navy like a 5 series up the street from me.

I had a 2006 Fusion that is basically the same dark bronze as what I just bought and the wheels are silver and were as shiny as they could be without actually being chrome. And my beater now is a 2009 white Accord with matte black wheels that the previous guy put on.
 
Mike, post a photo of yours with 22’s. I honestly didn’t think 22s would look good on the CX9 but yours look fantastic, especially with the contrasting color.

as far as the OP goes, wish I could offer help. I’m a bone stock guy, not because I don’t like custom wheels…I just don’t want to spend $4k on an aftermarket setup after purchasing a car. Yes, I’ll freely admit I’m boring and cheap. Haha
 
I'm not an aftermarket guy either, but I do want nice looking wheels to complete the package. When I got my '06 Fusion from my best friend at the dealer, I got the SEL instead of the SE because the 17" wheels were far better. And even compared to its peers in that class, it was just a better looking car with better wheels IMO. Now I think about other things, but that was young me. In retrospect, I should have gotten the lower trim for less money and then upgraded the wheels.

Nowadays, car makers really stepped up their wheel game so I didn't imagine I'd be looking for aftermarkets after buying my new family vehicle, but the car looks kind of incomplete to me with these 18s.

I also looked at a few 16-17 Odysseys and 16 Venzas. Their base wheels were good enough for me. Odysseys were shiny and the Venza 19" multi spokes were almost equally as attractive as their 20" wheels.

As for the cost of the 22s with the tires then tires again down the road, it has given me some apprehension. I have the money for it, but doesn't mean I should spend it. That's why I was thinking I could check the used listings over the next several months, but that's highly dependent on the compatibility. That's why I'm wondering if it's reasonable to expect that there will be some used ones out there that fit my car or if the specs are just too specific.

I'm definitely still open to 20s, but man, so many of the ones I like, new and used, are black or grey, too expensive, or stop at 18. Or some have a cheesy looking logo on the centre cap. If that's the case, I'd look into swapping that out with Mazda caps.
 
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Anyway, if I have to spend money on new aftermarket wheels and then tires, I thought I might as well go bigger so 22s it is. I prefer something that has a more classic or refined look and not too aggressive. It's the family hauler and I won't be driving it everyday.

Just wondering, can someone please specify the spec details I need to know about when buying 22s and the tires that would go along with it, so I know if they're compatible? Would it be an easy enough search and process to find what I'm looking for?

I'm willing to wait till April as I'll be putting winters on. I thought that I'd check the online classified sites regularly to see who's selling 22s for an affordable price but based on what I'm seeing and some of the research I've done, it seems like I'm going to have a hard time finding any that match the spec requirements.

By the way, what do you consider the colour of the OEM wheels? Gunmetal? Are you satisfied with that, especially when so many other comparables have flashier wheels? Even Hyundai and Kia have flashier wheels.

Thanks for the help.

I put 22s on my CX-9. I'll attach a pic with the wheel specs below.

As far as specs, I took a picture of the space between the inner rim and the suspension, just to get an idea of how much room there is to play with. Then took note of the plastic fender guard's design and how far away the outer face of the rim sits from it (again, just an approximation). Then I used a tire/wheel size calculator to find a setup that worked for me. Personally, I use willtheyfit.com. Here's a pic I took of the space between the inner rim and the suspension with my OEM 20x8.5 +45 wheels on the front. The rear has more space to work with, but I wanted to go with a square setup so I could rotate the wheels and tires.

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Keeping the above space in mind, I plugged the specs of my OEM wheels/tires and the specs of my intended aftermarket wheels/tires into the tire/wheel size calculator to see the differences. Here's a pic of the same space above, with the aftermarket 22x10.5 +30 wheels and 285/35 tires installed.

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Others have also put 22s on their 2016+ CX-9s. Here's @Stryker medic's CX-9 on Ace Alloy Convex, 22x9 +35 all around with 265/40 tires. Looks about as close to an OEM-style wheel as you can get, IMO. He says no rubbing issues with this setup.

80a5f4318dced84b2be1d3ea9a7f7f17.jpg

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Here's a couple of pictures of @Edgar_C's 2016 CX-9 on Vossen CV4 wheels (now discontinued), 22x10.5 +30 with 285/35 tires. No rubbing with this setup either.

NNNmpCJ.jpg

ERZ2zyf.jpg



And a couple of pictures of my setup. Basically the same as @Edgar_C's setup, just with different wheels (Vossen VFS-2 in satin bronze) and 5mm wheel spacers in the rear.

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Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any pictures of a 2016+ titanium flash mica CX-9 with aftermarket wheels during my quick search, but I think I'd agree with you in terms of your preference for a brighter coloured wheel like silver, or a polished/machined silver.

When it came to buying my wheels, I also watched kijiji.ca like a hawk. In my area. it's rare to see 22s in 5x114.3, and when you do, they're usually low quality or heavily damaged sets. That's what led me to buying new. The wheels I have are $800 USD per wheel (MSRP), but I came across a Black Friday/Winter Closeout sale that Vossen was running at the time. They were selling some 22" sets for as low as $999 USD! I ended up asking a local shop to order my wheels, in order to avoid having to pay duty/customs fees and having to worry about shipping. I think I paid something like $340 CAD per wheel. If Vossen has any wheel designs that you think you might like, it might be a good idea to see if they do another "closeout" event this year.

Finally, as far as the OEM wheel colour of my 20s, I think it's kind of in between a gunmetal and a bright silver finish. I think they match well with the Machine Grey Metallic of my car, but they're definitely more subdued than some other wheels. The worst thing about them is how heavy they are at 39.55 lbs per rim. My bigger, wider 22s actually weigh less than the OEM 20s!
 
Mike, post a photo of yours with 22’s. I honestly didn’t think 22s would look good on the CX9 but yours look fantastic, especially with the contrasting color.

Thanks! Pics posted above.
 
Wow, really the appreciate you taking the time. Has helped me to get a better grasp of what lies ahead. All three of those rides look great.
I'm fairly new to the site and had not seen the other two rides before. you're right, those look amazing. man, I'm going to be pissed if this thread makes me spend several grand on mine 🤑
 
I'm fairly new to the site and had not seen the other two rides before. you're right, those look amazing. man, I'm going to be pissed if this thread makes me spend several grand on mine 🤑
I agree. Those other two look pretty nice. Hadn’t seen them before either. 22’s aren’t really my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal. The M012’s were top of my list, but the dealers in my new area don’t know of them and can’t/won’t order them. They also apparently have a 2 month wait time so there’s that
 
I’ll toss in my 2 cents…

The CX-9 is a very big and sporty looking vehicle, and even the stock 20’s looked too small and too far inset for my taste. Add to that, the fact that I wanted winter tires on separate rims, so I put some winters on the stock 20’s and got a set of 22’s. Totally transformed the look of the car, and as Sm1ke already mentioned, my 22” setup is lighter than the stock 20” setup! Win, win!

Wheels are Verde Axis - Satin Black, 22x9 ET 20. Tires are Pirelli Scorpion Zero 265/40/22. No rubbing.
 

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Really nice.

I've been paying more attention on the road now to the CX-9s and the 20s merely look "just fine" to me. Certainly good enough for a family vehicle, but it's still overall an attractive vehicle. Since there are so many more options, new and used, for 20s I am really considering just settling for that since it's my wife that will be mostly driving it. However, I do have to look at it everyday in my driveway so still pondering the 22s, but all the used ones that pop up are not the right bolt pattern and not a suitable style either as they're usually more aggressive looking wheels that belong on a Charger or a pickup, etc. Though there's a few Mercedes and BMW wheels, but they don't have the right bolt pattern.

I've also now been thinking about gunmetal over silver. My 2006 Fusion was the same colour as my Mazda but that was solid throughout the body. This thing of course has black along the fenders and rocker panel. That alone makes the body not shine as much, which is fine. So I don't think I need wheels that really shine. However, some wheels that are gunmetal are basically a faded black, some are grey and some are a dull silver. That dull silver kind is what I'd want. So I have a few more options now.

Here's a 22x9 gunmetal for $324 CAD with 10% off at the moment. And then the silver version. This would be very close to what my brother in law has on his Tiguan.


475-22965GM38.jpg


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Really nice.

I've been paying more attention on the road now to the CX-9s and the 20s merely look "just fine" to me. Certainly good enough for a family vehicle, but it's still overall an attractive vehicle. Since there are so many more options, new and used, for 20s I am really considering just settling for that since it's my wife that will be mostly driving it. However, I do have to look at it everyday in my driveway so still pondering the 22s, but all the used ones that pop up are not the right bolt pattern and not a suitable style either as they're usually more aggressive looking wheels that belong on a Charger or a pickup, etc. Though there's a few Mercedes and BMW wheels, but they don't have the right bolt pattern.

I've also now been thinking about gunmetal over silver. My 2006 Fusion was the same colour as my Mazda but that was solid throughout the body. This thing of course has black along the fenders and rocker panel. That alone makes the body not shine as much, which is fine. So I don't think I need wheels that really shine. However, some wheels that are gunmetal are basically a faded black, some are grey and some are a dull silver. That dull silver kind is what I'd want. So I have a few more options now.

Here's a 22x9 gunmetal for $324 CAD with 10% off at the moment. And then the silver version. This would be very close to what my brother in law has on his Tiguan.


475-22965GM38.jpg


475-22965HS38_1_.jpg


2016-vw-tiguan-blue_o-1038x419.jpg
I like the darker colour on the first set. The wheel style is a great choice, it has an "OEM+" look to it.
 
Been thinking about 22s again. I like this look:

948389-10-2018-cx-9-mazda-sport-stock-stock-asanti-abl-21-gunmetal.jpg



And I can get these wheels for $307 CAD, no tax and free shipping. They are Fast, which has a relationship with Mazda. They are made in Montreal.

Problem is that they only come in satin bronze and gloss black. I actually emailed them to ask if they'll ever be producing them in the ever popular gunmetal or titanium. If not, I was thinking of DIY spray painting them. Then if I didn't like the shade after one season I could change to something else. Also down below is a titanium shade I like.

Now, when the mechanic changes the wheels to put on my winters, which will be the OEM 18s with winters on, they could chip the paint around the lugnuts and I'd have to touch up every year. Also because of normal wear and tear of course.

f263-vybz-_satin-bronze_.jpg


FC04-FC04-Titanium-(Deep)-B.jpg
 
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I have plastidipped wheels with success and lasted at least 6 years of winter and summer removal/installation without major visible chipping. (a little in the wheel nut area but nothing major).

If you got that route, For your application, i would recommend using superwrap instead of plastidip though, it doesn’t have the matte look of plastidip, you can easily get the colour you are looking for and it is removable if you want to change it or touch them up. I haven’t tried superwrap yet, but you can check all the youtube reviews on it.

Ideally the rims would come in the right color for you, but that is a possible alternative.
 
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