2013~2016 Tire Choices 2014 CX-5

[mmitsch]

I want to get a set of new tires for our 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring AWD. It has General Altimax RT43’s in it.

I am considering either General Altimax RT45,s or Continental TrueContact Tour 54’s. I suppose Michelin is abattoir.

Any thoughts or tips?

 

[ruthrj]

What are some things that you’re looking for? Comfort, quiet, longevity, handling, good wet weather performance, any snow you’ll need to handle, budget?

 

[mmitsch]

What are some things that you’re looking for? Comfort, quiet, longevity, handling, good wet weather performance, any snow you’ll need to handle, budget?

Thanks for the response.

We live in Indiana and the winter s have some snow and ice so we want a safe tire for that. Wet traction would be good too - for rainy times. Handling would be for a daily driver level and it’d be good if they lasted a few years.

As for budget, maybe stick in the $159-$200 / tire range I guess.

The General RT43 tires were highly recommended on forums / others with CX-5’s we got them but I also hear Continental is pretty good (and I think they’re both made by the same manufacturer?).

I’m no tire expert and appreciate any insight.

 

[N7turbo]

Continental CrossContact LX25

 

[GFrosty]

winters have some snow and ice so we want a safe tire for that. Wet traction would be good too ... Handling would be for a daily driver level and it’d be good if they lasted a few years.

As for budget, maybe stick in the $159-$200 / tire range I guess.

If wanting to handle Indiana snow and ice on occasion, in addition to the normal rain and dry conditions, at minimum I would suggest requiring a tire with the 3-peak Mountain Snowflake rating for wintry weather. Though, note that this doesn't mean the tire is a "winter" tire, just that it's got somewhat up-rated capability in cold, snowy and icy conditions above that of the standard all-season type category the tire is competing against.

I live in a place with roughly similar conditions as yours. Rainy for several days most months of the year, otherwise dry and clear, with ~4mos of some snow and occasional ice. My own preference is for one tire that can handle all of that, as safely as possible. Which pretty much means all-weather compounds instead of traditional 3-seaon (all-season); or, a second "winter" set of tires.

Last summer, I purchased a set of tires after considering a great number of different tires. Looked at tires in the 225/65-17, 235/60-17, 235/50-19 and 235/55-19 sizes. My CX-5 currently has the factory 19" rims, but was considering going to an after-market 17x8.5" rim.


Here's a search tool that might help narrow the options -- Discount Tire. They sell in the Indiana region. Affiliated with TireRack, they have a fairly decent and large selection.

This search filters for all-season type car tires with the 3PMSF rating, H or V speed rating, at least 50Kmi treadwear warranty: click.


Tires that I seriously considered last summer:

• Nokian Encompass AW02 -- 106H XL, 640AA, 65Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $183ea @ DT
• Michelin CrossClimate2 -- 102H SL, 640BA, 60Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $220ea @ DT
• Hankook Kinergy 4S2 H750 -- 235/60-17 102H SL, 500AA, 60Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $171ea @ DT
• General AltiMax 365AW -- 225/65-17, 102H SL, 640AA, 60Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $171ea @ DT
• Nokian Remedy WRG5 -- 225/65-17, 106H XL, 600AA, 60Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $213ea @ DT
• Nokian Remedy WRG4 -- 225/65-17, 106H XL, 600AA, 60Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $156ea @ DT; the prior incarnation of the WRG5
• Nokian Solstice 4 -- 225/65-17, 102H SL, 500AA, 50Kmi treadwear; 3PMSF winter capable; $169ea @ DT; basically, these are similar to the WRG4 and WRG5 tread pattern, but without the aramid sidewall and with less treadwear life
• General AltiMax RT45 -- 225/65-17, 102H SL, 700AA, 75Kmi treadwear; $158ea @ DT; not 3PMSF rated
• Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 -- 225/65-17 102H SL, 800AA, 70Kmi treadwear; $190ea @ DT; not 3PMSF rated

Chose the Nokian AW02.

Previous tire was the Nokian WRG4. Both have an excellent all-weather, year-'round compound capable of handling snow and some ice. The WRG4/WRG5 have significantly more sipes, better for snow and ice. The AW02 has a directional tread arrangement, with a tread pattern much like the Michelin CrossClimate2 but with more sipes.

After nearly a full year on the AW02, I find it a seriously good tire. Quiet, stable on highway and around town. Good handling abilities in dry/clear conditions, and in hot/dry conditions. Very good in the rain. Good in the snow, but not quite as good as the WRG4 (which are excellent). Modest in icy, frosty conditions, as might be expected with the few sipes it has. Solid all-weather compound delivers great traction down to 0ºF.

The WRG4 was markedly better in snow than the AW02, and noticeably better in icy conditions (though, ice is nasty). With so much tread and sipes, it had a noticeably softer degree of handling than other tires I've had. (Part of which was due to having a slightly oversized tire fitment, 235/55-19, part of which is the softer tread.)

Suggestion -- If you want a single tire that needs to handle snow and some ice, along with typical rain, dry/clear conditions, then an all-weather compound ought to be strongly considered, and the 3PMSF rating is important.

 

[kaehlin]

I'm in mid-Michigan. I have used Michelin Cross Climate 2, which has the 3PMSF rating, on a number of cars. My experience mirrors GFrosty's. Much better in snow than standard all-seasons, still pretty good in wet, dry, all year long. I would also suggest focusing on 3PMSF tires.

 

[Lazy2.5]

if you will be occasionally relying on your tire for snow/ice safety, a regular all-season will not cut it.

unless you are able to simply not drive in such conditions.

I am impressed with the tread life of Michelin tires. I find that they crack/dry-rot very slowly compared to other tires, but I don't know if it is worth paying full price for them.

Then again, my dad has crossclimate 2's on his Camry with at least 30,000KM on them, and they really haven't worn much...

 

[jadmt]

I have about 25000 miles on my CC2's and they have been stellar..show very little wear and been through two full montana winters and have traveled back and forth to Minnesota in the winter several times with no issues..super quiet and handle very well in all conditions.

 

[Lazy2.5]

For OP's needs, crossclimates would probably be ideal.

 

[N7turbo]

CC2 don't fit into the OP's budget.

Also consider the following:

• CC2 will increase rolling resistance and thus reduce mpg
• There is an inverse correlation between snow traction and wet traction. When improvements are made to a tire's snow capabilities, they reduce the tire's wet traction

For me, I wouldn't go for the CC2 unless a larger proportion of my driving saw snowy conditions, and I only wanted one tire year-round. Otherwise, it would be much better to swap between winter and A/S tires.

The CC2 straddles the line between winter and A/S tires.

It does better than A/S tires in snow and ice, but worse in both dry and wet conditions. Winter tires go even further in improving snow and ice performance, but are even further away from the dry and wet performance of A/S tires.

So consider how much of your time is spent in each condition.

 

[Lazy2.5]

So, if it is out of his budget to drive on an all weather tire that's rated for snow, then he shouldn't drive in the snow.