After lots of reading, which size 19s?
- Thread starter ourlee
- Start date
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
19x8.5 +35 (assuming that is the offset). Plenty of space in the wheel wells and clearance for fenders. Factory GT 225/55-19 will fit fine on a 8.5 wide wheel. It comes down to preference as to whether or not you want upgraded tire patch area for more grip, yield higher tire expenses and a very (VERY) slight decrease in rolling resistance efficiency compared to 225/55. The near perfect match to the diameter of the 225/55-19 while upgrading to a slightly wider patch is a 245/50-19, which I believe is is less than 0.5% off, which is practically DEAD ON.
For my preference, I think the 225/55-19's are quite narrow given the size of the vehicle. Looks like a tip toeing boat. I slapped on my RX-8's black Enkei RPF1's 18x9.5 +45 (all 4 corners) 275/35-18 DOT race compounds on the CX-5 and went around the neighborhood. Boy did the CX-5 feel and look amazing on those. Of course, that would be absolutely stupid to run a daily driver on those compounds and sizing.
For my preference, I think the 225/55-19's are quite narrow given the size of the vehicle. Looks like a tip toeing boat. I slapped on my RX-8's black Enkei RPF1's 18x9.5 +45 (all 4 corners) 275/35-18 DOT race compounds on the CX-5 and went around the neighborhood. Boy did the CX-5 feel and look amazing on those. Of course, that would be absolutely stupid to run a daily driver on those compounds and sizing.
brainbasher
Member
- :
- 2014 CX5 GT
I have 8.5 wide wheels and went with 235/55/19 Yokohama Parada Spec-X been good to me so far.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
No you won't be poking. It should be exactly flush, and will most likely get away from having to trim the plastic fender moldings.
Interesting thread! Going from 225/55-19 to 275/35s makes each tire 50mm, about 2 inches, fatter. That's an inch on the inside and an inch on the outside.
You could consider going staggered; something like 245/40 on the front, but since this is primarily a FWD vehicle you're achieving looks at the possible expense of handling. I would definitely prefer 275/35s all around (which I had on the rears of my RWD 370Z).
Also, you're correct in saying 19s don't have many current purchase options in these profiles. Mazda is a little ahead of the curve on this, making 19s a more acceptable rim size for the masses. But I see now that tirerack.com has just started carrying my #1 favorite all-season tire, Continental ExtremeContact DWS in 275/35ZR19 at $250 apiece. If you can live with a UHPAS, get this; otherwise look at the summer tread DW (not DWS) for $26 apiece less. (Tirerack did NOT have the Contis in this size just a month ago!)
Finally ... in my checking, it is possible to put this fat tire on stock 19" GT rims. The extra meat of the rubber is going to prevent some curbing -- you can still do it, but it takes a bit of moronic dedication.
[ I'm mentioning this even though we've got a deal for me to take your OEM stuff. If you like the looks of the stock rims well enough, there's no need to splurge a couple extra grand on looks. Weight issues, the Contis will be heavier than the OEM Toyos, so you might want to focus on unsprung weight with any aftermarket rims... but at 182 hp it's not going to be a significant difference. Or are you eventually planning on a blower?]
You could consider going staggered; something like 245/40 on the front, but since this is primarily a FWD vehicle you're achieving looks at the possible expense of handling. I would definitely prefer 275/35s all around (which I had on the rears of my RWD 370Z).
Also, you're correct in saying 19s don't have many current purchase options in these profiles. Mazda is a little ahead of the curve on this, making 19s a more acceptable rim size for the masses. But I see now that tirerack.com has just started carrying my #1 favorite all-season tire, Continental ExtremeContact DWS in 275/35ZR19 at $250 apiece. If you can live with a UHPAS, get this; otherwise look at the summer tread DW (not DWS) for $26 apiece less. (Tirerack did NOT have the Contis in this size just a month ago!)
Finally ... in my checking, it is possible to put this fat tire on stock 19" GT rims. The extra meat of the rubber is going to prevent some curbing -- you can still do it, but it takes a bit of moronic dedication.
[ I'm mentioning this even though we've got a deal for me to take your OEM stuff. If you like the looks of the stock rims well enough, there's no need to splurge a couple extra grand on looks. Weight issues, the Contis will be heavier than the OEM Toyos, so you might want to focus on unsprung weight with any aftermarket rims... but at 182 hp it's not going to be a significant difference. Or are you eventually planning on a blower?]
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
I wouldn't suggest putting anything over 245 on a factory wheel. Keep in mind that the factory wheel is ONLY 7.5" in width. Remember that a 245 has a tire width of around 9.5-9.8". Anything over 245 on such a width wheel is going to cause major ballooning and during hard corning, the sidewall will flex and tuck under. It is not recommended and most definitely not safe... Minimum wheel width recommended by tire manufacturers for a large profile 245 tire is no less than 8".
At 275 even with a thin tire profile if lets say 35, the tire width is almost 11". 275 DOT tires should not be put on any wheel less than 9" in width. Unless you're running Hoosier A6's with insanely thin profile, have brick stiff sidewalls, and traveling at AutoX speeds, but that's irrelevant now.
I would never stagger a CX-5. The damn thing already prone to heavy understeer. Expect even worse when it is staggered with a wider rear.
At 275 even with a thin tire profile if lets say 35, the tire width is almost 11". 275 DOT tires should not be put on any wheel less than 9" in width. Unless you're running Hoosier A6's with insanely thin profile, have brick stiff sidewalls, and traveling at AutoX speeds, but that's irrelevant now.
I would never stagger a CX-5. The damn thing already prone to heavy understeer. Expect even worse when it is staggered with a wider rear.
You point to one of the very positive things about this Continental tire: thinner sidewalls than average. There's a lot of flex. But the tread also has an almost insanely high wear rating of 540; in 30K miles on my Z I only lost an average 2-3mm apiece. And the tread, 275 mm, will NOT "tuck under" -- that's a 10.5" wide contact patch and you've got a comparatively light CX-5 sitting on top of that!
I'm saying the OEM 19" rims are do-able and safe at 7.5" wide, for a 10.5" tire. Would I do that myself? Hmm ... I'd defer to the judgement of someone at tirerack.com, if I thought I could live with the look. However -- I would risk it if I was spending 2K on rims I couldn't barely tell apart from the OEMs.
I have issues with your decreeing things safe/not safe, since we're really only talking about the tire bead staying fully engaged under all prospective driving conditions. However, on the aesthetics, we might be closer. It may be that a narrow rim just looks fugly, like anything you see with a massive negative camber.
My FWD GT Tech on 19" Toyos has almost no noticeable understeer. AWD should be significantly less. Staggering, on a car like the CX-5, is to create a unique profile, ie, "looks", and you might go with a 17" rim front (with high profile tire) and our favorite 19" 275/35s in back. (Or go even crazier with 22s.) The point is that you're not autocrossing a 182 hp car; you're cruising with it.
I was 3/4ths serious when I asked Rick if he was going to do a blower, because as perky as this CUV is, it's not a Gojiro-slayer. (Yes, that was the other direction I could have gone when I said goodbye to my Z, and a Nissan GT-R was achievable, if not terribly practical. Now I drive a very enjoyable little CX-5 that I can't pick out of a parking lot full of Ford Focuses, Hyundai Santa Fes, Kia Sorrentos, Buicks... well, at least I know it's not a CR-V.
)SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
You point to one of the very positive things about this Continental tire: thinner sidewalls than average. There's a lot of flex. But the tread also has an almost insanely high wear rating of 540; in 30K miles on my Z I only lost an average 2-3mm apiece. And the tread, 275 mm, will NOT "tuck under" -- that's a 10.5" wide contact patch and you've got a comparatively light CX-5 sitting on top of that!
I'm saying the OEM 19" rims are do-able and safe at 7.5" wide, for a 10.5" tire. Would I do that myself? Hmm ... I'd defer to the judgement of someone at tirerack.com, if I thought I could live with the look. However -- I would risk it if I was spending 2K on rims I couldn't barely tell apart from the OEMs.
I have issues with your decreeing things safe/not safe, since we're really only talking about the tire bead staying fully engaged under all prospective driving conditions. However, on the aesthetics, we might be closer. It may be that a narrow rim just looks fugly, like anything you see with a massive negative camber.
My FWD GT Tech on 19" Toyos has almost no noticeable understeer. AWD should be significantly less. Staggering, on a car like the CX-5, is to create a unique profile, ie, "looks", and you might go with a 17" rim front (with high profile tire) and our favorite 19" 275/35s in back. (Or go even crazier with 22s.) The point is that you're not autocrossing a 182 hp car; you're cruising with it.
I was 3/4ths serious when I asked Rick if he was going to do a blower, because as perky as this CUV is, it's not a Gojiro-slayer. (Yes, that was the other direction I could have gone when I said goodbye to my Z, and a Nissan GT-R was achievable, if not terribly practical. Now I drive a very enjoyable little CX-5 that I can't pick out of a parking lot full of Ford Focuses, Hyundai Santa Fes, Kia Sorrentos, Buicks... well, at least I know it's not a CR-V.
The tire side walls should be vertical to the tread instead of leaning at a diagonal angle. With a 275 on a 7.5" wheel, this would be a concern. Given a proper sizing, there should be minimal flex of the sidewalls being that both the inner and outter are under tension of the bead without (significant) allowable movement due to tire pinch. Hence the reason tire manufacturers require a minimal and maximum wheel width rating for each specific sizing of tire.
Now this would be less relevant to non DOT tires like Hoosier A6's and R6's. It is common to see 275-285 stuffed onto 8" wide wheels. That is due to a thinner sidewall and the fact that the sidewalls are much stiffer as I mentioned before.
Don't get me wrong though. I am all for stuffing the widest tire a wheel can fit. I do hate the (lack of) form and function from damn stance nation hypebeast slammed hella flush tire stretching.
I have an AWD GT with the 225 A23 Toyo's. The Haldex with an electroclutch doesn't make any difference in terms of handling as it only transfer torque to the rear when there is slip. It does benefit in traction at sub 20mph speeds coming out of corners. No FWD wheel spin. It is a heavily FWD biased system though. Though understeer is most definitely not a concern for its applicable purposes (it's a damn CUV LOL). I do feel that it is prone to understeer, both on and off throttle. Though I think you and I may be a bit off in terms of the "stagger". I was thinking that it would without a doubt that it would be even more prone to understeer with a staggered set up of same diameter f/r with a wider tire contact patch rear. With that said, it is still possible to through the CX-5 into a corner with trail braking to reduce understeer (which I must admit I have done).
Like you said, we aren't AutoXing these CUV's. I do however drive it quite hard through corners, and I do believe form follows function.
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FYI, OEM 19s are 7" wide.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
I stand corrected. You are absolutely right!
OK, Let's throw some increasingly unrealistic setup scenarios at Rick (ourlee). Make his head spin.
He hasn't said much in a day or 2... I think he's got his new GT, and he's enjoying the heck out of it right now!
It took me 2, 3 weeks to stop missing the 'warp drive' factor of the Z -- and that was only 332 hp. Then I said, "You got this car for practical purposes. If you wanted a station wagon on stilts with 500 hp, either Porsche or Cadillac would be happy to oblige." Every day over those first few weeks, I grew more impressed at how much Mazda got right on the CX-5. And the handling is very, very good. (Our other cars at the moment are an AWD Honda Element and an AWD Acura TL (aka SH-AWD).
He hasn't said much in a day or 2... I think he's got his new GT, and he's enjoying the heck out of it right now!
It took me 2, 3 weeks to stop missing the 'warp drive' factor of the Z -- and that was only 332 hp. Then I said, "You got this car for practical purposes. If you wanted a station wagon on stilts with 500 hp, either Porsche or Cadillac would be happy to oblige." Every day over those first few weeks, I grew more impressed at how much Mazda got right on the CX-5. And the handling is very, very good. (Our other cars at the moment are an AWD Honda Element and an AWD Acura TL (aka SH-AWD).
Greetings from Smith College. Your set up now has 350 miles. I'm digging the new car, very pleased with our choice. 29.5 mpg from jersey to Mass. including an hour of stop and go on 95. The car drives like my miata, the brakes, trans, steering and cruise control are so direct but not over done. I arrived rested and ready to drink.
Struck a deal with Brian Goodwin for some enkei Raijins, when my wife eye balls the car for the first time in daylight, she'll pick black or silver. Also after living with the car for two days, I've decided not to lower it.
Thanks for the help all,
Rick
Struck a deal with Brian Goodwin for some enkei Raijins, when my wife eye balls the car for the first time in daylight, she'll pick black or silver. Also after living with the car for two days, I've decided not to lower it.
Thanks for the help all,
Rick
Bet you're having fun finding rubber for your rims!
)Don't worry about our "deal" for your OEMs; I've got other options if need be. I still think as of this morning that 275/35-19 is what you're going to wind up with if you don't want a skinny tire. That puts your selection of rubber into performance categories, rather than fuel-saving, dry weather eco choices... which I don't think you have any choice of, beyond the OEM Toyos. And I stand by my previous recommendation of the UHPAS Continental DWS.
I've also got a set of new 17" rims with, I'm pretty sure, the necessary 114.5 bolt pattern, but I'm going to have to check on this to make sure. (Better than steelies for winter tires, any ways.) Mentioning this offhand because you want winter treads, and down here on the coast I don't "need" winter treads.
But if, by chance, you've got the rubber dialed in as well as the rims, maybe we can do our deal before I go away? Tirerack and Discount are usually a one-day ship from Delaware. (Make sure your installer uses a Hunter Road Force balancing machine.)
